Coming on the heels of yesterday's Robert Johnson post, we have:
Q: What happens if you play a blues record backwards?
A: Well, your dog and your wife both come home. But you don't wake up the next mornin'.
(Sorry, but you'll have to press the big red button yourself.)
Thank you, thank you! I'll be here 'til next Thursday. Try the grits, and don't forget to tip your waiter.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Battle of the Johnsons
It just seemed like time to dive into listening to Robert Johnson, one of the first generation of Delta blues singers. I'm no expert in the field, but it doesn't take more than a casual listen to hear where Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton got a bunch of their guitar moves. But where to start? There's "The Complete Recordings," "The Complete Recordings (The Centennial Collection")," and "King of the Delta Blues Singers." There are several other collections, but "King" is the album that fueled the 1960s British blues-rock invasion and is reputed to have a warm sound, while "Complete (Centennial)" has everything and is purportedly much cleaned-up over the earlier "Complete" collection, so this narrows it down to two.
So what's it gonna be? Why not both.
I spent an hour this evening doing A/B listening – convenient having a CD player and Blu-Ray that'll play CDs wired in through the same sound system, just sync tracks up and roll – and the 2011 "Complete (Centennial)" double-disc set came out way on top. All of the tracks were cleaner, you could really hear the vocals and especially the guitar work shining through on the Centennial re-mastering. "King" did have a warmer sound, but there was a gut-rumble on many tracks, and frankly it was a pretty cheesy mix-down to make the guitar sound more natural on the bass end in a single-mic recording. Ain't gonna happen, at least not happen right. But what really pushes "King" off the top of the heap is the clipping in a lot of tracks. It's so bad in this mastering that I was afraid "Terraplane Blues" would harm the speakers. None of that clipping was anywhere in the Centennial version. Sloppy engineering on "King" or amazing restoration on "Centennial"? Doesn't matter, I know which disc is listenable. But I might turn up the bass a little while listening to it.
To recap: don't get the current release of "King of the Delta Blues Singers," get the 2011 "Complete Recordings / Centennial Collection." Then crank up the bass a little when you play it. But above all, get these discs, 'cause this stuff is so good it has to be heard to be believed.
To re-recap:
So what's it gonna be? Why not both.
I spent an hour this evening doing A/B listening – convenient having a CD player and Blu-Ray that'll play CDs wired in through the same sound system, just sync tracks up and roll – and the 2011 "Complete (Centennial)" double-disc set came out way on top. All of the tracks were cleaner, you could really hear the vocals and especially the guitar work shining through on the Centennial re-mastering. "King" did have a warmer sound, but there was a gut-rumble on many tracks, and frankly it was a pretty cheesy mix-down to make the guitar sound more natural on the bass end in a single-mic recording. Ain't gonna happen, at least not happen right. But what really pushes "King" off the top of the heap is the clipping in a lot of tracks. It's so bad in this mastering that I was afraid "Terraplane Blues" would harm the speakers. None of that clipping was anywhere in the Centennial version. Sloppy engineering on "King" or amazing restoration on "Centennial"? Doesn't matter, I know which disc is listenable. But I might turn up the bass a little while listening to it.
To recap: don't get the current release of "King of the Delta Blues Singers," get the 2011 "Complete Recordings / Centennial Collection." Then crank up the bass a little when you play it. But above all, get these discs, 'cause this stuff is so good it has to be heard to be believed.
To re-recap:
YES:
NO:
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Great Balls of Fire!
Ball lightning is at least somewhat explained: Wikipedia, APS article, Phys. Rev. Lett.
Ionized dirt, who'da thought?
Go-Faster Stripes for Humans
On suggestion from my triathlete brother, I applied KT Tape to that calf I sprung out of whack while running last weekend. The stuff works! It's stretchy, kind of like a stick-on Ace bandage, gives support for the injured muscle, and gives it a chance to rest and heal. It's probably over-used on non-injuries (search on "KT Tape snake oil"), but for a genuine, minor injury, this stuff is the stuff. If you're not sure how to apply it, remember that youtube is your friend.
But using it for a performance enhancement on uninjured parts seems nonsensical. I mean, if a stretchy skin-level membrane improved performance, wouldn't we have already evolved one?
But using it for a performance enhancement on uninjured parts seems nonsensical. I mean, if a stretchy skin-level membrane improved performance, wouldn't we have already evolved one?
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Running...
Lungs are better, but on last night's run my right calf locked up. Weird, nothing like that's ever happened before. Still sore this morning. Will take a bike ride today and see if works well enough for that. Definitely can't run on it.
On one hand, it's always something. On the other, at least I can breathe.
On one hand, it's always something. On the other, at least I can breathe.
Friday, January 17, 2014
They ain't got much, but they got style.
That and really, really good beer. Now playing: The Guinness Ad for the Sapeurs of the Congo! Very odd, but still kind of cool. Other materials: a documentary on the making of the ad. Found this all over at Messy Nessy.
Disclaimer: this doesn't have a damn thing to do with me and my life (believe me, if you know how I usually dress...), but it is at least interesting.
Disclaimer: this doesn't have a damn thing to do with me and my life (believe me, if you know how I usually dress...), but it is at least interesting.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
A Good Start on a New Year: Lazy Mag Black Creek Imperial Stout
If you like the dark side, this is one to try. Lots of deep, rich flavor, nice clear-black color just like the creek it's named after, satisfying in every sense. Not creamy like its stablemate Jefferson Stout, nor overwhelming (in a good way) like the Crooked Letter's Mystery Romp. This is a brew of its own, and something really new for Lazy Mag.
A good start on the new year! It's a seasonal, so get it while you can.
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