kve777

For out first week of 2021, I picked one of my fav's. Aja is a go to for testing systems. Give it a listen, but think about it technically, the mixing, engineering, how does information on the left and right channels differ? Things like that. One of my favorite things about this album is the use of negative space. Those little delays where there are no notes, but has big impact on the track. Post your impressions! Let us know how you are listening, too. Vinyl? CD? SACD? Streaming? 8-Track?

Side one

1."Black Cow"5:10

2."Aja"7:57

3."Deacon Blues"7:33

Side two

4."Peg"3:58

5."Home at Last"5:34

6."I Got the News"5:06

7."Josie"

Steely Dan

Donald Fagen – lead vocals (all tracks), synthesizer (all tracks but 4), police whistle (2), backing vocals (2, 5, 7)

Walter Becker – bass guitar (3), guitar (2), guitar solo (5, 6, 7)

Additional musicians

Victor Feldman – Fender Rhodes (1, 3, 7), vibraphone (5, 6), piano (5, 6), percussion (2, 4)

Joe Sample – Fender Rhodes (2), clavinet (1)

Paul Griffin – Fender Rhodes (4), backing vocals (4)

Michael Omartian – piano (2)

Don Grolnick – clavinet (4)

Larry Carlton – guitar (1, 2, 3, 5, 7), guitar solo (6)

Lee Ritenour – guitar (3)

Dean Parks – guitar (3, 6, 7)

Steve Khan – guitar (4)

Denny Dias – guitar (2)

Paul Humphrey – drums (1)

Rick Marotta – drums (4)

Ed Greene – drums (6)

Steve Gadd – drums (2)

Bernard Purdie – drums (3, 5)

Jay Graydon – guitar solo (4)

Chuck Rainey – bass guitar (all but track 3)

Jim Keltner – drums, percussion (7)

Gary Coleman – percussion (4)

Tom Scott – tenor saxophone (1), Lyricon (4), horn arrangements

Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone (2)

Pete Christlieb – tenor saxophone (3)

Jim Horn, Bill Perkins, Plas Johnson, Jackie Kelso – saxophone, flute

Chuck Findley, Lou McCreary, Dick Hyde – brass

Michael McDonald (4, 6), Timothy B. Schmit (2, 5, 7), Clydie King (1, 3, 6), Sherlie Matthews (1, 3, 6), Venetta Fields (1, 3, 6), Rebecca Louis (1, 6) – backing vocals

Production

Executive producer: Stephen Diener [ABC Records]

Producer: Gary Katz

Engineers: Roger Nichols, Elliot Scheiner, Al Schmitt, Bill Schnee

Assistant engineers: Joe Bellamy, Lenise Bent, Ken Klinger, Ron Pangaliman, Ed Rack, Linda Tyler

Mastering: Bernie Grundman

Production coordination: Barbara Miller

Sound consultant: Dinky Dawson

Consultant: Daniel Levitin

Horn arrangements: Tom Scott

Art direction: Oz Studios,[9] Vartan Reissue

Design: Patricia Mitsui, Geoff Westen

Photography: Hideki Fujii (cover photo), Walter Becker, Dorothy A. White

Liner notes: Walter Becker, Donald Fagen

Reissue coordination: Beth Stempel

I never liked the rules. 

Maybe we should have a Nelion Audio Fest instead. Screw those jerks. 

More suggestions, please.

3 minutes ago, AndrewJohn said:

For me, and I may be unique? or maybe not..., 

 

It comes down to the same thinking for everything else.  The "journey"..., vs. some "destination."

 

Choosing what Music to listen to on the player, radio, 2-channel, or whatever..., has to be good.  And, as I get older, it seems it has to be "gooder" (emphatic "more good"), each time.

 

Like wine, food, and other sensory experiences (let your mind wander) I think we search for something more each time/experience. Something to take us to the next "edge" and push the experience envelope to some "next level."   And, each time we do, something that was "good" before, falls off into the "ok" or "not so good" category.

 

For example, there was a time when "Two Buck Chuck" wine was a rage..., I bought a case, poured most of it out..., but it was what it was at the time.  Now, I can't drink any wine that is "table-grade"..., it better be good to more good, or I pass.  Costs more too.  Go out to your favorite restaurant and think about what you order..., a tomahawk rib-eye, from Smith and Wolleski had better take you over the edge, and when you have that, it's hard to go back to Texas Roadhouse for their rib eye.

 

Compound this search for "Better Experience" with getting older, and realizing that time is precious, and you won't live forever to try everything..., and wasting that very same time on a bad/poor experience (food, drink, music, etc.) is time you'll never get back.

 

The real challenge I find is to realize that not everyone is on the same part of the road that this journey is.  Respecting that for some, 180bit MP3 files across earbuds is where they are, and the music/recording (food, wine, etc.) is where they are on the road/path at that time, and also recognizing that you can describe the road..., but you can't share the "exact" experience with others until they get there on that road.  You might motivate them to get there sooner, but recognizing they are happy where they are, and may or may not get enlightened..., and moving on, is just as important.

 

Rambled a little..., but that's kind of how I see it.  Not snobbery, just a combination of seeking experience, better each time, and respecting that others around us are on a different part of the road along the same, or similar, journey.  All good.

Sir, YOU have become a Snob. 

15 hours ago, Daddyjt said:

Lately, I have found myself returning to the same SACDs, DVDAs and FLAC files with increased frequency. Further, with ~9,000 FLAC albums, I’ll surf to new stuff, and it the sound quality doesn’t impress me within the first couple songs, I’m off to other stuff, unlikely to return to that album.  My tolerance for poor (or even mediocre) sound quality on recordings is almost non-existent at this point.  The peril here, is that some of my favorite music happens to be recorded like shit. For example, when Eddie Van Halen passed a while back, I sat in front of the rig with the intention of a mini Van Halen tribute listening session.  However, I never realized just how poorly their stuff was recorded.  Only Fair Warning was even remotely listenable...😬. On the PLUS side, I’ve opened up to a lot of music that is recorded exceptionally well, that I previously never would have let myself enjoy.

 

Does anyone else relate to this, or am I in fact just a snob?
 

This only applies to listening in front of my 2ch rig, mind you - I’ll listen to much more via earbuds. 

SNOB:

...a person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people.
"a musical snob"

MISOPHONIA:

...a strong dislike or hatred of specific sounds. Imagine if a sound could make you panic or fly into a rage. 

I'm thinking you have a touch of the latter. Maybe we all do?

4 minutes ago, Dennis47 said:

Agree with @Daddyjt...Great Idea Kevin!!

nominate Aqualung (Jethro Tull) for second A.    

Awesome! Yes, I'll put that in. A's are covered!

24 minutes ago, Daddyjt said:

Blow by Blow, Jeff Beck?

 

I think when we post our thoughts, we should indicate which version we are listening to (CD, SACD, Vinyl, etc)

 

great idea Kevin!

Different versions? Sure! That will be a big part. Blow by Blow works awesome for the first B. 

Since we have 52 weeks in a year, let's start off 2021 with a new Carver Site! feature. A different album to listen to and critique for a week. Alphabetically by album title. First week of 2021 will be Steely Dan's 'Aja'. I think we all know it (or of it). Let's dive in and say what we like or don't like about this classic. Starts 01/01/2021. Not now. 

Lets get some things in order first. Like what will be the other A? Or the first B? I'm reserving the first D to be DSOTM. Just sayin'. I'd really like to have some diversity here, get everyone to listen to an old favorite in a new way or be introduced to a new favorite. 

Let's hear some suggestions! Remember- it's alphabetical, by album name. We need two of each letter for 2021. Zoot Allures comes to mind for a Z. You get the idea. 

Each one gets to be featured for a week, discuss it to death, then move on. Cool?

Looks like I'm late to this party, so, WELCOME rcdarcy!  Glad you found us!  I have a full SoundStream SystemOne going as a bedroom system, C-1, T-1, DA-1, R-1. Sounds great through ADS L-730 speakers. At last count I had 16 C-1's, 7 T-1's, 6 DA-1's, 5 DA-2's and a bunch of other stuff. 

I must ask, why are you ending your quest? What direction are you going in? While I'm not buying any more C-1's or T-1's, what are you asking? Just to help those here, that SoundStream gear is quite decent. They are both remote capable, the tuner only remote via the preamp, by the way. 

I can do Taco Tuesday again. 

15 hours ago, davidc said:

From Denon's User guide:

 

Load Impedance 100 ohms min. (40 ohms when using a transformer)

 

On my 1980 Pioneer SA-9800 integrated amp, there are also settings for capacitance. Do you have to worry about that?

 

The settings available for moving magnets are:

 

100, 200, 300, 400, 500 pF

 

100, 10k, 25k, 50k, 100k Ohms

 

 

Capacitance is more dependent on your cables, IIRC.

I'd like to put my name on 11. I'm hoping someone wants to share. There are two bedrooms and a couple of futons. Must like dogs. 

Welcome! I believe I might be helping you expand your inventory. M-1.0t, maybe? Rob's already a goner, but what a way to go...

OK, If we're going down THAT hole, here's the all-time champ:

19 minutes ago, BarryG said:

Was that singing?

No.

Not so bad, IMHO.

1 minute ago, Turbo said:

I'd have to go with Richard Harris' MacArthur Park.  I quite liked the music, but the lyrics were atrocious and just ruined it for me.

 

 

I didn't make it to :30 before I was grabbing the kill switch. But! (and it's a big but) There are acceptable versions. So I can't change my #1. Good try though.

Post your nominations... worst song, EVER. Mine? Gotta go with Starship...