The gert big music thread

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  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,869

    The stroppy young man skulking around look really doesn't age well.

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    Might be the first time I've seen him perform (I was going to say 'sing', then thought better of it), and I don't think I've been missing much. I realise my taste in music isn't representative of CS though...

  • Maybe I am being kind but I have always felt with LG that he has massive imposter syndrome. The swagger and cockiness has always seemed to be a front of someone who is actually quite insecure.

    On the other hand, I fully accept he might just be an actual d***head 😉

  • If I may be so bold I would say that you have a deep knowledge of music and know how the sounds, harmonies and rhythms are constructed and performed.

    I would guess that after many years, very little sounds new and exciting enough to attract your attention as you are familiar with the formulas most of which go back to JS Bach.

    You’ve heard it all before and it doesn’t challenge you. 🤨

    When was the last time you thought “Wow, what’s that?”.

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    Yeah, that's better, if still not my cup of tea.

    Ha, I don't even like tea. Is that a double negative then?

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    Actually funny you should say that. July, hearing Hiromi's Sonicwonder for the first time at the Vienne Jazz Festival. Jazz that is very definitely not formulaic, but not trying to be weird, just very original.

    This was the band a couple of weeks later at Marciac. It's a slow burn, but what each of the four musicians does individually and as an ensemble is quite something. It's genuinely hard to tell what is improvised and what has been rehearsed as ensemble features. The level of technical skill & musicianship is extraordinary.


  • carbonclem
    carbonclem Posts: 1,798

    Re. LG, in fairness, apparently the sound was not set up particularly well with his set being just a sideshow to the boxing and at only three tracks it wasn't correctly adjusted. Plus, this stuff isn't really for consumption via smartphones after the fact. Its an atmosphere thing. Many times after seeing stuff live, at festivals particularly, I re-watched the TV version and thought 'it seemed so much better than that'.

    Also, anyone who is remotely arsed about Oasis - its worth having a listen to the studio tracks from Definitely Maybe that just got released for the 30th anniversary edition. Really nice versions in my opinion - think i prefer them to the final cuts.

    2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner
  • Thanks Brian, just had a moment to stick my headphones on for a quick listen, ended up listening to it all 😎 I wasn’t sure what to expect.

    A great performance, I thought could hear a little Dave Brubeck style piano in there during the build up, and kept thinking of the Funeral March from the trumpet player 🤔

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    Glad you liked it. I'm not into jazz that goes up its own fundament trying to be clever-clever, which all too often seems to be a musical mutual masturbation session. It's gotta groove, it's gotta make you smile at the virtuosity-at-the-service-of-the-music (not as an end in itself), it's got to be a conversation between fantastic communicators, and it's gotta be audacious. This band, like Snarky Puppy, has all that. Joyous stuff that kept a group of 36 young people enraptured for an hour around midnight, despite having been soaked in the rain and sat through a less than entertaining first set from some miserable French chanteuse. We were all buzzing by the end.

    This was the last number of their set. No encores, not only as it was gone midnight, but this was the way to end. I mean, just listen to that first improvised trumpet solo... all of the top of his head, it just makes me grin in amazement at the invention and skill.


  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    Slightly less accessible, but am enjoying watching Emma Rawicz take on the world... just seven years ago she had her first experience of jazz in my youth jazz orchestra, and she's going stratospheric, mostly with her own material. She's one determined and creative woman, with a unique musical voice. And jolly nice too.


  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,568
    edited October 21

    As I'm currently going through my 5 or 10 yearly hi-fi attention/upgrades phase (a cycle which kind of mirrors that of the bikes), it got me wondering how most people on this forum actually listen to music.

    Earbuds through phone?, bluetooth speakers, vinyl?, cd?, streaming?, high end kit?

    . . . just wondering as I would imagine many of us listen in different ways to da kidz

    Wilier Izoard XP
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,952

    Most of the time i listen on my phone while commuting either through headphones or a bit through motorbike Bluetooth headset and at weekends I'll have it on a speaker in the kichen while I cook/Potter about.

    I have a decent stereo but it's currently in storage along with all of my CDs/records. When I move house next month I will have a bit more space to get it all set back up but I'll still probably end up using Spotify and Bluetooth most of the time for convenience.

  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,568

    Do you mind me asking how you would connect Spotify to Hi Fi? or is this "reserved" for vinyl/cd?

    Wilier Izoard XP
  • I made the mistake a few years back of making a promise to myself to get back into vinyl and also start on the path to upgrading hifi kit. It is a bit like cycling, it quickly gets obsessive and bloody expensive, but well worth it!

    I still have lots of cd's as well and will listen to music through my phone when out and about and also on the turbo.

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228

    I listen via spotify my phone on headphones, or spotify to a google nest speaker, or very occasionally connect spotify to my ageing "hi-fi" and listen on proper speakers. I've got a Yamaha Musicast box thing that I've had for a few years and has probably been superceded a few times that can do both Spotify directly and Bluetooth.

  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,952

    My previous solution was to physically plug the phone into a 3.5mm jack - 2RCA lead but it has been a while since I used it and will probably get something a bit slicker for the new setup.

    The new house has some Sonos speakers as well so will need a bit of a think once I get in

  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,568
    edited October 21

    Interesting!

    I have spent years and years gradually improving my system whilst not spending thousands (at least not at one time!) - as Midlands Grimpeur said, it can get a bit obsessive. I have always played vinyl and CDs but, having seen widespread use of them at the UK Audio Show (which happened to take place very close to where I live) thought I'd dip my toe in to see what the streaming thing is all about and have just made an ebay purchase of a Yamaha Musicast that I've plugged into my Hi Fi system.

    I use Tidal as the streaming service due to the Hi Res FLAC files that are not available on (standard) Spotify and the price is, somewhat surprisingly, the same as standard Spotify (£10.99 per month). They also now do some files in "max" format.

    Whether "max" or "high" resolution, I am very impressed with the results. Needless to say I already have an urge to buy a streamer that is higher up the food chain . . . as with all hi fi (and bike!) equipment, this can get expensive.

    Wilier Izoard XP
  • vincesummerskRoxcBTr
    vincesummerskRoxcBTr Posts: 1,205
    edited October 21

    We have 2 hifi systems, one in the big front room which has an old Arcam pre and power amp with a pair of 15" Tannoys , still sounds fantastic, mainly play downloaded/ripped music from a hard drive via a Yamaha Musiccast box but also stream via Spotify and Internet radio and Bluetooth. It also sounds good through most of the house.

    The other system is a more modern Arcam amp with my older 12" Tannoys, which we have the TV sound through and a Musiccast box like the other one. Films etc. sound great!

    Also have a Ruark all in one box in the back room ,mainly use for DAB but also has a Musiccast box.

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,869

    We have a Yamaha CD player in the hifi that links to WiFi and can also play Spotify, controlled via your phone. Works very well.

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,869

    The lack of music knowledge on University Challenge as I wrote that was woeful. Green Onions was the opening question, one team guessed it was by the Rolling Stones after the other team had said 'Booker T' but missed 'and the MGs' to be told 'sorry that's not enough I need a bit more'

    I know it's old music, but they were all classics.

  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    Haven't watched in years, probably decades, but it was clear that Paxo had no idea about classical music - when teams obviously had no idea, or made a wild & very wrong guess, he'd just move on, but he could be very condescending if 'old pop music' came up and they got a wrong answer. In the days of Bamber Gascoigne, you really did need at least one person who new their classical music.

  • Mad_Malx
    Mad_Malx Posts: 5,183

    Talking of which, does anyone like 'modern' classical music? Gorecki and Phillip Glass I get, but most of the 'modernist' (?? I don't know the terminology) stuff is difficult, to put it mildly.

    Guess it's like looking at modern art and saying 'my 4 year old could have done that'

  • I am by no means massively clued up, but composers like Max Richter, Hans Zimmer, Mark-Anthony Turnage have a lot of interesting music. Strangely I don't own any classical records, if I listen to classical music I tend to go to see a concert, or watch the occasional performance on Youtube.

  • laurentian
    laurentian Posts: 2,568

    One of the reasons I got the streaming device mentioned above was so that I could easily (and cheaply!) access the music that I have thus far not heard or not given due attention. I have found that I am listening to more classical music that anything else since I got the streamer and "modern classical" is something I would like to try out . . . I just don't really know who/what to look for!

    Wilier Izoard XP
  • Wheelspinner
    Wheelspinner Posts: 6,712

    I've used streaming for a few years now, and find it has good and bad points. Tried Tidal for a year and got annoyed with it so quit. Once Apple Music introduced "lossless" and even hi res formats I stuck with it instead.

    I've a couple of hifi setups in house, and a few other options like wifi speakers elsewhere. I run the output from an iPad through a DAC via USB in the "good" system, which seems to give pretty good results. IN another room I use an Apple TV as the streamer, feeding a digital output to a processor as well which is also pretty good.

    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 20,752

    'Modern classical music' is actually a very wide range, from the twee and bland, to stuff that's really challenging to listen to comfortably. But, TBH, stuff written 100 years ago can be really hard listening too (Schoenberg and Webern, for instance). Loads of people rave over Karl Jenkins, but I can't stand it at all (and I've been paid to play it).

    What has been considered 'avant garde' is undeniably often a hard listen (e.g. Stockhausen, Peter Maxwell Davis), sometimes to make the listener feel uncomfortable (think 'Guernica' in artistic terms), but sometimes it is just impenetrable.

    On the other hand, sometimes a 'hard listen' of something that doesn't make much sense can be intriguing in a different way. Have a listen to this on headphones and see what you think. Listen with an innocent ear.


  • Currently use a WiiM Pro Plus through a reasonably decent amp and floor standing speakers. The WiiM feels like a sensible and budget friendly introduction into audiophilia! Also signed up for Quobuz a while back after trying Tidal. Read and watched a fair few video reviews on both and the former seems to come out on top in terms of lossless quality etc. A right old rabbit hole to go digging down if you're that way inclined.


    You can buy a pretty decent setup if you're willing to do a bit of research. Plenty of Facebook groups and forums dealing in second hand stuff at decent prices.


    I've still got a Spotify account that me and my wife share and I've got loads of playlists saved on there that unfortunately, seem a bit of a faff to transfer onto Quobuz. I'm sure there's a simpler way of doing it but for now I just go between the two.


    It's also worth saying that if you're going to invest in a DAC then you'll not hear any benefits if you continue to stream through Spotify. And likewise, if you subscribe to Tidal/Apple Music etc and stream via Bluetooth you're really not getting any additional sound quality benefits.