Today's Purchases (Non-classical)

[toledobass]

More than decent!  You are in for a treat.  0:)  I also use mine with my television, and they reproduce sound effects so clearly that sometimes they sound like the real thing: the other night I jumped a little, thinking someone had opened the front door--it was only a door opening onscreen. 

--Bruce

Yeah, but how many drinks did you have before then?

Allan

[bhodges]

Yeah, but how many drinks did you have before then?

Allan

--Bruce

[Heather Harrison]

Anthology of American Folk Music, edited by Harry Smith.  This is a highly influential compilation of old folk music recordings that was issued by Folkways Records in the early 1950's.  The original LPs are now highly collectible.  This compilation influenced many of the artists of the folk revival of the 1950's and 1960's.  It features recordings of "old time music" from the 1920's and 1930's.  I have some original 78s of old time music and a few CD and LP compilations, and many are excellent, but this compilation is unbeatable as an introduction to this genre.  Included are ballads, blues, folk songs, dance music, Cajun music, jug band music, and religious music - it is truly a cross-section of American folk music from ages ago.  When this compilation was first issued, some of the styles represented were dying out, and it helped to resurrect these old traditions.

If you want to hear the roots of modern-day rock, country, blues, bluegrass, and gospel music, this is a great place to start.



I can't seem to stop buying old telephones; I now have 60, and I expect the collection to keep growing.  This is the most interesting of my recent acquisitions.  It is an American Electric candlestick phone with a very early Automatic Electric dial, probably dating from the mid-to-late 1910's.  Phones this old usually need a bit of work; this one needed a new receiver magnet and cord (luckily I have a few spares around), and the pulse contact on the dial needed a slight adjustment.  I also installed a network circuit in the base so that I don't have to wire it through a subset.  It now works very well, and I have been using it regularly.

Heather

[rockerreds]

Old 97's-Blame It On Gravity
Juliana Hatfield-How To Walk Away

[rockerreds]

$1 thrift shop CD finds:

Shania Twain-The Woman In Me
Elvis Presley-Greatest Jukebox Hits

[karlhenning]

I can't seem to stop buying old telephones . . . .

Heather, I just had to tell you how very much I enjoyed reading that sentence.  I think it was some mysterious kind of music to it, because, myself, I have not felt any allure to old phones . . . just wanted to clarify that the enjoyment is a matter of aesthetics, and somehow, not of content.

Maybe it's all the Debussy I've been listening to, lately . . . .

[Heather Harrison]

"I can't seem to stop buying ..." does have a nice ring to it.  I suppose that the sentence can apply to just about anything that one does not need.  I can't say that I need more phones.  My mother just came to visit, and she was amazed at all of the telephones and how they have taken over.  Everywhere I look, there are telephones.  I don't know why I am so interested in them, but they captured my attention many years ago and every now and then I decide it is time to actively acquire more of them.

Anyway, here is an interesting CD that I found in a used CD store.



No... this has nothing to do with the mint-flavored candy of the same name.  It seems like Jamaican music has been popular for some time, but there are forms that are not terribly familiar to the world audience.  Reggae, of course, became popular in the late 1960's and remains popular today.  Before reggae there was upbeat ska music, and it is still fairly well-known today.  But before ska, there was mento, and it is relatively unknown today.  This CD includes vintage mento recordings from the 1950's.  Mento is vaguely similar to calypso but is a bit more varied; that is probably the best description that I can provide.  It is simple music, but it is fun to listen to in the background, and it is interesting to hear the roots of modern-day Jamaican music.  Anyone who is interested in Jamaican music and wants to hear some of the history should check out this or another mento compilation.

Heather

[Lethevich]

For something beneficial to do while I read long forum posts/websites.

[71 dB]

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

Ebay.co.uk, £7.76 = 10.05 euros

[karlhenning]

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

Ebay.co.uk, £7.76 = 10.05 euros

Oh, have you not heard that one yet, Poju?

[71 dB]

Oh, have you not heard that one yet, Poju?

No, I haven't. Remember Karl, I "found" this band about 10 weeks ago! Collecting KC is frustrating because it's difficult to buy the albums cheap. I barely won this bidding on eBay. 

[karlhenning]

No, I haven't. Remember Karl, I "found" this band about 10 weeks ago! Collecting KC is frustrating because it's difficult to buy the albums cheap. I barely won this bidding on eBay. 

Well, I think you are going to be particularly pleased with this one.

Funny thing is, I was thinking about this 'edition' of the band last night.  There was a local band playing a show in the courtyard of the Museum, and they had an amplified violinist up front.

And I thought, He's no David Cross 

[71 dB]

Well, I think you are going to be particularly pleased with this one.

Hopefully. We'll see soon when the disc arrives.

[toledobass]

One of these should be arriving early next week:




Allan

[mn dave]

Books:
Thomas Ligotti - TEATRO GROTTESCO
Thomas Ligotti - THE NIGHTMARE FACTORY, vol. 2 (g/n)
Gene Wolfe - AN EVIL GUEST
Mo Hayder - RITUAL

DVDs:

NIGHT WATCH
The Conan movies

[toledobass]

Dave!!!

'Sup?

[mn dave]

Dave!!!

'Sup?

Dude!

Just the usual madcap antics. 

[mn dave]

More stuff from Borders:

1001 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE by Peter Boxall (I wonder if this book is one of them?)

THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova

THE BEST BUDDHIST WRITING 2008 edited by Melvin McLeod

[Bogey]

DVDs:

NIGHT WATCH
The Conan movies

Did you throw down the Red Sonja movie for good measure, Dave? 

[mn dave]

Did you throw down the Red Sonja movie for good measure, Dave? 

I don't think I've seen it. It's not very good, is it?