An Easter Post

Easter Monday? It is today but wasn't when I got around to typing this post out between things like listening to boom radio who mark Easter with a vote in Chart of listeners all time favourites so the Roberts Rambler radio is on and loaded with batteries in case we lose power with this storm they're all talking about.

That's another reason to get this this done as while the Chromebook has batteries, the router doesn't!

We've had a few Easter cards this year and the plushies have been up to their usual tricks hiding stuff but I spotted this!!!!

Ooo Err, a duo of likes - chocolate and unicorns all wrapped in one tasty package while I watch a view a few youtube videos from the likes of TechMoan and Stu's nostalgic tv centric channel before playing the odd record as we've like several hundred lps here.

You just grab a few and play!!!!

Anyway Happy Easter folks!

Handling illness

 

As I type this apart from having to wait until the battery in the Chromebook charged back up as I kind of drained it earlier in the day, it's the season of the great wind up as the grump attempts to move the clocks all a hour ahead as British Summer Time (B.S.T.) starts Sunday.

I just alter my watches as the chromebook looks after itself and given I can't tell the time, I've always used other ways when out of knowing what the time is.

I was reading on one site a piece regarding how an individual who volunteers for free their time was approached on the way to work with the message that "words were said against them" as they'd missed some training sessions due to severe illness and being told everyone else just plows on regardless as they have to be responsible.

Well few can deny that obviously if you take a role you need to understand that others are counting on you performing it but a situation where people are doing tasks that include being responsible for others when being so ill as to be physically sick is the working definition of an unsafe working environment that puts everyone at risk.

That way of handling such issues is also distinctly unprofessional as an individual should be invited to discuss  any aspect of their role including any health issues and support should be explored rather the subject of whispering campaigns by others.

Understandably the individual has now resigned so they have to find someone else and finding volunteers isn't that easy.

Given I had issues with some for having periods of ill health and taken calls from ironically people in Mental Health charities about lack of support, denial of breaks and the like it doesn't surprise me and the generally negative and condescending approaches people take towards people with disabilities either.

Ableism is rife in my experience.

1977 and all that Part II

I hadn't been too great this weekend - even the grump noticed which is rare - with ptsd issues so we're playing catch up from the great unopened to trying to get things done that just weren't.

Now that's not so dissimilar to how it was with me as a child and certainly in 1977 when it was more the mountains of school work to catch up on as they were more into that than your well-being  so I opened a super audio cd set of Tchaikovsky Symphonies that came out this week and am playing a few as this is typed.

As now and with a fairly rudimentary hifi made of what could be got and aired up, with some super tuning up I did read a bit around it in 1977 and this was a popular magazine with me not least for the record reviews beyond the great Penguin Guides for classical recordings.

If you could "save a bob" or two by finding a excellent mid or budget price recording back then building up a basic library of standard works by diligent research then I did

This it had to be said was my favourite, a mixture of news, technical and practical features and aspects of getting good sound, reviews and lively readers letters and a variety of records reviewed with attention to sound quality.

Back then we did believe in graphs and published test results which became a dirty word in some circles with some types believing they didn't matter a jolt.

I don't think they're the final word but they are useful not least in understanding where something may not be performing as good as it should.

Audio to me is as much an art as a science and they will always be trade offs.

In time I soon got a great system going.

1977 and all that

Parts of my feelings around certain times are complicated by the distance between where people of expected my own interests to had been and where in reality they were be they about gender issues or age dysphoria.

1977 as far as the birth certificate went put me in as a teenager but that felt like a distant country to me with its own ideas about what you'd do, what you might like and your peers were in that other land.

 

Scratch the surface and you'll be interested to hear scouting was the kind of thing I liked, learning new skills, being outdoors, being together as unenlightened as that era was to my gender feelings or able to find ways of accommodating my disabilities.  

It was the Silver Jubilee back then so I was presented with a special mug at school when we had special events such as a garden party with games and in Guides and for that matter Scouts you had badges you wore.

It was a very big deal back then and many held street parties.

I did have comics and back then you had loads of choice and I had the Beano and Dandy and while I'd of sooner had Tammy I did find girls who's loan copies to me although with attitudes back then you had to be discrete with it.

The common like musically was Abba as while my tastes were moving toward people like Elvis Costello and the New Wave from the pure pop of my tweens it was so well arranged, written, produced and performed I shared in that like reading magazines, buying records and having posters.

1977 wasn't a bad year with me.

Birthday

 

Some days seem as if it's just a continuation of the other really, little really separates it from the other and others stand more for being like that as much as times aren't as they were either domestically or in the wider world involving current affairs presently.

One day late last week was different for being my birthday, less "getting older" more getting more polished as we go around the sun one more time which was marked at EB with birthday wishes from the members of that great fiction site and a couple of persons at GT who did remember.

My BFF remembered and sent me an e-card, then she never forgets and we do have rather a lot in common both with interests and this other life.

I did a couple of cd sets that looked at that point where things moved from the late 1950's when rock and roll seemed to drop out of favour with relatively tame singers and groups to the period modern music exploded and all the social conventions just changed.

It's not that I don't have some compilations on cd overing this period but this is a broader collection from many labels as licensing tracks can be difficult,

This set has notes on each track helping to place them in context although I generally prefer year by year sets and takes us from the last months of 1959 to the end of 1962 when things were going to change rapidly.

The Second volume came out a week or so ago that covers a shorter period - 1963 and 1964 where that bug name group from Liverpool came from just strong support in the North-west of England to international stars and on the back of that many UK groups had great success in the United States that had been largely insulated from transatlantic trends. 

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are not represent due to licensing issues but many british acts such as Herman's Hermits, Animals, Searchers and the Kinks are as are american acts whose appeal still held such as Elvis Presley and american surf acts whose novelty status got them some UK attention such as Jan and Dean and the Surfaris and acts that were to become massive in a years time such as the Beach Boys.

Bond movies started in 1962 and the songs from them are represented within these sets such as Goldfinger and Motown, a cult interest in the UK around 1960-63 became more popular by 1964 scoring well on the charts as much as in the main british acts dominated that era and in time Tamla_Motown the UK imprint of Motown was established in early 1965.

Spring cleaning

Rather crazy weekend with ahem "events" taking place in the Middle East as I type this as much as I prefer not have deal with everything the alleged groan ups are responsible for not least as they do affect children, often fatally.

Apart from trying to deal with the excesses of Amazon's packaging that makes filling the mixed recycling bin a challenge most fortnights requiring massive amounts of compress to get it all in, one thing I have been doing is removing a few things like box sets that have either been superseded by new and better sets or simply of artists I have lost that degree of interest in.

Sometimes you find with changing your stereo the set you had doesn't sound that good and that was certainly the case with one Abba and Bruce Springsteen set that for all the packaging just didn't sound right to my ears.

Then obviously you do get new things - events in a few days time will most likely bring some - and you do have to find ways of storing them so you reduce things that just aren't used and maybe no longer matter that much to you.

Usually they go to things like children's charities like Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, a national centre for very ill children where it'll do some good.

 

Relaxing revelations

 

Last week was a bit messed up in a number of ways so we're catching up and at the same time trying to relax a bit so I did play a couple of records one being a Bay City Rollers album from the days I had lots of clippings, posters and scarfs of theirs.

Given my super audio cd player spends over 80% of its time playing regular cds I recently changed the external digital to analogue converter that takes the noughts and ones from the transport in the player to improve on its sound.

I've had cd since 1986 so not surprisingly some my cds go back a long time and some have had a number of cd releases so how would you know what's worth keeping as we tend to remember how something sounded but not necessarily take account of what we heard it on.

This variant of the first Duran Duran album was from 1985 to the early 1990's the international cd release of the album which saw To The Shore removed and the 1983 single Is There Something I Should Know? added as track five (and last track on side one on the US/Japan lp) 

In 1993 a version that restored To The Shore was issued in Europe with a newer mastering issued but to my ears it seemed to lack "attack" and subsequent issued in 2003 and 2010 worse.

The usual criticism of that first cd issue was that sounded bright and that 1983 single was mastered a bit louder than the rest of the album and I can remembering how it sounded on my original Toshiba player.

Putting it in the super audio cd and playing from the new external digital to analogue convertor was a revelation as it didn't sound bright, there was an obvious bass line and Simon Le Bon's vocals had great presence.

I even heard clear soundstaging!

Actually I had to pinch myself that I wasn't hearing a record playing it was that good correcting that level issue while playing it.

Actually this was a really good sounding cd ONCE you corrected the level mismatch and took advantage of the advances in digital technology.

Now it won't sort a bad cd out but it certainly will bring out everything that the disc has and that for generations we assumed it never had.

Looks toward Spring

While one thaws out after a cold start to the weekend when I got a bit colder than desirable with lips turning blue due to bitterly cold strong winds thoughts turn to looks and completing them.

Plaid skirts have always been a favourite of mine  ones like these with just a bit of detail such as bows but nothing too fussy or hard for me to put on by myself are just the thing.

Heels it must be said may be so so feminine but with my wobbliness not realistic as I'd be flying all over the place!

One approach especially in winter months would be thick white tights giving much of the look you want but less "suffering for fashion" at this time of year but for spring onwards I just love the freedom of just below the knee plain white socks that are still warmish with just a touch of the kitten.

You can't take that out of me.

Classical Music sacd round up 22

Ironic when we've improved regular cd replay for not just ye olde cds from the 80's but modern cds when the numbers of super audio cds has dropped we have three box sets of them!

Thus we have a new numbered sacd round up and all the discs are hybrid so they have a cd layer for regular players apart from the sacd layer for compatible players.

Jacqueline de Pré was a sensational cello player whose career was sadly cut down by illness but not before making some of the greatest recordings during the 1960's for Emi/Angel that were compiled in 2025 in newly transferred high definition masterings for super audio cd.

SACD 1

1-4 ELGAR Cello Concerto in E minor

5-9 DELIUS Cello Concerto

London Symphony Orchestra · Sir John Barbirolli (1-4)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra · Sir Malcolm Sargent (5-9)

Recorded: 19.VIII.1965, Kingsway Hall, London (1-4); 12 & 14.I.1965, No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London (5-9)

(p) 1965, Remastered (P) 2020 (1-4) & 2022 (5-9) Parlophone Records Limited

SACD 2

1-3 SCHUMANN Cello Concerto in A minor

4-6 DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto in B minor

7 DVOŘÁK Silent Woods

New Philharmonia Orchestra (1-3), Chicago Symphony Orchestra (4-7) · Daniel

Barenboim

Recorded: 8-9.IV & 11.V.1968, No. 1 Studio, Abbey Road, London (1-3); 11.XI.1970, Medinah Temple, Chicago

(4-7)

(p) 1969/2022 (1-3) & 1971/2022 (4-7) Parlophone Records Limited

SACD 3

1-3 HAYDN Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major

4-6 BOCCHERINI Cello Concerto No. 9 in B-flat major

7-9 HAYDN Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major

English Chamber Orchestra · Daniel Barenboim (1-6)

London Symphony Orchestra · Sir John Barbirolli (7-9)

Recorded: 17 (1-3) & 24 (4-6) IV.1967, 13.XII.1967 (7-9), No. 1 Studio, Abbb

Her husband, Daniel Barenboim, was an international renown pianist and this cycle of Beethoven's Piano Concertos.

While several years back we bought the Sir Colin Davis Nielsen Symphonies set, this set of recordings done in analogue tape in the sixties does include overtures and Concertos not present in that modern set so is of value.

The conductor John Wilson has given us much in recent years  but this recording by the Sinfonia of London of Walton's Cello Concerto is a highlight for me from 2024

His 2025 account with Charlie Lovell-Jones of the Violin Concerto is highly enjoyable.

While there was an issue in 2018, this remastered edition that came out last year takes Mozart's Piano  Concertos 20, 21, 25 and 27 in excellent mid 1970's recordings by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado with Friedrich Gulda on piano and puts all four of the recordings on two hybrid super audio cds in a slim case.

Relaxing

After  last weeks slightly more tech centred post during what was a very windy week with quite a bit of tidying up needing to be done in the front garden and dealing with a bad case of lower paw cramp a day ago thoughts are elsewhere.

The way you might relax after and recovering from all that can vary from immersing yourself in something more child-like such as watching your favourite children's tv shows either original or new episodes to reading comics.

I did get this years first issue of one magazine whose subscription seemed to mysteriously cut out after finding how to resubscribe and a discount code  to save around 20% of a years subscription but given it has a mixture of stories, facts and quiz's that'd well worth it.

A good soak tm can be quite relaxing with bubble bath or bath bombs by the likes of Lush although I've never heard of having snack in the bath but never use electrical things by the bath - if they fall in you'll get electricity in you and that's fatal plus  please be careful with scent candles as it is easy to start a fire if they fall or the flame otherwise catches something.

I did put a couple of new to me organ cds on which also was also relaxing.

Tuning in

After a week that had some forum drama and odd triggering post it was really more necessary to put grown up business of that disgrace, Donald J Trump, to one side and settle for some imagination based play rather than the purely role playing sort to reset somewhat.

One thing I do miss from modern portable devices is the built in FM Radio.

Now FM is hardly new, did look in the 2010's to be at risk of extinction between DAB and Internet based radio offering more choices even if in absolute terms the quality isn't always as good although the quality of what is sent out isn't what it was beyond stations such as BBC Radio 3.

You don't find Dab tuners in them probably with that not being popular in the Far East or Asia.

This one, while a bit awkward in the menu department and lacking any means of turning on gapless playback does have a okay but could be more sensitive FM radio with a virtual tuning dial you use the << and >> buttons to tune and up to six presets.

The finish is surprisingly good for something that sells for around £50 though and so is handy where a more expensive player might get lost or perhaps for a younger use who doesn't appreciate having to use a Android based user interface to play something.

I just put some compilations on a spare sd card - and shockingly it will take up to 256gb ones - as a spare take anywhere device.
 

Now Yearbook Vaults 1982

Now it has warmed up a little  we'll resume on a series of entries from 2024.

In June 2024 Now launched a sub series VAULTS, which aims to cover minor hits of the sort that tended to pad out our Ronco and K Tel sets as much as we may of preferred some of them to the big hits back in the day and also American Hits which unless someone did a American Hit compilation you didn't get so I'd buy the 45's where available.

On Friday January 16th they decided to issue the 1982 edition on deluxe four cd book form, cheapskate card folder and three lp  45 track truncated form on brilliant yellow vinyl.

It follows the broad theme of things that for all the music industry talk didn't trouble the top 30 and american hits that weren't in the UK (and should of been I'd add).

Opening the set on disc 1 we have the era-defining style with ‘The Hanging Garden’ from The Cure, taken from their album ‘Pornography’, and Bauhaus with ‘Spirit’ ahead of the collaboration ‘Bamboo Houses’ from David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto. 

A single in the U.S., ‘Secret Journey’ from The Police comes ahead of ‘Athena’ from The Who, and ‘Valerie’ from Steve Winwood – which would be a bigger hit when remixed five years later and closing the first side a beautiful song – ‘Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)’ from Elton John.

Flipping to side two we have a run of new wave and post-punk gems including from Elvis Costello, The Clash, Theatre Of Hate and Gang Of Four. Melancholic pop from The Teardrop Explodes leads to disc 1's  closers from Mike Oldfield, and a classic ‘Tug Of War’ by Paul McCartney from the album of the same name.

Disc 2 kicks off with a run of pure pop: Culture Club’s ‘I’m Afraid Of Me’ was the single before their #1 breakthrough, and is joined by Spandau Ballet, Level 42, Bananarama and Toyah with a re-recording of her 1980 anthem ‘Ieya’. 

A trio of synth-pop essentials closes the side: Visage with ‘Pleasure Boys’ their third single in 1982, Blancmange with ‘Feel Me’ – their second single, (the next would be their Top 10 breakthrough) and ‘Flowers’ by singer-songwriter Zaine Griff – produced by Hans Zimmer and featuring unmistakable backing vocals by Kate Bush. 

Flipping over the side sees the fusions of Electronic Music with hip hop and disco celebrated, opening with three huge tracks: ‘Planet Rock’ from Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force, the floor-filling ‘Loopzilla’ from George Clinton and ‘Let It Whip’ a Top 5 U.S. smash from the Dazz Band – ’82 R&B from Aretha Franklin leads into retro-influenced pop from Mari Wilson and a jazz-influenced club classic from Blue Rondo A La Turk. The LP finishes with Imagination who created one of 1982’s essential albums with ‘In The Heat Of The Night’, from which this title track was taken as a single.

The concluding disc celebrates what was happening in the U.S. in 1982 on its first side. ‘Atlantic City’ from Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’ leads, ahead of huge stars Billy Joel and John Mellencamp. 

1982 would be the year that Daryl Hall & John Oates broke through in the UK with two Top 10 hits – but here featuring their U.S. Top 10 ‘Did It In A Minute’, plus, Michael McDonald who hit the Top 5 in the States with his debut solo single ‘I Keep Forgettin’ while Quarterflash leads into Asia, who had the year’s biggest selling album in America, and Journey with their biggest hit, the massive ballad ‘Open Arms’ from their Escape album.

The final side opens with an instrumental theme to a TV series U.S. Police drama ’Hill Street Blues’ ran for six years and peaked in popularity in 1982 – with its theme by Mike Post featuring  Larry Carlton spending over five months on the chart, hitting the Top 10 in the U.S. and #25 in the UK. Fun Boy Three hit with their cover of ‘Summertime’, which comes ahead of Grace Jones and Men At Work. 

This is followed by U.S. new wave from The Go-Go’s, The Waitresses, and The B-52s and closing the collection Siouxsie And The Banshees’ stunning interpretation of the traditional French carol, ‘Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant’.

This set just fits nicely between my original Ronco, K Tel and Telstar compilations and the rather good Now Yearbook 1982 set, rounding out that years great colourful sounds.

A cold start to the day...

Cold start to the day as I type this out as plans got altered yet again due to the weather as yesterday we had minor snow that cleared  and now this morning it went below minus 2 degrees and we have ice which means post and amazon deliveries are all being delayed.

Given the last amazon delay saw me gain a delayed delivery vouch, near enough a "rain check" that we used to have I do wonder if this latest delay will earn me another?

I did read this weeks Beano - they've been going with a modified version of the more rounded duo colour sixties logo minus the definitive article on the front masthead - enjoying long stories involving the Bash Street Kids and Rodger the Dodger.

I loved the animated tv Josie and the Pussycats cartoons in the 1970's although tracking down the comics was hard going being American but that scene is believable knowing people who'd insist on having the very sleeping attire they prefer even if it just isn't practical to get it so most of us would either borrow Pj's or sleep in underwear.

There's nothing like folk,eh?

I'll also watch the 1984 End of year review of Blue Peter before that resumes this Friday on CBBC.

From Beatles For Sale to Help"

We're back after the CatMas break pretty much cold as it is minus five outside today which really is no good at all for me even though I'm pretty warm blooded so I'll be staying in by the gas fire today doing some reading.

One thing I had at Christmas was this book which is the ninth and final one in a series that looks at the recording and stage career of The Beatles but divided by what became session for their albums and when I mean albums, the albums they were working toward in the U.K rather than necessarily I (or North Americans) may have.

The series really began as a extended essay come factual record connected to the Sgt Pepper album and has gradually made its way through all the albums although you might, like me prefer to put them in the shelf in album era order.

This volume takes us back the Fall of 1964 after the commercially and critically acclaimed A Hard Day's Night film with it's album and the Long Tall Sally E.P when thoughts were on the fall and winter of 1965 tour and the need for a new album (and singles).

The strength of the book isn't just in taking you though that whole period but also looking at everything in what was the precursor to modern pop culture that surrounded it such as things in the new, films, what other artists were doing and how each album and single was received at the time using reviews and recollections so we see the impact at that time.

This was the period the beatles lyrically were starting to move away from fairly simple love songs or plain pop songs with catchy chorus and into more introspective and personal songs such as I'm A Loser, I'll follow The Sun, Help (an early indication of how trapped he felt being a beatle) and Yesterday, a modern classic with a string quartet. 

At the same time a second movie was expected and delivered although the plot is somewhat surreal and the pressures of being on the road in Europe, Japan, Australia and North America were taking away some of joy of having made it big and the issues around making songs in a studio that just could not be performed to 17,000 or more audiences all screaming were coming to a head.

The book works very well helping to place each album in its context in the time and from that aid a true appreciation of their albums.