What are you listening to? Part III

[firestarter]

However, I am curious as to the differences in audio quality - do you find that playing, or listening on vinyl makes an appreciable difference to your enjoyment of the recording?

Make no mistake, vinyl is lower bandwidth, lower fidelity, higher noise and more 'colored' in tone than CD (all other things being equal). It's got a lot of theater to it, and that provides people with a lot of enjoyment and involvement.

Some recent re-masterings of old albums onto CD have ruined them by over limiting and compressing. In those cases, an A/B against a better mastered recording on vinyl may make for a much better listening experience.

 

[S.B.G]

 

[vulcanvillalta]

Too many Cooks

 

[Goftrey]

As someone who rather likes the music of Pink Floyd (a lot), indeed, as someone who will almost inevitably buy this, but also as someone who has read the reviews of this new release (very mixed, it must be said and some penned in a tone of rueful regret), I am curious to know your thoughts (and feelings) on this…….interesting.

I didn't want to write back until I've given it a few more runs through.

After listening to it for what is now the sixth time, I think I've got it pretty much down (in my head, at least).

As a precursor, I am a humungously massive fan of Pink Floyd. I swing more towards to Gilmour side of things, but I think the synergy between Waters' lyrics and Gilmour's compositions was just something truly amazing. I'm not a massive fan of the early Barrett 'era stuff, but love pretty much everything from DSOM and on, including the post Waters stuff.

---

It's an album that you absolutely NEED sit down and intimately listen to as a whole in one shot. Aside from 'Louder than Words' and 'Nervana' (if you have the Deluxe Edition) the album is predominantly one big, hour long ambient rock sesh.

The album starts off brilliantly with 'Things Left Unsaid', 'Its What We Do', 'Ebb and Flow' and 'Sum'. Its almost a purely instrumental 'Shine on you Crazy Diamond' done in the style of The Division Bell, with a sprinkling of The Wall found in 'Sum'.

Unfortunately, things take a bit of a nose dive after that. 'Skins' and 'Unsung' are boring, meaningless, empty filler tracks. There's nothing to them whatsoever and in all honesty they bored the living **** out of me. And then, things get even worse. 'Anisina' is absolutely awful. The sax solo is so unbelievably tacky it's like something from a 70's sit-com theme tune. And the melody and tempo of the song just puts you to sleep instantly. 'The Lost Art of Conversation', 'On Noodle Street' and 'Night Light' proceed and it just puts you in to a deeper sleep. In a very similar way to 'Skins' and 'Unsung', they just feel like more empty, filler tracks.

However, all is not lost. You feel a definite change in mood with the start of 'Allons-y (1)', and then you're woken up by a trademark Gilmour riff. The catchy melody brings you up and carries you through the really nicely done 'Autumn 68', as you're now eagerly anticipating what's next. 'Allons-y (2)' follows, and it's just a continuation of 'Allons-y (1)'. A superbly structured little section of the album in my opinion.

Then, we get another change in tone - this change of which reminded me of intro to 'Comfortably Numb'. 'Talkin Halkin' is a moody, atmospheric piece, which, you guessed it, consists of lyrics from Steven Hawking himself. I really wasn't expecting to like it, but I just found it fascinatingly inspiring. It reminded me massively of the Charlie Chaplin speech in Paolo Nutini's 'Iron Sky'.

With the start of Side 4 and 'Calling', the album slips back in to it's moody, ambient, lyric-less self again. I find this fourth side of the album, although similar in style to the second side, flows far better. And Mason's drumming along with the gospel give it more of an 'epic' feel, as if the album was reaching it's conclusion.

Then, however, when you think Gilmour and co. are winding down for the last time - 'Eyes to Pearls' gives a little lift with a simple but poignant steel-string acoustic riff, making you begin to expect something again. The song gradually builds and builds, and then oddly fades out and in to the penultimate track on the album, 'Surfacing'. And although very different to 'Eyes to Pearls', it does a great job of continuing that build up to what must be an epic finale.

Then, you hear it. 'Louder than Words', with the very familiar bells heard on 'High Hopes' kicking it off. I love this song so much. The one word I can use to describe it is 'meta'. Gilmour indirectly explains why the album was for the most part lyric-less, and indirectly gives us a retrospective look of the last 50 years, all packaged in this superb song, complete with another trademark Gilmour solo. It's a perfect way to end this band's incredible career.

---

So, all in all, it's a good album. Not great, and not even close to the legendary Wish You Were Here, which I believe is it's closest sibling, giving the predominantly ambient content. There are some shaky parts, but there is also a lot of classic Pink Floyd in there.

If you liked Wish You Were Here and The Division Bell, then I can almost guarantee you'll like this album.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I use an inexpensive Music Hall MMF 2.1 turntable with a Shure M97E cartridge with a tubed Primaluna Prologue 2 integrated amp with a phono stage through B&W 603 Series 3 loudspeakers. Soundwise it's much better than CD's, at least to my ears.

Many thanks for your kind and informative reply.

Actually, the store where I noticed the modern (high end) turntables - is also the authorised dealer for B&W and they did point out the 603 speakers to me. We had an interesting and detailed discussion, but this is something I wish to put a lot more thought into.

Back in the early 1990s, I bought a top of the range Sony - the 505, I think, a magnificent piece of equipment, which I loved, and used endlessly - and spent a lot of time paying it off.

However, while the radio, tape and CD still work perfectly on it, the turntable does not. As I still have many wonderful pieces of music in vinyl, it seems a shame not to be able to listen to them on occasion (that small gentle sounding 'thunk' when a vinyl record drops to the turntable, the slow movement of the hinged arm with the needle cartridge over to the turning record, and then the satisfying sound when connection and contact between the two was finally made….and that wonderful feeling of anticipation while waiting for all of this to take place….

Make no mistake, vinyl is lower bandwidth, lower fidelity, higher noise and more 'colored' in tone than CD (all other things being equal). It's got a lot of theater to it, and that provides people with a lot of enjoyment and involvement.

Some recent re-masterings of old albums onto CD have ruined them by over limiting and compressing. In those cases, an A/B against a better mastered recording on vinyl may make for a much better listening experience.

Thanks a lot. Much appreciated.

I didn't want to write back until I've given it a few more runs through.

After listening to it for what is now the sixth time, I think I've got it pretty much down (in my head, at least).

As a precursor, I am a humungously massive fan of Pink Floyd. I swing more towards to Gilmour side of things, but I think the synergy between Waters' lyrics and Gilmour's compositions was just something truly amazing. I'm not a massive fan of the early Barrett 'era stuff, but love pretty much everything from DSOM and on, including the post Waters stuff.

---

[snip]…

So, all in all, it's a good album. Not great, and not even close to the legendary Wish You Were Here, which I believe is it's closest sibling, giving the predominantly ambient content. There are some shaky parts, but there is also a lot of classic Pink Floyd in there.

If you liked Wish You Were Here and The Division Bell, then I can almost guarantee you'll like this album.

Wow. What a detailed and thoughtful reply - thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to listen to the whole album with the thoughtful ear of a music critic, think about what you have heard, mull over the whole thing again, and then write about it.

I have read the media reviews - both from the serious broadsheets, and from other online reviews, and none match yours for detail and critical analysis.

Yes, I do like The Division Bell, very much, (and also like Wish You Were Here). And, I'll be honest, this is an album I have every intent of buying,- even if it turned out to be underwhelming. However, it is always nice to get an intelligent and thoughtful review, particularly from someone who admires their music but is not blind to their faults, which you clearly are, and which I would class myself as being, too. Once again, my thanks.

 

[AustinIllini]

Many thanks for your kind and informative reply.

Actually, the store where I noticed the modern (high end) turntables - is also the authorised dealer for B&W and they did point out the 603 speakers to me. We had an interesting and detailed discussion, but this is something I wish to put a lot more thought into.

Back in the early 1990s, I bought a top of the range Sony - the 505, I think, a magnificent piece of equipment, which I loved, and used endlessly - and spent a lot of time paying it off.

However, while the radio, tape and CD still work perfectly on it, the turntable does not. As I still have many wonderful pieces of music in vinyl, it seems a shame not to be able to listen to them on occasion (that small gentle sounding 'thunk' when a vinyl record drops to the turntable, the slow movement of the hinged arm with the needle cartridge over to the turning record, and then the satisfying sound when connection and contact between the two was finally made….and that wonderful feeling of anticipation while waiting for all of this to take place….



Thanks a lot. Much appreciated.



Wow. What a detailed and thoughtful reply - thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to listen to the whole album with the thoughtful ear of a music critic, think about what you have heard, mull over the whole thing again, and then write about it.

I have read the media reviews - both from the serious broadsheets, and from other online reviews, and none match yours for detail and critical analysis.

Yes, I do like The Division Bell, very much, (and also like Wish You Were Here). And, I'll be honest, this is an album I have every intent of buying,- even if it turned out to be underwhelming. However, it is always nice to get an intelligent and thoughtful review, particularly from someone who admires their music but is not blind to their faults, which you clearly are, and which I would class myself as being, too. Once again, my thanks.

Endless River feels like they shot to reinvent "Shine on you Crazy Diamond", but completely removed the heart and soul of it. I'm not sure what I expected, because Barrett and Waters were the true architects of the Floyd, but I was very disappointed.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Endless River feels like they shot to reinvent "Shine on you Crazy Diamond", but completely removed the heart and soul of it. I'm not sure what I expected, because Barrett and Waters were the true architects of the Floyd, but I was very disappointed.

Thank you very much for going to the trouble of penning your observations; unlike David Bowie's album released last year (which was excellent) - I am not really all that terribly surprised, and it does accord with the reviews I have read, which have all suggested - even the ones which are fairly positive - that this album in no way matched or meets the heights of their glory years…..

But, seriously, what did we expect? Well. sigh. Clearly, evidently, indubitably, we expected, hoped, (nay, even desired that?) that Pink Floyd are - or were - still capable of expressing all of their creative genius, obviously, and I am as guilty of this misplaced longing as anyone…...And, equally clearly, this is an erroneous……..misplaced……aspiration…...

Nonetheless, I expect I shall buy it in due course, (in other words, fairly shortly)……in CD format needless to say…..

This evening, I am listening to a few fairly obscure (British) hits from the Sixties, those in minor (melancholic) keys, some of which were rather good…..and which I must confess that I always liked a lot…….

They are the songs 'World Spinning Sadly' by Parking Lot, followed by a song called 'Tin Soldier' by 'The Small Faces', which, in turn, was followed by the wonderful 'For Your Love' by 'The Yardbirds'.

Then, there is (was?) a group called 'The Locomotive' with a song which comes with the wonderfully provocative title of (heh, heh) 'Mr Armageddon'. Next up, a song with the cheerful title of 'No Milk Today' which comes to you courtesy of a group called 'Herman's Hermits'.

And, well, then, I offer a song I have always loved: 'The Hollies' with 'The Air That I Breathe'..

 

[pachyderm]

http://vimeo.com/1092207

 

[kazmac]

What a great freaking song and album. Cause of Death was my first death metal album!

Digging the new album.... But just because I saw this post.

Listening: Obituary - Chopped In Half!

Sweet (growls in approval.) I caught Obituary a few times around the release of Cause of Death. I miss their Celtic Frost via swamp sound, but the new stuff is pretty good.

I am kicking back to the new Hanzel und Gretyl, "Pentagram Sky" is happily cheesy, heavy and catchy.

 

[Suture]

Just bought Empros by Russian Circles and am really enjoying it. Recommended if you like bands like Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mogwai, and Explosions in the Sky.

 

[venomgt95]

Johnny Ringo - Crown The Empire

 

[bradl]

Iron Maiden beats down The Lone Ranger: The Trooper Overture

Back to 2CELLOS again.

this time, they took the William Tell Overture and Iron Maiden's The Trooper, mashed them up, and made it their own. And also in 2CELLOS form, added their own bit of humor to it. Enjoy.

BL.

 

[Miguel760]

Stooges - raw power.

 

[RITZFit]

Claire de Lune

 

[EaterOfCabbage]

Da Beatminerz - Extreme Situation

 

[S.B.G]

Claire de Lune

Beautiful. Claire de Lune is one of my top favorites.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Claire de Lune

Beautiful, just beautiful.

Beautiful. Claire de Lune is one of my top favorites.

I'm in complete agreement with you - a deceptively simple piece of timeless perfection.

 

[S.B.G]

I'm in complete agreement with you - a deceptively simple piece of timeless perfection.

It's such a great piece and at under 5 minutes long, typically, it's over before you know it and I have to play it again.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's such a great piece and at under 5 minutes long, typically, it's over before you know it and I have to play it again.

Very good.

Now, I must admit that I have been guilty of that, too; playing a piece I really enjoy (especially if I have not listened to it for a while), and then realising that I need to listen to it again. (And sometimes again).

Anyway, my view is that this serves to heighten the pleasure, enhance one's appreciation and increase one's awareness of the piece while listening to it.

 

[S.B.G]

Very good.

Now, I must admit that I have been guilty of that, too; playing a piece I really enjoy (especially if I have not listened to it for a while), and then realising that I need to listen to it again. (And sometimes again).

Anyway, my view is that this serves to heighten the pleasure, enhance one's appreciation and increase one's awareness of the piece while listening to it.

Much agreed. I often do the same thing on favorites.

 

[kazmac]

Police Action and Romero and the President - a couple of my favorite musical cues from Escape From New York. I love how Carpenter layers the various synth patterns. His work sounds simple, but it really it amazing to me how a few chords and notes can create such atmosphere.

 

[iLog.Genius]

I use an inexpensive Music Hall MMF 2.1 turntable with a Shure M97E cartridge with a tubed Primaluna Prologue 2 integrated amp with a phono stage through B&W 603 Series 3 loudspeakers. Soundwise it's much better than CD's, at least to my ears.

Primaluna Prologue 2, one of my favourite tube amps. Paired it with a WhestTWO and Thorens 160 table and the sound was phenomenal given the price point.

 

[Kurwenal]

playing a piece I really enjoy (especially if I have not listened to it for a while), and then realising that I need to listen to it again. (And sometimes again).

Much agreed. I often do the same thing on favorites.

Yes, "again," or "for the next 9 days, over and over." As with Faure's Requiem, the Pie Jesu in particular.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes, "again," or "for the next 9 days, over and over." As with Faure's Requiem, the Pie Jesu in particular.

Agreed, and beautiful piece mentioned; I love it. Actually, I understand exactly what you are saying on the need (desire) to listen to some of these pieces again and again. For that matter, I have a couple - or, rather, a few - especial pieces that I can listen to, endlessly, for a while.

The 'Fandango' by Antonio Soler is one; Johann Pachelbel's wonderful 'Canon' is another, and just now, the 'Largo' , perhaps better known as a piece from 'Winter' found in Antonio Vivaldi's work 'The Four Seasons', which is demanding that I play it, as it is repeating in my mind, and so, I just have...

 

[Mr. McMac]

Primaluna Prologue 2, one of my favourite tube amps. Paired it with a WhestTWO and Thorens 160 table and the sound was phenomenal given the price point.

Wow, I had a Thorens TD-160 back in the early 70's. Unfortunately I sold it a friend's brother several years ago. Great turntable BTW, I purchased my Primaluna in 2005 from Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio. Ever heard of him?