Friday, December 31, 2010
mogmire
Wasting time compiling MOG playlists from Additional Listening lists at end of chapters in JAZZ textbook. Working backwards to chapter 1 -- want to get it done so I can start listening through from the beginning. When I do that I can maybe catch any mistakes or make upgrades.
Friday, October 15, 2010
ninety-nines
Here are the 99s I've downloaded so far:
- Bach, Johann Sebastian 99 MOST ESSENTIAL BACH MASTERPIECES, THE… 7CDR X5/amazon 2009
- Beethoven, Ludwig van ESSENTIAL BEETHOVEN MASTERPIECES, THE 99… 13CDR X5/amazon 2008
- Brahms, Johannes 99 MOST ESSENTIAL BRAHMS MASTERPIECES, THE… 10CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Chopin, Frédéric 99 MOST ESSENTIAL CHOPIN MASTERPIECES, THE… 7CDR X5/amazon 2009
- Debussy, Claude 99 MOST ESSENTIAL DEBUSSY MASTERPIECES 7CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Dvorák, Antonin 99 MOST ESSENTIAL DVORAK MASTERPIECES, THE… 10CDR X5/amazon 2007
- Grieg, Edvard 99 MOST ESSENTIAL GRIEG MASTERPIECES, THE… 7CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Händel, Georg Friedrich 99 MOST ESSENTIAL HANDEL MASTERPIECES, THE… 4CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Haydn, Joseph 99 MOST ESSENTIAL HAYDN MASTERPIECES, THE… 8CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Felix 99 MOST ESSENTIAL MENDELSSOHN MASTERPIECES, THE… 9CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Mozart, Wolfgang A. 99 MOST ESSENTIAL BAROQUE MASTERPIECES, THE… 6CDR X5/amazon 2009
- Mozart, Wolfgang A. 99 MOST ESSENTIAL MOZART MASTERPIECES, THE… 9CDR X5/amazon 2008
- Schubert, Franz 99 MOST ESSENTIAL SCHUBERT MASTERPIECES, THE… 11CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Schumann, Robert 99 MOST ESSENTIAL SCHUMANN MASTERPIECES, THE… 6CDR X5/amazon 2010
- Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilych 99 MOST ESSENTIAL TCHAIKOVSKY MASTERPIECES, THE… 11CDR X5/amazon 2009
- various 99 ESSENTIAL CHANTS 6CDR Milan/amazon 1999
- various 99 MOST ESSENTIAL ALLEGROS, THE… 8CDR X5/amazon 2010
- various 99 MOST ESSENTIAL PIECES OF CLASSICAL MUSIC, THE… 10CDR X5/amazon 2009
- various composers 99 DARKEST PIECES OF CLASSICAL MUSIC 9CDR X5/amazon 2010
- various composers 99 MOST ESSENTIAL PIECES OF CLASSICAL MUSIC 10CDR X5/amazon 2009
- various composers 99 MOST ESSENTIAL PIECES OF CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR YOUR MIND, THE… 8CDR X5/amazon 2010
- various composers 99 MOST ESSENTIAL PIECES OF THE ROMANTIC ERA, THE… 11CDR X5/amazon 2009
- various composers 99 MOST ESSENTIAL RELAXING CLASSICS 8CDR X5/amazon 2010
- various composers 99 MOST ESSENTIAL ROMANTIC MASTERPIECES, THE… 8CDR X5/amazon 2010
- various composers 99 MOST ESSENTIAL SUMMER CLASSICS 7CDR X5/amazon 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
ridiculousness (cont.)
So I go to Amazon to download the Deal of the Day, and what do I end up with?
This:
The following items were ordered:
All told, another 11.2 hours, not counting the three free songs that lead the list. (The Deal of the Day was the Blue Giant.)
Plus, you can add these from the same feeding frenzy:
The following items were ordered:
I'll probably listen to the ones I have the most doubts about first -- like the two from Life! Beats. Just the opposite of what would be best.
[Later discovered that all those sub-$1 downloads were gone the next day, jacked up to $6 or so. I'm glad I got them for such a pittance, but I wonder how many of these transitory great deals I miss out on by not scrounging around on Amazon more than I already do.]
###
This:
| Total for this Order: | $11.92 |
The following items were ordered:
| Paris (Ooh La La) [MP3 Download] $0.00 From the album Grace Potter & The Nocturnals By: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Dragon's Song [MP3 Download] $0.00 From the album Destroyer Of The Void By: Blitzen Trapper Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| This Orient [MP3 Download] $0.00 From the album Total Life Forever By: Foals Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Blue Giant [MP3 Download] $3.99 By: Blue Giant Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Free For All [MP3 Download] $0.20 By: Artie Shaw Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Timeless: Lester Young [MP3 Download] $0.56 By: Lester Young Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| The Nature Of The Beat [MP3 Download] $0.54 By: Wayne Wallace Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Soy Califa [MP3 Download] $0.01 By: Jesse Andrus Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Titanic Serenade : Music from an Age of Elegance [MP3 Download] $0.01 By: Andy Street Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Planet Earth [MP3 Download] $0.10 By: Life! Beats Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Hello Dolly [MP3 Download] $0.52 By: Louis Armstrong Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| The Complete Jazz Collection By Louis Armstrong [MP3 Download] $5.99 By: Louis Armstrong Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. |
Plus, you can add these from the same feeding frenzy:
| Total for this Order: | $0.46 |
The following items were ordered:
| Where You Belong [MP3 Download] $0.22 By: Aftertouch Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | |
| Inner Peace [MP3 Download] $0.24 By: Life! Beats Sold By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. |
[Later discovered that all those sub-$1 downloads were gone the next day, jacked up to $6 or so. I'm glad I got them for such a pittance, but I wonder how many of these transitory great deals I miss out on by not scrounging around on Amazon more than I already do.]
###
Friday, July 09, 2010
I might watch them
Recently discovered the RadioTime station on my Roku player -- and it is terrific. Radio stations that stream on the Internet I can now run through my TV's sound system with ease. I can even choose presets for stations I want to be able to return to -- such as the Swedish, the Australian, the Croatian, etc. etc. The Dakar station wouldn't connect -- maybe later.
This morning I thought I'd pick up some sports talk following the LeBron announcement last night. One of the station choices happened to be in Cleveland. To say the people there are unappreciative of the years of toil James put in on their behalf, now that he is jumping ship to pursue an actual title, would be putting it mildly. The man is now persona non grata and the target of a heap of vitriol. But lone superstars never win titles. If LeBron couldn't get Wade and Bosh to come to Cleveland, he had to go to them. It makes perfect sense, but how to do it without causing a riot and receiving death threats from your erstwhile fans? Seems he's not pulling that one off very well. It won't be until they are playing Los Angeles in The Finals that I will be able to root for them. But before that, if I get the chance, I might watch them.
This morning I thought I'd pick up some sports talk following the LeBron announcement last night. One of the station choices happened to be in Cleveland. To say the people there are unappreciative of the years of toil James put in on their behalf, now that he is jumping ship to pursue an actual title, would be putting it mildly. The man is now persona non grata and the target of a heap of vitriol. But lone superstars never win titles. If LeBron couldn't get Wade and Bosh to come to Cleveland, he had to go to them. It makes perfect sense, but how to do it without causing a riot and receiving death threats from your erstwhile fans? Seems he's not pulling that one off very well. It won't be until they are playing Los Angeles in The Finals that I will be able to root for them. But before that, if I get the chance, I might watch them.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Tom made me do it
Went a little ape with Tom Hull's list of Oldies.com bargains. Half of them I already had, but now I'm looking forward to getting these:
 | Rahsaan Roland Kirk & Al Hibbler / Ornette Coleman Quartet Item Number: COL 6266 | Qty: 1 | $8.76 |
| Saved: | $6.21 | ||
 | Wilbur Ware Quintet Chicago Sound (CD) Item Number: OJC 1737 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Various Artists Item Number: SPEC 2168 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Art Tatum Item Number: PAB 2405426 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Mal Waldron Item Number: PRS 11024 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $9.00 | ||
 | Jimmy Rushing Five Feet of Soul (CD) Item Number: VCL 6313 | Qty: 1 | $3.58 |
| Saved: | $9.39 | ||
 | Jimmy Rushing Item Number: COL 7496 | Qty: 1 | $8.76 |
| Saved: | $6.21 | ||
 | Sonny Rollins Milestone Profiles (CD) Item Number: FAN 30023 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Item Number: MIS 92502 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $9.00 | ||
 | Lou Reed Item Number: ZHUS 48678 | Qty: 1 | $7.95 |
| Saved: | $14.03 | ||
 | Sonny Rollins Item Number: FAN 5803 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $5.00 | ||
 | Bud Powell Item Number: PAB 9762 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $5.00 | ||
 | Bud Powell Paris Sessions (CD) Item Number: PAB 23109722 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Art Pepper Item Number: CMY 57142 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | O.M.D. Best of OMD [Import] (CD) Item Number: ZHUS 79358 | Qty: 1 | $4.50 |
| Saved: | $5.48 | ||
 | Jackie McLean Item Number: FAN 5806 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $5.00 | ||
 | Thelonious Monk Item Number: RIV 300702 | Qty: 1 | $7.98 |
| Saved: | $4.00 | ||
 | Blue Mitchell Blue Soul (CD) Item Number: ZHUS 30508 | Qty: 1 | $4.98 |
| Saved: | $7.00 | ||
 | Walter Norris / George Mraz Hues of Blues (CD) Item Number: COJ 4671 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $7.99 | ||
 | Shelly Manne Item Number: CMY 57152 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Budd Johnson Quintet Item Number: OJC 1921 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $8.00 | ||
 | Keith Jarrett Item Number: COL 6254 | Qty: 1 | $8.76 |
| Saved: | $6.21 | ||
 | Joe Henderson Milestone Profiles (CD) Item Number: FAN 30021 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $5.00 | ||
 | Elmore James Item Number: COL 8829 | Qty: 1 | $13.48 |
| Saved: | $16.49 | ||
 | Jimmy Heath Item Number: RIV 30185 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Coleman Hawkins Item Number: FAN 5804 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $5.00 | ||
 | Coleman Hawkins Item Number: PRS 300812 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Coleman Hawkins Item Number: OJC 4182 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Garage A Trois Outre Mer (CD) Item Number: TLR 83640 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $13.00 | ||
 | Item Number: COL 7532 | Qty: 1 | $8.76 |
| Saved: | $6.21 | ||
 | Benny Carter The King (CD) Item Number: PAB 310768 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $8.00 | ||
 | Bob Berg Another Standard (CD) Item Number: STCH 9013 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Louis Armstrong / King Oliver Item Number: MIS 470172 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Chet Baker Item Number: RIV 300732 | Qty: 1 | $6.98 |
| Saved: | $5.00 | ||
 | Gene Ammons Fine and Mellow (CD) Item Number: PRS 242812 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $6.00 | ||
 | Gene Ammons A Stranger in Town (CD) Item Number: PID 654331 | Qty: 1 | $5.98 |
| Saved: | $11.01 | ||
 | 10% Off Collectables CD Sale Late Spring / Early Summer 10% Off Collectables CD Sale. Can not be combined with other coupons, offer expires July 2010. | Qty: 6 | |
 | Item Number: XLIFE 10060D SALE: You got 1 free copy! | Qty: 1 | $2.98 |
| Saved: | $2.98 | ||
Friday, July 02, 2010
Christgau's going
I’m disappointed Robert Christgau’s Consumer Guide has reached its terminus, not just from its MSN iteration but evidently now for ever, although perhaps not as disappointed as I might have been earlier -- like when The Voice first showed him the door.
Ever since I found his ‘80s-picks book in my inventory, at about the same time I broke down and bought a CD player, in 1992, I’ve used his A-minus or better picks as the basis for my own music collection [now B+ or better] -- and he’s led me to a lot of stuff I never would have discovered otherwise. Thanks to Christgau I listen to plenty of afropop, plenty of hiphop, plenty of country, plenty of indie -- plenty of things it wasn’t that easy to find, but when I did I was glad to have it. Some things were harder to appreciate than others, but I always knew going in that it if had the Xgau imprimatur, it would reward hard listening.
Back when I started out, with the 80s book and a subscription to The Village Voice, CD prices were pretty high, so I didn’t want to pay good money for music that wouldn’t be worth hearing. From my vinyl-buying days I knew that not everything was something I might always care to listen to. A lot of my music collection had been accrued from bargain-bin cutouts -- and a lot were of things I just plain couldn’t abide listening to any more. I sure didn’t want my incipient CD collection to follow the same undisciplined course -- this time adding costliness to the folly.
So I had a strict all-Christgau policy for my acquisitions. All those early CDs I am pleased now to still have, and listen to when time permits. Lately with cheapo downloads courtesy of Amazon’s Deal of the Day, or eMusic, or the may free-music offerings, as well as cheaper physical CDs (especially a whole smear of classical-music megaboxes), I’ve strayed a ways from the Xgau straight and narrow, especially with the classical music I still enjoy, despite Christgau’s dismissal.
When Christgau’s monthly CC comes out, lately my disappointment when it turns out I picked up a Dud or two (and maybe unwittingly enjoyed before finding out that the feeling wouldn’t last if I listened too hard), was greatly allayed by the fact that this music had ended up in my possession at a much lower cost than it might have a decade or more ago.
I can see where the music-business industry might be in survivalist mode just now, with me a typical boomer actual album buyer straying further and further off the consumerist reservation. When each new Consumer Guide, more and more of late I’ve looked for cheaper ways to get hold of the music than buying full-priced CDs. As kind a parting gift to the big labels in honor of Christgau’s passing, this month I’ve ordered up a big three store-bought CDs (Barnes & Noble actually had the best deal on all three -- at least when compared to Amazon), including the top Honorable Mention (Laurie Anderson) this month. In recent months it was more like one or none, although with the Christgau imprimatur I was more likely to dig up the extra cash if that seemed the only way to get my mitts on the blesseds.
I suppose it makes sense to end his tenure now. The decade’s over, so he has enough in the can for another decadal survey to be published as a book. Well into his sixties, he may still have the hearing and the chops going strong, but looking forward to 2020, where will these faculties be by then? Maybe still alive, but sprightly enough for another decadal overview? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if old habits don’t die hard, and he keeps listening and keeps taking notes, even if he doesn’t have a deadline and a quota to meet every month. My hope is that he will think of a way to keep his acolytes apprised of things that might be showing up on his radar screen, to help ameliorate the loss of Consumer Guidance moving on from now.
Ever since I found his ‘80s-picks book in my inventory, at about the same time I broke down and bought a CD player, in 1992, I’ve used his A-minus or better picks as the basis for my own music collection [now B+ or better] -- and he’s led me to a lot of stuff I never would have discovered otherwise. Thanks to Christgau I listen to plenty of afropop, plenty of hiphop, plenty of country, plenty of indie -- plenty of things it wasn’t that easy to find, but when I did I was glad to have it. Some things were harder to appreciate than others, but I always knew going in that it if had the Xgau imprimatur, it would reward hard listening.
Back when I started out, with the 80s book and a subscription to The Village Voice, CD prices were pretty high, so I didn’t want to pay good money for music that wouldn’t be worth hearing. From my vinyl-buying days I knew that not everything was something I might always care to listen to. A lot of my music collection had been accrued from bargain-bin cutouts -- and a lot were of things I just plain couldn’t abide listening to any more. I sure didn’t want my incipient CD collection to follow the same undisciplined course -- this time adding costliness to the folly.
So I had a strict all-Christgau policy for my acquisitions. All those early CDs I am pleased now to still have, and listen to when time permits. Lately with cheapo downloads courtesy of Amazon’s Deal of the Day, or eMusic, or the may free-music offerings, as well as cheaper physical CDs (especially a whole smear of classical-music megaboxes), I’ve strayed a ways from the Xgau straight and narrow, especially with the classical music I still enjoy, despite Christgau’s dismissal.
When Christgau’s monthly CC comes out, lately my disappointment when it turns out I picked up a Dud or two (and maybe unwittingly enjoyed before finding out that the feeling wouldn’t last if I listened too hard), was greatly allayed by the fact that this music had ended up in my possession at a much lower cost than it might have a decade or more ago.
I can see where the music-business industry might be in survivalist mode just now, with me a typical boomer actual album buyer straying further and further off the consumerist reservation. When each new Consumer Guide, more and more of late I’ve looked for cheaper ways to get hold of the music than buying full-priced CDs. As kind a parting gift to the big labels in honor of Christgau’s passing, this month I’ve ordered up a big three store-bought CDs (Barnes & Noble actually had the best deal on all three -- at least when compared to Amazon), including the top Honorable Mention (Laurie Anderson) this month. In recent months it was more like one or none, although with the Christgau imprimatur I was more likely to dig up the extra cash if that seemed the only way to get my mitts on the blesseds.
I suppose it makes sense to end his tenure now. The decade’s over, so he has enough in the can for another decadal survey to be published as a book. Well into his sixties, he may still have the hearing and the chops going strong, but looking forward to 2020, where will these faculties be by then? Maybe still alive, but sprightly enough for another decadal overview? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if old habits don’t die hard, and he keeps listening and keeps taking notes, even if he doesn’t have a deadline and a quota to meet every month. My hope is that he will think of a way to keep his acolytes apprised of things that might be showing up on his radar screen, to help ameliorate the loss of Consumer Guidance moving on from now.
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