chopin trip/vacation

[wiltel!dlocke@uunet.UU.NET]

Greetings all,

I'm back and mostly recovered from my vacation to Michigan, and I'm
starting to get caught up with gaffa, my work, etc.

OB KaTe KonTent:
Before I get going, let me mention something that may be of interest
to gaffers: I know where you can mail order out-of-print Jane Siberry
vinyl and the Comic Relief album featuring Kate on two cuts.  I'm
only willing to tell you this because I now have my copies.  (I'm an
evil, hoarding collector you must understand!)  Harvard Square
Records is the place.  Prices are around $5 or $6, and they have some
import vinyl too.  They also do CD's but I can't seem to get them to send
me a catalog...  Anyway, the comic relief album features "Do Bears
Sh*t In the Woods" with Kate sharing vocals - very funny song -- and
my all time favorite KaTe version-of-a-song: Breathing.  I had it on
tape but now have it on vinyl.  Collector heaven, indeed :-)

OK, back to the trip:
One of the big highlights of the trip was getting to hit the Ann
Arbor record stores, although for way too short of a time.  If
there are decent used record stores in Houston I haven't found them,
and while there are big chains that will order CD's in print you
pay full list price.  When you by as much music as I do you it
is grating to pay $16.98 for something that really should be more
like $12.05 (as through Noteworthy!).

The first store I hit was Tower.  I'd never seen a Tower before,
and the selection was pretty good but it took a long time to get
my bearings!  I mean, are the MacGaricles folk or pop?  I did pick
up some stuff I'd been wanting, notably Tori's Crucify ltd. ed. ep
and McCartney's Unplugged (which is out of print in the US, but
Tower had a bunch -- if I'd have had more $ I'd have bought a few
more for investment purposes).  I also bought a couple of hard-to-
find cd's that are on the audiophile's hot lists: Wild/Chopin and
Michael Newman/Classical Guitar.

>From there I went to true vinyl nirvana, Wazoo records.  Wazoo had
an excellent selection of vinyl *in good condition* -- and as you
know, vinyl condition is the key here.  Prices (relative to condition)
were outstanding, around $4-5.  In addition to 3 Van Morrison {Wavelength,
Astral Weeks, and St Domanic's Preview}, 2 Burning Spear, Lennon's
Mind Games, a sealed Camper Von B. 3rd, and Simon and Garfunkle live
in Central Park, some of the more interesting acquisitions were:
Phoebe Snow		(same)		reissue
Siouxsie		Peepshow	promo
Carley Simon	Carley	sealed co
Cocteau Twins	Tiny Dynamite	german import single co
Billie Holliday	Lady in Satin
Joni Mitchell	Hissing of Summer Lawns
J. Siberry		No Borders Here co

The Billie Holliday, Joni Mitchell, and Phoebe Snow are very well recorded and
highly regarded by audiophiles.  I don't see too much discussion of these
artists here, but many of you would probably like them.  I would
definitely recommend starting with the listed Phoebe Snow and Billie Holliday
albums.

If you don't have any Joni Mitchell, you should buy some immediately.
Get both "Court and Spark" and "Blue".  You won't be disappointed.  The
songs are all fabulous, PLUS, the recordings (sound) are excellent.
Both these are listed as classic, must haves in the Rolling Stone
Rock Record guide.  Listen to the title cut on "Blue", and compare Joni's
perfectly recorded voice with any recording of KaTe's voice and see
how KaTe's recordings are lacking.  Compare also to Little Earthquakes,
same result.

Interestingly, Lady in Satin is listed in "Stereophile's Records To Die For"
list, as are Joni's "Hissing of Summer Lawns" and "Hejira", though "Blue"
and "Court and Spark" don't make the list.  The list is very interesting;
at a later time I'll try to post all the things on the list that would
be of likely interest to gaffa.  Nothing by KaTe makes the list :-(

On our way back through Ann Arbor we were able to stop at School Kid's
Records and at Liberty Music (which features primarily classical).
(I actually picked up Jane's "No Borders Here" at SK and "Lady in
Satin" at Liberty).  I picked up Mari Boine Persen - Gula Gula at
SK thinking it was Enya's sister.  It wasn't, that's Maire Brennan!
It sounds nice though.  Picked up Rickie Lee Jones "Flying Cowboys",
another excellent recording, on CD at Liberty, as well as a number
of classical albums {Strauss & Schubert) in excellent shape for
minute $.

Finally, back in Texas I picked up Anne Lennox' "Diva", which 
has been pretty well received in the press.  A brief listen reveals
great songs with slight overproduction.

Well, I suppose I need to get to work here!  If only I could buy some
time to listen to everything I just bought!

-Dick Locke