Mozart - Piano Concerto 20 [Brendel/ Mackerras-Scottish Chamber Orchestra] 

This is a great and logical coupling, bringing together Mozart's late Minor key Concertos, number 20 is the darker of the two, written in the key of 'death' [D for D Minor!], the opening of the first movement has that tremendous drone, it really sets the scene for what follows, Brendel is a great Mozartian, and it's good to hear him in this Concerto again, i played this same work just over a year ago today [21st October 2011], it's my favourite Mozart Concerto, and a fantastic work i never tire of hearing again and again. 

Alfred Brendel is Austrian, he's now 81, retired from the concert platform, he's still active in other ways, he recorded this work in 1998, the front cover photograph [by Regina Schmecken] is a side profile head shot, nicely capturing detail in black & white, the lettering is contained in a mustard coloured band at the bottom, the Mozart name cleverly laid into the photo, a nice creative idea, with black and white lettering.

As i mentioned above, the opening movement is just tremendous, it's a true marvel of creation, Mozart's best concerto movement, however on this listen i was entranced by the middle movement Romance, it's a lovely delicate movement of music, serene and beautiful at first, it's away from the D Minor opening movement, and into a B Flat Major sweet key, but it's not all sweetness as there's a turbulent G Minor middle section, . 

Here's Mitsuko Uchida playing the central Romance second movement on YouTube.

Faure - 13 Nocturnes [Jalbert] 

It was only less than i week ago that i played Jean-Philippe Collard's version of these 13 Nocturnes [21st October 2012], and it's enlightening comparing the two, as well as having a double dose of these pieces in quick succession, there were certain lesser known numbers that are really starting to seep into my heart, especially 6 & 12, Faure's Nocturnes are nowhere known as much as Chopin's, it really does take constant listening over many years to really get to know them properly, and also a number of different versions to truly appreciate the different things you can do with these pieces, i played this disc a year ago, and wrote about the experience in my Blog [17th October 2011]. 

David Jalbert is Canadian, he recorded this disc in 2005, 

Smetana - Ma Vlast [Levine-Wiener Philharmoniker] 

Smetana's Ma Vlast is a mammoth work, lasting here over 76 minutes, you have to have a bit of time on your hands to indulge, a work so long can have a tendency to lose your attention if it's weak, but i never find this with Ma Vlast, though i do find that i can't listen to it all that often, in fact this is the very first time that Smetana appears in my Blog. 

James Levine is American, he's now 69, because of health problems he's been out of action for quite a while, he recorded this disc live in 1986, the front cover may look like a photo from afar, but really it's a painting by Rudolph Distler.

The second movement Vltava / Moldau is justly hailed as the cream of these six Symphonic Poems, it represents the main river running through the breadth of the Czech Republic, almost a biography of the river as it winds its way through the land, it lasts roughly 12 minutes, and of course has very different sections, a quicksilver flute opens things, with the odd pizzicato [0:00-0:57], Smetana seems to like intros like this, the strong string theme that follows is very nationalistic in flavour, and of course it has a lovely 'flow' to it, as you would realise a Symphonic Poem about a river would, when the brass come in, and the busy strings [2:48+] it makes a heady steam of almost a brass band, and Smetana can't resist a lively dance [3:44+], i just love the way Smetana uses a very gentle ethereal way with the music [5:24-7:36], high treble violins, though quiet, and flutes in the background, it's quite ghostly, and very soothing too, of course Smetana finished on a real forte, bringing in the main tune from the first movement, in resplendent glory [10:03+], the ending is nice, like waves going up and down, though growing quiet, the whole things is a lazy trip down the river, just letting the current take over. 

Here's Alexis Hauser conducting the second movement Vltava on YouTube.

John Mellencamp [Human Wheels] 

A killer of an album, i've tried a number of other Mellencamp albums, his American heartland albums like 'Scarecrow', and his more latest albums, but it's this album that is his masterpiece, there's a certain Hard Rock feel to it, especially on 'Human Wheels' and 'What If I Came Knocking', and i like the way Mellencamp can get angry, he uses female backing singers at certain points, that in certain instances don't stay in the background!, there's a bit of a Gospel feel to things at times, it's a nice brew of a number of things, that really all come together nicely, a lovely album,i played this back when my Blog was fairly new [7th March 2010]. 

John Mellencamp is American, and now 61, all the greats get old eventually, it's not a young guys game anymore, he recorded this album in 1993, the front cover is really poor, not the sort of thing i would have bought, but wow! i liked the music, so it's stuck.

Most of the album i thoroughly enjoyed, tracks 2-4, 8 & 10 were just superb, the real winners were tracks 2 & 10, so incredibly good, here's a synopsis of both, 

2 Junior - In a way the surprise of my listening experience today, the two tracks beside it are stunners, but this really caught my mood today, are hard nice jungle rhythm, Drummer Kenny Aronoff nicely plays bongos, and gives that certain jungle feel to it, he's really quite superb, the chorus brings in a keyboard synth i guess [1:15+], a nice change in attack, the start of each verse brings a nice memory rush, the words to the opening verse return [3:19+], with extra power, a great experience.
10 To The River - This is a Janis Ian song, she entitled it 'All Roads To The River', i remember listening to her version first, nothing really special about it, so i just cannot believe that Mellencamp has transformed this song into something so compelling, it's hard to believe it's the same song, and kudos to Mellencamp in seeing its new possibilities, again Kenny Aronoff comes to the fore, a nice kick of a drum attack at the start and throughout, gives the song that extra oomph, and it's also that instrument at the beginning, maybe an organ, lovely sound, and listen to the rumbling bass during the verses, it really gives it a great vibe, there's so many layers of instruments going on, it's a heady brew of wonderful things, and i just love the way the song quietens down to a stop [2:16], but with one hard hit of the drum off it goes again, Mellencamp's voice is in top form, he really sings so strong, one of the very best songs on the album.

Tangerine Dream [White Eagle] 

The only TD album i own, though i have bought a few others, but i never liked them, in fact i seem to have spent a small fortune on trying to find another TD album i like, and then coming away disappointed, now i'm extremely wary that there even exists another album that i would like, i've sort of given up, i don't want to waste my money or my time, i feel exactly the same way about Yes /Going For The One, when i first listened to this, i thought it was going to be exactly similar to Jarre / Oxygene, but this is more percussive, tracks seem to be more 'poppy', instead of sci-fi and mysterious, plus Jarre would slowly morph one idea into the next over an extended span, TD seem to change things much more rapidly, but i'm learning to love this album, this actually got in my Blog earlier in the year [6th January 2012], now in search of that elusive TD album... 

Tangerine Dream are a German Electronic Trio, though of course since this record came out [1982], they are no longer the Trio of Froese / Franke / Schmoelling, and every group eventually has to break up its core constituents, i think of this as 'classic' TD, the booklet front cover is what attracted me to this very first TD album, a blue planet earth with a triangle underneath, it's a nice visual, the small lettering at the top is great.

The very opening of the album is terrific, for nearly three minutes there's weird and wonderful sounds, a very original beginning indeed, 'Mojave Plan' is the best thing on the album, however the other tracks are great too, and on this listen it's track 3 'Convention Of The 24' that really impressed me the most, straight away it starts as a very bubbly electronic rhythm, with a nice organ sounding melody, it's this initial quite mechanical rhythm that drives everything, quite monotonous i feel, but this is its strength, after three minutes things change somewhat [3:08+], the rhythm stops, and there's nice treble flute type sounds, quite bubbly at times, it's a great change, the mechanical rhythm seems to creep back in, later a more percussive effect comes in [5:37+], and i can feel the music getting ready to wind down, the background rhythm slows down, and a somewhat ghostly chorus comes in at the end, it's a great track, very compelling and infectious. 

Here's the 'Convention Of The 24' on YouTube.

Various Artists [The Chart Show Ultimate Rock Album] 

It's no secret i love compilation albums, however there are so many poor compilation albums out there, and it's very easy to clog up your disc library with albums that have only a few real tracks that you truly want, this double disc set is an exception to that rule, it's packed full of really good 'Rock anthems', plus the rarities on disc are very welcome also, there's some nice gems here, all brought together in one package, that is a joy to listen, throw it on random mode, and sit back and enjoy. 

This compilation was made in 1993, the front cover shows an electric guitar buried in a strata of rock, a guitar fossil if you like, on the back insert the track listing is well laid out, nice and clear and easy to read.

Well lots of tracks really impressed me, i was left constantly thinking 'wow, that's a fantastic track', the tracks that really impressed me were 2, 4-5, 8, 16, 21 & 26, with tracks 2 & 26 the real cream of the crop, and i would like to discuss these two tracks here, 

2 The Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon - One of my favourite songs, and a real stunner from Mike Scott and the Waterboys, in the background there's this constant piano hammering out chords, the lyrics are great, and slowly the song builds up a real tension, Scott gets the delivery right, 'i was dumbfounded by truth' is staggered out as 'i - was - dumb founded by truth', a great emphasis on 'i was dumb', and 'you saw Brigadoon', 'you swooned', etc etc, i like the way Scott make a rapid list of lovely things, 

Unicorns and cannonballs

Palaces and piers

Trumpets towers and tenements

Wide oceans full of tears

Flags rags ferryboats

Scimitars and scarves

Every precious dream and vision

Underneath the stars

especially 'flags rags ferryboats', the way he has a rhyme within a line instead of at the end of every even line, that works so so beautifully, the song constantly builds up into a real anthem, so what's the meaning of the words?, i think the clue is in the singer 'wandered out in the world for years', while his nemesis 'just stayed in their room', the crux is you don't have to go out into the world to find the meaning of life, it's simply right where you are, like Paul Simon says in 'I Am A Rock', 'i have my books, and my poetry... hiding in my room', i know it's insular, but it strikes a chord with me, the unusual things are found in the usual places, and the usual things are found in the most unusual places, it's not a matter of outer dimension, but the inner dimension, it's a great song. 

26 Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness - I'm not a great fan of early Manic Street Preachers, but this song is an exception, there's a certain vista to the whole thing, it's that constant lead electric guitar that fills in the vocal silences, it works perfectly, and it comes in straight away at the beginning, and its that wailing guitar effect the second time that is really affecting [0:08-0:15], James Dean Bradfield constantly throws in an extra emphasis on the word at the end of every even line, which is excellent, very lyrical, but their next album [The Holy Bible] would plumb the most darkest depths, and would be their masterpiece.

Faure - 13 Nocturnes [Collard] 

Faure's piano works are certainly underestimated, if you look at his composition titles, he's certainly a Chopin copyist, and certainly Faure gives Chopin a run for his money with his 13 Nocturnes, against Chopin's 21, of course Chopin wins ultimately, but some of Faure's works would grace Chopin's output, especially his early Nocturnes, his later Nocturnes are more subtle, they don't give up their gems so easily, but if you listen carefully they're still there, and this is a nice two box set, again another one of these fatbox sets, a great way to delve into Faure's piano output. 

Jean-Philippe Collard is French, born in 1948, he recorded these pieces in 1973 when he was 25, considering the age of the recording, these sound fantastic, these box sets in EMI's rouge et noir series are fantastic, and the front cover photograph [by Jacques Sarrat], is absolutely fantastic, a simple enough portrait, but superbly in focus, and high quality, well lit, using a dark background it makes Collard really stand out, and the pose is great too, the lettering is coloured differently, which differentiates things nicely, and even the logo adds that perfect finishing touch.

The Nocturnes i enjoyed the most were 1-2 & 4, and even though probably 4 is my favourite, this time around it was the Nocturne One that really impressed me,. 

Here's Faure's Nocturne One being played on YouTube.