Exploring pre-CD era pop music...

[KevinP]

First record I ever bought (well, my mom for me) was a 1973 K-Tel as-seen-on-tv compilation. 'The Morning After' remains in my head as the kick-off song of side 2.

[71 dB]

First record I ever bought (well, my mom for me) was a 1973 K-Tel as-seen-on-tv compilation. 'The Morning After' remains in my head as the kick-off song of side 2.

I was two years old in 1973 myself. My faint memories of the 70's are about how it was in the kinder-garden and the start of school, walking in the early morning in the rain in darkness to the school with a back-bag and how the school books, pencils and erasers smelt. Now that I start to become an old fart myself, it is interesting to explore the 70's music and find out what it had (and still has) to offer beyond the biggests hits everyone has heard a million times. The 80's and 90's were good times (for me at least) and the 70's felt a bit obsolete time period for me. Future felt more interesting. However, with time and especially in this new decade we are living, the World has turned into a nasty place and suddenly the sunshiny cultural products of the 70's feel very welcome!

The "STEREO (Can also be played on mono)" text on the cover is funny.   Today we have instead the text "This hybrid disc plays on both CD & SACD players."

[71 dB]

The Maureen McGovern CD is "supposed" to be released tomorrow, but there is still nothing new information about it. Very frustrating. I am now pretty sure there will be no release at all and it all was a hoax that made me wait for almost 3 weeks for nothing... thanks a lot! 

[steve ridgway]

Thanks pjme for posting in my weird rant tread. 

Maybe something comes out of this if people start posting their favourites from the 70's...

The 70's were my formative decade and at the time I enjoyed glam rock/pop, progressive rock, punk, new wave, electronic, heavy metal; there was a lot of variety and much experimentation. It's taken me many years though to stumble across some artists now among my favourites; I most like unusual music rather than refinement of a genre.

[steve ridgway]

A few from the favourites on my music player...

[71 dB]

The Maureen McGovern CD is "supposed" to be released tomorrow, but there is still nothing new information about it. Very frustrating. I am now pretty sure there will be no release at all and it all was a hoax that made me wait for almost 3 weeks for nothing... thanks a lot! 

A MIRACLE has happened! This twofer was released after all and it looks PERFECT! Maureen McGovern's first four LPs on 2 CDs! Just what I dreamed about! Amazon has the twofer finally listed with cover art + the flip side. I have ordered this! 

https://www.amazon.com/Morning-After-Can-Read-Mind-Her-Best/dp/B0CLJPRQX4/

It is insane how this was released just a month or so after I discovered the artist myself and started dreaming about a release like this. Such a weird coincidence, but most welcome! Sometimes even unlucky people like myself get lucky!

This has been a very low key release. The upcoming CD releases sites didn't list this, only Amazon has pictures of it and even Maureen McGovern's official pages doesn't mention this.

[steve ridgway]

Merry Christmas @71 dB  .

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A MIRACLE has happened! This twofer was released after all and it looks PERFECT! Maureen McGovern's first four LPs on 2 CDs! Just what I dreamed about! Amazon has the twofer finally listed with cover art + the flip side. I have ordered this! 

https://www.amazon.com/Morning-After-Can-Read-Mind-Her-Best/dp/B0CLJPRQX4/

It is insane how this was released just a month or so after I discovered the artist myself and started dreaming about a release like this. Such a weird coincidence, but most welcome! Sometimes even unlucky people like myself get lucky!

This has been a very low key release. The upcoming CD releases sites didn't list this, only Amazon has pictures of it and even Maureen McGovern's official pages doesn't mention this.

I'm very happy for you.

Happy holidays, dB! 

PD

[71 dB]

Thanks steve ridgway and PD! 

Happy Holidays to you too!

[71 dB]

The Maureen McGovern twofer arrived today (the Christmas and New Year slowed down delivery). I am listening to CD1, album "The Morning After." The sound quality is bad. This is vinyl rip without (any?) clean up. Tons of distortion, clicks and pops. The sound is quite harsh with headphones. Out of loudspeakers the sound is softened and better. On the plus side the music is to my liking a lot. I don't expect crystal clean sound from pop music of the 70's, but I expect basic clean up.

[steve ridgway]

The Maureen McGovern twofer arrived today (the Christmas and New Year slowed down delivery). I am listening to CD1, album "The Morning After." The sound quality is bad. This is vinyl rip without (any?) clean up. Tons of distortion, clicks and pops. The sound is quite harsh with headphones. Out of loudspeakers the sound is softened and better. On the plus side the music is to my liking a lot. I don't expect crystal clean sound from pop music of the 70's, but I expect basic clean up.

Ah, the authentic 70s music centre experience  .

[71 dB]

Ah, the authentic 70s music centre experience  .

Well in the 70's the vinyls were new and not worn out...

I REALLY like the music of CD1 (Her first 2 albums). Now I am listening to CD2 and the music is less to my liking. The distortion level is CRAZY. I wonder how the original studio tapes sound...

Exploring pop music of the 70's has been a perplexing experience. At best the music REALLY hits me, but there are so much bizarre and random issues with sound quality and availability of the music.

[steve ridgway]

Well in the 70's the vinyls were new and not worn out...

I REALLY like the music of CD1 (Her first 2 albums). Now I am listening to CD2 and the music is less to my liking. The distortion level is CRAZY. I wonder how the original studio tapes sound...

Exploring pop music of the 70's has been a perplexing experience. At best the music REALLY hits me, but there are so much bizarre and random issues with sound quality and availability of the music.

Back in the 80s it was a matter of searching used record stores to see what you could find .

[71 dB]

Back in the 80s it was a matter of searching used record stores to see what you could find .

Yes, but on the other hand there were an abundance of such stores.

I was in the sauna and now I am finishing CD2. The latter half of it is the 1979 album containing the "Can You Read My Mind" song from Superman movie and Theme from "Angie." This album is mostly disco-flavoured, of course. 

What a mixed bag is this realease, but it is what it is. The alternative is not to explore anything and save the money... ...if there are releases in the future of the first two albums (1973 & 1974) transferred from the original studio tapes and remixed properly for good sound quality I am interested! Meanwhile I have to be content with this release for what it is.

[71 dB]

After the initial shock caused by the distorted crackle and pop vinyl sound, I'm trying to just enjoy the music and in the case of CD1 it is easy. At least the sound isn't digitally clinical.   This music is kind of the combination of sunshine pop and muzak. There's sunny energy but also feel of nostalgia and tranquility. This kind of music really hits my taste in music!

As for CD2, the music is much less to my liking, but there a few tracks I like.

[71 dB]

Now there is one customer review of the Maureen McGovern twofer on Amazon.com and it says:

POOR quality vinyl transfers.

For years, Maureen McGovern fans have waited for remastered and deluxe versions of her albums. When I came across this 2cd set - I had very strong feelings that they were vinyl transfers...and I was correct. However - the quality of vinyl used is beyond poor - you can hear the "crackle" of vinyl on many tracks. The tracks are muffled and unclear.

100% disappointing. Save your money. If you're a Maureen fan - you probably have the vinyl - play that!

At least I am not the only one complaining about the sound quality. This is what exploring 70's pop music can be... ...so frustrating and ridiculous!

[steve ridgway]

When you're feeling alright
Everything is uptight
Try to sing a song that goes, "Ding, ding-a-dong"
There will be no sorrow
When you sing tomorrow
And you walk along with your ding-dang-dong

Ding-a-dong every hour
When you pick a flower
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Ding-a-dong, listen to it
Maybe it's a big hit
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Sing, "Ding-dang-dong" 

[71 dB]

The idea of exploring the pop music of late 60s and 70s was to find smiling, nostalgic and sunny music to make the dull depressing life of today to feel not only tolerable, but better. Of course I understood the availability of half a century old music on CDs can't be excellent, but the difficulties I experience surprised me.

Since I had previously explored the 70s music from Tangerine Dream, King Crimson and Carly Simon whose 70s albums are actually really well available on CD, I was shocked to find out how difficult it is to get the albums of The Carpenters on CD. There's zillion cheap copies of "the singles compilations" on the market, but I don't want the singles hit songs only! The Carpenters excels on non-hit songs. It's crazy how there's 10 CD boxset of ABBA for £27, but if I what The Carpenters' first album Ticket to Ride on CD, £27 is barely enough for the cheapest used copy I can find online! Sure, ABBA is a "bigger" name than The Carpenters and has sold ever more albums, but then again Tangerine Dream and King Crimson are much more marginal music. Why is it so difficult to get an affordable 10 CD boxset of The Carpenters albums? Why are the CDs of the albums these crazy expensive limited Japanese SHM-CDs? It is as if The Carpenters were only ever popular in the US and Japan.

While The Carpenters is very good 70s pop music, it is not the best music ever for me. There are limits of what I am willing to pay, limits I have already crossed to have 7 of their albums on CD. I don't say I had to spend obscene money on them, but I certainly had to used much more than one should for a very popular pop music. Buying these albums SHOULD HAVE BEEN easier, more stress free and cheaper.

This is the problem here. This has been stressful and burdensome. Collecting these albums has felt like paying for an energy bill. I never needed a pristine SHM-CD of the album Passage, but if a used normal copy of the album sells for twice or triple the price, what can I do? For Ticket to Ride, those SHM-CDs are sold out. It is crazy how collecting this kind of band on CD is like collecting rare stamps.

I had similar struggles with Mama Cass Elliot. Since her solo output is more limited, this wasn't such a problem money-wise, but it wasn't fun either.

With Maureen McGovern the things have been ever crazier. Want her 70s albums on CD with good sound? Sorry, no can do! The vinyl rip offs on CD-R felt like a middle finger.

Having these problems with pretty much every 70s artist I have been interested lately has broken my spirit. The World just doesn't want me to be happy. It doesn't want me to feel things are going my way. Retropectively I have to say I was VERY LUCKY with Tangerine Dream, King Crimson and Carly Simon 10-15 years ago when I got into them.

[Irons]

This clip brought back so many happy memories of a misspent youth.

[Iota]

Having these problems with pretty much every 70s artist I have been interested lately has broken my spirit. The World just doesn't want me to be happy. It doesn't want me to feel things are going my way.

'The World' as you put it, is indifferent to you, as it is to all of us. Not to say that many of us don't feel the way you do sometimes. Do you know the old adage, 'The difference between a good day and a bad day, is the way you look at it.'? There's a lot of truth in that I think.

Best wishes. : )