So before we get to the who, first the how !
So you know those irritating emails offering the prize draw for an Amazon voucher if you complete thier survey, the ones you delete or spam or both ! Well for some strange reason I completed the survey and as I remember it was way more than the 5 minutes of my time they asked for ! Well suffice is to say I won a £100 Amazon voucher, so yes somebody does win !
Now the next part is even more strange, having dutifully let "she who must be obeyed' chose something first, a new kettle complete with blue neon illumination ! My aims were more straightforward so what music delights could I purchase.
So finally we get to the part you are all waiting for! Having put Rick Ashley's "Are We There Yet" in the basket and the remastered Gregson & Collister A Change In The Weather, what else could we add and for some bizarre reason I Googled, best female vocal albums and there in the top 20 was this artist and album, I vaguely recognised her name but the album rang no bells, so in true 80's record shop LP browsing tradition I looked at the cover and thought that looks interesting so let's take a punt ! Now I could have gone to Shazam or similar and checked out the tracks but what the hell let's live on the edge !
Well its Country/Folk/Rock/Blues, I guess, if labels are really a thing ! If you asked for someone who she has influenced I guess Sheryll Crow springs to mind although Crow is only eight years her junior so that doesn't really work !!
The album rolls along with a variety of genres clearlly influencing the songs ans there's not a bad track among them and I guess two of the stand outs are "Right On Time" and "Can't Let Go'
Given the album was number 98 in the 2020 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of all Time and it won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1999 I have must have clearly been living in a cave at some point !
Thoroughly recommend to anyone who has nothing of this great artist ! To those who do, what should I get next of hers ?
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Last edited by Rush2112; 21-05-2024 at 07:00.
Life long music lover and Hi-Fi enthusiast for over 40 years, avid live music supporter, dismayed by the current dynamic ticket pricing applied to so many events !!
Next, well it's Rick of course, who is enjoying somewhat of a rebirth of late and of course there was his initial return to prominence following the 2007 Rickrolling mene and being voted Best Act Ever by Internet users in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.
Well this his 9th studio album is a far cry from his Scott, Atkin, Waterman days and his first album of new music since 2018's soul inspired Beautiful Life.
The album features Rick playing all the drum, guitar and bass parts and of course singing lead vocals and backing vocals along with some additional help from:
Dawn Joseph - backing vocals (14, 6, 7, 9, 11)
Lauren Johnson backing vocals (14, 6, 7, 9, 11)
Rob Taggart keyboards (1, 3, 8)
Lene Bausager choir (1)
Tom Ashpitel choir (1)
Katie Owens choir (1)
Simon Mattacks choir (1)
Peter Neill choir (1)
James Knight brass, saxophone (9)
Barnaby Dickinson trombone (9)
George Hogg trumpet (9)
Katy Cox cello (12)
So if you didn't like the Rick of the 80's "Never Gonna Give You Up" era, then this album is definitely for you and if you loved Rick of the 80's then your gonna love this album too, because this is Rick of the 2020's and he's come of age !
Great song writing and superb vocals and if you get chance to go and see him live, you must, because he's a great performer and entertainer too !! "Never Gonna Stop" must surely be his mantra !
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
Life long music lover and Hi-Fi enthusiast for over 40 years, avid live music supporter, dismayed by the current dynamic ticket pricing applied to so many events !!
To end, no vinyl today, but the last of the three Amazon voucher purchases, this album, Mischief and the more commercially successful Love Is A Strange Hotel are a must have in any collection. Collister's awsome vocals and Gregson's great writing, arranging, playing and production are just superb !
Last edited by Rush2112; 21-05-2024 at 07:18.
Life long music lover and Hi-Fi enthusiast for over 40 years, avid live music supporter, dismayed by the current dynamic ticket pricing applied to so many events !!
Madonna Ray Of Light
Label: Maverick 9362-46847-1, Warner Bros. Records 9362-46847-1
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 180 Gram
Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.
Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner
Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive
Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp
Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones
Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links
I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but dont tell anyone.
Budgie Never Turn Your Back On A Friend
Label: Noteworthy Productions NP23V
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Misprint, Reissue, 180 gram
Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.
Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner
Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive
Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp
Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones
Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links
I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but dont tell anyone.
Atomic Rooster In Hearing Of
Label: Music On Vinyl MOVLP1908, Sanctuary MOVLP1908
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 180 gram
Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.
Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner
Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive
Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp
Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones
Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links
I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but dont tell anyone.
Pink Floyd Ummagumma
Label: Pink Floyd Records PFRLP4, Pink Floyd Records 0825646493166
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, Gatefold, 180 Gram
Listening is the act of aural discrimination and dissemination of sound, and accepting you get it wrong sometimes.
Analog Inputs: Pro-Ject Signature 10 TT & arm, Benz Micro LP-S, Michel Cusis MC, Goldring 2500 and Ortofon Rondo Blue cartridges, Hitachi FT5500 mk2 Tuner
Digital:- Marantz SA-KI Pearl CD player, RaspberryPi/HifiBerry Digi+ Pro, Buffalo NAS Drive
Amplification:- AudioValve Sunilda phono stage, Krell KSP-7B pre-amp, Krell KSA-80 power amp
Output: Wilson Benesch Vector speakers, KLH Ultimate One Headphones
Cables: Tellurium Q Ultra Black II RCA & Chord Epic 2 RCA, various speaker leads, & links
I think I am nearing audio nirvana, but dont tell anyone.
It isn't necessarily about doing things right, its also about doing the right thing !!!!!
ITS A LONG WAY TO THE TOP........................ WHEN YA WANNA ROCK N ROLL !!!
Pioneer SA-9800, SG-9800, TX-9800, P-D70, PD-7500, TX-D1000, PL-12D, HPM-60, REL Quake.
Mission Cyrus II + PSX Transformer. Marantz CD-52 MkII Sp Edtn. Sony Mini-Disc MDS-JE530. Thorens TD-166MkII.
Nakamichi Cassette Deck 2. Linn Index II + Ku-Stone Stands. REL Strata. Linn Interconnects throughout and Chord Flat Strand speaker cable.
Raspberry Pi / AUDIOPHONICS I-Sabre DAC ES9023 TCXO Streamer.