What We Are Listening To [2022-06]

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Whoever turns to this important artist will hear the guitar played masterfully. There is so much material published that I can only give a push:

Portrait

Siegfried Behrend

A self-taught guitarist, Behrend studied piano, composition and conducting at The Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory. He debuted in Leipzig in 1952 and went on to make many world tours. His speciality is in avant-garde music, and several composers, including Becker and Penderecki have written works for him. He is known for his smooth technique and for his inclusion in his repertoire of popular pieces. He is the most important German guitarist of his time.

© Lynn Vought /TiVo



I gave an example from Vol. 10, which has just been published.

1 Danza española[Siegfried Behrend] (Qobuz) 02:26

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What a voice… beyond gorgeous… This is one of those albums where everything comes together to perfection… The singing, the instrumental accompaniment, the choice of recorded material and the recording itself…

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Start of a new Vinyl remastering series: Contemporary series. Great analogue mastering directly from analogue master tapes. True audiophile treasure.

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Great choice Andreas. What an incredible voice.

Which remastering is used here? The 2014 remasterings are very good, but you mention a 2012 reissue.

The artwork however is from the hideous 1997 remasterings. Tinny and all life sucked out of them. If yours is one of these, that’s actually good news: Callas can sound (even) much, much better. :wink:

Some very chilled electronic - perfect for a cold and dismal Sunday, after a fun Fathers Day Zoom call with my kids back in the UK. Bandcamp gift cards were most welcome also, and will be put to very good use :sunglasses:.

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Have to agree. Haven’t posted in awhile but have listened to this 3 times in the past few weeks.

And currently enjoying a little Santana on a Monday morning here.

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https://i.imgur.com/Eu01E1o.png

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Eighties synth pop😎

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Funny o wrote this lot off after buying Anyone can play guitar on 12" ,
shows how wrong one can be, although the first album really isn’t great

https://i.imgur.com/KIHqYko.png

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Agreed about Pablo Honey. Everything else - :clap:

Time for something a little bit noisier.

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https://i.imgur.com/CViAuzH.png

" ‘Alive In America’ is the debut album from British singer-songwriter Henry Grace.

Growing up in London, Henry Grace started writing songs when he was 12 years old. Songwriting became an outlet for him when he was hospitalized with depression at 18 and he spent 3 difficult years wrestling with mental illness before moving to America at 21 in search of a new life.

Living in Venice, California, he overcame his struggles and started working as a musician while studying literature at college. Earning his first radio plays after self-releasing 2 early EPs, ‘Crash the Moon’ and ‘What We Took From The Mountain’, he began building a small but loyal following on the west coast, headlining venues like the Hotel Cafe. As his time in the States continued, the landscape, the people and their stories inevitably started to influence his music. On a trip to Saginaw, Michigan, to visit Mule luthier Matt Eich, he was handed a new resonator guitar. It’s gritty, worn-in sound would become the bedrock of the songs he would start writing.

After 5 years in the States, he moved home to London where he started to write and tour relentlessly, playing close to 100 dates in 2019 and supporting artists like Benjamin Clementine. While piecing together the makings of a record, he also started to share his story and advocate for mental health awareness with sell-out shows at Bush Hall and St. Pancras Old Church.

Alive In America’ was eventually recorded live over just 5 days at Rockfield Studios in February 2021. Self-produced by Grace, engineered by Josh Tyrell (Van Morrison) and mixed by Oliver McKiernan (Echobelly), the album is the sound of one man/voice cutting through the void. Autobiographical, rough around the edges, almost harsh at times, like the landscape he is drawing from, and littered with cinematic imagery resonant of the Coen brothers, Grace references battling depression in “Junkyard Junkie” and time spent in Arizona in “Sierra Skyline” whilst the post-apocalyptic single “Midnight Sunset” was inspired by the 2016 Oakland riots he witnessed as a student.

Self-released on January 14th, 2022, ‘Alive In America’ is a stark and vivid depiction of the country Grace called home and ultimately credits with saving his life." [The Sound Cafe]

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Sounds like this is worth a listen, thanks John.

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