Kind of gossip girl show me to the party Taylor

a quick glimpse of sorts into music

The Pretty Reckless
Light Me Up
Interscope Records – UICS-1227, DAS Label – UICS-1227
Japanese Blu-Spec CD 2 (BS CD 2) deluxe edition format

The Pretty Reckless is a hard rock compendium of talent sprouting from the vocals of former Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen.

Gossip Girl Jenny Humphrey is left behind, the good girl gone bad, breaking free from the programme so she could accomplish her rock and roll dream, Taylor dispels the image and goes to the other end of the spectrum, toughing it out a la Joan Jett.
Light Me Up when I’m down is the message and title track of the band’s debut album produced by Kato Khandwala (who in the studio also does all the bass and plays guitars with Ben Philips) on Interscope Records.. The musicians behind Momsen’s which can go from whisper to a belt it out vocals definitely back her, they rock with crunchy guitars and hit the bass and drum so strikingly tight. The backup vocals on You Make Want To Die from guitarist Ben Philip are haunting. Nothing Left to Lose is a ballad paean of a couple and she losing the love of her life in the blink of an eye. But Light Me Up rocks and the album issues three hit singles: Make Me Wanna Die, Miss Nothing, and Just Tonight. Zombie, Make Me Wanna Die with the acoustic guitar and Far From Never are the three extra bonus tracks make the blu-spec cd2 collector’s edition worth getting. The production sound quality on this BS CD2 is hard and crunchy emphasizing the lead guitar with bass bottoming out very tightly with the vocals floating while the drums splash and cymbal are precise.

xo xo

(The Pretty Reckless Light Me Up on compact disc as tested through an OPPO 103D and Audio-GD DAC.)

1		My Medicine	3:14
2		Since You’re Gone	2:42
3		Make Me Wanna Die	3:56
4		Light Me Up	3:28
5		Just Tonight	2:48
6		Miss Nothing	3:14
7		Goin’ Down	3:36
8		Nothing Left To Lose	4:12
9		Factory Girl	3:31
10		You	3:32
		Bonus Tracks
11		Zombie	3:10
12		Make Me Wanna Die (Acoustic)	3:34
13		Far From Never	3:37

Kind of a rainy afternoon with Simone

quick impressions of music

Simone. Kopmajer. An Austrian chanteuse with a cool style. She reaches the in-crowd that extends internationally from Europe to the UK to the United States to Japan and south east Asia including Thailand. Her SACD are on a Japanese label VENUS alongside other releases on CD on various labels. In her albums such as “My Favorite Songs” (which is her version of her hand picked greatest hits album) to “Christmas” (including Christmas time songs such as “Santa Baby” alongside carols sung in English and German), Simone sings in a boppy Marilyn manner with a Dionne Warwick tinge that would not be out of place alongside the canon of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. On other albums that cover the gamut of rock and popular, she has innovative approaches that can be quiet and intimate, bluesy or very swinging with the with it band. The talent on her discs are high calibre musicians that propel or indulge her as she engages with contemporary covers, classical songs and jazz standards with even a bit of Marvin Gaye. Her catalogue is worth the hunt as many of the titles are scarce or out of print.

A case of mono

A series of reflections on music or records

With the recent RSD 2021 release  Chet Baker Sings, the trumpeter gets to feature his singing voice. The feature of the release is it is in mono. Being in mono actually brings this recording to life.

Listening to it is a pleasure and being a stereo or audiophile nut (albeit without the budget) means the resurrection of the Connoisseur BD-1 belt drive turntable that was built by the experts at Ring Audio. The assembly kit was placed on a solid piece of wood that was anti-vibration. Drilled in place beside the platter is the original classic SME 3009 tonearm. Chosen for its characteristics to accompany the tonearm is the Nagaoka MP-10 cartridge, a Japanese cartridge that for its time was expensive. Fortunately, the MP-10 cartridge still works with the new generation of its brand of stylus options. The MP-110 replacement stylus represents an upgrade over what would have been its new MP-100 counterpart.

Together, the Nagaoka combination sounds like a dream, accurate and bringing out detail in the mid-range. The high end rings and the bass is present.

That it is from the original mono tapes acutally brings this recording to life. Keeping it in mono makes it sound less processed. With eyes closed, the image of Chet Baker Sings rings true centre.

Life on the road 2020

This original post was written in a time before life as we knew it shut down. This was going to be a year with lots of promising bands, new records to come out of the studios and breakthrough release parties in the clubs. Well, you all know what happened next. This post was a small document on trips to the clubs to visit friends and see them on the stages, just like back in the old days when we would be hitting the road every weekend throughout Ontario or literally the rest of the world (whether it be in under down under New Zealand or the top of the world in Finland or Sweden). This was the original post with some of the last photos we took in the clubs.

Snowy weekend in Toronto. It is the middle of January and already the camera has been traveling to three different clubs. What happened to hibernation?

1. January 4, 2020 – Heather Valley – Cameron Club – Toronto, ON
   
2. January 9, 2020 – Time Machine release party – Sappho – Tomacco – Ary – Body Double – Junction City Music Hall – Toronto, ON
   
3. January 16, 2020 – Pretox – Straight to Business – Bovine Sex Club – Toronto, ON
   
4. January 22, 2020 – Sappho @ The Boat
   
5. January 31, 2020 – Tomacco @ Monarch Tavern
6. February 1, 2020 – Heather Valley @ Tranzac Club
7. February 8, 2020 – Skye Wallace w/ Les Deuxluxes, Zinnia, Lenny Bull @ Horseshoe Tavern
8. February 9, 2020 – Dirty Rick, Dead Levee @ Bovine Sex Club

More travels to come! (Crossing fingers)

Skye Wallace at Horseshoe Tavern – February 8, 2020

Fire in the hole!

Time Waits for No One – January 26, 2020

Background: After a visit to the Turntable Doctor during Boxing Day week, the recent inspection of my Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge stylus, the verdict was 1000 hours of life left on it. So how long is 1000 hours of stylus life? Obviously, the answer is 1000 hours. The quick math translates 1000 hours to 6 weeks of 24/7. However being human, how long would it take me to explore my record collection to reach 1000 hours of play? The answer is the subject of these posts. Turn off the lights and have a listen to 1000 hours and counting down.

Dead Dogs can learn new tricks. Dead Dog Records know all the old tricks.

Enter through their doorway in the Bloordale Village and it’s the place where everyone calls you Joe. The folks there have my tastes down to a T so we start with the letter G.

Gillian Welch The Harrow and the Harvest

GILLIAN WELCH
The Harrow and the Harvest
ACNY 1109LP

Gillian Welch fans know Gillian is pronounced with a hard G. Consider me a learned fan now. Whether this record be country or Americana, the album is plaintive songs filled with simple stories sung of harrowing tales and hard times, faith and the other side ahead.

There’s six white horses coming after me
Six white horses coming after me
Pretty as a picture, certain as the scripture
Six white horses coming after me

Steely Dan Gaucho

STEELY DAN
Gaucho
MCA 6102
Release: 1980

It is 1:11 a.m. on a cold winter’s day. And what better time to slip on Steely Dan onto the turntable evoking the cool hipster lifestyle of sunny CaliforniL.A. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen tunes, immaculate players and playing with a horn section from Tom Scott to boot taken to the limit. Too cool for school? I have read too many reviews of snobophiles who use a myriad of Steely Dan AJA pressings and SACD as the test source for showing off their equipment, I do not fall into that camp, but I thought Steely Dan Gaucho would be a smooth experience.  The quest for perfection in the studio. Or obsession. Who is up for a listen to Toto IV or Dire Straits?

Led Zeppelin

LED ZEPPELIN
Led Zeppelin
Atlantic ‎– 8122-79664-1
Release: 2014 (initial release 1969)
“The Led Zeppelin legend began in January of 1969 with the group’s eponymous debut. From the opening salvo of “Good Times Bad Times,” on through to “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Communication Breakdown,” and “Dazed And Confused,” the album introduced the band’s unmistakable sound and left an indelible mark on the music landscape.” So said so well straight from Led Zeppelin itself.

ROLLING STONES
It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll
Label: Atlantic
Rolling Stones Records ‎– COC 79101
Release: 1974

Production at Musicland by the “Glimmer Twins” of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Rhythm n bluesy swagger in the studio with a very forward imaging. It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll is the classic anthem of r n r. Brash, sassy, arrogant.

NINE INCH NAILS
PRETTY HATE MACHINE
BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY B0015099-01

The start of it all in a reissued format on 180gm. Bicycle Music Music bought out TVT and pressed this on 180gm black vinyl album.

You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye – January 18, 2020

Background: After a visit to the Turntable Doctor during Boxing Day week, the recent inspection of my Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge stylus, the verdict was 1000 hours of life left on it. So how long is 1000 hours of stylus life? Obviously, the answer is 1000 hours. The quick math translates 1000 hours to 6 weeks of 24/7. However being human, how long would it take me to explore my record collection to reach 1000 hours of play? The answer is the subject of these posts. Turn off the lights and have a listen to 1000 hours and counting down.

Linda Ronstadt, the subject of The Sound of My Voice movie on CNN inspired tonight’s listening. Skye Wallace’s self titled album has been burning a hole into my ears and her photos from recent club performances on stage with band fronting for Lowest of the Low (see image below) have been blazing from my smugmug and others social media. The record itself is black vinyl with a test pressing label! The listening was quite enjoyable with little to note about any distracting noise. The album ranges from moody reflections to full on guitar and bass rockers which capture the adventures of her life.

Emmylou Harris Luxury Liner

Emmylou Harris Luxury Liner was handy and was the natural follow-up. (Dolly Parton and Nicolette Larson provide back-up vocals amongst many. Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt comprised Trio for their two albums.) Even though this is a Warner Brothers Canadian pressing from 1977, the production was immaculate with little if any surface noise. The highlight of Luxury Liner is naturally Emmylou Harris’s voice itself and stellar talent in the band.

Eagles Hotel California

While sorting through albums, the Eagles Hotel California on Asylum Records 1976 turned up more than coincidentally (the members of the Eagles being early members of Linda Ronstadt’s band). Checking the 7ES 1084 catalogue number, this album copy is the 1976 Canadian pressing with the gatefold from Asylum. The record might have needed a little bit of record cleaner and a zap of the Zerostat gun. There were a few reminders that this Hotel California was not a compact disc. Otherwise, the memories of past sitting down by the stereo come back. Which is part of the vinyl experience. The familiar intro to Hotel California led all the way past New Kid in Town to the end of side one with Wasted Time. Flipping over the record brings in the reprise of Wasted Time. The second side is the opposite of Life in the Fast Lane and exits with the more sombre outro of The Last Resort. Raise the needle and turn off the stereo for the night. It is 1:11 a.m.

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DATE	ARTIST	ALBUM	FORMAT	TRACK	ALBUM TIME	RUNNING TOTAL	CASSETTE TIME
2019-12-28	NILS FRAHM	SCREWS	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:28:00	00:28:00
2019-12-28	CRASS	Sheep Farming in The Falklands	flexi	SIDE A	00:05:22	00:33:22
2019-12-28	U2	NO LINE ON THE HORIZON	ALBUM	SIDE A	00:17:00	00:50:22
2019-12-30	BOB DYLAN	LIVE AT BUDOKAN	ALBUM	SIDE B	00:26:42	01:17:04
2019-12-30	SUPERTRAMP	EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:43:25	02:00:29
2019-12-30	APHEX TWIN	SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 1985-1992	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:34:20	02:34:49
2020-01-01	EMMYLOU HARRIS	LUXURY LINER	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:38:35	03:13:24
2020-01-02	BOBBY WISEMAN SINGS WRENCH TUTTLE	IN HER DREAM	CASSETTE	SIDE A		03:13:24	00:29:07
2020-01-05	ELUVIUM	COPIA	VINYL	SIDE A	00:18:50	03:32:14
2020-01-05	ELUVIUM	COPIA	VINYL	SIDE B	00:21:00	04:12:55
2020-01-05	GLENN GOULD	WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER	VINYL	SIDE 1/6	00:19:41	03:51:55
2020-01-08	The Replacements	Pleased To Meet Me	VINYL	SIDE A	00:16:16	04:08:11
2020-01-08	The Replacements	Don’t Tell A Soul	VINYL	SIDE A	00:19:14	04:27:25
2020-01-18	Stevie Nicks	Bella Donna	VINYL	SIDE A	00:19:28	04:46:53
2020-01-18	Skye Wallace	Skye Wallace	VINYL	SIDE A/B	00:33:21	05:20:14
2020-01-18	EMMYLOU HARRIS	LUXURY LINER	VINYL	SIDE A/B	00:38:35	05:58:49
2020-01-18	The Eagles	Hotel California	VINYL	SIDE A/B	00:36:58	06:35:47

 

1000 Hours of Stylus and counting down – January 8, 2020

Today’s listening was a couple of classic albums from The Replacements! The records listened to were Pleased to Meet Me (1987), and Don’t Tell A Soul (1989). These are on black vinyl, the original price of Pleased to Meet Me is a whopping $6.97. These two albums are going to be re-issued soon with coloured vinyl. However, the two Replacements albums are minty black and sound fine the way they are. Talent Show from Don’t Tell A Soul and Alex Chilton from Pleased To Meet Me are alive as ever.
As well, Stevie Nicks Bella Donna from 1981 is about as perfect an album as there is and is also going to be re-issued. This one might be worth exploring as a re-issue. (Total album listening time to date is 4 hours and 48 minutes.) Also spun the compact disc of The Replacements Let It Be which sounds fine as a CD.

DATE	ARTIST	ALBUM	FORMAT	TRACK	ALBUM TIME	RUNNING TOTAL	CASSETTE TIME
2019-12-28	NILS FRAHM	SCREWS	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:28:00	00:28:00
2019-12-28	CRASS	Sheep Farming in The Falklands	flexi	SIDE A	00:05:22	00:33:22
2019-12-28	U2	NO LINE ON THE HORIZON	ALBUM	SIDE A	00:17:00	00:50:22
2019-12-30	BOB DYLAN	LIVE AT BUDOKAN	ALBUM	SIDE B	00:26:42	01:17:04
2019-12-30	SUPERTRAMP	EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:43:25	02:00:29
2019-12-30	APHEX TWIN	SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 1985-1992	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:34:20	02:34:49
2020-01-01	EMMYLOU HARRIS	LUXURY LINER	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:38:35	03:13:24
2020-01-02	BOBBY WISEMAN SINGS WRENCH TUTTLE	IN HER DREAM	CASSETTE	SIDE A		03:13:24	00:29:07
2020-01-05	ELUVIUM	COPIA	VINYL	SIDE A	00:18:50	03:32:14
2020-01-08	ELUVIUM	COPIA	VINYL	SIDE B	00:21:00	04:12:55
2020-01-08	GLENN GOULD	WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER	VINYL	SIDE 1/6	00:19:41	03:51:55
2020-01-08	The Replacements	Pleased To Meet Me	VINYL	SIDE A	00:16:16	04:08:11
2020-01-08	The Replacements	Don’t Tell A Soul	VINYL	SIDE A	00:19:14	04:27:25
2020-01-08	Stevie Nicks	Bella Donna	VINYL	SIDE A	00:19:28	04:46:53

WELCOME TO 2020 : 1000 HOURS AND COUNTING DOWN

The news? Moving into a new apartment with a view in upper Scarborough, we decided to bring the old stereo system back to life. This system is about as analogue as it can get, with Kenwood KA 3500 40 watt amp, Technics SL-1200 MKII turntable, two former Mirage speakers with a Ring Audio internal design and two cassette decks: one Sony and one AIWA.

THE Turntable Doctor at Bay Bloor Radio examined the stylus of the Ortofon 2M Blue After an electronic cleaning and although the stylus was already shorter than an original needle, he pronounced the stylus was still good and had 1000 hours left on it.  Now how long is 1000 hours in record playing terms? That was a good question. The Turntable Doctor said that should be three years. I thought why not keep track of what is 1000 hours?
As well, the technician suggested demagnetizing or clearning the cassette heads every 30 hours. So keeping track of that well will be on the table. The titles listed will be either on vinyl or cassette unless listed otherwise. There will be compact discs played as well and those will be included as well (but will not count towards the 1000 hours).

Welcome to my listening, good taste or whatever you may term it.

DATE	ARTIST	ALBUM	FORMAT	TRACK	ALBUM TIME	RUNNING TOTAL	CASSETTE TIME
2019-12-28	NILS FRAHM	SCREWS	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:28:00	00:28:00
2019-12-28	CRASS	Sheep Farming in The Falklands	flexi	SIDE A	00:05:22	00:33:22
2019-12-28	U2	NO LINE ON THE HORIZON	ALBUM	SIDE A	00:17:00	00:50:22
2019-12-30	BOB DYLAN	LIVE AT BUDOKAN	ALBUM	SIDE B	00:26:42	01:17:04
2019-12-30	SUPERTRAMP	EVEN IN THE QUIETEST MOMENTS	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:43:25	02:00:29
2019-12-30	APHEX TWIN	SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS 1985-1992	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:34:20	02:34:49
2020-01-01	EMMYLOU HARRIS	LUXURY LINER	ALBUM	SIDE A/B	00:38:35	03:13:24
2020-01-02	BOBBY WISEMAN SINGS WRENCH TUTTLE	IN HER DREAM	CASSETTE	SIDE A		03:13:24	00:29:07
2020-01-05	ELUVIUM	COPIA	VINYL	SIDE A	00:18:50	03:32:14
2020-01-06	ELUVIUM	COPIA	VINYL	SIDE B	00:21:00	04:12:55
2020-01-06	GLENN GOULD	WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER	VINYL	SIDE 1/6	00:19:41	03:51:55

The most recent listen goes back to the classical, Glenn Gould Well-Tempered Clavier. No. 1 is in C, it always starts that way. These are pieces that many have undoubtedly played while learning piano for the Conservatory. No doubt no one will ever play them as well as Glenn Gould could.
Eluvium is a taste that goes back 10 years to 2009. The Volume 1 box set of that time is long out of print, but back then it was one hundred sixty dollars which was a lot of money then.