GRANICUS –s/t; Interview with Woody Leffel Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Granicus recorded one self-titled album for RCA in 1973 that received little support from the label before the band called it quits. Even today, the album remains … [Read More...]
LLOYD MCNEILL-ASHA AND BEYOND
LLOYD MCNEILL-ASHA AND BEYOND I’ve recently developed this thing for Lloyd McNeill, which started when a dealer friend of mine, Tosca Records, mentioned McNeill’s Washington Suite. What he failed to tell me was that the record was scarce, and good … [Read More...]
Blackwater Park- Dirt Box
Blackwater Park- Dirt Box An early hard rock release from Germany featuring an English singer, Blackwater Park is familiar to Opeth fans because it is also the title of an album that may … [Read More...]
Orne –Tree of Life
Orne –Tree of Life Ever listen to “doom prog”? Tree of Life by Orne is a beautiful, dark journey that manages to avoid some of the clichés of the genre but shines in unexpected ways. Orne is … [Read More...]
Cargo a/k/a September
Cargo This Dutch hard rock outing was originally released in 1972 on Harvest in the Netherlands as Cargo and consisted of four tracks. At the time of recording, the band was originally known … [Read More...]
Krokodil – An Invisible World Revealed
Krokodil – An Invisible World Revealed If any album defies categorization, it is this one: an early psych driven effort by a Swiss band sporting a British bassist/guitarist/vocalist that is … [Read More...]
Blues Creation – Demon & Eleven Children
Blues Creation – Demon & Eleven Children This album is no secret to aficionados of the early Japanese psych rock scene—it is usually on “best of” lists for that genre and era. … [Read More...]
Atlantis Philharmonic-s/t
Atlantis Philharmonic-s/t Here’s another one that completely escaped my notice at the time. In fact, I hadn’t heard (of) it until it came in a box of records from the East Coast- … [Read More...]
John Fahey- Blind Joe Death
John Fahey- Blind Joe Death John Fahey is remembered as seminal figure in the original blues revival movement that flourished in the early-mid ‘60s. His efforts, along with those of … [Read More...]
Steep Canyon Rangers- Out in the Open
Steep Canyon Rangers- Out in the Open There is something very satisfying about the new album Out In The Open by the Steep Canyon Rangers. Whether it is ease with which they harmonize or their … [Read More...]
Tima’s DIY RCM
Tima’s DIY RCM As a dedicated vinylista, I’ve been cleaning records for over thirty years. Sound familiar? Cleaning techniques and technologies evolved across that time and my approach changed with the times. I’ve been using a Loricraft RC3 point nozzle machine and more recently an Audio Desk System. After reading multiple threads on various audio forums about home made record cleaning kits built around larger volume ultrasonic cleaners, I decided to give that a try. Thanks to all who have gone before me, and especially to Bill at The Vinyl Press and Rob at Audionirvana.org, for encouragement, and to those who pointed me at the diyAudio site and an article in the Positive Feedback e-zine from Rushton Paul. First, I purchased a Kuzma RD - As with everything Franc Kuzma makes/invents, his RD (rotating and drying) device is rational, easy to use, and top quality. It's a motorized rotisserie type device that slowly spins records immersed in an ultra sonic cleaner (USC) machine. Kuzma claims that with the right USC tank it can clean up to 10 records at a time. You supply your own USC. Franc quotes the RD msrp at 1,200 EUR. Franc Kuzma provides a list of USC machines that meet the dimensional requirements of both the RD and those features he believes a USC should support. He uses and recommends the Elmasonic P 120H 13 Liters (roughly 3.5 gallons) - a really high quality German made USC that includes power control and the ability to operate at two different frequencies: 37kHz (larger cavitation bubbles, stronger implosion) and 80kHz (more gentle action but smaller bubbles assured of getting deep into the groove). He suggests you select an USC with standard features that include a timer and temperature adjustable heating. Being the only unit I found to support multiple frequencies I really wanted to try the Elmasonic unit, but without any experience in this area I was a touch hesitant at it’s ~$2400 USD price. I opted for a Chinese unit from Beijing … [Read More...]
Spiritual Jazz- Three Picks
Spiritual Jazz- Three Picks Exploring “new to me” music often forces me to confront my own biases if not outright ignorance. If you asked me how much jazz I listen to, I’d say very little these days. Sure, I’ve gone through many of the highly regarded “audiophile” favorites and warhorses, usually in the form of reissues from the likes of Analogue Productions (Sonny Rollins “Way Out West” cut at 45rpm is spectacular despite the hard panning characteristic of many early stereo recordings), or other labels, e.g. Music Matters. I have quite a pile of traditional jazz, like Basie or Ellington and some of the post-war material from the usual suspects. I’ve long been a fan of Ray Brown, but despite his eclectic discography (he played on a Steely Dan album), he still fits into a “straight ahead” jazz style. I have a harder time with free-form and avant-garde jazz; my usual excuse is I might enjoy the music live, in a club, but get bored listening to a recording. Ken Golden, who has served as a muse to me on many of the progressive rock records I’ve acquired in the last few years, asked me whether I liked “spiritual jazz.” Other than guessing it might be Aretha singing gospel, I had no clue what “spiritual jazz” was. The usual descriptions of the sub-genre all seem to track back to Coltrane and A Love Supreme, an album that I am familiar with but regard with the kind of reverence I pay to Kind of Blue or Time Out; important albums that I don’t regularly listen to at this point. Ken pointed me in a slightly more offbeat direction, though, that grabbed my attention. Here are three worth exploring even if you think jazz sucks: Herbie Hancock-Crossings Part of a trilogy[1] of albums recorded by Hancock before he struck platinum with Head Hunters, Crossings mixes African polyrhythms with synth, and you get something that transcends any one genre. A pretty serious band and a good solid recording typical of the Warner “green label” … [Read More...]