Recording of the Month

RENÉE FLEMING: Haunted Heart

Renée Fleming, vocals; Bill Frisell, guitar; Fred Hersch, piano, arrangements

Decca B00004406-02 (CD). 2005. Renée Fleming, prod.; Elliott Scheiner, prod., eng.; Peter Doris, Aya Takemura, Brian Montgomery, Anthony Ruotolo, asst. engs. DDD. TT: 63:58

Performance *****

Sonics ****

TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO: The Ground

Tord Gustavsen, piano; Harald Johnsen, double bass; Jarle Vespestad, drums

ECM 1892 (CD). 2005. Manfred Eicher, prod.; Jan Erik Kongshaug, eng. DDD. TT: 60:13

Performance ****½

Sonics ****½

Mozart: Piano Music

Sonata in a, K.310; March in C, K.408; Courante in E-flat, K.399; Gigue in G, K.574; Rondo in a, K.511; Sonata in F, K.533/494
Richard Goode, piano
Nonesuch 79831-2 (CD). 2005. Max Wilcox, prod., eng. DDD. TT: 59:32

Performance *****

Sonics *****

Hasil Adkins: Out to Hunch

Norton Records (no catalog # whatso-a-ever) LP, no CD. No producer, no engineer, no studio, no stereo, no mikes that weren't carbon police dispatcher models, no other people at all in fact—just Hasil Adkins, vocals and guitars and one-man drums and some weird rhythmic screeching that may or may not be LP surface noise. TT: infinite, as I can't stop hearing it in my head hours after I raised the needle off it.
To order, send $10 to Norton">http://www.nortonrecords.com">Norton Records, Box 646, Cooper Station, New York, NY 10003. If you don't, you shall burn in hellfire eternal. Hasil">http://members.tripod.com/~Hasil_Adkins/">Hasil Adkins Fan Club; Hasil">http://www.grandrapidsrocks.com/haze">Hasil Adkins Headquarters.

U2: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

Interscope B0003613-02 (CD). 2004. Steve Lillywhite, prod.; Carl Glanville, eng.; Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Chris Heaney, others, asst. engs. AAD? TT: 49:08

Performance ****½

Sonics ****

BRIAN WILSON: SMiLE

Nonesuch 79846-2 (CD). 2004. Brian Wilson, prod., mix; Mark Linett, eng.; Kevin Deane, Daneil S. McCoy, Pete Magdaleno, asst. engs.; Darian Sahanaja, mix. AAD? TT: 47:01

Performance ****½

Sonics **** (footnote 1)

NRBQ: Dummy

Edisun ED-17 (CD). 2004. NRBQ, prods.; Billy Shaw, prod., eng.; Alan Stockwell, Joey Interlande, Chris Anderson, engs. AAD? TT: 37:11

Performance ****½

Sonics ****