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Secrets
Dire Straits, Making Movies, Warner Bros., 1980, CD.
Making Movies is Dire Strait’s 1980 collection of nostalgia that features a wide variety of social scenes mixed in with a very well-recorded album. I wore through 2 LPs of Making Movies before getting a CD player from Mission in 1987 that made CD’s sound good enough to build a collection.
The opening song is “Tunnel of Love,” which is about the singer meeting an amazing girl at the local amusement park, having one night with her, and never seeing her again. Unlike most modern songs, we have to use our imagination to decide just how romantic the night was. Romeo and Juliet is dedicated to sheer romance and loss, while Skateaway brings to life a rebel of a girl.
We later move to the song Les Boys – bringing the understanding of the gay community long before it was fashionable. What I love most about this entire collection of songs is the recording is stellar, the music makes me lose 45 minutes, and I just can’t resist playing air guitar during it all. It’s not the best know Dire Straits collection, but it makes an excellent addition to one’s music collection.
Led Zeppelin, Complete Studio Recordings, Atlantic, 1993, 10 CDs.
There is little doubt that one of the most influential rock bands of the 1970s, and perhaps of all time, was Led Zeppelin. From 1969 to 1982, they dominated the charts and the concert stage with their unique blend of blues, hard rock, and folk music. They were one of the first bands to create albums as a unified work rather than just a collection of songs. And arena concerts were forever changed after they brought their new and sometimes experimental performance style to stadiums around the world.
To experience their music as they intended, a complete set of their nine albums is the way to go. Some years ago, I picked up the boxed set shown in the photo above. It went out of print in 2008 but is still available online for around $200. The packaging is a great modernization of the classic record jacket with its art-adorned outer sleeve and inner liner made from heavy paper. The original art is reproduced in miniature on each cardboard folder with two discs inside and all the liner notes.
Though I consider myself a child of the 80s, Led Zeppelin was a major factor on the radio in my youth. It was hard to go more than a few days without hearing Stairway to Heaven or Whole Lotta Love coming through my primitive stereo system at home. Those tunes and rhythms are permanently burned into my brain, and the brains of countless other members of my generation.
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Later albums saw more experimentation and a returns to the band’s blues roots with songs like In My Time of Dying found on Physical Graffiti. The majority of the music was written by lead guitarist Jimmy Page with lyrics from Robert Plant who I consider to be a master poet.
The set is a digital remaster of the original recordings and is super clean and balanced. I’ve listened to it in a variety of settings, in the car, in my listening room, in the living room; and it sounds great on just about any system and in any environment. As you progress through the albums, fidelity gets better; not significantly, but noticeably. If you’re part of my generation though, born in the 60s, you’ll be going back to the first four albums the most as they’ll be more familiar. Listening to the entire set in order is a real adventure. It’s a great way to pass away the miles on a long road trip or through a good pair of headphones on a flight.
Led Zeppelin is one of the most enduring bands and sounds in music. If you’re even a casual fan, this box set comes highly recommended.
John Coltrane, Another Side of John Coltrane, Craft Recordings, 2021, 180G 2LP, Stereo.
When most people hear the name John Coltrane the albums “Giant Steps” and “A Love Supreme” come to mind, both masterpieces to be sure. But before he became a bandleader in his own right, his earlier work as a sideman and accompanist to some of the biggest names in jazz is also noteworthy, not just for the direct musical contributions he made but in the spurring of his artistic growth and development that was to lead him forward. “Another Side of John Coltrane” is a new release from Craft Recordings that cherry-picks some of his most choice work with other artists and bands and lays it all out in a 2LP, 12 track primer. On this set, Coltrane supports a stellar line of talent including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and Red Garland. It’s a well-curated selection of tracks that both spotlight the band leader’s work and standout contributions by Coltrane. As I’ve said before, I’m not enough of a historian to give you much meaningful insight into each one of these acts or the significance of each track. But what I can tell you is that from first to last, each one of these tracks is a standout performance both in skill and taste. I could see myself wearing out this set in short order, the music is that enjoyable to me. Coltrane’s work on Tadd Dameron’s “Soultrane” for example is just gorgeous, as is his interplay with Thelonious Monk’s piano on “Monk’s Mood.”
The LP pressing in my review sample is spotless. Very clean sounding with a good amount of body to the music, especially since they come from a variety of previous releases. I’ve sometimes found that with pre-1960 recordings that have been remastered for vinyl, the results can be heavy-handed from sounding a little too thin to sounding very bloated in the midrange. This set strikes a nice balance in that it sounds correct for the period and the medium. Very natural and enjoyable.
Bill Evans Trio, On a Friday Evening, Craft Recordings, 2021, 180G LP, Stereo.
One of my favorite live Bill Evans albums is “Live at Shelly’s Manne Hole.” That one was recorded in Hollywood in 1963 and is a stylistic world away from “On a Friday Evening” which was recorded at a Vancouver nightclub called Oil Can Harry’s in 1975. This performance has never officially been released as an album before, having originally been recorded for a local radio broadcast and after that, the tapes were packed away and forgotten about. Now having been discovered, restored, and released we get a new look and listen to Bill Evans with one of his later trios, and it’s great fun to take in this little musical time capsule. The live atmosphere from the club and the crowd are well captured in this recording and Bill Evans later, more free form playing style is in full swing here. The concert soundstage is broad and dimensional, and the detailed interplay with bassist Eddy Gomez and drummer Elliot Zigmund is playful and oh so skilled. I especially like “T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune) where all three guys get to really stretch out and experimentally jam a bit. Listening to this album on vinyl is a bit of a treat because it’s got the right groove, the right feel and it’s not something that I want to just hear in the background. I want to sit back, absorb and savor the performance. The LP pressing seems to be clean and noise-free with good dynamics and just a hint of extra warmth. An overall really nice album by Craft and a great addition to your collection if you’re a Bill Evans fan.
Tell the truth. When you purchase an album, is it because you like every song on it or just a few that you like but you are stuck with the rest of the “filler” tracks. I know, who buys albums anymore? We purchase individual tracks. As a youth though, it was albums, and albums were designed to be complete. I can’t imagine playing Abbey Road by The Beatles without playing it from start to finish. Thick As A Brick or A Passion Play by Jethro Tull works only as a whole, not a snippet. Same for most orchestral works. Only the third movement of Beethoven’s Fifth? Sacrilege!
However…
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What I am listening to in July are specific works (tracks if you like) from albums. Here are my favorite ones so far this month:
Brahms Academic Festival Overture, Herbert Blomstedt, PentaTone label, 24/96 FLAC on Qobuz
In 1880, Brahms was going to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Breslau. In appreciation, he wrote this piece of music to thank them. It is full of student drinking songs. Though it is a bit cheeky, this piece is both lyrical and boisterous with a thrilling use of orchestral color. It has 4 sections, but it runs as one continuous piece. Though it is a bit of a musical joke, Brahms plays it in a classical manner and keeps the piece relatively short… student’s attention span, no doubt, and the ending is delightfully sumptuous. This recording is vivid with a large, detailed soundstage and the playing is top-notch. I demo this piece for guests and when I turn the volume up (to 11), the whole room opens up and all of the subtle details come forth. Even if “classical” music is not your thing, the sound will give you a fun ride for just under ten minutes.
Loreena McKennitt, Dark Night of the Soul, from The Mask and The Mirror, Flac 16/44.1 Qobuz
A blend of Celtic and maybe a bit of New Age, McKennitt has the voice of an angel. Her voice is accompanied by a crack team of musicians who play acoustic strings, violins, drums, and other ancient and exotic instruments. This is great music to unwind to at the end of a long day at work (and aren’t all?). Her songs can be uplifting dance tunes or sad songs of unrequited love. In any case, her music is breathtakingly lovely, and her voice is uniquely beautiful. This song is a good starting point if you have not heard any of her music. There are concert DVDs out there, too.
Alison Krauss (and Union Station), It Doesn’t Matter, from So Long So Wrong, Flac 16/44.1, Qobuz
The American answer to McKennitt’s Celtic tunes comes from this Bluegrass music group. This particular track is a sad song with plucked guitar and banjo accompaniment and about 1/3 of the way in, the double bass plucking comes up and the soundstage widens. This track too is a great demo piece and if you have everything set up exactly right, it can sound amazing. My subwoofer kicks in and really makes the sound seem alive. Somehow her plaintive voice comes through perfectly against the acoustic backdrop. Once you hear her voice, you’ll be hooked and looking for more of her albums. (She made a duet album a few years back with Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant if you are seeking something more adventurous).