patricia

Shhhh, Brownie. If the artists and distributers find out that there are crazy people out here that will buy another copy of something we already have, they'll be releasing it several different great covers. What to do? What to do? Porcy62, you may be among a relative few, compared to Miles Davis' earlier work. I know that his electric period is not my favourite. However, I certainly understand that he wanted to evolve and his electric period was part of that evolution.

Thank you, StormP, for showing the Getz cover. One more reason that I collect vinyl, the beauty of the COVER ART. Of course, there are nice CD covers and just as much care and love goes into composing them. But the size of a CD jewelcase hampers them from having the same impact, I think.

Shrugs just mentioned the Canadian BLACK DIAMOND CHEDDARS They are available in all the usual forms for cheddar [mild, medium, old, both coloured and white]. Their cheddars have been among the most praised cheddars, internationally for at least thirty years. Even their mild has bite and the old will send you to heaven if you like a really strong cheddar. It's crumbley, and totally wonderful. So-called "processed cheese slices" are an abomination.

Yes, I think it was a mail-order record club that operated through the early to late 60s. Some of their releases were unique to the label (e.g. one of the Tubby Hayes/Paul Gonsalves sessions) whilst others were licensed from US labels. I have the Bill LeSage 'Twice Times Keyboard.' As you say, sound is very acceptable - although the cover art is a bit 'spartan'. ← Reminds me of another mail-order label that we've discussed here, Jazz Tone. It operated in the period between the late fifties and early sixties and was an offshoot of a classical music mail order company. Cover art, schmover art. They produced the same cover [a barely discernable small band with a cityscape in the background] in different colours with a virtual who's who of ALL the jazz greats, from the forties and fifties. The first ones were 10" of which I have one and then they went to 12", some of which I also have. These jazz legends usually did one track each on superb compilation discs, but some of the records were all by the same band. They all had GREAT production values and terrific sound, if you can get unscratched discs. AND they were mono, but excellent sound, clear and true. I roam the yard sales, used stuff outlets and vintage vinyl shops with my eyes peeled. These are GOLD.

You're preachin' to the choir, Alfred.

The Best of Frank Sinatra - on Capitol label The Sounds & Voices of Henry Mancini - on Sunset label Million Seller Hit Songs of the 30's - on Somerset label Tales of Mystery and Imagination - Edgar Allan Poe - Alan Parsons Project on Century label

I used to get flak. Now I live alone and flackless.

The original BBC 4 part mini-series, "Rebecca", featuring Jeremy Brett and Joanna David. It also had Anna Massey, the daughter of Vincent Massey, our Governor General in the seventies, as "Mrs. Danvers". Interestingly, Rebecca was re-done in the nineties, and featured Joanna David's daughter, Emily Fox in her role. In the interim, Ms David had married Edward Fox, who was the assassin in "Day of the Jackel". Both mini-series were much more complete than Hitchcock's production in 1939 with Olivier and Joan Fontaine. But, that, I think, was due mostly to the time constraints. The original series is not available on DVD, but the subsequent one is.

What was your wife expecting this film to be? My taste is very eclectic and I like everything from Sci-Fi to Heavy Drama, to Comedies and even a little soft-core porn. This was none of these. As I say. Totally unique. Maybe your wife will give it another try in a while...................or not.

If the crate isn't close to being full, just find something to put in the front of it to keep the albums vertical. I usually use a folded towel, but anything that will fill the space is good. Not a problem. As for the back of the last album, or the front of the first album hitting the crate itself, no problem. What you do, if you worry about that, is to just put a cut-to-size sheet of cardboard at the front and back [or even better, a couple of Kenny G. albums which we all know are disposable. ] Then you can flip through them easily. Just don't fill the box so that they are so tight that you don't have easy access to them. Also, putting them in the boxes in the same order that they were on your shelves and labelling the box is mandatory. I think I mentioned that when I moved last time my daughter packed my records. She simply put them in the crates, with no thought as to their order. Nightmare on a stick, I can tell you. Pack your records yourself, or regret it

You bring up an interesting point, Chuck. Our national motto, when it comes to competition, has long been "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." I still remember competitors at various international competitions saying that they were honoured to represent their country and their hope was to earn a bronze. We have long been self-depricating, polite, non-aggressive. I'm reminded of the figure-skaters, Sale and Peltier, who were gracious in defeat and gracious to the Russions who eventually shared the spotlight when the duplicity in the judging was exposed. There were no fists in the air. Just polite acceptance and what can only described as class. Even when ours earned gold, they always congratulate the ones who placed below them, or simply displayed their skill. I don't know whether constantly chirping "We're number 1!" or "U.S.A., U.S.A." is better.

I love this film. I think that it's being so faithful to the source is key. There is that singelmindedness that characterizes comic books of this genre. If Mickey Rourke were to wish for a comeback role, he couldn't have been offered a better one than this. All the characters are broadly drawn, which is proper and very effective. One thing I couldn't help noticing was the constant wind, whether indoors or outdoors, typical of comic book artists' renderings. This was intensified by the voluminous coats, always moving. Also, the women's hair was always being blown around, a lot like a shampoo ad. This is a great film, recommended for everyone who wants to see something that is really unique.

Jim, you're right about the traditional fruit crates being splintery. New boards are smooth. That's why it's better, I think, to build your own. The $20.00 pricetag is high. You can build them for less and they are exactly the size you want them to be. Also, you then have good sturdy boxes for other stuff, once you have shelves. I would never store my LPs flat, especially in a basement, or other storage area that I don't go into every day. When I cruise the yard and garage sales for records, damage to the covers is usually caused by moisture, not flooding, but moisture from being stored flat. The covers' texture is slightly spongy and the corners aren't flat. The records are usually fine, but to me, the covers are just as important.

"The Trumpet Magic of Rafael Mendez" on Decca. This has the most awe-inspiring Paganini composition originally for violin on it, "Moto Perpetuo". Mendez plays the composition, an extremely difficult one, on his trumpet, each note absolutely perfect. He is playing throughout the entire track [4 min.21sec.] without stopping, backed by a full orchestra conducted by Kurt Graunke. This is the most amazing example of circular breathing at it's very finest. This piece is unbelievable and worth the price of the album, which is wonderful as well.

...and wife too ← I'm curious as to why you need to store your vinyl on their sides. What about sturdy wooden boxes, like the open produce-shipping boxes made of 1x2s, with the bottom of the boxes raised with two extra 2x4s? You can use the boxes later for storage of other stuff, once you set up your record shelves. I am really nervous about storing vinyl flat. Building these boxes is easy. Even I can do it. Go to the building supply store and buy some 1x2s. Cut them to size by measuring you largest record then add about six inches. So, the length of the boards for the bottom and the sides should be about 16", which is enough room for boxed sets as well as single LPs. You can make the box square or a little longer. Don't make it too long though. The height should be about 12", because you don't want the records to be hard to riffle through. Build a frame to those dimentions, then nail the boards onto that. Don't nail the boards on right next to each other. The box should be about 3 boards high, evenly spaced. The reason you are not making a solid box is that if you do, it will weigh ten pounds less than a good-sized elephant, with records in it. Remember, I've done this and it's easy. also, don't forget to nail the extra two lengths onto the bottom, to raise it off the floor.

Great Jazz Reeds on RCA Camden. This, although it skips a couple of times, is a wonderful album. It has tracks by: Side 1 Sidney Bechet Chu Berry Barney Bigard Johnny Dodds Irving Fazola Bud Freeman Side 2 Coleman Hawkins Mezz Mezzrow Jimmy Noone Charlie Parker Pee Wee Russell Ben Webster Very nice variety of styles.

Jazz Giants 5 record set which includes Peggy Lee Les Brown Stan Kenton Fats Waller Nat King Cole Muggsy Spanier Phil Napoleon Woody Herman Benny Goodman Count Basie Orchestra Charlie Barnet & Orchestra Artie Shaw & His Gramercy Five Harry James Duke Ellington etc. These are really good sets and were quite cheap when they were issued. Nice.

Fandango - ZZ Top - London label The Blues - Ray Charles - Hurrah label This is an interesting collection in that it's Charles while he was still jazz. The tracks: She's On The Ball All Out Blues Blues Before Sunrise Happy Feet Blues Alone In The City Someday Lovin' Time Blues Can Anyone Ask For More Blues For Lloyd Big Feet Shuffle Blues

Wolff, are 12" 45s common?? I bought my first one [a Ray Charles from the mid-sixties that has three songs on two sides] quite by accident. I only knew it was a 45 because Ray sounded uncharacteristically lively. I simply wild-guessed that it should be playing on the 45RPM setting. It's on the turntable now. Wonderful.

No changer? ← We can only assume that Wolff maintains his boyish, snake-like hips by hopping up from the sofa every three minutes and running over to his record-player to change the record.

The Singing Trumpet - Rafael Mendez - on Decca Trumpet Extraordinary - Rafael Mendez - on Decca Trumpet Spectacular - Rafael Mendez - also on Decca Then for a change of pace: The Montagu Three - a Calypso band recorded at the Montagu Beach hotel in Nassau in the Bahamas on the CARIB label. Reminds me of Harry Belefonte's early recordings. From the same era in the fifties. Pleasant. My copy is autographed by the trio, so I can only assume that whoever orignally bought it was at the hotel that the trio was playing. Wolff, your comments about 45s reminds me of how scratched most old 45s are. I think that, unlike you who play them one at a time, most stacked them on those chubby changers, which were common in the fifties and sixties. At my house, growing up, it was illegal to play them any way except one at a time.

Sarah Vaughan - Linger Awhile - on Columbia Sarah Vaughan - In A Romantic Mood - on Mercury And a rather interesting album, the soundtrack from an old Dirk Bogarde film about Franz Liszt called "Song Without End". The film was not that good, but the music, played for the film by Eric Silver on both piano and organ is excellent. It also features the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lejos Kevehazy. Worthwhile.

WOW!!! Good stuff!!

Perhaps that's because he was a high school dropout? Peter Jennings had his first job in television in Canada when he was nine years old on a program on CBC Television called "Peter's People". He then went on to work on both CBC and CTV in Canada until he was hired away to the U.S. in 1964. Although Jennings did drop out of highschool in his sophomore year, like many bright people, that did not prevent him from educating himself. He didn't ever stop learning. He was a voracious reader, insatiably curious and had the opportunity of travelling the world as a reporter, observing and absorbing dozens of countries' culture, first hand. I always found it amusing that when Jennings' name came up, his lack of formal education seemed to be the first thing that was used to put him down as just a pretty face. I know dozens of people with degrees from universities out the yazoo who are not as knowledgeable as was Jennings. He was among the most articulate and intelligent of the top three or four anchors and I would stack him up against any of them. RIP Peter Jennings.

Paul, I love that "Fat Girl" Fats Navarro collection. I don't have it on vinyl, but a friend in CA cut me a CD copy of his. Magical!! Feeling a little blue this evening so I'm spinning a compilation called "The Love Album". It has stuff like Sea Of Love by the Honeydrippers, Winner Take All by Abba, Key Largo by Bertie Higgins, Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler, How Am I Supposed To Live Without You by Laura Branigan and I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner..........like that. I listen to this about once a year. That's enough for me. Then I move on with my life.