Rolling Stones [Steel Wheels] 

This is my favourite Stones album, and it was the first one i ever listened to, i came late to the Rolling Stones, they weren't particularly a successful 'singles band' for me, so i didn't pick them up in the Seventies in the charts, i bought this album on cassette tape in 1993, and very quickly i liked it, i tried quite a number of other Stones albums too, but each one only has 2 or 3 worthy songs on it, this has a good half a dozen, and lots of different styles too, but it's that hard beat and edgy Rock i like about them, Jagger is the perfect singer for this type of Band, snarling and irreverent, apart from greatest hits packages, this is the place i would recommend anyone to start on their studio albums.

The Rolling Stones are probably the most enduring Rock Band on the planet, they recorded this album in 1989, the front cover artwork is excellent, showing power saw discs, i like this silver and black montage, with the Band name in silver-blue at the top, certain Stones albums are less than inspired visually, this is one of their very best.

It was so good to listen to this album today, reminds me why i like it so much, the tracks that especially impressed me were 4 & 6-7, the first half of the album is so excellent, real rockers in there, Jagger & Richards really know how to put music together, here's a synopsis of these three tracks,

4 Hold On To Your Hat - lovely guitar riffs right at the start, screaming guitar too, and that hard beat by Drummer Charlie Watts, with Mick Jagger in angry screaming mode, from beginning to end it never lets up, i like the words 'Don't give me no shit, don't give me no crap', Jagger in top form.

6 Blinded By Love - not one of the usual tracks that is my best, but on this listen i found it fantastic, Jagger's vocal delivery is almost comical in places, but so creative too, at the end of each line, Jagger strings out each word in a nice but silly melisma snarl, it's very much a track that has a Country influence, one of the instruments i newly notice is the fiddle [played by Phil Beer], it gives it a kind of Bluegrass feel, very effective.

7 Rock And A Hard Place - another hard rocker, with another superb riff, the chorus is even better, those guitars have an extra infectious riff, there's a counter-melody halfway through [2:07-2:36], and Jagger sings 'Guiding dream churches, with the silver spires, and our rogue children, are playing loaded dice', i also like the way there's a nice refrain [3:06-3:36], with Jagger and drummer Watts singing / playing a duet, and at the end the female gospel singers come in.

Here's 'Rock And A Hard Place' on YouTube.

Chopin - 4 Ballades [Tiberghien] 

I think it was inspired to couple the Brahms and Chopin Ballades together, last month i wrote about the Brahms Ballades [5th June 2011], and this month i would like to turn to Chopin's efforts in this genre, unlike Brahms who composed his 4 Ballades early in his life all as one opus number, Chopin composed his over a 7 year period between 1835-1842, never intended as a 'set', apart from his Etudes and Preludes, all of his solo piano music were composed as individual pieces, and yet there's a great unity in these pieces.

Cedric Tiberghien is French, he recorded this disc in 2006, the [photo by Eric Manas] is a really nice pose, and the lettering is clever too.

If you look at the back insert that i scanned, you'll find that the 4 Chopin Ballades are split up as tracks 1-2 & 7-8 hmmm?, i don't see the point of this, but i guess it's only one of access to the music, the two Ballades that i really enjoyed the most were the first and the last, and especially the Ballade 1 was exciting and moving, after a very slow introduction, the main tune appears [0:39+], but it's just not a straightforward piece, it goes all over the place like a Rhapsody, seemingly at first it's a quiet reflective piece, but there's faster and louder outbursts [2:32-3:05], some very nice pianism from Tiberghien, Chopin uses a counter tune to the main tune [3:58-4:19], so perfectly weighted, i love those two separate treble notes [4:10 & 4:13], they are so superb, like a bell chimed twice, and right after Chopin switches to slightly more sour notes [4:19+], and the music builds up to a superb climax of the main theme [5:06-5:38], such passion and feeling from Tiberghien!, the counter theme returns [6:57+], but this time with louder embellishments, and the chiming bells are now louder double notes [7:04 & 7:06], very effective, and just goes to show how Chopin decides to change things for variety and sheer perfection, i love the way he just builds up to things [8:10-8:17], and then just unleashes a superb finale [8:17-9:00], loads of cascading notes, and a sort of false ending to finish with too, it's a real tour de force.

Here's Cedric Tiberghien playing Ballade 1 on YouTube.

Schubert - String Quartet 14 [Brandis String Quartett] 

Well i haven't played this work for over six months, then two discs come along one after another!, i listened to this yesterday, but it's good to listen to this again, and i certainly didn't find it boring or tedious because i've already listened to it yesterday, in fact quite the opposite, this was really compelling, my ears were pricked up with excitement.

The Brandis String Quartett was formed in 1976 by Thomas Brandis, a German String Quartet, they recorded this work in 1994, i bought this box set of three discs brand new from a shop in London, for an incredibly low price [i think as low as £5!], this is one of those 'fatbox' triple disc boxes, with a cardboard slipsleeve surround, the front picture is truly excellent [by David Tack], an indoor shot with beautiful natural light from the window, lovely shadows, and the lettering  / logo is embossed in silver, nicely symmetrical, very well done Nimbus.

Yesterday i enjoyed so much the second movement theme and variations, and even though i also very much enjoyed them today too, it was the dark brooding first movement that really caught my ears, fierce to begin with [0:00+], and demonic as it continues [0:34+], i like it when all the instruments are seemingly doing all sorts of individual things [0:49+], and yet they are so unified in creating something phenomenal out of these individual ideas, the main tune starts up at [1:54+], a tad more brisk and brighter, there's an exposition repeat from what i can tell [4:35+], where all the ideas get repeated, i especially like the busy viola in the background [5:24-5:51], and those outbursts right after [5:52+], Schubert knows how to keep this chugging along, teeming with interest for over 16 minutes, the Brandis Quartet are very similar to the Tokyo Quartet yesterday, timings are very similar, but the Tokyo Quartet don't use the exposition repeat, maybe that's why i liked this movement better today, i like repetition, and themes coming around a second time, in my soul such repetitions come round with more force and beauty the second time around, plus... it's so good to hear the whole thing from another perspective for the second time in two days.

Here's the Leipzig String Quartet playing the first movement on YouTube.

Schubert - String Quartet 14 [Tokyo String Quartet] 

It's been a while since i listened to Schubert's 14th, late last year in November, i can't believe i haven't listened to this work for over six months, so it was so good to re-acquaint myself with this, and this actual disc was played way back at the start of my Blog last January [5th January 2010], i really like the Tokyo String Quartet, they sound 'sweet' in Beethoven, but here's an angry / sour work [in D Minor], that challenges that sweetness, i tremendously enjoyed this today.

The Tokyo String Quartet have over 40 years experience together, even though only two original members remain, they recorded this disc in 1989, the front cover is a nice group shot of the Quartet [by Christian Steiner], lovely browns / oranges of the instruments.

The first two movements of this Quartet are tremendous, the first is dark and brooding, the second which is my favourite, is a set of variations on the theme of a Schubert song 'Death And The Maiden', and here Schubert is in top inventive form, even more inspired than his Trout Piano Quintet [another one of his song inspirations], this theme and five variations explore almost every facet of the String Quartet medium, so here's a synopsis of each variation,

Theme [0:00-2:15], a solemn and sad lament, played to a funeral march rhythm, soft and gentle at first [though sour], but dark ominous undercurrents are flowing beneath, which will come to the fore in certain variations.
Variation 1 [2:16-4:15], explores the more agitated side to the String Quartet medium, with the first violin singing the solo line, while the rest of the Quartet supply the staccato bowed rhythm, or the pizzicato bass line, there's a lovely sense of greater agitation in the second half, the violin ends up fairly distressed.
Variation 2 [4:16-6:31], the cello / viola take over the main melody line, and the whole thing really does end up fairly desperate and sour, a real gushing of woes.
Variation 3 [6:32-8:22], variation 3 is my favourite, this really does have those forte dark rhythms, dark and menacing, very hard driven at times, it constantly fluctuates between heavy and softer, superb rhythms, especially in the second half [7:44+], pure exhilaration. 
Variation 4 [8:23-11:05], as a change of pace, a very easy going lighter, and sweeter variation, delicate in many ways, and easily the longest variation.
Variation 5 [11:06-12:50], but the dark undercurrent return, gently at first, but eventually with more menace, and then reverting back to a gentleness as at the start.
Coda / Finale [12:52-14:06], not really a finale as such, more coda-esque, and ending in acceptance, with the maiden sleeping peacefully in the arms of death, a satisfying ending.

Here's the Shanghai Quartet playing the second movement on YouTube.