Raves From The Grave redux

We're going backwards here looking at a post made in December 2010 while it is bank holiday and my thoughts are on the return to School Days next month.

Back then I started to work through from tapes I had finding songs I'd not bought on record and cd and at that time I started to download albums and tracks  so I downloaded a group of tracks from around 1983-4 that were mainly American hits so not compiled over here.

By then I'd got this group of tracks  number had been transferred to various Mp3 players over the years  but when the old computer died, it took some of these.

Billy Satellite: Satisfy Me Aug 84
Ratt: Round and Round July 84
Night Ranger Sister Christian June 84
Dwight Twilly Band: Girls April 84
Twisted Sister: We're Not Gonna take It '83)
Twisted Sister: I Am (I'm Me) (UK April 83)
Twisted Sister: I Wanna Rock (84)
Twisted Sister: Stay Hungry (84)
Twisted Sister: Leader Of The Pack
Twisted Sister: Come Out and Play

Recently though while I've lost my original iTunes and Amazon accounts I used then, I had found my 7Digital one where some were still available.

I decided to download a Twister Sister compilation that added a few more favourites, I'd got the Tell It Like It Is Ratt compilation on cd since given I had liked Night Ranger got their Midnight  Madness and  Seven Wishes from 1984 and 5 resepectively.

I also added Billy Satellites debut, Peter Schillings Error In The System  and John Waite's No Breaks  albums which were all hits with me back then.

 

Moving more into the decade that started after 2010 had finished I was missing the two published albums by the American country pop group The Band Perry from 2010 with the above which was their debut plus Promise, their 2013 follow up.

 

Original they had been Aac downloads from Apples iTunes Stores and lost in time but I was able to track down the original cds and using the dbPoweramp software make copies for the computer and Fiio music player.

 This album a compilation from 2001 that had David Sylvian, Japan and Rain Tree Crow tracks still existed but only in an early mushy Mp3 so I got the full cd quality Flac album version to replace it with as I do now have a reissue lp of it so having a physical copy is as the English say, sorted.

Fleetwood Mac "Self Titled"

 Like a lot of people of my era the radio featured a lot in our lives being the preeminent way of hearing new music in a world with very limited music on tv and no internet.

Sometimes you might write down a list of likes, in the past you may of taped the odd song off the radio or a friends record or borrowed the tape from the library.

I was never a Fleetwood Mac fan in my earliest days although I knew people who were so it wasn't until we were well into the cd era that I bought this, the first "California" era Fleetwood Mac album issued in 1975 when I was screaming my head off for the Rollers! 

It was responsible for the four singles Warm Ways, Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win), Over My Head and Say You Love Me (Edited) that were popular on album based radio, hardly Radio One playlist material.

I had a decent cd of this but no record so this recent Rhino High Fidelity release was welcome not least for being cut for the very first time in over forty years from the actual master tape rather than a copy. No cd has been transferred from it either.

It has deep, clean, tight bass that shows Mike Fleetwood's bass drum kit well and clear mids bringing out the vocals clearly without sounding screechy.

This can join my copies of Rumours and Tango In The Night on vinyl while the bulk of my collection of Fleetwood remains on cd or sacd. 

Warmer sounds

 

We may be heading into another heatwave this week so layers may end up being off and sleep might happen downstairs as hot air rises (and how in this house) so I've got most things done in advance which has taken a bit out of me but less than the attempt to do same during that heatwave.

I've checked up on the record racks to ensure things are more upright rather than snaking with bulges to avoid major warping issues.

There's been a few new record arrive in the last few weeks, mainly classical and one came a few days ago. 

 Issued originally in 1976, this was an early classical lp I did have but it runs for just under an hour which is a lot to get on a single lp so it didn't sound as good as it could.

Recently though the original four channel tape was found and that has been used, remixed on the fly  cut directly to vinyl over two discs now.

It unusually for classic records was also cut at 45 rpm who audiophiles maintain sounds cleaner, something that specialty popular labels having been doing for a while and it does now sound fuller while at the same time allowing to be cut louder does reduce surface noise which is telling in the quietest moments and decaying seconds of notes.

It was well worth it. 

Cuteness my way

It is August and it feels like ages since I last made a post a bit like this, shifting interests, other things intruding a bit more than is necessarily good for me, some issues elsewhere around things and the odd hole emerging.

Way back around 2009/10 I liked going to BHS in the City Centre because they stocked a good selection of things like cute knickers and socks that easily matched everything else I wore however broad that might be compared to so folks tastes.

Things like cute animals such panda's, pretty hearts and stars tended to feature or just more pale pastel designs but they've been gone for ages.

So Neko me chose cats that happened to be stocked by Accessorise In Style (their spelling NEVER mine!) on CatBay tm in a super soft finish in this ankle length design which is ideal for the summer months when you need something between shoes or trainers and your lower paws.

And they're just fine.

Likes an that

We'd be normally away this week but for reasons that's not happening this time so we're looking at other things rather packing cases like really what are you about as this girl as not everyone is the same even some might think you *ought* to tick their boxes.

Really I'm not in with the more uber-frilly sort for a number of reasons that include practicality as a person like me who struggles with dressing and isn't very stable doesn't need something with lots of buttons, tie-up fastenings and so pouffed out skirts and dresses I may catch myself in them, falling over.

I'd need help with things like that which isn't really what other peoples breaks are for by a long shot. 

 

 

It's not that I don't like dolls in their frilly outfits, bows and a bit of pink and objects that more decorative than functional and currently I'm colouring in Barbie but I like being out of doors more and that's not the environment that lends itself to frilly stuff not least on walks when you'd easily get tangled up and no I'm not really into classic "little girl dresses" even you might get me into some a bit frillier than what you'd normally expect.

 

I've been dusting off some classic 80's albums by Haircut 100 and Nick Heyward in the cd racks and this one featuring a reproduction of a postcard of Lake Louise, On. is one from 2017 I liked rather a lot and they're on tape.

 

Well one started off as a tape originally and two were taped back in the mid 1980's on an early hifi set up I had. I just love songs and singing.
 

July round up

Cooler weather most certainly suits me better that's a fact and one era I like to get out to is Hassall Green which isn't so far away  along the canal which is fairly busy at this time of year making their way from the Midlands to Runcorn and beyond in the North.

Fortunately apart from being on the Salt Line, the local bus does pass near it which helps as walking along the main road to Sandbach large portions without any kind of pathway isn't for the fainthearted.
 

There's been a few records in replacing a number that went AWL many years ago which have been cleaned sleeved and played. 

 In other news Hacker T Dogg will be joining the Blue Peter team as presenter number 44 from September 5th according to Friday's reveal on the show before it takes a summer break although activities have been posted on the Fan Club page for people to have a go at during that period before the new style show resumes.

Hot changes ahead

 

Phew it's been a very hot weekend with my head feeling rather like it's been baked despite keeping in the shade and drinking a lot of fluids as really when you run hot like me you really don't do warm although as I type this, the Steak pie is in the oven.

I also can see something going out to the junk pile as a 2019 Chromebook is having major dns and remembering  connections issues as it drops out of sites that you elect to stay logged into and lose connection.

I suppose you can look at that as a incentive to rationalize the machines as there are limits to just how many you really do need around and just transfer over to memory sticks the pictures linked to each internal account as they are the only things that matter as thanks to Google passwords and log in stuff is shared across different machines via the Google Account.

For lap usage I prefer the track pad rather than trying to balance machine on lp with mouse and mat somewhere within arms reach to do things as much as with Windows machines Mouse can be less likely to overshoot.

At least my renewed cds do sound great through the system apart from looking just fantastic in their replica sleeves.