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Music (and video) to choose system by – Part IIMar 31 '03 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line The right music can certainly help when evaluating the audio equipment, why not use music which you are familiar with for doing exactly that?
Back in July 2001 I prepared and published an exhaustive list of spine tingling music (I at least found it so) for evaluating equipment. In case you missed out on it you can still refer to it by using this link: Music to choose system by! Since then I have added a number of albums to my collection. During this period I also changed/and or added a lot of audio gear which includes amplifier, CD player, speakers, headphones, cables, and last but not the least, my room which is different from what I had back then due to change in abode. I never like to use the words GOOD or BAD when evaluating equipment, I tend to use the word DIFFERENT. The music that I hear certainly sounds DIFFERENT today, compared to what I was listening to back then, and whatever I have added to my collection is as diverse as it was in my first review. I have included the recently acquired (not necessarily newly released) CD’s, which I believe will do justice to any audio system in any price bracket. Some of the CD’s I have included are the ones which I somehow missed including while doing the first review. Here goes…. CD’s RY COODER/MOHAN VISHWA BHATT - A MEETING BY THE RIVER Miles Davis’ album Kind of Blue has the distinction of being recorded without any rehearsal, this album is probably the only other album that I know of, which shares the same distinction. Recorded in an LA church in just one evening, with spine tingling music and acoustics. One of the tracks entitled “Isa Lei” is a Fijian farewell song, a music lover (Fijian) when he heard it could not help but burst into tears while listening to this track. Cooder an American and Bhatt an Indian prove beyond any doubt that music is a true universal language, a very powerful medium of communication indeed. This album is a treat whether you consider yourself a music lover or an audiophile, it sure has the capability to please both types. PATRICIA BARBER – COMPANION Bestowed with a sensually smoky voice, Patricia Barber is a distinctive jazz vocalist. The album features a very unusual blues/jazzy rendition of “Black Magic Woman” which is a fabulous 10-minute treat. If you have heard the original by Santana rendered more than 30 years ago, this version will be a pleasant surprise with explosive percussions and guitar. The acoustic bass lines in the second track “Use Me” is fully capable of penetrating the bone marrow with low-end grunt from the acoustic bass down to 32 Hz! ALAN STIVELL – HARPES DU NOUVEL AGE (HARP OF THE NEW AGE) I personally like the sound of the harp more than any other instrument. It somehow has the uncanny ability to make me believe that I am in dreamland. If you wish to daydream you need to have this CD playing. This is the solo harp recording from the master harpist Alan Stivell. As I mentioned earlier this review is a sequel, similarly this particular album also happens to be the sequal to the majestic album “Renaissance of the Celtic Harp”, which I had covered in my first review “Music to choose system by”. Only harp is featured in this album, even for percussion (using fingers gently to produce the percussive sounds from the harp itself). Very clean recording and beautiful music. RY COODER/ALI FARKE TOURE – TALKING TIMBUKTU If you are into blues, world music or even fusion jazz, this the CD to get. Talking Timbuktu gives you a fresh perspective into the origin of blues. Toure hails from Mali, Africa and Cooder does not really need any introduction, together they will take you on a journey, which will prove to be out of ordinary. An album that will surely appeal to anyone interested in music from faraway and exotic places. SADE – THE BEST OF SADE Sonically, one of the best compilation CD’s that I have had the pleasure of hearing and own as part of my collection. If you are not familiar with the sound of Sade, this is where you start! Sultry vocals, rhythmic beats, lilting melodies what more can you ask. STING – ALL THIS TIME I have in my collection, almost all the albums of Sting and this album from the list of songs would appear to be a repetitive addition, alas this is not so. All the songs are rendered in a very different style; in fact the arrangements are done from ground up which gives each song a new perspective. Acoustics are first rate as always with Sting albums. Traditionally I have always been a music listener but lately I have been watching concerts on the DVD as well, therefore, I decided to include some of the DVDs’ that are technically very high quality in terms of sound as well as video, at the same time offering excellent performance from the artist in question. The DVD’s that I have listed are not just sounding good and look good on my system but I have had the opportunity to experience them on various systems ranging from budget priced to high end including large screen home theatre projection systems. Here is a list of them DVD’s EAGLES – HELL FREEZES OVER This DVD is a treat for all those who heard Hotel California for the first time back in 1976. It was one of my favourite songs back then, and still is now. This is a collector’s item for anyone with a DVD player, the video and audio are reference by themselves. It is very difficult for even younger folks to disregard the musicianship of these old timers, this DVD boasts some of the finest acoustic guitar rendition by any artist. FLEETWOOD MAC – DANCE You cannot ask for a better compilation of Fleetwood Mac songs than this one. Both, the audio, as well as video, are first rate. When I reviewed this DVD I mentioned in my review that the video is tad on the softer side and even went ahead to say I have seen crisper video elsewhere. Much later I found out to my embarrassment that actually a soft focus lens was used during this concert, which rendered the video the way it was. Being a photographer I should have guessed it and not criticised it, nothing actually wrong with it. I stand corrected. If you are a Fleetwood Mac fan shame on you for not having it, if not, you should definitely consider this a concert for sheer entertainment. JAMES TAYLOR – LIVE AT THE BEACON THEATRE Boasting a fantastic selection of songs the sound is crisp and audiophile grade. The video is absolutely crystal clear with vibrant colours. I am in no position to judge the quality of video simply because I am not a videophile, however, it is better than all the concert DVD’s I personally own. JT has succeeded to keep the integrity of the music and in fact improved upon it. The rendering of the songs have a fresh perspective to it; the subtle changes and improvisation on JT’s part make it an exhilarating experience watching the video. BARBRA STREISAND – TIMELESS: LIVE IN CONCERT One of the greatest performers of our time, with 42 gold albums, winning Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Emmy awards, she is known to be a perfectionist. Her career spans almost 40 years and to include all her best songs on just one DVD is I think asking too much; nonetheless, some of her most memorable songs are featured on this fine DVD. I could not find any faults with either the video or audio. The bonus is that a very energetic large 65-piece orchestra and a 100-man choir back her. The first of Barbra Streisand DVD to be released worth having it in one’s collection. DIANA KRALL – LIVE IN PARIS Live in Paris illustrates the diversity of Ms. Krall's repertoire. Ms. Krall is in command on the Steinway and the trio accompanying her consists of Anthony Wilson on guitar, John Clayton on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums. Majority of the songs are performed by the quartet themselves, some with the backing of European Symphony Orchestra. It should be particularly noted that the disk is presented in a Widescreen Anamorphic format unlike other concerts; this should be considered a plus. The video quality is top notch and the DVD conveys the band’s live sound with remarkable REALISM! Although not concert DVD’s but nothing short of collector’s items, these two DVD’s are simply my very favourite. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA – EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION One of the greatest motion pictures of all time and also happens to be my favourite. It boasts Digitally Mastered Audio and Anamorphic Video for which several million dollars were spent. The soundtrack is so good that you will force yourself to believe it was composed and recorded just yesterday with state of the art equipment! I have seen many old movies restored for the DVD format but none can come close to this epic in terms of audio and video quality. A masterpiece RECREATED! ABYSS – SPECIAL EDITION The movie is considered a classic when it comes to underwater photography, special effects and sound. A spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, which is capable of taking you beyond your dreams! Although I do not like movies dealing in fantasies but this is an EXCEPTION! If I hit a jackpot, part III will follow shortly! Until I come up with the next list I hope some of these will make it to your collection and you will enjoy them as much as I did listening (and/or watching) them! Thank you for dropping by and reading what I write!  |
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