A Lark Ascending

I imagine they'll do both until the market for the physical CD dries up. Even then ECM are a label likely to continue to run a specialised 'connoisseur's' line in the physical CD. I'm not sure they could sustain more than their biggest sellers that way though. The download approach works for me, however.

The old one I'm thinking of was central - but I am going back to the late 1980s!!!!! This is the one I found hidden upstairs: http://www.thebestof.co.uk/salisbury/57170...he_best_of.aspx The Oxford HMV used to be very good for classical; and Blackwells CD shop was still there 2 years back. Mainly classical but it had one of those small but eccentric jazz sections where you could pick up something unexpected!

Apparently not available in the U.S. (yet?). 23 titles are up - including things like Facing You, Open, to Love, Solstice and American Garage. And my favourite vocal disc of all time - Norma Winstone's 'Somewhere Called Home'. Not all Touchstones - some newer titles too from Miroslav Vitous and Iro Haarla. These things cost £7 a time via iTunes. With my monthly account of 100 at £19.99 I could pull in 10-12 of these. I'll certainly be be acquiring 2 or 3 when my units refresh at the weekend.

Salisbury used to have a 'Solo' with some interesting jazz CDs usually to be found in the sales rack and a nice Avid Record vinyl shop but both of those bit the dust a few years ago. Avid also closed their Bournmouth store (always worth a look whenever I was in town) and I think the 'flagship' Oxford store has also gone. Real shame. Help an ailing memory out here, sidewinder. I seem to recall a very good classical record shop in Salisbury - quite large with a circular or semi-circular room. I asked the whereabouts from a musical instrument shop and they pointed me to a place tucked away upstairs off a sidestreet. I felt like I was looking for dodgy magazines! That shop was very good for classical and folk music; some jazz but clearly not what the owners major in. But it had a 'just visiting' feel unlike the one a I remember. Any memories of the one I recall?

I only hope they catch the airy nature of the early 70s acoustic and don't overdo the production. Most of the tunes turned up on later albums by Fairport or Sandy Denny. Two of the tracks - "Gypsy Davey" and "Two Weeks Last Summer" - were added extras to an early CD reissue of the Fotheringay album. I now see why the were not included in the 2004 reissue (though there seems to be a live version of the second) - both wonderful songs/performances. I have a feeling that the version of 'Late November' on Sandy's first solo album might have been taken from those sessions but with additional overdubbing. 'John the Gun' is a great song, though I've never heard a version to top the one on that album with an amazing Barry Dransfield fiddle solo.

The first batch of those 'Touchstones' have just appeared on e-music!!!!!!

I do believe the record shop has all but disappeared in the UK. I've not done much city shopping in the last two years, but whilst on holiday some pretty awful weather had me pulling into a number of cities in the south west - Winchester, Salisbury, Exeter, Truro. Two big changes I noticed: a) HMV and Zavvi seem to be all that is left and are more concerned with shifting DVDs. Where you once got separate jazz/folk/blues/classical sections they are now in one section mixed up alphabetically as 'specialist' music. b) Record stores I recall from three years back have gone (or are going). I recall a small west country chain called Solo (I think) which had a fair selection. The Exeter branch was still there but downstairs was empty of stock and upstairs just had a scattering - looked well on the way to curtains. The Truro shop had vanished completely! In fact what really struck me was the homogenisation of these small cities. Exactly the same stores - finding a bookstore that had not been taken over by Waterstones was virtually impossible (though they still exist in the smaller towns). Exeter had a mammoth new shopping area that was just being constructed last time I was there - could have been Meadowhall or any of the other out of town places. They only thing that has improved is the number of places you can get a coffee outside (in the rain!). Must be global warming!

You wouldn't want to dilute the brand. Something has to give when a CD that routinely sells for $17.99 is reissued with a $9.99 price tag. I think ECM is just setting us up for the inevitable hi-rez download/subscription service. I hope so. I'm surprised they haven't moved more quickly that way. Given that ECM packaging amounts to nothing more than some nice photos I'd prefer to buy that way. Other labels have shown how the artwork can accompany the downloads. I threw out all my jewel boxes six months back, putting the CDs/booklets in PVC sleeves. Saves space and, to be honest, I find the jewel boxes look a bit clunky now. I've obtained a few ECMs from iTunes and had no issue with the sound. I'm sure higher resolution options (like Chandos do) should deal with the concerns of those with more sonically sensitive ears than mine.

I completely respect that viewpoint, Lon. In a way we're saying the same thing - different experiences, backgrounds, listening sets us up with different expectations. I've read so much of the 'ECM is cold, soulless etc' expressed as some sort of absolute, by critics/posters on both sides of the Atlantic(I know that is far from what you are saying). I think a lot of listeners have been conditioned into equating the emotional signifiers of American (and especially black American) music as being what amounts to emotion in music. When it's missing in music that owes at least some of its roots to American popular (meant in the widest sense) music there is an immediate assumption that emotion is lacking. What is actually happening is that different signifiers are at work. I don't think I've ever been moved by Chinese music. That doesn't mean that Chinese music lacks soul - it just means I lack the background to pick up, even unconsciously, on what moves an audience steeped in that tradition. I'd say the adverse reactions to the ECM label are often based on a similar lack of connection.

I can see that as the case with music in the American, urban tradition (which may or not be played by Americans - I suspect that most jazz made in Europe is still in that tradition). But there's a lot on ECM that, to my hearing, because of the very nature of the music actually benefits from that spacious acoustic. To take a non-European as an example, most Ralph Towner's recordings. I can see why this might not appeal. (Afterthought - I'd suggest a fair bit of the music on ECM is actually composed/created with that house acoustic deliberately in mind. In much the same way as church composers compose music with the acoustics of a large, echo-y building in mind, actually making a virtue of those acoustics. I'm thinking particularly of John Surman (who started in music not in a sweaty basement jazz club but in a church choir!) or some of Kenny Wheeler's music (especially those multi-tracked things he does that don't sound a million miles from the sort of baroque instrumental passages you hear in Monteverdi or Handel).) ************** 'Drum Ode' is readily available over here. It's even on iTunes.

Never sure how these things happen, but I don't think it's 'Lookout Farm' I've been waiting for at all. Somewhere out of my brain came a memory that the track I heard on the radio c.1978 had something to do with 'Green...Blue' (no, not that one!). A quick google revealed it to be Arild Anderson's 'Green Shading into Blue'. So how about it, ECM? Much more interesting than an already available Pat Metheny in a snazzy new sleeve.

Or brought on Chas 'n' Dave with a cockney singalong on the ol' joanna (aka 'Oily Rags' for the non-Brit Oliver Nelson Flying Dutchman fans out there) The lads with Theresa Brewer - Don't know about Chas 'n' Dave, but wasn't that 'Pan's People' leaping around? Same ability to make you cringe!

This might be of interest to some: http://www.thebeesknees.com/?p=258#more-258

Absolutely true. I think it's also part of the current 'nostalgia' zeitgeist - endless remakes of earlier films, evocations of earlier musical periods, 'tributes' to, simplified costume drama versions of 'classic' literature. In many respects we're lucky in music. The musicians who won't go down that path can still do something different and find ways to get it out. Making something for TV and then actually getting it onto ratings-obsessed TV is nigh impossible if it doesn't fit in with prevailing views of what people want to watch. I've no problem with TV dominated by easy-viewing...just disturbed that there now seems to be absolutely no attempt to do anything else. Whatever faults 'Heimat' might have, there is simply nothing close in its scope or willingness to look sideways on UK TV.

I think that is one of the things I loved most about the series. Not just the slow unfolding of the story but the way the camera would linger over landscape. Marvellous moments when you just got a 45 degree ariel view of the hills and woods with just the wind or birds in the background. I actually think Part II was probably slower moving than part I. It covered about 15 years compared with Part I moving from 1919 to the 70s. And the terrorism element was only a small part of the plot. Like all three parts the focus was very much on the relationship between the characters - and the difficulties people have properly connecting with one another, constantly sliding past. The overall theme of the powerful draw/alienating effect of a homeland was very well handled. Something I feel very strongly every time a cross the M40. As I grow older I get more and more drawn to the part of England (the south west) where I spent the dominant part of my youth. Part III was less cohesive. Yet it had a series of unusual storylines that I couldn't see passing the drawing board stage on current UK TV. 'But where do we cast Dawn French/Robson Green?'

No synch - subtitles! Yes, I can see how it might look different internally - in much the way that I read praise for some UK series here that I find very weak. Foyles' War for example, which seems to have cardboard cut-out characters set in the period of our favourite national myth. I never felt the 'big history' was allowed to crowd too obviously into the overall story. I struggle with a lot of historical fiction because it tends to want to place its characters at all the major events when most people live lives quite distant and only connecting in unexpected ways (unless a world war rumbles along!).

Seems like we're still not out of that 'Cool Britannia' marketing plan. These things inevitably work round stereotypical 'icons'...but... Maybe they should have just played 'The Lark Ascending'!

One of the things that really impressed me about 'Heimat' was how it could be serious, thought-provoking, non-standardised yet never incomprehensible. The whole thing has a narrative drive that can engage a wide audience, yet tackles some profound issues. There are a few moments of total surrealism where things go off into a dream world but these are rare. My parents were based in military camps just north of the central region of the series (close to the Rhine gorge) so I found the photography fascinating. I think I enjoyed series II the most - it caught the 'we can do anything' nature of the 60s/70s perfectly. And it was fascinating to watch the inevitable drift of one of the characters towards the terrorist groups of that era. And, of course, the strong musical theme pulled me in. British TV drama tends to treat history as either a romp or action adventure (think 'Rome' or 'Henry VIII) - and there's clearly a place for that. It's just a pity that commercial pressures prevent taking chances on things that are less standardised. What happened to things like 'GBH'?

I saw odd programmes from the first series when it was first broadcast in the UK in the early 90s but couldn't keep up (tucked away at changing late-night times, as tends to happen here). 18 months ago I started working through it on rented DVD and have just finished series 3 tonight. A breathtaking series. Given how weak UK TV drama has become in the last decade, 'Heimat' stands as a testimony to what is possible. Three series, with episodes usually 2 hours in length, covering the experience of Germany in the 20thC. Series 1: From the end of WWI to the 60s/70s. Series 2: Follows the experiences of a young, avant-garde composer in Munich in the 60s/70s. Series 3: Takes the latter's story, now a famous conductor, from the fall of the Wall into the reunification years, ending on New Years Day, 2000. Storylines that go places you don't expect, wonderful acting, amazing photography (the camera is not afraid to just linger on a scene) and marvellous use of music. This series is just so rich. If you want something to wallow in for a few months (or 18!!!), this is peerless. What am I going to watch now?

That's what I guessed. Though the initial recording of tracks is done manually (I have to press a button to tell the recorder to start a new track) so the timing of each track will be slightly out of synch. But I image it goes for a 'best fit'. The only other thing I could think of was if it recognised the contours of each track in a graph format - peaks and troughs, like you see on a monitor.

I can see your point. I don't rip anything that is not in my collection on CD (to go to the iPod) or LP (to make a CD-R) but I can see how all sorts of problems might emerge. I just had the same thing happen again, having CD-RW'd Ralph Towner's 'City of Eyes' from vinyl. 'Gracenotes' recognised it immediately on inserting in the PC!

I'm not unhappy with it - saved me finding the info manually. Just amazed!

Oh, I'm familiar with that when you put in a commercial CD where there is clearly some sort of encoding. But there was no way the three tracks could carry any codes. When finalised on the stand alone machine they had no names or anything. They were copied direct from vinyl. All I can think of is the checking of number of tracks/times and a rough guess being made by the software. There can't be any other albums with that particular profile. It really makes you think!!!!!

After reading the ECM thread I dug out my LP of 'Gnu High' and recorded it to a CD-RW via my Pioneer stand alone recorder. I had it set on 'analogue' - digital always gives me too many funny options! Anyway, having 'finalised' the disc I then inserted it into the computer to 'rip' so I could make a full CD-R (cumbersome, I know, but it avoids wasting discs when things go wrong). Normally I get 'Track 1', 'Track 2' etc with the computer saving as 'Unknown file'. But this time both iTunes and Winamp jumped into action and told me it was 'Gnu High' by Kenny Wheeler! How could it possibly know? There was no digital transfer of information. It went from stylus to analogue CD-RW to computer. I can only assume that the software at iTunes/Winamp measure the track lengths and guess the album! Spooky!

Sounds good. I must look out for Barnes locally - he seems to be forever working! I miss my annual dose of his impassioned playing...to say nothing of his wonderful dead-pan humour! **************** Talking of humour, just playing this for the third or fourth time and it's finally clicking: A million miles from Barnes. Bates continues to follow his bizarre, changing-every-bar, course. Music that sounds chirpy, cheerful and tonal yet is has so much going on, often simultaneously, that it's initially hard to get a grip on. Nothing in the way of conventional jazz soloing, though improvisation is going on the dense textures. The usual mix of jazz, Latin, calypso and oddball vocals (reminding me in places of the Northettes on the old Hatfield and the North albums, though Bates claims the Singers Unlimited as inspiration). Like a Monty Python episode, a seemingly incongrous mix of sounds that makes sense if you want it to!! The sort of music I wish Carla Bley was still making.