Period CD payers, whats in yours?

[robgil]

Just wondering, mine has been witness to some old tunes from the 90's, mostly this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VXVDXkOENQ
(probably because ive consumed a fair few of my neighbours home brew cider).
Whats in your CD player guys?

Im going to regret this in the morning , i know.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I'd never heard that Levellers song before but found it quite noisy - my tolerance for modern music seems to be going down and down and in the last year I've taken zillions of CDs to the charity shop.
This must be middle age. I used to mosh half naked with the best of them

Anyway, lately I've been discovering Eartha Kitt, Gracie Fields, and Vaughn Williams.
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?xl=xl_blazer&v=tQ5VaBgXzuM

 

[Nigel Watts]

This will shortly be in mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTVUOptNhL4

Callas's 1954 recording of Norma. I can't find words to describe it. Even better than Arsenal beating Barcelona perhaps?

 

[Flyfisher]

I must confess to being quite addicted to trawling around YouTube for new (to me, but not particularly modern) music.

Recent favourite discoveries include:

Spock's Beard - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nbXl1gX7TQ (echoes of Jethro Tull, I think)

Cressida - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3g3Yvgsp0Y
(reminiscent of Caravan, an old favourite from the 70s: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lST4QCeQsCc)

Old blues songs are also particular favourites and I recently found the marvelous Eddie Vinson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjB02aaAt9w

Which reminds me of a classic blues song by BB King and this great performance with Gary Moore who died earlier this year. The last time I saw BB King (about five years ago) he had to perform most of the concert from a chair due to his failing health. It's amazing that he just keeps on touring, even in his 86th year and he's currently on yet another world tour (or the same continuous one!) and will be at the Royal Albert Hall in June.

I've also been revisiting the Buena Vista Social Club, ahead of a visit to Cuba fairly soon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnFfKbxIHD0

Finally, a bit of a plug for a new band that we supported at a recent night at the Hertford Corn Exchange:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ccsmugglers

 

[oxalto]

This will shortly be in mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTVUOptNhL4

Callas's 1954 recording of Norma. I can't find words to describe it. Even better than Arsenal beating Barcelona perhaps?

I've just enjoyed this, too - what a wonderful performance. For the people hearing her live it must have been like watching a Rooney overhead bicycle kick goal, (but lasting for 2 hours and repeatable)!

Rather too long a list to say what's been in my CD player over the last 2 days - as a musician I'm following a self-imposed ban from listing lest I become too boring or geeky. Hvorostovsky singing Verdi, Zelenka Sacred Music, Lott & Murray in Schumann, Monteverdi - whoops!

 

[wobs]

These days, I don't actually use CDs, but I still buy them to load up as MP3s, and put them on my Brennan:
http://www.brennan.co.uk/
Much of the hard drive has things like:-

Mumford & Sons

Half Man Half Biscuit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEag0ss9pFU&feature=related
I have been down the front of their gigs with a pair of Joy Division Oven Gloves going berserk with fellow Biscuitiers.

Or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYkhNWIdra0&feature=related
They never disappoint.

New Model Army - Vengence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dStRyyMgTXA
- Just done their 30th anniversary tour. Music with real passion and conscience. Gigs of an almost religious fervour.
The violinist from this track can be found busking in York on a Saturday sometimes.

I've just ordered a CD by these guys:
Urban Voodoo Machine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mejdWxjiyo&feature=related
This link is safe, but they have been known to use rude words.
Quirky, caberet/gypsy punk/rockabilly. A refreshing change.

But the greatest rocknrollers were The Cramps. If the spirit of rocknroll ever took solid form, it would like the Cramps.
They were exactly the kind of thing the adults and parents in the late 1950's feared what "rock and roll music" would come to. God bless the Cramps for proving those people right.
RIP Lux
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVLpaiH2hbQ&feature=related

Oh, and a few hundred tracks by Ivor Cutler.

 

[Flyfisher]

But the greatest rocknrollers were The Cramps. If the spirit of rocknroll ever took solid form, it would like the Cramps.

Personally, I preferred the Ramones around that time although I preferred the way the Cramps didn't seem to take themselves quite so seriously,
"Bikini Girls With Machine Guns" anyone? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Moo]

These days, I don't actually use CDs, but I still buy them to load up as MP3s, and put them on my Brennon:
http://www.brennan.co.uk/

We've decided top follow your example, wobs, and put our collection of CDs into the memory of some sort of external recording device, so I had a look at the Brennan website. Very interesting, but £500 or so is far from cheap, though most of the options we've glanced at so far seem rather expensive.
So - what persuaded you to buy the Brennan rather than, for example, an iPod + dock?

 

[wobs]

These days, I don't actually use CDs, but I still buy them to load up as MP3s, and put them on my Brennon:
http://www.brennan.co.uk/

We've decided top follow your example, wobs, and put our collection of CDs into the memory of some sort of external recording device, so I had a look at the Brennan website. Very interesting, but £500 or so is far from cheap, though most of the options we've glanced at so far seem rather expensive.
So - what persuaded you to buy the Brennan rather than, for example, an iPod + dock?

Well I didn't want an iPod being one of the main ones.
But I inherited a rather fine set of speakers, so i wanted something that could do it justice. I discovered that to get a decent hi fi, it is tricky to get a unit that embraces the latest technology, and mostly favour CDs.

I wanted a minimum of fuss way of playing my music collection downstairs without putting on the computer (which is upstairs), and hard drive, so I could access my rarities easily. So I got a secondhand amp, and digital radio to go with the Brennan.

The alternatives to the Brennan at the time were:
Ipod docking station (which isn't generally worth it to plumb into a decent system)
Olive hard drive - At the time cost over £2000, but now about £800. Plays lossless, and wirelessly transfers from your PC, but browsing on the unit seemed slow. And I don't think you can transfer from the Olive to your PC, as I heard it encrypts the info.
Naim - Another hard drive, but costs £1000s
Home servers such as the the Sonos system looked good, but proved expensive, but also, you need the PC on to use it, which is a faf if you just want to play a few tunes.

The situation has probbaly changed since I got it last year, but there wasn't much out there for what I wanted.

I'm happy with the Brennan, as I have 500GB of capacity (currently using only 27GB), and I can record vinyl to it (at 128kbps and using my old turntable) and I can set the volume. It was bought without speakers, although you have the option of buying theirs, and the smaller drives are cheaper still. The wheel you turn to scroll through the folders is very responsive, which is useful when you hundreds to scroll through.

We usually use it to play random tracks which is fantastic, as I have the complete John Peel's Festive 50s (over 1000 tracks) on there, as well as much of my CD collection. Also, when we get the rest of the music collection sorted on the PC, we'll also have lots of sessions/rarities to put onto the Brennan. Something one wouldn't often play on a decent system.

The only drawback is that it doesn't do subfolders, but this makes sense when you start using it. The display wouldn't make subfolders partularly useful, but you can read it across a normal sized living room, which is another great plus.

Our digital radio will access the PC wirelessly for music, but again, is a hassle, and I don't think you can play random tracks, and takes time to scroll through to later folders in the alphabet.

 

[Feltwell]

Thanks to the kids, "Nellie the Elephant" by the Toy Dolls. One of their favourites - a punk (well, -ish!) version of the children's classic - what's not to like?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F3Uhrj9YVI

And if you like a bit of Bach, well why not try.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yboUUmKZlxM&feature=related

Love it or hate it, listen to it all the way through and it disproves the theory that punk bands could never play guitar properly. Live version where you can see them playing is here:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1j4K_D3ZQo&feature=fvst

 

[essexbearhunter]

Anyway, lately I've been discovering Eartha Kitt, Gracie Fields, and Vaughn Williams.

If you are into Vaughan Williams, try:
A Sea Symphony - a largely choral work with incredible tension and release.

Symphony No 6...even if only the first movement. Hang on til the end when the dissonant bits of themes get resolved to form the great rolling climax. Those old enough to remember the title sequence from "A Family at War" with the sandcastle and paper union flag fluttering from it whilst the tide washed in and out, will recognise the music.
http://www.televisiontunes.com/Family_at_War_-_London_Philharmonic_Orchestra_(A).html
The rest is fairly difficult - as an evocation of war with passages of bleakness reminiscent of Holst's Egdon Heath

Job - A Masque for Dancing. Whilst " A Lark Ascending" is often heard, you will find a similar solo violin used in Elihu's Dance of Youth and Beauty but with an incredible climax as the rest of the orchestra is brought in, ready for the Pavane of the Sons of the Morning at the end of Scene 7.

You could also try Gustav Holst's beautiful choral work
The Hymn of Jesus...but not on headphones, for the incredibly quiet and beautiful sections are interspersed with loud passages that used to send me rushing to the volume knob. Currently on Youtube in 3 sections.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-tUfeaAgU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl3LUE_ngmY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yrvZ8fARU8

 

[Flyfisher]

I also looked at the Brennan unit and it seemed like a good solution if you didn't already have a PC that was in regular use - although 128kbps for vinyl recording doesn't really seem enough to be classed as a "hi-fi" specification these days. But the reason it's expensive is that, basically, it's a small PC dedicated to playing music. So, if you already have a PC then you already have 90% of what you need to store and play music anyway. And if you particularly want very hi-fi quality then it's very easy to upgrade the soundcard quite cheaply, connect into the hi-fi system of your choice and playback in a lossless format (or even the basic wav files that come off a CD since storage space is far less of an issue these days).

If you have a PC that's mostly on during the day then a much cheaper, but no less quality, solution is to use one of the many "media player" devices available such as the Pinnacle Soundbridge or the Squeezebox. Such devices effectively replace a CD player and give you access to all the music on your PC and will playback through a hi-fi system or powered speakers. They are all considerably cheaper options because they don't duplicate a lot of PC functionality.

In Moo's case (being an Apple user I believe) a good starting point would be the Apple Airport. And if you have an iPhone as well, that can be used as a remote control for the whole system (though it's not essential).

I think the hi-fi market must be feeling the pinch these days because PCs can provide so much power and capability for, relatively, so little money. When the Sonos system was first launched as a "multi-room" high-end hi-fi system it was more expensive than buying a separate PC for every room and simply networking them all together! There's nothing wrong with such systems, of course, it's just that a PC can already do most of the same things - and with a few inexpensive add-ons, all of the same things.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Anyway, lately I've been discovering Eartha Kitt, Gracie Fields, and Vaughn Williams.

If you are into Vaughan Williams, try:
A Sea Symphony - a largely choral work with incredible tension and release.

Symphony No 6...even if only the first movement. Hang on til the end when the dissonant bits of themes get resolved to form the great rolling climax. Those old enough to remember the title sequence from "A Family at War" with the sandcastle and paper union flag fluttering from it whilst the tide washed in and out, will recognise the music.
http://www.televisiontunes.com/Family_at_War_-_London_Philharmonic_Orchestra_(A).html
The rest is fairly difficult - as an evocation of war with passages of bleakness reminiscent of Holst's Egdon Heath

Job - A Masque for Dancing. Whilst " A Lark Ascending" is often heard, you will find a similar solo violin used in Elihu's Dance of Youth and Beauty but with an incredible climax as the rest of the orchestra is brought in, ready for the Pavane of the Sons of the Morning at the end of Scene 7.

You could also try Gustav Holst's beautiful choral work
The Hymn of Jesus...but not on headphones, for the incredibly quiet and beautiful sections are interspersed with loud passages that used to send me rushing to the volume knob. Currently on Youtube in 3 sections.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA-tUfeaAgU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl3LUE_ngmY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yrvZ8fARU8

Thank you, I will send off for the works you suggest and watch the YouTube ones during ironing later on. Xx

 

[Nigel Watts]

Buying boxed sets of CDs can be most rewarding I find. My recent purchases, all for solo piano, have included a 7CD set of Schumann (surprisingly unfamiliar) and a similarly sized box of Lizst and double CDs of Scriabin and Alkan, a most underrated composer who sounds like a character from Star Trek: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6JISkidmKo&feature=fvw

 

[Penners]

Recent favourite discoveries include:

Spock's Beard - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nbXl1gX7TQ (echoes of Jethro Tull, I think)

Great tip-off there, FF. Thanks! The vocalist sound very much like I.A. I've got some downloading to do!

Does anyone else know William Topley (aka The Blessing)? He's done some great, atmospheric, delta rock stuff.

My favourite track is Delta Rain, but I can't find it on Youtube. There are two tracks here - Back from Managua is good, the second one Hurricane Room is terrific: http://tinyurl.com/6ycf7yq

 

[middi]

Pavarotti singing any aria's.
status quo
and ..... wait for it !!!!!!!
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
The wurzels :wink:
Middi

 

[Feltwell]

The wurzels :wink:
Middi

:lol: Are they big in Italy then Middi ?

Altogether now - I am a zoider drinker, oooh arrr ooo aye ay..........

 

[vicky whitworth]

One of my worse nights ever listening to the Wurzels in Chard last Summer. Had to leave. It was embarassing. Life has moved on since the 70s. You can't churn out the same stuff.
Heard David Ford in Bridport Thursday night. He was awesome. Proper music, proper entertainment. Reminded me of Bill Bragg.

 

[middi]

The wurzels :wink:
Middi

:lol: Are they big in Italy then Middi ?

Altogether now - I am a zoider drinker, oooh arrr ooo aye ay..........

Of course they ( in Italy) wouldn't know who the wurzels are (or were, I don't know if they are still alive) , they would have a better chance at guessing the euro-lottery No's.

I don't particularly like what they sing about, not exactly very melodic or in the mozart or chopin class .
They make me laugh in the way they speak. It's all foreign to me :wink:
( zoider.... :lol: )
Middi

 

[Nigel Watts]

It's easy to get stuck with one one knows and likes, so how does one find new music to listen to? Buying boxed sets is one way, but for classical music devotees Radio 3 cannot be surpassed (God save it from the modernisers of the BBC Trust). Saturday mornings are a good time to listen; CD Review is particularly good. A couple of gems (in addition to the Alkan mentioned earlier) I was recently introduced to by that programme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MOcUwHjS_4 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CGfqdnrvaw&playnext=1&list=PL9373F378FB6C55B6. Both are baroque - Monteverdi and Caldara - and exquisitely performed.