Thursday, October 7, 2010

That Vintage Feel part 4: The Music Must Go On









Listening to a piece of hifi equipments
inserted in a hifi system, is mostly about
evaluation of sound reproduction, yes
no? What then of listening to just music
irrespective of whether one is listening
in a car, in the office or at home? Many
would call it 'just listen to the music'
or 'just enjoy the music', never mind
the hardware.


So most of the time I would over the
time I know Koo. Until much more
recently, it's listening to the music
mostly and some friendly chit chat
thereafter the music sessions. Of
course we do enjoy the music listening
sessions as much as the chatting over
a hot cup of tea or coffee.


A brief account of the listening
sessions will more or less make up
for the remaining writing of this
diary entry of visiting Koo's music
room. Why didn't I call it 'hifi cave'
(?) because to Koo and his regular
visitors it's always about music.
With the exception of those first and
perhaps second time visitors who
came in from the 'hifi jungle' out
there to see and explore and to make
comparative inferences, and only to
find out that they may have forgotten
about the music and the enjoyment of
music!!!!


Over the years, I have listened to a
GRP's big band swing CD, from the
time of the open baffles thru the single
drivers to the now vintage pair of
Isophon bookshelf speakers. It's only
now that the enjoyment of listening to
this cd that I felt myself immersed in
the music much more than I first listen
to it many many years ago! The
changes in the setup has brought out
more of the music enjoyments. One
other CD that I particularly like is Nina
Simone's "Forbidden fruit", and I
especially like the track 'Golden
earrings'! I wouldn't go thru the
listening sessions without a listen
to this track!


I was introduced by Koo to Aretha
Franklin's Gospel singing when I
was mesmerised by the shouting
and singing style from the recordings
of her 'Amazing Grace' 2cd album.
I certainly could sit thru & listen to the
whole works if not for the limited time
spend each time in front of Koo's music
machine! So I have got to get this
album to listen at my own time. This
album portrays her gospel singing
and much of the church venue
ambience was captured pretty
well on this album as it's a live
recording. She would sing right to the
top of her voice and shouting most of
the way yet holding up well with the
background singing, hand clappings
and people murmuring and at times
shouting phrases after phrases with
praises for God.


On the lighter side I have listen to
Judy Collins, Neil Diamond, Neil Young
and even the more sombre Leonard Cohen.
I especially enjoyed listening to the
Weavers and Harry Belafonte live at the
Carnegie Hall. Even with rarity such as the
Clancy Brothers, and the much popular
Peter, Paul and Mary.


If this aren't enough, Koo would even
finished off the listening proper with
some classical music from Reiner, Heifetz,
Anne Sophie Mutter - Karajan and even
more recently from works conducted by
Ernest Ansermet. And occasionally Koo
would obliged with my request of tracks
from Bread, Eagles and even Jennifer
Wearne! And much to my surprise recently
he even entertain my request to replay
track 6 from the "Dream of the Opera"
which I perceived as quite listenable
with good control of the bass contents
though I felt not the best I have heard
and I have heard even worst! I still felt
he has done well with the setup though
not really an expensive system. Isn't the
meaning of expensive rather ambiguous
to different people?


4 comments:

  1. vic,

    no offence, what kind of english is that?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thxs for pointing out. Sorry about the difficulty encountered reading the article. My fault actually. Anyway I didn't know what I was thinking then when I wrote it while at the same time this was implanted slowly into my brain over the years. Thousand apologies!!!

    http://www.englishforums.com/English/HasFollowedPresentPastTense/djdpn/post.htm

    http://www.englishforums.com/English/PastPresentTenseSameSentence/cdjdc/post.htm

    ReplyDelete
  3. What's wrong with your English? Understandable thus good enough! Needn't be perfectionist especially when you can never be one! As humanbeings, lets learn to live with compromises and to accept shortcomings etc imperfections. More importantly don't harp on imperfections as positivities have taken up all our time, don't you think so? Hifi is just one part of our life, don't get married to it and think it's your everything as it's just silly!

    don't think that when one loves hifi and simultaneously he understands music, don't think that you produce some hifi audiophile recordings thus you understand music as the productions sounded shitty, no offence to such people!

    nough said/regards

    ReplyDelete
  4. Some practices used in diary entries.........


    http://www.englishforums.com/English/HasFollowedPresentPastTense/djdpn/post.htm



    1) I have looked at the plot but did not see anything wrong with it.

    This seems wrong grammatically as have is in present tense while did not is in past tense. However, it makes sense from another perspective because I have looked at the plot (meaning the action of looking is already in the past) thus using did not does make sense.

    2) I have looked at the plot but do not see anything wrong with it.

    This should be grammatically correct but does this alter the meaning of sentense (1) (assuming (1) is correct)?

    3) I looked at the plot but did not see anything wrong with it.

    I am quite certain that (3) is correct but sometimes I would prefer to use it in present tense (using have/has).

    My analysis might be totally off but please bear with me and show me the right direction.

    Thanks!


    An explanation...........



    I looked at the plot.(In the past)

    I have looked at the plot. ( I am aware of the situation now. I have knowledge of the situation now.)

    I did not see anything wrong with it. (In the past)

    I haven't seen anything wrong with it.(Up to now it seems to be OK)

    I don't see anything wrong with it. (Now)

    These are all correct and can be used in any combination.

    The simple past is referring to the completed past action and the present perfect is referring to a present condition or result of a past action.

    ReplyDelete