Needle Time

  Ornette Coleman - The Shape Of Jazz To Come [R1 661904 USA 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Recorded in Los Angeles on May 22nd 1959, featuring Ornette Coleman on sax, Don Cherry on cornet, Charlie Haden on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. Originally released on Atlantic Records the same year,  The Shape Of Jazz To Come is considered to be among the very best jazz albums of all time. This complex free-jazz album could be a challenging listen for new comers to jazz, as Coleman takes the listener beyond the realms of the genre into brave unforeseen experimental territory. This is probably not music for hotel lounge bars. Cut by Ryan K. Smith from the original mono master tape and pressed by RTI, this release was recently part of the VMP Classic series. A1 Lonely Woman A2 Eventually A3 Peace B1 Focus On Sanity B2 Congeniality B3 Chronology

  The Meters - Fire On The Bayou [RCV1 661907 USA 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Quite rightly considered among the founding fathers of funk, The Meters came out of New Orleans and delivered a hefty blend of funk & blues, all with a deep southern vibe. Fire On The Bayou was their 6th and biggest selling album, originally released on Reprise Records in 1975. Those over-productive chaps at Vinyl Me Please managed to persuade Warner Music Group to dispatch the original master tapes to Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound for this AAA reproduction remaster. GZ Media dealt with the pressing onto blue galaxy coloured vinyl. A1 Out In The Country A2 Fire On The Bayou A3 Love Slip Upon Ya A4 Talkin’ ‘Bout New Orleans A5 They All Ask’d For You B1 Can You Do Without? B2 Liar B3 You’re A Friend Of Mine B4 Middle Of The Road B5 Running Fast B6 Mardi Gras Mambo

  The Doors - Waiting For The Sun [APP 74024-45 USA 2012 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Doug Sax's mastering work for the Analogue Productions double 45rpm sets of The Doors' main albums is widely perceived as some of his best work, likewise these pressings are appreciated as the very best presentations of The Doors on vinyl.  Often considered as the difficult third album, Waiting For The Sun took a while to record due to Jim Morrison's regular state of inebriation, but it does contain a varied mix of baroque pop and experimental psychedelic rock, making the album an intriguing listen when played as a whole. A1 Hello, I Love You A2 Love Street A3 Not To Touch The Earth B1 Summer's Almost Gone B2 Wintertime Love B3 The Unknown Soldier C1 Spanish Caravan C2 My Wild Love C3 We Could Be So Good Together D1 Yes, The River Knows D2 Five To One

  Drinking Electricity - Overload (+Singles) [MR-013 USA 2012 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Drinking Electricity were not around long to make a huge impact during the early eighties synthpop phenomena. This was due to being misunderstood for their unique rock'n'roll and punk cover versions, plus they also had to defend very bad reviews for their debut album in 1982 (the British music press can be very fickle) - something from which they clearly never recovered. In truth they were fantastic  - taking the pioneer synth styles of early Human League, then adding pop and disco-tinged elements worked really well. Their highlight for me is the Subliminal single which borrows heavily from John Carpenter's Assault On Precinct 13 theme.  I last ripped my original copy of their 1982 album Overload back in 2016, those who may have grabbed it at the time were polite enough not to mention the excessive noise, clicks and pops on what was a flimsy and very cheaply pressed, 40 year old indepen...

  Daryl Hall & John Oates - Rock 'N Soul Part 1 [MFSL 1-447 USA 2015 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Torn between Curiosity Killed The Cat and Hall & Oates for another Mainstream Tuesday post, I was swayed by the superior vocal ability of Daryl & John over the flat-capped British toff, Benedict Volpeliere-Pierrot. These two Americans dominated the mid-lower echelons of the top twenty on this side of the Atlantic in the early-mid eighties although their lengthy recorded repertoire suggests much greater longevity. We know that that they had greater success in the USA with their unique take on soulful AOR music and this compilation, originally released on RCA Records in 1983, documents their most successful years. Love them or hate them, there is no shame if you sit in either camp - Hall & Oates were responsible for some great singles ...and all the important ones are included here. For me it will always be  I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) , which is the reason...

  Clock DVA - White Souls In Black Suits [EX 24 ITA 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] My current reading is Gordon King's When Does The Mind Bending Start? which includes some highly informative sections on his part in the Sheffield music scene pre-World Of Twist and their relocation to Manchester. During one of the most interesting anecdotes, King describes his time following early Clock DVA and the Sheffield industrialists' cameo appearance in The Rolling Stones  Undercover Of The Night promo video which was partly filmed at Les Bains Douches venue in Paris. This prompted me to dust off and deep clean my copy of  White Souls In Black Suits and make a serious attempt of the best possible rip of an album which is quite difficult to rip. Whilst the pressing isn't great, this is the original 1982 Italian album with untampered audio and it really sounds a whole lot better than any CD, although the evident hiss suggests they used a cassette tape as the source. The original ve...

  Bill Evans Trio - Trio '65 [V6-8613 USA 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] In a former life, I traveled the world for work - nothing glamorous, just living out of a suitcase, day to day, hotel to hotel. This album and it's earlier Trio '64  (coming here nearer Christmas) were the soundtracks to many a hotel lobby bar, when after that second (or maybe it was a third) negroni, the day would be washed away in a haze of cold alcohol and smooth piano jazz.  Twenty years on from that life on the road, Acoustic Sounds have reissued both albums as they were intended to sound, cut from the original master three track master tape by Ryan K. Smith and pressed carefully at Quality Record Pressings as part of the label's Verve reissue series. Time to get that barman to mix another negroni.... A1 Israel A2 Elsa A3 'Round Midnight A4 Our Love Is Here To Stay B1 How My Heart Sings B2 Who Can I Turn To? B3 Come Rain Or Come Shine B4 If You Could See Me Now

  Ronnie Foster - Reboot [00602445499854 DEU 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] A few months back, I posted a rip of the new cut of Ronnie Foster's 1972 funky-jazz classic  Two Headed Freap . This year Foster recorded and released his ninth album, the first since 1986 - again for Blue Note Records.  If funky organ jazz is your thing, you should be all over this record. Recorded digitally using modern production techniques, this record is much fuller sounding than those old classics. Bernie Grundman takes care of mastering duties and Pallas in Germany was the pressing plant of choice for this excellent release. A1 Reboot A2 Sultry Song II A3 Swingin' A4 J's Dream B1 Isn't She Lovely B2 Carlos B3 Hey Good Lookin' Woman B4 After Chicago B5 After Conversation With Nadia

  War - Greatest Hits [RCV1 643546 USA RSD2020 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I don't often post greatest hits albums, purely because the format is subjective. This compilation does contain some of the band's best known tracks but its 1976 original release date means that Galaxy , Youngblood and Groovin' are missing. Whilst Low Rider will always be War's best known single, Me And Baby Brother will always be a huge personal favourite. So what's the deal with this RSD2020 Black Friday release, and why has it shot up in value on reseller markets? Until very recently many of the 5500 copies pressed were relatively easy to find in stores due to lack of sales. Then in July 2022, Kevin Gray made it known that he was responsible for the mastering from original tapes and had cut this record using a new all analogue tube system - he went on to suggest that it was one his finest sounding projects.  I guess that may a subjective proposition as well, however the proof is in the liste...

  The Church - Starfish [IR-027 USA 2021 2LP 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] From Intervention Records, another of the small boutique labels who do vinyl right, this double LP all-analogue pressing of The Church's biggest selling album from 1988 has finally found distributors across this side of The Atlantic. Mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analogue master tapes and expended with an additional eight tracks, this is a beautifully recorded alternative rock album which sounds as good as it ever could. It took these antipodean rockers seven years, three record labels and six albums to break into America, courtesy of their biggest hit single, Under The Milky Way. There isn't a bad track on this album which, despite its more polished sound, proved that all those years of hard graft were finally worth it. A1 Destination A2 Under The Milky Way A3 Blood Money B1 Lost B2 North, South, East and West B3 Spark B4 Antenna C1 Reptile C2 A New Season C...

  Foreign Press - Climbing [12MI 0016 UK 1982 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] I may have been a little unkind to Foreign Press regarding their BeMusic/Dojo produced pop single The Great Divide . To make up for that I've re-ripped their excellent post-punk single, Climbing and it knocks the spots off my previous efforts and the aforementioned pop single. These Wythenshawe post-punkers second single had more in common musically with The Sound than any of their Mancunian cohorts, in fact fans of The Sound will notice a remarkable similarity between Foreign Press front man Ralph Bowe's voice and that of the late Adrian Borland. Enjoy. A1   Climbing  B1   Remember You  B2   Open Secret

  Joy Division - Transmission [FAC 13.12 UK 1981 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Factory Records posthumously released the twelve inch version of Transmission in February 1981. Here is my rip from my original UK pressing in an embossed sleeve, cut by Porky and plated by Eddy Gorecki, likely from the same original recording as the 1979 seven inch single. A1 Transmission B1 Novelty

  The Armoury Show - Waiting For The Floods [ST-17163 USA 1985 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Conceived as a 'super-group' assembled by former members of The Skids and Magazine, The Armoury Show had a brief career, heavily promoted by EMI Records, adored by a loyal following however they never really broke through beyond their fan base to deliver on the expectations of the label. Key players, Richard Jobson abandoned Scotland in favour of reading abstract poetic prose to Belgian audiences on Les Disques Du Crépuscule before a new career as a model and TV presenter and John McGeoch (likely the most important rock guitarist of his generation) stopped by between his careers with Magazine, Siouxsie And The Banshees and Public Image Limited. Waiting For The Floods was their only album, rich in McGeoch's rock guitar textures and Jobson's overblown lyrical drama. This record certainly has its place in time, it has never been reissued except for a heavily compressed and loud compact d...

  Idris Muhammad - Peace And Rhythm [CR00415 USA 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] It's a Sunday evening, so without further ado, let's continue.... Courtesy of the Jazz Dispensary division of Craft Recordings, pressed in a highly limited of 1000 numbered copies, here is the first ever official reissue of Idris Muhammad's superb Peace And Rhythm since it's debut in 1971. This is a fairly recent release, exclusively distributed by vinyl club, Vinyl Me Please, mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio (him again!) from the original master tape and pressed at RTI in Camarillo onto what has to be the most spectacularly detailed layered metallic gold swirl vinyl you will likely ever see. I've never been a fan of coloured vinyl due to the potential noise issues but this is a piece of art. The two key compositions adorn the A-side, blending conceptual, almost spiritual jazz into a latin percussion masterclass by the late drummer - from about two minutes in on Rhythm if you nee...

  The Durutti Column - The City Of Our Lady [FAC 184 UK 1987 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Strangely I don't think I have ever ripped this single by Vini Reilly's Durutti Column, well until now that is. Released as this 12" vinyl with White Rabbit or a compact disc omitting the Jefferson Airplane cover, replacing it with a tricky and over-complicated remix of When The World from  The Guitar And Other Machines .  The a-side tracks were recorded in Hollywood, California with the late Stuart James on production duties and local lass Debi Diamond supplying the vocals to White Rabbit .  For those who prefer the less psychedelic and more god-like genius of Vini Reilly's guitar work, check out the stunning  Catos Con Guantes adorning the flipside, featuring Kiwi composer John Metcalfe on strings and long-time collaborator Bruce Mitchell on vibes. This track was recorded at Strawberry Studios with Morrissey's mate Steven Street. A1 Our Lady Of The Angels A2 White Rabbit ...

  Joy Division - Atmosphere [FACUS 2/UK - VR22496 NLD 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] There are a few subtle differences between the US/UK and Dutch pressings of this Joy Division twelve inch single. This 1983 lowlands pressing is difficult to track down these days and I would expect the numerous JD experts who occasionally pop onto these pages may have an opinion on this release. Cut from a different tape at the CBS plant in Haarlem (now Record Industry), the extra few seconds of Martin Hannett studio fiddling at the beginning of She's Lost Control has been regularly documented. The lacquer has been cut a lot less hot than the other versions with the grooves much closer together and a lot of dead wax in the run off. The effect is more a subdued audio, much less over-cooked than the mass of other pressings.  I occasionally try to convince myself these tracks are both from a different mix, however now in my mid-fifties, my musical ears are shot to pieces. Maybe Factory Records sen...

  Hagar The Womb - The Word Of The Womb [MORT 2 UK 1984 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Hagar The Womb's fifteen seconds of fame came courtesy of heavy airplay and a session or two from John Peel in 1984. At just £1.99, this six track 12" 45rpm EP with lyrical inner sleeve on Conflict's Mortarhate label was a bargain - I seem to recall it sold out very quickly.  Dressed To Kill is a long lost eighties punk classic, in fact all six of these manic and cheaply recorded tracks are truly wonderful. With their two minute wonders & one chord riffs, some may be disappointed that this Hagar don't include Sammy Hagar in their line-up. Hagar The Womb were actually Ruth Rack, Janetti Spaghetti, Paul Permo, The Karennipoo, Illayne Illhabopp, Mitch Flacko and Chris Elephant Face Play loud and let the riffing rip! Wooo Whooo Wooo Whooo Oooo Oooo! A1 Idolization A2 What's Your Flag? A3 Cardboard Theatre B1 Dressed To Kill B2 True Love And Faith B3 Truth?

  Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures [FACT 10 UK 1979 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Following on from my March 2021 rip of the 1980 Transco pressing, earlier this year I invested in a VG++ 1979 copy of Unknown Pleasures cut by Porky and pressed at WEA in West Drayton. If you believe Discogs, Porky cut 46 lacquers from tape, however we will likely never know which were from the original master tape and which were from safety copies. This copy has W1/W2 etched in the dead wax which makes it variation 7 according to Discogs. Porky also cut 2 lacquers for Lyntone plus another 6 lacquers for the Tranco repress which also had a Eddy Gorecki re-cut in 1980. The first American pressings were cut by Leo Kulka in San Francisco, PRS in Hannover cut the German pressings, those for Benelux were cut by Bovena in The Netherlands. I've lost count on the number of different pressings already ...and that's before you get to all the later pressings from tape copies and eventually digital files. So which ...

  Clan Of Xymox - Limbo [TRI 746 LP DEU 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Essentially just Ronny Moorings these days, the latest Clan Of Xymox album, Limbo , was originally released on digital formats last year. German label Trisol have now released it as a double album set on a limited edition of only 500 on vinyl.  In my opinion, this is their best since Twist Of Shadows and finally allows us to forgive Moorings for those dodgy nineties releases which followed Twist in 1989. Whilst the sixty-one year old Dutchman has struggled to abandon the eyeliner and other visual trappings of eighties gothica, most fans of the original line-up should find these ten dark synthpop compositions to be an enjoyable listen. Most certainly a lock down album, Limbo was recorded at Mooring's home studio in Leipzig, Germany and is laden with demonic yet surprisingly catchy tunes, no more so than the opening Brave New World and poppy The Great Reset . Pressed on nasty black & blue vinyl, the surfa...

  Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk [BST-81593 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] For those who missed a Sunday evening jazz fix this week, and for all those who may have become a little jazz curious , here is another from the current Blue Note Classic Series of reissues mastered all analogue from Rudy Van Gelder's original master tapes by Kevin Gray. I am just about to start ripping again after a busy August & September away from my collection, this rip was made before my recent summer break and features one of the coolest jazz albums ever recorded, even for those discovering the genre, this album makes for essential listening. Enjoy! A1 Blues Walk A2 Move A3 The Masquerade Is Over B1 Play Ray B2 Autumn Nocturne B3 Callin' All Cats

  Nucleus - Alleycat [BEWITH105LP UK 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Last year, I regularly pontificated about the quality of releases & pressings by British obscurity reissue label Be With Records, one of the most popular was Roots by Ian Carr's funk-fusion ensemble, Nucleus. Be With have now dived deeper into the line-up's long unavailable back catelogue and a highlight is this new pressing of their Alleycat album.  Originally released on the Vertigo label in 1975, Alleycat comprises five hard-funk-jazz fusion workouts centered around the fourteen minute title track and the very wonderful eleven minutes of Splat! Enjoy! A1 Phaideaux Corner A2 Alleycat B1 Splat B2 You Can't Be Sure B3 Nosegay

  Foreign Press - The Great Divide [12EMI 5430 UK 1983 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] EMI Records dispatched their A&R team to Manchester in the early eighties under instruction to sign one of the many acts from the burgeoning local music scene. They came back with Foreign Press, who despite two very credible indie singles, Downpour and Climbing , didn't really have the richest repertoire of material. The resultant single, The Great Divide was in all senses a bit of a turd, which was polished up by the credible local production duo of Bernard Sumner (New Order) and Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio) as DoJo/Be Music. The single still remains a useful artifact from the city's music history but will never be remembered as a classic. A1 The Great Divide (Dance Mix) B1 The Great Divide B2 Love In A Strange Place

  Ryo Fukui - Scenery [SOLID-1023 JPN 2017 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] You will pay a lot of money for an original pressing of this classic album from Japanese jazz pianist Ryo Fukui originally released back in 1976. A few years ago, I ripped and posted a new DMM cut on quality Swiss label, We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records, here is a Japanese pressing of that same release from a different cut by Japanese/German mastering engineer Kitaro Beeh, released in parallel as part of the Project Re:Vinyl series in Japan only. A1 It Could Happen To You A2 I Want To Talk About You A3 Early Summer B1 Willow Weep For Me B2 Autumn Leaves B3 Scenery 

  Electro Keyboard Orchestra - Electro Keyboard Orchestra [HMJY-156 JPN 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] Originally released on Columbia Records Japan in 1975. The attention to detail afforded by Japanese musicians has to be applauded, if this record was released by a German 'krautrock' band in 1975, it could well be lauded as a classic - the fact that it was released only in Japan means that this amazing record has likely been overlooked by many for decades. Eight synthesizers, drums, funky bass and a wah-wah guitar combine for eight works of funky, electronic jazz. The keen of ear will note the cover of the theme to sixties & seventies cop drama Ironside . Work demands will slow things down over the next week or so on Needle Time, no better time I say for you lot to dive into something very different. A1 The Fire Dance A2 Mother Of The Future A3 Mayflower A4 The Iron Side B1 The Heated Point B2 The Soaring Sea Gull B3 Farewell, Onoda B4 The African Dawn For Ro...