What are you listening to?

[MichiganJ]

I've noticed in some instances it's still a lot cheaper to buy the CDs than download the music, is there anything wrong with buying and loading it on to itunes?

That's all I do. If you have the CD, if the ipod is lost or broken, you don't need to repurchase all of your music. Plus, CD sound is superior to mp3.

[charliechaplinfan]

Do you mean the music purchased is always better on CD or that even an mp3 sounds better once converted to a CD. I always burn a hard copy of the music I've bought, just in case.

[MichiganJ]

The quality of the music download depends on the bit rate of the mp3; the higher the bit rate, the better the quality. I still haven't ventured into the iTunes store to download music, but I imagine that they either give you a choice of bit rate to download or the bit rates are pretty high to begin with, so the songs should sound good to very good.

The CDs burned from downloads will reflect the original mp3 bit rate. If it was low as a download, the CD quality will also be low.

When uploading your own CDs, again the higher the bit rate you choose will determine the quality. But higher encoded bit rates also means each song is taking up more room, so you won't be able to fit as many tunes into the Ipod. They also take longer to upload.

If the encoding is AAC (which I use), the sound quality is better than standard mp3 while still using the same bit rate.

Hope I haven't confused you. Basically, whatever sounds good to you is right. Just back up the downloads and you're good to go.

[movieman1957]

itunes has upgraded their rate in the past as they now are suggesting I rebuy some albums/songs that had a lower bit rate a few years ago.

They all still sound pretty good to me.

[MichiganJ]

I listen to the iPod mowing my lawn and in the car, so I'm sure even low bit rates sound fine in most situations. I'd be most concerned about jazz and especially classical, but I don't listen to Brahms while mowing...

[movieman1957]

I just bought a recording of the Bach violin Concertos. It's an old one with Barenboim conducting and Zukerman and Perlman. (I used to have it on a cassette.) I'll let you know how it works.

I bought the Brahms Serenades a few years ago but that would have been on the lower bit rate. I'll see if I can tell any difference on the new recording.

I live in a condo so someone else gets to do my yard. Like you, it is listened to mostly in the car or background at the house.

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm not confused at all.

I used to listen to music all the time but found once I had the kids that their needs over rode mine, their telly, their tunes and then when Chris came home at night, well he watched TV. In the last year since the kids have gone to school I've listened a lot more to music and have had bunches of CDs all over the house. The ipod is the answer to my dreams, I love cooking and like to walk for fitness and I've found that I'm not at risk of being run over because I can still hear the traffic really well. I loathe doing the housework and do the majority of it so it will help a great deal. Plus I like such a wide variety of music that I wouldn't have room for everything I want to listen to. I don't mow the lawn, my husbad insists on doing that job, thinks I'm too easily distracted and would go over the wire whilst chatting to the neighbour.

[MichiganJ]

A few of my favorite discs, new to me in 2010

The Puppini Sisters Betcha Bottom Dollar --Three-point harmonies ala the Andrew Sisters ( or the Triplets of Bellleville), this trio does wonderful versions of some standards (Mr. Sandman, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy) and interesting takes on rock/pop, (Heart of Glass, Wuthering Heights). Just try and not tap your toes.

Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records--As one might imagine, the collection is eclectic, but it works amazingly well. Way too many songs or versions I'd never heard before, but that just makes me eager to seek out the original albums. Ronnie Spector doing Try Some, Buy Some is just one highlight..

Liz Phair Funstyle--Critically and I think commercially dismissed, and rightly so because it's a mess of style and filled with whining and self-serving lyrics. I can't explain why I like it so much.

Sheryl Crow 100 Miles From Memphis--Another maybe not so great album, but for me definitely solid and aptly named because the production is pure Memphis, and that's never bad. (Even if you hate the album, her cover of I Want You Back is spot-on Michael Jackson.)

Seu Jorge Seu Jorge and Almaz--Hypnotic, sensual, and featuring great spare arrangements; this may beat out Life Aquatic Studio Sessions as my favorite Jorge album.

Jonsi Go--You know how great Sigur Rós is, well this first solo outing from lead singer Jón Thor Birgisson is equally great, optimistic and for me, the best release of 2010.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers The Live Anthology--4-discs (budget priced, too) of rock 'n roll bliss. Not just the hits, not just the deep cuts, but many, many covers, which are not only fun (the theme from Goldfinger! Goldfinger!), but incredibly performed. Highlights include the aforementioned Goldfinger (Goldfinger!) and a ten-minute version of It's Good To Be King.

[charliechaplinfan]

I've bought mostly CDs and added them to my ipod, I'm listening to Judy Collins as I type, a collection of 5 of her albums, 5th album, In My Life, Wildflowers, Who Knows Where The Times Goes and Judith. I downloaded one Joan Baez album, Baez sings Dylan, good but Dylan's a hard act to follow and is usually the best at singing his songs, there are a couple of exceptions but none of them are Baez, I do like her style and if anyone has any further recommendations, I'm happy to explore her work further. I listened again to Leonard Cohe, the album I downloaded has 32 songs on it, covering a considerable career, I prefer the earlier works finding the later ones have too much backing on them, I'd rather a song be simple. I love Marianne and I'm quite liking Suzanne.

I also downloaded Willie Nelson, don't know why but I kind of like his voice and his take on the old standards is refreshing. I'm waiting for the post to deliver Ella singing Gershwin as I have most of her songbook albums but the Gershwin one was always too expensive I've found a cheaper version not by Vevre but sounds just as good. The Decca recordings of Patsy Cline too are in the post along with a couple of Dusty Springfield albums.

Some soundtracks too, including The Sound of Music for the kids, they liked it and I'm not adverse to a sing a long with them, Porgy and Bess, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly and West Side Story.

[knitwit45]

Alison, I have a vinyl recording of the Dallas Opera Company singing Porgy and Bess. I saw them perform it (twice) at the huge outdoor theater in the park in Kansas City, about 1973 or 74. I've been trying to talk myself out of buying a USB turntable, so I can convert my vinyls into CD's. I'm weakening...

[MichiganJ]

I do like her style and if anyone has any further recommendations

My favorite Baez album is Diamonds and Rust. Some good covers and a few pretty great original songs, too.


Lots of great Ella, too. Along with the songbooks, I really like
The Best of Ella and Louis Armstrong on Verve:


And really love this collection (pricey, but used isn't too bad).
First Lady of Song

[movieman1957]

Nancy:

I have one of those systems. It used to work but when I upgraded my computer somehow it didn't anymore. I got lots of tapes and albums converted. It can be time consuming though. The beauty of the turntable, at least mine, is that it also works as a regular turntable.

***********
As far as my listening lately I have, like Allison, been transferring stuff to my new ipod. The Schumann and Sibelius Violin Concertos have occupied my time this week.

[charliechaplinfan]

Thanks for the recommendations, I think I'll go for Diamonds and Rusts next. As for Ella, I have all the Louis and Ella records, the Porgy and Bess is really good, they are great together. I have most of the songbooks now too. Much as I love the perfect way Ella sings I am drawn more to Billie Holiday, who's voice is anything but perfect, I'm no good at describing exactly what it is about how someone sings but for me, it's partly how she puts a song across and partly the musical arrangements, I feel I hear the instruments better when Billie sings, perhaps her work is not as much arranged as Ella's.

That brings me to Nat King Cole, I've had a best of disc for a long time, I'm not keen on some of his really popular tunes like When I Fall In Love and The Christmas Song but love Stardust and others. So I went for one album, The Very THought of You from when he really emerged as a vocalist and an album that took in some of his earlier work with the trio. I think I prefer his later work because it is so polished. There doesn't seem to be a period when he stopped being part of the trio and became a vocalist, it seemed to evolve. The other album I have my eye on is the After Midnight Sessions.

This is when my taste gets really ecletic, today was the turn of Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin, ok, some of it does sound like a silent soundtrack but, the Joplin is catchy and infectious, makes me smile and Jelly Roll Morton, I chose his early works 1923/24 flows really well and reminds me of why I like Billie Holiday. I watched a program years ago, hopefully known to some of you called Ken Burns Jazz, it made me realise there was so much music out there that I didn't know about but knew I'd love.

Now a question about itunes and ipods. All my music on my ipod is also on my laptop, not a problem at the moment, but if I remove some of my music from my laptop ie store it on hard copies, does this mean when I connect my ipod to pick up new music the ipod will lose the music I've taken off whilst it's picking up the new music?

[feaito]

I also downloaded Willie Nelson, don't know why but I kind of like his voice and his take on the old standards is refreshing. I'm waiting for the post to deliver Ella singing Gershwin as I have most of her songbook albums but the Gershwin one was always too expensive I've found a cheaper version not by Vevre but sounds just as good. The Decca recordings of Patsy Cline too are in the post along with a couple of Dusty Springfield albums.

I love everything Ella, she and Sinatra are my favorite singers....I can't have enough of them! Which Ella-Gershwin album did you get? How was it? I have the Verve Songbook and one Decca Recording from the late 1940s...They are unique.

I also love anything Anita O'Day, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Bebel Gilberto (which I saw on concert in October 2010 and I loved her even more!) René Olstead, Robin McKelle, Claudine Longet, Diana Krall, Jane Monheit.....Everything Eliane Elias (whom I'm going to see perform Live on Jan 12th...I'm so happy!!!)....Bossa Nova is my weakness... I also got the only Bossa Nova album on the market by Maysa (Mattarazzo)....Recently when I attended the Ovo show from Cirque du Soleil at Atlanta, I loved its score.... I was also introduced some time ago to the Pink Martinis and I liked them a lot....Recent acquisitions: David Guetta, Basia's newest album, Hurts (great Brit Pop), Katherine Jenkins (her duet with Amaury Vasilli made me love Endless Love a song I used to loathe...weird, isn't it?) Christophe Willem, Garou....

[charliechaplinfan]

This is the one, a lot cheaper than the Verve songbook but compares really well, she has a lovely voice and it's no better than singing Gershwin.



I haven't listened to Anita O'Day, love Dinah Washington, like Sarah Vaughan. Frank Sinatra, I've always loved his voice and the way he puts a song across, Dean Martin although not the consummate recording artist that Sinatra was, I sometimes prefer his voice, it' has a warmth that's absent from Frank's.