Topic: The Music Thread

@Kidfried Eh, connecting my CD player to the same speakers as Spotify, I can’t hear much of a difference. Granted, I have a fairly old CD player and I use Spotify’s Extreme sound quality. Connecting my turntable and putting on a record from the pre-digital age though, there’s a clear difference. But then, I like the imperfections you get from vintage media. I have cassettes from the 70s and 80s that are slightly degraded but for certain genres that can be almost welcome. Especially some of my underground hip-hop and punk tapes. There are absolutely different sound profiles you get from different set-ups and mediums, but only if that album is properly mastered. If you’re only buying new vinyl which is mastered from CD-quality compressed files then of course it won’t sound any different. However, if you’re buying vinyl which uses uncompressed audio designed for vinyl then it’ll sound different.

@nessisonett
> new vinyl which is mastered from CD-quality compressed file

I’m not gonna say that never happened ever but I promise you that’s not how new vinyl releases are mastered 😉

@Voltan I probably should have emphasised ‘new’ as in meaning a particular brand of ‘new’. At least in certain shops in the UK, there’s a new trend of records going for £25-£30 of artists like Harry Styles or Billie Eilish with utterly rubbish mixing. I struggle to find a word to describe that trend. Suggestions are welcome.

@Voltan I have this one on vinyl.

There you go! I kept expecting Carlos Santana to say "Or else fuh-ged-about-it" or "Pleyyyyed by Carlos Santana" into the mic at any moment haha.

@Voltan What do you make of the McLaughlin/Santana collaboration?

@TheBrandedSwordsman Checking it out rn. Opinions in 1 hour

edit: I'm getting interrupted by a million work related phone calls so it'll have to wait

@Voltan That's fine, take your time.

@LordSteev I was thinking of getting a few Sabbath records on vinyl; the first one, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Vol. 4 and Masters Of Reality, I thought that I'd heard Paranoid a few too many times to get that one. Any disagreement with my choices?

@TheBrandedSwordsman Paranoid’s just so good though. Definitely my favourite of theirs. That reminds me that I really should pick it up on vinyl!

@TheBrandedSwordsman

No, I love early Sabbath, can't go wrong. Masters of Reality is probably my favorite of those you mention, after many listenings to all of them. Of those you listed, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath is probably my least favorite, but it's still good. Also, my favorite singer of all time is Ronnie James Dio, so I love Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules. Heaven and Hell is not only my favorite Sabbath album, but one of my top 5 all-time by anyone.

@LordSteev Thanks for the advice, I might replace Sabbath Bloody Sabbath with a Dio-led album then, even though I love the album cover of SBS!.

@nessisonett I can’t listen to the original version of Paranoid after the cover by The Dickies; the original sounds far too slow!

I actually have this on 7” clear vinyl along with their covers of Banana Splits (yellow) and Nights in White Satin/The Sound of Silence (white)

Here's an interesting cover version of Paranoid from a band I like - they really made it work in their style IMO (although I won't blame anyone for thinking they actually ruined it )

@Voltan Did you manage to listen to McLaughlin/Santana in the end?

@TheBrandedSwordsman I did!
It wasn't exactly what I expected. Not only is it partially a Coltrane tribute album but also there was way more shredding than I thought there would be
Good stuff but not something I'd listen to a lot to be honest. I really liked some of the organ parts - too bad there wasn't more of that

@Voltan Yeah, it's more of a guitarist's album right? I play guitar, jazz fusion, so that's why that album stood out for me, don't mind doing a bit of jazz fusion shredding on the electric guitar as I'm sure you're not averse to that on the keyboard!

@TheBrandedSwordsman I do like some guitar shredding but I guess I prefer a more modern style of it if that makes sense.

Here's something for you (do listen to more than one song)

@Voltan Ah, thanks, but no need, I've purchased all The Aristocrats works on CD over the years. I was even listening to You Know What..? in the car the other day. I love Guthrie Govan's guitar-work. Got any other recommendations?

Edit: Why won't The Aristocrats release anything on vinyl?!

@TheBrandedSwordsman Ha! Nice
I've seen them live 3 times

I'll think of something in this vein then. Of course Guthrie is excellent on his solo stuff as well as records like Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase.

I listened to The Disintegration Loops while doing an online exam. Probably the best music to do work to. Can’t say it’s my favourite avant-garde ambient piece but it’s strangely captivating.