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Monthly Archive: December 2011

A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd – EMI Records

A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd – EMI Records

by | Dec 6, 2011 | Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

A Foot in the Door – The Best of Pink Floyd – EMI Records 50999 028966 2 5, 1.3 hrs. ****: It all started in the early ‘60s, with a group of Cambridge boys jamming together. Out of this came the early versions of Pink Floyd. They became one of the leading progressive rock groups for more than 40 years, known for their extreme electronics and elaborate live shows, often downbeat philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation (including surround sound), and distinctive album graphics. They sold over 200 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Among their famous albums are: Atom Heart Mother, Meddle, The Dark Side of the Moon (alluding not to astronomy but to lunacy), Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. There is a current splash of Pink Floyd reissues in various formats, including the lavish boxed set of Wish You Were Here we just reviewed. This 16-track CD compendium was first released in Japan and is now made available in North America at a more reasonable price. It brings together some of the best tunes from the band, taking some of the top tracks from each of their […]

BRAHMS: Haydn-Variations; Serenade No. 1 for Large Orchestra in D Major; Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 & 10 – Bamberger Symphony/ Robin Ticciati – Tudor/BR Klassick

BRAHMS: Haydn-Variations; Serenade No. 1 for Large Orchestra in D Major; Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 & 10 – Bamberger Symphony/ Robin Ticciati – Tudor/BR Klassick

by | Dec 5, 2011 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

BRAHMS: Haydn-Variations Op. 56a; Serenade No. 1 for Large Orchestra in D Major, Op. 11; Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 3 & 10 – Bamberger Symphony/ Robin Ticciati – Tudor/BR Klassick 7183, 68:44 [Distr. by Naxos] ****: An excellent Brahms SACD with the Bavarian State Philharmonic and their young conductor Ticciati, but up against rather stern competition in two other fine SACD versions of the Serenade No.1 (both also include the Serenade No. 2) plus nine other SACD versions of the popular Haydn Variations. (Of the Serenades, my choice is the pairing of both of them conducted by Bernard Haitink on LSO Live.) The two major Brahms works here were written on his arduous path toward writing the first of his four symphonies. He had terrible misgivings after first hearing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and wrote to a friend that he would never write a symphony. The First Serenade was originally going to be an octet; it went thru many changes on its way to being the First Serenade.  Haydn’s Finale of the London Symphony inspired the theme of Brahms’ first movement. The Serenade’s first three movement total about a half hour; the Minuet, Scherzo and Finale at the end seem more […]

Audio News for December 6, 2011

by | Dec 5, 2011 | Audio News

TV Uses No Power When in Standby; Electronic Gadgets Driving Holiday Sales; Agreement Brings Internet Radio to More Cars; Agreement Brings Internet Radio to More Cars; Watch Out for So-Called “Subwoofers”