Teanbeat XII - Rocket Man Pt II

The last time I looked at this topic was December last and since then I have acquired a few more "new to me discs" originally issued in the late 80's, early 90's by specialty label Mobile Fidelity (MFSL).

We'll kick off with 1971's Madman Across The Water recorded at Trident studios, London which I never previously owned on cd, the home of Levon (a track on the MCA version of Greatest Hits Vol:2) and Tiny Dancer both which good examples of the longer, more laid back style he had then.  It was the first album Elton only played piano on and not another keyboard instruments.

This, very much Elton's first attempt at a Wild West feel concept album recorded at Trident, doesn't possess a single record hit but features such songs as "Talking Old Soldiers" which does get close to capturing the sense of comradeship people who fought in the forces have and the haunting Where To Now St. Peter.  Country Comfort was lifted off as a 45 release but failed to chart.
Issued on October 1970 it's album I've always had a lot of time for and this sound much smoother than my older MCA cd from the late 80's.

This one 1972's Honky Cháteau named after 18th century French chateau it was recorded in , is more well known being the home of Rocket Man and Honky Cat as well as I Think  Going To Kill Myself which I remember him sing at the Rossayna Hall  (sp?) in the then USSR around the late 70's as well as Hercules, the album closer.
This sounds much better than the 80's MCA cd.
Much to my pleasant surprise, actually these gold discs weren't as expensive as I had expected something no doubt to with the state of the economy and some sellers preparedness to price to sell rather than the three figure madness previously seen on Ebay.

Finally back to regular issues that just happen to sound great and this, the 1985 West German DJM cd version of the 1973 album Don't Shoot Me... , home of so many fine songs  such as as Crocodile Rock, Elderberry Wine and Daniel which while not quite making up to the standard of a specialty gold remaster, nevertheless is very close sound much smoother on Daniel than either the MCA U.S. edition and much less processed compared to the 1995 "The Classic years" remaster.

Spring edition 2014

Spring has sprung here not that I exactly appreciate resetting all the clocks in the house as well as the one on the 13 year old S-Vhs video recorder by hand as  ever since they turned off  the old analogue tv, it no longer automatically resets itself.
However one thing I love is walking through the woods nearby where the birds have formed their nests, raising their young, seeing them flying calling out to each other from one end of the wood to the other. Then there's the squirrels climbing up the trees, traversing the branches before moving along to another and repeating the cycle which in a way the Seasons are all a part of.

One thing you find certainly here both along the highways, parks and some folks private gardens are daffodils, usually commercially cultivated  ones out in full bloom and there was a reason why I selected that commercial image apart from its' technical quality.

Spring is a time of renewal, of rebirth which you see when the bulbs having been planted previous years germinate, throwing out the flowers in all their glory which is well depicted.

There's a girl in that picture, maybe one whose thrown off the more austere winter attire to something that feels so much more fresh and vibrant as she engages with new life being herself.

Coming down the stairs last night the symbolism just struck me.

Downstairs girl

One first thing to say about this last week has been for a variety of reasons some routines have been different not that I'm kinda ocd over routine although I do benefit from some structure in my life which is why this post has been typed today when otherwise I'd of been busy.

The last few posts have been about interests of mine as I'm not exactly a one dimensional adult little girl by a long shot and things I had and enjoyed from my birthday rather than personal posts so I thought this last one of March would be different.

Shared life is often a compromise whither you live as a couple or as individuals who maybe share a property and also this can and usually does cross over to relations with parents, relatives and so on. You may sense that some parts of your life not least for a good number of us being  a 'little' come under the heading things you can't share or be otherwise open with although there's nothing remotely shameful in it.

This is particularly so if like me you're also coming at this as being transgendered too with a number of inter family issues around my being so following my greater involvement around alg activities I had been wondering more around working through this with Mommy.

We've managed to evolve to a point where it's finally okay to present as alg downstairs at night where just both of us are in (Grumpy has his own space upstairs he resides in then) as I feel fit, and she feels comfortable engaging with me sat in the front room being the same me as before for an hour or so. Naturally one doesn't get this for free for when she's sleepy then I'm expected to deal with any outstanding dishes and make a hot drink for when she wakes up but even so it's progress being downstairs, full dressed, helping out in the kitchen.

We're starting to bond better, I can openly call her Mommy - indeed even addressed birthday her card as that - which is helping both of us work through this having had our difficulties in the past around gender based issues.

K-on series 2

As the more seasoned readers of this blog know, I like animes rather a lot although of necessity I'm selective as to which I collect in series form because of the sheer expense.

and the second volume

I first started following this series a few years back at least in part because it tickets all the right boxes for me as we have a school setting, a group of school girls in Uniform, who go on to form a Pop music group to keep the light music after school club going and it's funny reminding me of the school clubs I took part in, writing up the plot outlines at the time (see August 27th, 2011 edition).
This series is a year update on the first seeing the members progressing toward graduation, potentially putting the groups composition at risk and  also wanting to recruit new members to pass on the legacy.The emotions would be familiar to anyone so it's easy to related to and the storyline is easy to follow.
Each set comprises of two discs in a pack which is UK distributor Manga entertainments format of choice.

Teenbeat XI - Soulville

Seeing it was my birthday recently I decided to review my collection of  Soul cds which go back a good number of years I started from the end of  tape and record era in my music buying and filling in a few gaps.

 
You have to remember I was around in the clunky fade up and down era of 8 tracks tapes in the car and home plus FM stereo stations in the metro districts that influenced my tastes to the point the first records and the later cds reflected my likes so for instance take the first artist, Mr Wilson Pickett was better to known to me for his 70's songs like Soft Soul Boogie Man which I have on the "Take Your Pleasure Where You Find It" compilation cd and compilation 8 tracks of that Soul Train era than his 60's material I had as a child!
"The Commitments" generation had a better angle on him than I did!

So I was lacking a cd of his bigger 60's hits like Mustang Sally so I bought the "A man and a half" 2 cd set of those 60's hits most on this disc also are the mono hit versions rather than wonky stereo remakes on the current individual albums.

On the other hand I did get in the early 90's a 20 track mainly stereo compilation of Otis Redding including I Can't Turn You Loose, Tramp, Try A Little Tenderness and (Sittin' on) The Dock Of The Bay but wanted the original albums in their mono versions so bought this box set of the five that came out before his death after his appearance at the  Monterey festival in December 1967.

 
It brings together the albums remastered as the separate mid 90's Rhino remasters series in a box with card lp covers.

The music of Sam Cooke was something I heard quite a bit of on the radio being championed by Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones and this set covering his solo work taking in Twisting The Night Away, Shake, A Change Is Gonna Come and Cupid originally issued in 2003 by Abkco is the best sounding bettering 1987's The Man His Music issued on RCA which for a long time the default cd compilation of choice.

This one's where the Soulville entry title came from as that track recorded for Columbia in the 60's is one that closed out the 8 track of "Black Explosion" with soul hits from the late 60's and early 70's I played rather a lot and got a cd with her Columbia recordings like Soulville early on in the cd era.

 
I had picked up the UK Global 2 cd "Greatest Hits" set in the late 90's for her Atlantic material and later Arista recordings but the tracks switch era rather glaring across the discs for me so I got this newly re-issued and recompiled Queen of Soul 4 cd box  set which just focus's on the 1967-1976 Atlantic era running in chronological order thru such songs as Respect, Call Me, I say a Little Prayer and so on with the earlier recordings in their mono original form.

 
To take in that later era covering songs like Jump To It, Who's Zoomin' Who and I Knew You Were Waiting I got cheaply the 1980-1994 Greatest Hits single cd.
Much more straightforward.

Ray Charles: I managed to track down the two specialty DCC His Greatest Hits cds cheaply for songs like Hit The Road Jack from the period he recorded for ABC-Paramount which took in the ground breaking Modern Sounds in Country and Western album. The mastering legend that is Steve Hoffman re did this a few years later with a slightly different selection using a tubed tape machine  and issued on Gold but this one done with solid state machine onto aluminum in 1987 is still really good sounding and cheap to buy used!

Around the sun edition

A few days back I went around the sun again, no not melting from the heat, but metaphorically speaking and it's that which is the subject of this weeks post.

Yes really, as hard as it may seem to some I never really get any older because I've never really stopped feeling 12 with the same birthday wishes whatever it may say on my birth certificate and as for feeling old, well I've had aches and pains in childhood so to me even that don't age me either. I still feel animated when I wake up on the day!!!
So therefore my birthday not surprisingly is very much a childs one and is marked as such.

Okay everyone who was at Camp  - and you know who you are - can run for cover as Cuddles the Tatty Teddy is here in all it's super huggableness.
Also here and I did mention it to Alice I think, is the 1960 Disney movie version of Pollyanna with Hayley Mills and coming soon will be The Parent Trap and That Darn Cat! in the same series on Region 2 dvd.
Mommy brought me a Monsterz talking plushie - she might be finally getting 'it' now - as well as taking me out to dinner where I insisted upon wearing my pink and blue striped girlie sweater and blouse. I had roast Turkey with trimmings followed by Sticky Pudding with Ice cream and a glass of orange juice.
My M.I.A. brother showed up the day before with a card and the other one came too which was kind of handy as together with other relatives they did give me some money which will come in rather handy.
Arriving soon will be some soul cds which I'll write about separately as they needed to be ordered online and they missed today's mail.

Playthings

Just before last weeks adventure, I received this 9 inch original Holly Hobbie doll and as she was small enough to fit in my luggage she went to Camp.

I decided at Camp to call her Annie

Here's the My Blue Nose Friend Peanuts interactive  Tatty Teddy who talks to his friends. Aww.