I Finally Did It!

[Ian2001]

@Graeme

I continue to support these shops whenever I’m passing with further purchases. In short, I’ve had a rollicking good time searching for these cd’s.

It is also about the journey rather than just the destination

[rossd]

Fantastic project @Graeme and thanks for sharing. Quite a journey and I admire your dedication!

There’s a lot to be said for expanding musical experiences and too many remain in a closed environment for too long, music (and life) is worth more than that.

With your now expanded tastes, can I ask if your go to top listens has changed over the years? Mine has continually evolved and is still doing so, without losing the love (mostly) for albums I heard or purchased more than 50 years ago, but there are certainly some ‘new to me’ albums approaching or in my list now.

[anon77199223]

@PaulDavies

If memory serves, @TheKevster owns every item that Factory Records ever issued with an FAC catalogue number, with the possible exception of The Hacienda night club.

That’s a major project @TheKevster.

I have a vague memory of going to the Hacienda once.

[Sloop_John_B]

Well done Graeme, a mighty achievement and I can only imagine the craic you had over the years of collecting and the wonders of widening of your musical knowledge.

And I totally agree that learning to know what you don’t like and why is well worth the journey never mind learning what you do like and why.

I’m actually quite surprised that the full 1000 were actually available on CD (or was this part of the books remit that they were available?)

.sjb

[anon77199223]

@mikerivers1

There’s a Jazz site by Matt Fripp which I subscribe to where he clearly researches and recommends jazz tracks. His philosophy I believe is to greater understand how the music originated is to greater appreciate the listening experience.

Yes, I agree with this idea.

Can you give an example of a jazz record where knowing the background has made you enjoy it more?

[anon77199223]

@mikerivers1

This is just my personal opinion and I find it fascinating that people can all have different opinions about stuff, all equally valid.

I find it fascinating to how different peoples opinions and reasoning are.

I suppose peoples preferences are equally valid when it comes to music Because they either like it or they don’t or they are neutral towards it, and that is unimpeachable in a sense because no one can force somebody else to like something they don’t like.

When you ask people why they like X, Y or Z music and they give a reason, those reasons can either be valid or invalid in some sense because in some cases the reasons are illogical or weak.

[Innocent_Bystander]

@anon77199223

those reasons can either be valid or invalid in some sense because in some cases the reasons are illogical or weak.

Illogical or weak to the mind of the other person perhaps, but then this is about art, taste and emotional response, none of which involve logic or strength of argument!

[mikerivers1]

Hi JimDog,

I’ve been watching a guy on YouTube extolling the sound of the electric piano. Check out Doctor Mix. He’s a talented keyboard player who explains the differences between a Fender Rhodes and a Wurlitzer with examples of instantly recognisable intros by both. Seems the Rhodes was cutting edge at the time of its introduction. Remembering I had a Bill Evans album actually called The Bill Evans Album (played exclusively using a Fender) I revisited that (armed with my newfound appreciation of the Fender Rhodes) to listen with a fresh pair of ears to his interpretation of Waltz For Debby and his ‘transition’ from a Steinway grand to a Rhodes. Interesting listening.

Someone once said of Steely Dan that they wouldn’t have had their sound without the Fender Rhodes. Indeed the intro of Babylon Sisters on their last album Gaucho is pure genius and a wonderful example of the Fender Rhodes doing what it does best. Ditto the intro for Elton John’s Daniel. Needless to say Herbie Hancock’s Fat Albert Rotunda is another example whilst Miles Davis Bitches Brew features Rhodes keyboards a-plenty. They still make the Rhodes today although we’re now up to the Mk 8.

Just for comparison, a good example of a Wurlitzer intro would be Marvin Gaye’s I Heard It Through The Grapevine. I guess early 70s Jazz (if that’s your thing) was seeking to break new boundaries and introduce new sounds and Jazz Funk was very popular and the Fender Rhodes was the keyboard of choice for many in this genre in the same way that the mellotron made its way onto so many Prog Rock albums.

[anon77199223]

@mikerivers1

early 70s Jazz (if that’s your thing)

Yes, especially by Miles Davis.

[frenchrooster]

I love that Miles period, but for my knowledge, there was no fender Rhodes in his albums.
Electric piano, yes.
But correct me if I am wrong.

With Herbie Hancock, Ramsey Lewis, Lonnie Liston Smith, George Duke….yes.

[anon77199223]

When I bought Keith Jarrett Koln concert on vinyl about 30 years ago I didn’t like it, and assumed I didn’t like Jarrett’s music.

I never thought to find out what he was like in a group.

That was a weak train of thought/assumption and it meant I never heard live in concert the brilliant KJ Trios that I now love so much.

[anon77199223]

Miles often played organ, I always think of the opening of Mayisha…especially in Japan on Pangaea and Agartha…

But it would take a bit of research to find out all the keyboards used by Jarrett, Corea, Miles etc at all those gigs and studio sessions.

This photo is obviously of the Isle of Wight gig (that my mother in-law attended).

This is about the Washington Xmas gig Cellar Door Sessions:

Further info and refs here:

Miles Davis 69-75: Concert videos

Miles enjoyed an extraordinary burst of creativity from ‘In a Silent Way’ and ‘Bitches Brew’ recorded in 1969 through to 1975. The LPs that came out of these years of relentlessly touring the world include On The Corner, Big Fun, Get Up With It, Agharta, Pangaea and Dark Magus (all, iirc, produced by Teo Macero). I’ve recently been drawn to watching videos of gigs from that period. This is musically fascinating, and is connecting me to the music and the stellar cast of musicians that Miles pl…

[frenchrooster]

Thanks for that. I didn’t realised that Jarret used Fender Rhodes. Good work

[gthack]

And FAC 191, the Factory Records cat. I assume

FAC 191 The Hacienda Cat FAC 51 The Hacienda Cerysmatic Factory

[gthack]

What a great thread! Read it over lunch. Amazing that Graeme and Cmax both did this. Part of the value to me of this forum is exactly the musical horizon broadening that collecting those 1000 albums has encouraged.

When buying music in my youth there was a level of risk, even in record shops you couldn’t always listen before you bought. There are occasions today I absolutely buy before listening to a stream first. And even if I buy physical media inclusive of the stream/download, I’ll wait until the physical media arrives before listening!

No doubt I’ve also discovered new music via streaming too. It’s complicated and there really doesn’t have to be a right or wrong

[TheKevster]

@anon77199223 @PaulDavies - I have every single, LP, cassette, CD, DAT tape, badge, book, wall planner, bit of stationery, wine bottle etc… every physical object with a Factory catalogue number, that can be collected- I have it! Also everything on the original Factory Benelux, Factory US and Factory Australia!

[Cmax]

Wow! That’s total dedication, collecting everything of something you have an interest in, that’s awesome

[Innocent_Bystander]

Or maybe he was one of their founders/owner, or had some key role in the business throughout its existence.

[TheKevster]

No IB - I was just a fan of the label, its artists and its appproach. Luckily I knew Tony Wilson a bit and also worked in the industry so that helped with my collecting efforts.

[sean86]

Seems like an excellent, informative book, I’ll try to get it from Amazon.
But the most important thing is that you have collected all of them physically.