[james444]

As I said before, the 1601s (and PFs) work only with some music for me. Every once in a while though, the result of their love affair with mids, reverb and space can be simply sublime:
 

 

 

 

[SoundFreaq]

The Piano Forte's were made:
 
For Sunday afternoons.
For a night with a fine single-malt. 
For getting lost in music.
For reveling the soul of an artist.
For not overly revealing details at a distracting proportion.
For morning coffee. 
For rainy days indoor.
For bright and cheerful days. 
For changing your entire idea of what high-end is even about. 
For possessing a magic that is hopefully discovered by you. 
For teaching you to enjoy, not worry. 
For those that are passionate.
For you and I. 

 

[shotgunshane]

As I said before, the 1601s (and PFs) work only with some music for me. Every once in a while though, the result of their love affair with mids, reverb and space can be simply sublime:

Very nice. Especially the middle song. It even sounds great on a $35 Soundmagic.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

3. How in the world did you know I ordered the Kaede instead of the 3003?!?! I swear no one else knew but me (and Dimitri)!!

 
I am seeing a few comments on the Flat4-KAEDA here. It truly is the anti-FAD and that is one of the reasons that I am loving it. Going portable (really transportable since I rarely walk and listen) with both the Heaven VI and KAEDE is giving me a remarkable difference of interpretation for my music. The KAEDE is bright though which is something new for me. I am loving both it and the Heaven VI muchly. 
 
I also sometimes take the PF IX on the road (but not this current trip to Canada). It really is the king of jazz.

 

[woodcans]

Just finished listening to Bryter Layter (on Spotify) with my PF IXs and, though a pretty good album, I'm sorry to say that it simply cannot compare to Five Leaves Left, the latter being a much truer album, with a rare quality to it. I'll always be grateful to you, Ian, for the recommendation, a recommendation like this really is a true gift (at least for me).
 

Quote:

 
I agree. And I would have gotten to it much sooner had some grumpy sparrow not been going on and on about his recommendations.

 
I was actually agreeing with last sentence of the post, regarding the gift.
 
 
Quote:

i have to say of all the albums 5 leaves is my favourite as well. I have the boxed set CD collection and that has an extra CD called time of no reply. It is an album of alternative takes and out takes and I recommend that one. One track, black Eyed Dog, man, you should hear the finger picking in that.. In fact!


It does my heart good to know that you and others are getting so much out of Nick Drake's music, I just know he is loving this up there in eternal music land.

 
Quote:

Hey James, you forgot to quote ianmedium, ("I have to say of all the albums 5 leaves is my favourite as well"). 
 
Anyway, I know where you're coming from—and there were indeed 2/3 tracks I really thought were great—but at this stage in my life, believe me, I usually can tell when I personally need to listen to something a few more times to be able to come to a final decision / conclusion (like some Bartok music I heard some 20 years ago where I knew almost instantly I really needed more time to assess that music properly, which, incidentally, then became some of the best music I've heard to date). That, of course, does not mean I'll never be surprised again / proven wrong, but I did get a very clear feeling that Five Leaves Left was on a different music level [perhaps in 'my' so-called "Music with a capital "M"" type of assessment). But, knowing who this disagreement comes from, I will indeed give it a couple more tries and report back, even when such disagreement comes from Mr Utterly Uncool.
 

----------------------------
 

Here's something quite different, a track not found on YouTube, a bootleg recording of one of PG's early gigs after he left the music industry (in 1975) for (what turned out to be) a couple of years, after all the madness of touring and the crazy demands of the music industry that was very seriously affecting his personal life). Here, it is Gabriel's 'less than perfect' voice and RF's rather peculiar / angular guitar playing that really take the musical cake, to these ears (note that audiences didn't know RF was actually playing with PG as he went by the name of Dusty Rhodes then and refused to have a spotlight pointing his way during all the gigs that formed part of this tour):  https://www.hidrive.strato.com/lnk/vU4Kt535 (once again, grab it while you can). The 160Xs do a mighty fine job here delivering a great sense of space and a superb rendering of mid frequencies.

**Note: For those who don't know the track above, here's the two official versions, the first taken from PG's first album (1977); he second from RF's first solo album (1978) — might be a good idea to listen to these two before the link above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJueJruDiX0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdwLhu9bZAE
 
EDIT: BTW, brilliant version of Black Eyed Dog, Ian!

 
Quote:

As I said before, the 1601s (and PFs) work only with some music for me. Every once in a while though, the result of their love affair with mids, reverb and space can be simply sublime:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
^^^All great music, thanks!! And I love RF's guitar work, music!
 
 
 
Quote:

 
I am seeing a few comments on the Flat4-KAEDA here. It truly is the anti-FAD and that is one of the reasons that I am loving it. Going portable (really transportable since I rarely walk and listen) with both the Heaven VI and KAEDE is giving me a remarkable difference of interpretation for my music. The KAEDE is bright though which is something new for me. I am loving both it and the Heaven VI muchly. 
 
I also sometimes take the PF IX on the road (but not this current trip to Canada). It really is the king of jazz.

 
x2.

 

[up late]

As I said before, the 1601s (and PFs) work only with some music for me. Every once in a while though, the result of their love affair with mids, reverb and space can be simply sublime:

dunno if you're passionate enough James.

 

[woodcans]

I really enjoyed this track from Nick Cave last evening, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrxePKps87k. The PF's do a great job with it, and some of the percussion and effects, as well as the vocals, are impressive through them. The youtube audio quality doesn't quite do it justice, so if you have mog or even better, an uncompressed version, highly recommended. Mog link, track 5: https://mog.com/m#album/3840235.
 
 
 
 
My late night session last night left me with this, Acid Test:
 
 

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

My late night session last night left me with this, Acid Test:
 
 

 
The bokeh on this one looks like something out of the Alien set. An ominous take on the Piano Fortes.  

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

 
 And I love RF's guitar work, music!

 
Quote:

I really enjoyed this track from Nick Cave last evening, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrxePKps87k. The PF's do a great job with it, and some of the percussion and effects, as well as the vocals, are impressive through them.

 
That was a pretty good track, which indeed sounds great on the 160Xs (tried it with my 1601SS).
 
Here's a very rare guest appearance by a certain RF with Nick Cave's Grinderman in 2010. Although there's more than one guitarist playing here, RF's unmistakable guitar—apart from a few opening notes—kicks in at 4:14: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWU-0KiJBHA  —  this extended version of the track (featuring RF) was not the album version, ie the album version does not feature RF.

(there's even a chance that a certain shotgunshane might approve of RF's guitar here, and if so, that will inevitably mean this track won't be Mr Most Uncool's cuppa)
 
 
Quote:

An ominous take on the Piano Fortes.  

 
Perhaps the missing link which could finally prove the PFs are indeed an "abomination".

 

[woodcans]

Quote:

 
 
That was a pretty good track, which indeed sounds great on the 160Xs (tried it with my 1601SS).
 
Here's a very rare guest appearance by a certain RF with Nick Cave's Grinderman in 2010. Although there's more than one guitarist playing here, RF's unmistakable guitar—apart from a few opening notes—kicks in at 4:14: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWU-0KiJBHA  —  this extended version of the track (featuring RF) was not the album version, ie the album version does not feature RF.

(there's even a chance that a certain shotgunshane might approve of RF's guitar here, and if so, that will inevitably mean this track won't be Mr Most Uncool's cuppa)
 
 
 
Perhaps the missing link which could finally prove the PFs are indeed an "abomination".

 
 
Goodness, music, you are an encyclopaedic treasure trove of Musical goodness. Please keep it up, especially in this thread.
 
4:14 on that track begins awesomeness.
 
Hitting replay as I type...
 
 
I had some free time this evening so, (un)fortunately, this is now dedicated to music, here's to you: Inferno:
 
 
 

 

[james444]

Just for the sake of balance, a few tracks from an album that works a lot better on my FI-BA-SS than on those crappy 1601s (and PFs). This might even appeal to Van Halen fans...

 

 

 

 
 
@woodcans, what can I say, awesome as always...

 

[shotgunshane]

Thanks for the music James. I actually bought the middle piano/violin classical tune you posted the other day.

Normally I don't like 80's 'copy cat' music but this is really good. Wikipedia calls it post hardcore, glam power metal. Pretty good description. I will probably buy a tune or two of this as well. Btw- what is the middle song? It is blocked in America. (Edit: found it)

And thanks for posting music accessible In the digital downloadable world. The grumpy sparrow likes to post stuff I can only buy on cd or 8 track. Downloads are 'poo-poo'd'.

 

[music_4321]

Quote:

And thanks for posting music accessible In the digital downloadable world. The grumpy sparrow likes to post stuff I can only buy on cd or 8 track. Downloads are 'poo-poo'd'.

 
Sorry about that, but that really is not my fault — my local (equivalent of) Walmart, where I purchase practically all my music, only sell 8-track tapes and 78-rpm records.

 

[shotgunshane]

Sorry about that, but that really is not my fault — my local (equivalent of) Walmart, where I purchase practically all my music, only sell 8-track tapes and 78-rpm records.

I just need my brother's 73 metallic bronze Gran Torino and all those 8 tracks would be boss!

 

[up late]

Sorry about that, but that really is not my fault — my local (equivalent of) Walmart, where I purchase practically all my music, only sell 8-track tapes and 78-rpm records.

and rod serling's the store manager.