Ramblings

["James M. Turner" <RG.JMTURN@OZ.AI.MIT.EDU>]

I've got a really foul-feeling stomach, a lousy headache, and a case of
photophobia that would give a rabies victim pause for thought. So why is
this man smiling? (Also, the mailers seem to have eaten the first copy of
this message....)

Steeleye Span is out on CD!

Now, I'm sure that for a bunch of guys (and gals) who think that scrap-iron
dropping from a great height makes for good music, this news may be less than
earthshattering (although I'm pretty sure the aforementioned steel would be...)
But I've been suffering with a tape dub of a deformed copy of "The Steeleye 
Span Story" for a year (there are no non-deformed copies, I think someone left
the master disk on a radiator, or some such...), it's nothing less than the
bloody second coming.

In any event, the CD out is not the aforementioned SSS, but a compilation disc
entitled "The Best of Steeleye Span". The sound is very quiet, and the mix is
superior to the previous Span I've heard (given the source of my previous
Span, not surprising...) Maddy Prior's voice rates up there with Kate, and I've
personally always been a sucker for English folk music. For reference, the disc
contains:

Gaudete:
   A weird mix, heavily echoed, giving the feel that it was recorded in a
cathedral. Personally, the original mix, with everyone EQed basically even,
was always a little strong for me.

All Around My Hat:
  Crystal clear, with the lyrics and string details lovingly precise.

Thomas The Rhymer:
   See above, CD was clearly remixed off masters. Percussion doesn't get
muddled in the vocals like it does on the vinyl.

Alison Gross:
   On the record, the distorted guitar is overmixed, drowning out the vocals.
I suspect some heavy-metal turd did the original mix, and someone with more
of an ear did the CD remix. I didn't have to strain to make out lyrics. The
guitar solo at the end is actually distinct, not just a blur of distortion.

Little Sir Hugh:
   The guitar work is beautiful and I can finally hear it. Other than that,
same general increase in mix and clarity.

Cam Ye O'er Frae France:
   I'm SURE some half-deaf engineer mixed the '73 record, he overmixed the
guitar on this one too much as well. I think he must work at the Metro now.
(Do I lose "fuckin' cool points" for admitting I've been to the Metro?)

Long Lankin:
   Not on SSS, so I can't compare. However, glad they included this instead of
some of the other pieces from SSS. How can you sing cheerfully about the
pillage of a household? I guess only the English have a talent for it.

Gone to America:
   Again, not on SSS. Much more commercial. If the previous works were
folk songs set to the music of the 70's, this is set to the music of the
80's. Much more heavily engineered. I'll have to listen to this a few
more times... Prior's voice is, of course, still gorgeous...

Let Her Go Down:
   Figured out what drives me crazy about the two '80 songs. They are
using a piano... strange that such a mundane instrument sounds so wierd...
Also, the guitar work is much more pedestrian. Were there major personnel
changes between the mid-seventies albums and '80?

Black Jack Davy:
   Great fuckin' song (trying to keep my quota here...)

Bach Goes To Limerick:
   Not on SSS. Would certainly get them lynched on any BachLovers mailing
list.

All in all, a long time coming, and worth the wait.

On another front, as token "listener-of-top-40", I'm pleased to see the harp
making a return to pop music (if Andreas BallBitter (or whatever his name is)
does nothing else good for music, that would be enough). The lap harp was part
of pop music for several centuries, and I for one like the sound, in spite of
hour after hour of cocktail-music brunches.

Having exposed myself to endless ridicule by admitting to LIKE music that
sounds nice, I will now sit back to await the overflow of /dev/spool/mail...

James
Who doesn't want to have a gag stuffed in his mouth and get set on fire...
But wouldn't mind having Sue stuffed in his mouth...
(It's a joke, Sue. Ok? You can put the gun away...)

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UUCP: {decvax,ima,linus,eddie}!cca!ringwld!jmturn