Month: January 2009

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Vinyl sales up!

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A friend of mine alerted me to the news posted below, from January. If you don’t read Portuguese the main thing to know is that vinyl sales grew 89% in 2008. Pretty damn amazing for a “dead” format, don’t you think? The bad news is that the top ten LPs sold is a list populated with crap, with a few exceptions: The Beatles, Neutral Milk Hotel.. hell, I’ll even get behind ol’ played-out Dark Side of the Moon just for sheer its persistence. But I consider being forced to listen to Guns ‘N Roses in the way that human rights organizations regard the CIA’s interrogation tactics in the last eight years. Still, for the vinyl freaks, this is positive news.
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12/01/2009 – 12h51
Venda de vinil surpreende e cresce 89% nos EUA em 2008
Publicidade

da Folha Online
A indústria do vinil deu novo sinal de vida em 2008. Com 1,8 milhão de unidades vendidas nos Estados Unidos no ano passado, a comercialização de LPs cresceu 89% em relação a 2007, quando 990 mil unidades saíram das prateleiras.

De acordo com levantamento da SoundScan, o recorde anterior é do ano 2000, quando cerca de 1,5 milhão de LPs foram vendidos.
Os números de 2008 surpreendem principalmente se comparados com a vendagem de álbuns em todos os formatos (vinil, CD, DVD de áudio, downloads e ringtone), que despencou 14% nos Estados Unidos.
De acordo com o site “LA Weekly’s”, o vinil mais vendido em 2008 foi o “In Rainbows” (2007), do Radiohead, seguido por “Abbey Road” (1969), dos Beatles, e “Chinese Democracy” (2008), do Guns n’ Roses.
Veja a lista dos dez vinis mais vendidos em 2008 nos Estados Unidos:

omitted for your protection

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Siah and Yeshua Dapo ED – Visualize (1996) 320 kbs

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Siah and Yeshua Dapo ED (1996) 320kbs
Label: Fondle ‘Em
Catalog#: FE005
Tracklisting:
Fur Side

A1 The Visualz (3:44) Recorded By – Troy Davis
A2 Gravity (4:05)
A3 Glass Bottom Boat (2:32) Mixed By, Recorded By – Mark Morris [Featuring] – Ken Boogaloo
A4 No Soles’ Dopest Opus (4:55)

Side Beaz

B1 The Mystery (3:42) Mixed By, Recorded By – Mark Morris ([Featuring] – Ken Boogaloo
B2 A Day Like Any Other (11:00)

Credits: Mixed By, Recorded By – Hoover Le (tracks: A2, A4, B2) Producer – Jon Adler , Siah , Yeshua dapoED* Scratches – DJ Bless

VINYL RIP – Technical Specs: Music Hall MMF.5 Turntable with Goldring 1012GX cartridge, Gyger II diamond stylus, and MK II XLR Ringmat –> Projekt Speedbox II -> Parasound Z Phono Preamp -> Marantz PMD 661 digital recorder at 24/96khzDeclicked on very light settings with Click Repair -> DC Offset and track splitting in Adobe Audition 2.0 Dithering to 16-bit using iXotope Mbit
Converted to FLAC and mp3 with DbPoweramp . *** Note to those who really care about this: There is a chance that dithering was accidentally done with the Audition native algorithim rather than iZotope. I will try to reup some files I can be more certain about some time soon.

Description courtesy of Clint Striker:

This is a special one. A highly sought after record among hip-hop vinyl collectors, Siah and Yeshua DapoED’s EP Visualize was the fifth release on Bobbito Garcia’s Fondle’ em records, arguably the greatest record put out by the most progressive independent hip-hop label of the mid-90’s. Fondle’ em, founded in 1995, was at the heart of the independent hip-hop movement in New York City, putting out records by the like of The Arsonists, The Cennubites, Cage, and MF DOOM and conceived of as an extension of the famed Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR 89.9 FM. This is cutting edge hip-hop at its best, documenting a short-lived and long-gone period of unbridled creativity. You only need to listen to the last cut on the B-side, the legendary 11 minute A Day Like No Other, with its ever-changing beat, to get a sense of what this is about. The most celebrated records of the period, J-Live’s Braggin’ Writes (Raw Shack), Shades of Brooklyn’s Change (Tape Kingz) or The Arsonists’ The Session (Fondle ‘em) are all one song wonders, Siah and Yeshua’s EP gets you six of them on one piece of wax. I missed it when it first went out and later paid 60$ dollars for a (then) mint copy. It was recently reissued on CD (Traffic Entertainment), but here you get it, dirty as it should be. The MC’s later output, like Yeshua’s Head Bop (Raw Shack) or Siah’s Repetition (Fondle’ em) are strong records worth checking out but they failed to match the creativity seen on the EP. This is a piece of history and might very well be the best record you’ve never heard of…

For more info check the Fondle’em page (still on the web): http://www.sandboxautomatic.com/fondle/

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Freddie Hubbard – Keep Your Soul Together (1973) 320kbs

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Track List:
Brigitte
Keep Your Soul Together
Spirits of Trane
Destiny’s Children

Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s CTI recordings have long been underrated and a bit
downgraded by writers who get them confused with his much commercial output for
Columbia. For this LP (not yet reissued on CD) Hubbard is heard in fine form on
four of his originals (highlighted by “Spirits of Trane”) with a septet that
includes tenor-saxophonist Junior Cook, keyboardist George Cables, guitarist
Aurell Ray, either Kent Brinkley or Ron Carter on bass, drummer Ralph Penland
and Juno Lewis on percussion. The music is sometimes funky but definitely
creative jazz with Hubbard heard during his prime period.
– Scott Yanow, All
Music Guide

VINYL RIP – Technical SpecsMusic Hall MMF.5 Turntable with Goldring 1012GX cartridge, Gyger II diamond stylus, and MK II XLR Ringmat –> Projekt Speedbox II -> Parasound Z Phono Preamp -> Marantz PMD 661 digital recorder at 24/96khzDeclicked on very light settings with Click Repair -> DC Offset and track splitting in Adobe Audition 2.0 Dithering to 16-bit using iXotope Mbit
Converted to FLAC and mp3 with DbPoweramp
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Dude, stop begging

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To the guy who keeps commenting — every day now — on my Manu Dibango post, asking for a particular pressing of Soul Makossa — PLEASE STOP. I do not have the pressing, and I will not publish your comments because, 1) they are getting really annoying, and 2) you are begging instead of just appreciating what is here. If I had this pressing, I probably wouldn’t post it now, just because you are being such a douche.

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Bobby Hutcherson & Harold Land – San Francisco (1970) 320kbs

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01 – Goin’ down south (7:05) (Sample)
02 – Prints Tie (7:24) (Hutcherson)
03 – Jazz (5:18) (Sample)
04 – Ummh (7:42) (Hutcherson)
05 – Procession (5:40) (Hutcherson)
06 – A Night In Barcelona (7:20) (Land)

LINK HERE!

Bobby Hutcherson – Vibes, Marimba, Percussion
Harold Land – Tenor Sax, Flute, Oboe
Joe Sample – Acoustic & Electric Pianos
John Williams – Acoustic & Electric Basses
Mickey Roker – Drums

Produced by Duke Pearson at UA Studios LA
Recording Date: July 15 1970

Review by Steve Huey

Bobby Hutcherson’s late-’60s partnership with tenor saxophonist Harold Land had always produced soulful results, but not until San Francisco did that translate into a literal flirtation with funk and rock. After watching several advanced post-bop sessions gather dust in the vaults, Hutcherson decided to experiment with his sound a bit, but San Francisco still doesn’t wind up the commercial jazz-funk extravaganza that purists might fear. Instead, Hutcherson and Land stake out a warm and engaging middle ground between muscular funk and Coltrane-style modality; in other words, they have their cake and eat it too. Joined by pianist/keyboardist Joe Sample (also of the Jazz Crusaders), acoustic/electric bassist John Williams, and drummer Mickey Roker, Hutcherson and Land cook up a series of spacious, breezy grooves that sound unlike any other record in the vibist’s discography (even his more commercial fusion sessions). The selections — all group-member originals — often skirt the edges of fusion, but rarely play it as expected; they might float some spare tradeoffs over a loping, heavy bass groove, throw in an oboe solo by Land, or — as on the slowest piece — keep time only with intermittently spaced piano chords. It’s all done with enough imagination and harmonic sophistication to achieve the rare feat of holding appeal for traditional jazz and rare-groove fans alike. It’s a shame Hutcherson didn’t explore this direction more, because San Francisco is not only one of his best albums, but also one of his most appealing and accessible. [Note: The song descriptions in the liner notes often match up with different titles on the CD reissue, suggesting that the tracks may have been scrambled to a startling degree. If the liners are correct, the actual CD running order is “A Night in Barcelona,” “Goin’ Down South,” “Procession,” “Ummh,” “Jazz,” and “Prints Tie.”]

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Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay (1970) 320 kbs

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I’m not typically a huge fan of the CTI catalog. Creed Taylor’s production aesthetic leans towards a sterile polish, with a dampened sense of dynamic, and with the listener feeling like they are hearing everything through headphones even when they’re not. Everything feels close-mic’d to me — the drum sound favors close-mic techniques over overhead microphones that are more common in jazz recordings from the hard-bop era where cats like Hubbard cut their teeth, resulting in a drum sound that doesn’t “breath” or have much “air,” to use the usual sound engineer metaphors. And all this in spite of the fact that the one and only Rudy Van Gelder was manning the controls as lead engineer. But I don’t really know anything about what the CTI situation was like behind the scenes.. Perhaps some kind blog visitor will set me straight.

But this record stands as a shining exception for me. Not that those production elements aren’t still there to some extent, but Hubbard’s vibrant arrangements and the energy of this ensemble overcome them easily. To borrow some imagery from my friend Clint Striker, CTI records are often just too “clean” — they could benefit from being more “dirty.” Well this one still has some grit to it, some “dirt,” particularly in the lovely Fender Rhodes work from Herbie Hancock and Johnny Hammond, the latter on the previously unissued live performance of the title track. This track is in itself worth the price of admission of this remaster. It highlights the funky loose-booty tightness and explosive dynamism that Hubbard’s band was capable of when they were not reined in by Taylor’s hermetic controls.

I think the best way to hear this album is on wax. If I had time – which I don’t — I’d give you all a vinyl rip. But this remaster, loud and brash as it may be, should hold you over. Enjoy!
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Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay (1970) 320 kbs in em pee three

Originally released on CTI
Reissued in 2002 as a Legacy Remaster

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