Indeed, there was supposed to be a 5th HofN album in the series, I have not heard any updates. I am severely looking forward to it. Again, anything with the word Piper in it is pure chilling gold.
I’m familiar with but am not notably a Haken fan, I find them kinda like Dream Theater - very skilled and technical and some of my favorite musicians, but not quite melodic enough for me - but like DT, I WOULD go see them at the drop of a proverbial hat. It should be an outstanding show. Once again, small town concert envy.
I haven’t been spending much quality music time these busy days but tonite is a long overdue headphone swap game - Abyss, Arya, Meze, Shure, Audeze, Focal, Beyerdynamic, thru Ifi Ican, Liquid Platinum, THX, AudioGD… sometimes it takes an hour of combinations to find the sound that pleases… it took me 45 minutes to play Simple Mind’s Somebody up There Likes You in the right combination. (Superb fretless bass guitar track) Turns out (tonight) it is the Ifi Ican Signature in solid state mode on the Empyreans. This kind of pause n play n swap n try would drive most folk mad. I consider this extremely gratifying. Am I the only one who repeats a song more times in a row than I’d rather admit…?
Now on to New gold Dream - a genreless new wave disco-adjacent awesomely stereo mixed guilty pleasure - I’m pretty sure I had a dancing moment … New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) STILL relevant today. Severely underrated band. Can you NOT just see the rotating white strobe lights and alternating color spots on a dark 80’s dance floor with all the girls and their BIG hair twirling and dancing in perfect synchronized rhythm, while the guys are unsuccessfully trying their damnedest to do the same? Well that’s the way I remember it - one night in the Pit pub at UBC in 1982. Or was it 83? Was it a smoke machine or just a foggy memory…? The bouncer let me in with my (borrowed) Brian Hashimoto’s picture ID student card. I was an 18 year old Caucasian dude. The (awesome) doorman - holding the card - asked me the simple test question: "So…When were ya BORN Brian…? " DANG!!! Having NOT done my simple homework, and prepared to return my defeated ass home back to Shuswap Res - I took a wild inaccurate stab at it. He shook his head left to right, but then gestured his thumb in a downward motion. Really? I hesitantly guessed the previous month. He shook his head in the affirmative. “What Day?” This continued until I narrowed it down to the correct date. He then motioned that thumb over his shoulder - “Go on in…Mr…HASHIMOTO.” A few weeks late he actually let me in with Karen Byram’s ID card. He furled a brow & said: “OK, now you’re REALLY pushing it - go on in.” True Story. Anyone remember Magda’s (?) Pizza? T’was good times. This is one of few tracks you can just repeat over & over… C’mon…you KNOW you do it when nobody is around… I’m doing it now…
Some folks smoke knowing what they are doing to their lungs. We do the same thing to our ears. Happily.
I started streaming that album , when it was posted. I couldn’t find the lyrics anywhere, so I bought the CD to read them. I really like the whole album. It’s a great piece of poetry all the way through. I have the { The afterglow , The interim , ornament , and Magdelena hell saved in my playlist. I always have to play them all in order, because they incapsulate the story line within those three track, and they are very moving and beautiful.
On a different note , if your into tube amps, you might appreciate my newest addition to the family. It’s a 300B [ 8wpc } built by a retired RCA recording engineer { Robert Guerrie } It has AC heated tubes, which gives it a slight hum. The output transformers are electra print { Jack Eliano } which are supposed to be very good. I’m using it to drive a pair of Tang Band full range drivers up top , while using a pair of Maraschino Cherry Monos on the bottom to drive Eminence 15 in. woofers. All in DIY open baffles. I’m also using a Marchand electronic crossover 24db slope @ 250 hz. to control the frequencies. I was using a vintage Magnavox 6v6 amp, before, which has a very sweet sound, buy can’t compete with the 300B in headroom and detail. Life is great in the listening room.
I just retired five years ago after spending 30 years and 3 million miles { accident free} kris-crossing the US as a owner operator hauling vehicles. I didn’t get much time to see anyone. I’m trying to catch up now. Have you heard {Crack the Sky} ? they are a Baltimore fixture. They just released a new album.
Thanks, I"m not bragging , but I grew up learning to drive when I was 12-13 years old riding with my cousins and uncles in the 10-12 % grades in WVa. Most guys who learned that way back in the day are retiring now , because of all the recent government regulations. When you ride down the interstate , keep in mind that most of the drivers in big rigs now have only had 4-5 weeks of training , and most can’t even drive anything with a clutch. Thats why all the new fleet trucks are automatic. I always tell my friends and kids. STAY AWAY FROM THEM.
An old revisit - always reminded me a little bit of Abba’s (yes I said it) Eagle. One of the Abba few songs that wasn’t a mere pop tune. Not saying I don’t like abba - some great tunes like SOS and the instrumental Arrival. But it’s just not something you’d play at warp 9 on the car stereo with the windows down case someone sees you…
One of the greatest quotes I read years ago was something like Abba was the world’s most successful band that never really wrote a song about anything…
Oddly after hearing this I was suddenly urged to look up & play this relic from my K-Tel childhood. I always was intrigued by the track as a kid. Funny thing memories & triggers…
Hey, don’t poo-poo K-Tel - it introduced me to a plethora of music and a couple prog bands too - Kansas, Focus, Pavlov’s Dog…albeit all with the solos, bridges and some choruses & verses edited out…
And who can forget the hot hot hot Chi-Coltrane’s Thunder And Lighting. I was taking piano lessons and I wanted to MARRY this girl.
Once my voice changed.
Didn’t happen.
The marriage part that is…
