I had been living in a small, unfinished room. It wasn't so much of a room, actually, as it was a simple space. More cave-like than…
search
My copy of Peter, Paul, & Mary's Album 1700, which I had bought many years ago for its Bonnie and Clyde album art, wasn't nearly as dusty as Santana. When I inspected it beneath a lamp, however, I noticed that it was covered by a sort of dull, gray film. The vinyl wasn't black. It was sickly. Indeed, this was one of my many albums that had suffered through the dark, dirty waters of a basement flood. Maybe two or three floods. Maybe four.
Sasha Frere-Jones has a fascinating article in the June 9 The New Yorker about Antares's Auto-Tune software. In case you aren't familiar with it, Auto-Tune is pitch correction software that is used almost universally in contemporary pop recordings—sometimes just to "fix" an off note, increasingly frequently as an effect in its own right.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan, although having accompanied John Atkinson on various recording projects, I can attest that on some days even the best musicians in the world just can't hit a certain note or nail a particular passage. Demanding them to…
Where are my LPs? I need a hug.
—George Reisch, Stereophile, September 1997
—George Reisch, Stereophile, September 1997
Hi! Don't you sometimes wish you could just walk up to someone on the street and be like, "Hi! Let's hug. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon and touch me, babe." (?)
The ARChive of Contemporary Music is holding a Record & CD Sale! The sale begins on Saturday, June 7th, and will continue through Sunday, June 15th. Sale hours are from 11am to 6pm each day. Over 20,000 CDs, LPs, cassettes, books, and videos will be available. I can smell it now. ARC members get to shop early during…
Siempre Ser Guajiro, Saoco (1976; Mericana XMX144)
Macho Mumba, Saoco (1977; Salsoul Sal 4117)
Fe, Esperanza, y Caridad, Henry Fiol (1980; SAR SLP 1012)
El Secreto, Henry Fiol (1981; SAR SLP 1026)
Recorded Live in Club Ochentas, SAR All-Stars, includes Henry Fiol's "Maracaibo Oriental" (1982; compilation; SAR SLP 1022)
La Ley de la Jungla Henry Fiol (1983; SAR SLP 1033)
Corazn, Henry Fiol (1984; Corazn CLP 001)
Colorao y Negro, Henry Fiol (1985; Corazn HF 777)
Juega Billar!, Henry Fiol (1986;…
The second of Fiol's solo efforts on Roberto Torres' SAR label, closing with the powerful classic, "Tiene Sabor."
An altogether beautiful album. I selected Fe, Esperanza, y Caridad as one of my 2008 "Records to Die For." Fiol's version of the classic Cheo Marquetti tune, "Oriente," brings me straight to tears.
Of all Fiol's covert art, Macho Mumba stands out as my favorite, depicting a typical Cuban street scene.