Stuart, are you still thinking about a used laptop? if so i think there are more compatibility issues to be looked at than if you are buying new. What peripherals do you expect to running with it...what are their connectivity requirements...if you HAVE to buy a used one (which i think is an unwise investment in terms of the # of hours you might have to spend in the future trying to make the thing compatible with newer technologies) make sure it has USB2 and not just USB1 since many devices start to choke on USB1's lack of speed.

That's just my 2 cents worth, which considering the amount i know about computers is actually worth about $0.002!

As for the Blind Faith, I have always felt that there where some killer tracks on the album but it had more than it's fair share of weak moments.

DJ Shadow - bought that disc a few years back and I put it right up there with the stone roses as something I just dont think is all that great....what was that elvis album....10,000 fans cant be wrong....( I wish I understood why I simply just dont get some stuff ....) On the other hand- Presence of the lord on Blind faith resulted in me going to church for 5 years during my adolescence....OK well maybe not , but you get the point.

I need some advice on laptops... I will be picking one up and Ill want to record my records onto cd as well as make compilation cds etc....Is there anything other then a cdrw that I need that you know of?

I know you're all waiting breathlessly for the Scottish verdict on the DJ Shadow disc. Well 9 years later it's still sounding pretty damn fine. I think this re-issue would make a great gift for the music loving youngster in the family. It may be a little bit too post-happy for my 11 and 12 year old nephews but it would be perfect for the discerning 17 or 18 year old. So forget about the White Stripes, Coldplay and Foo Fighters surprise them with something really cool.

Somebody want to tell me what all the fuss is about re Blind Faith? Brian? Stuart? You were the guys rhyming off various classic must-haves at the Rex a few weeks back.

DJ Shadow. Check. I'm on it.

Re Adams, no luck here with Naive and Sentimental, but I did buy some interesting piano work of his which might make a nice post script to the symphonic music.

Well, if you ain't got it looks you best be going out to get it. The first 10.0 I can recall ever being thrown out by Pitchfork. Even the Russian judge liked it. Now I should be off to give it another "9 years after the fact" spin.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/d/dj-shadow/endtroducing-deluxe-edition.shtml

OK boys, let's go with the 16th.

I probably already know the answer to this question but hey I'm a free man for at least the next 10 days so I'll throw it out there. This weekend has a pretty incredible musical line-up hitting the city what with NXNE and other shows going on. So here's the deal. Anyone interested in seeing something tonight, tomorrow or Sunday? I've got squat going on and would like to see something that isn't jazz as that's been a bit of a letdown lately.

Sample of some stuff I wouldn't mind catching:

Friday - Fembots, Deadly Snakes etc @ Gladstone
Wolf Parade, Tangiers etc @ Comfort Zone
K'Naan (Somalian beat poet I heard on CBC), etc @ Drake

Saturday - Heavy Trash, Sadies, Cuff the Duke @ Horseshoe

Sunday - Juana Molina @ Horseshoe
Great Lake Swimmers @ Drake

Feel free to brush me off.

Brian we need a choice from you my friend. What's it to be? Thursday, Friday or Saturday?

re thursday the 16th or fri 17th, I think im fine. (Im almost definatly fine for the thursday night and Yvette would prefer it too.)

friday is do-able for me, but of the two days, thurs is better. I'm easy...but then, you all know that!

Stu, thanks for playing social conveners once again, but i think that M.E myself and I will pass on the the tickets this year. (what with her taking evening courses that she has not signed up for yet and has no idea when they are going to be)

Too bad about the no-go on the TSO for next season there Brian but totally understandable.

What isn't so much is the oversight on Helene (the hottie) Grimaud. I was just mentioning to Geoff's parents on the weekend when asked if there were any good concerts upcoming in the city that a lovely French pianist was performing with the TSO. I wish you had called.

As for the Adam's CD I picked up a copy at the library yesterday but it will be rather academic if you can't make it as that brings us down to a group of 3. Still do-able but not so much fun. How many tracks do I really want to hear off the new Coldplay disc?

If Saturday isn't the best night I could also suggest Thursday the 16th or Friday the 17th. Comments please.

I think I'm out for TSO next year, at least as of today. I may go to a couple but I'll wait and see how the new year shapes up from a life-sanity perspective.

We realized this evening that we forgot to use the tickets we had for last night's Debussy and Ravel performance, featuring the comely (not that I noticed) French pianist Helene Grimaud. Bloody annoying.

I'll try to find the Adams CD this weekend and will let you know how I make out. Derek has a theory that Stuart bought the only copy in the city. Otherwise...what'll it be?

Also, not too sure if I will make the 18th. I've been reminded, not unjustly, that there are very few Saturdays left before we have to focus on moving, getting ready for baby, yadda yadda, so another night of the week would be better. I'm not suggesting that you guys change the date though.

Sorry to interrupt you all from your diligent pouring over of the TSO schedules, but Charlotte wants in on this and here are her choices;
Definate picks; Oundjian & Heppner June 15

Optional picks: Music of remembrance Nov9
Strauss & Brahms Nov 30
Shostokovitch 11 Wed Feb 15
Herbig & Parker Mar 8
Modern Soundscapes March 30
Songs of the Earth Apr 19 (probably some god dam granola shit...sorry Charlotte))

There you have it....

back to the TSO schedule for next season......

Yvette and I are going to the Sibelius and Bruckner show Thursday dec 8,and the "Joan of Arc" show thurs may 11 (you have to hear Ewa Podles live to believe it...simply a stunner) and the following shows we are interested in, but are not fussy about which ones in particular....

Any of the Shostakovich series numbered 8, 10 and 11
Hebig and Parker fri march 10
Modern Soundscapes Thurs mar 30th

We will pick a total of 5 for the pick your own subscription series, and we will be in the very cheap seats, (where you have to bring your own walkman with a cd )

Anyone interested? If so we should co-ordinate now as the good seats do go.....

Lets be fascist and say anyone interested should post choices by mid next week and we order tickets on the following friday...
s

i'm all over it stu!

Well, I just picked up a copy of Adams work at Gregorian....Hope you guys can find a copy. (are you interested marc? havent heard from ya)

Let's go for it Stu. Assuming we can find the piece (re Derek's note) I'm very interested. Sorry for the delay, I was busy studying for and failing my CFA exam, and then stewing about it.

Still stewing about it.

Haven't checked with V about the 18th, but assume I'm in, though I may be a little later.

And Kyle, expanding the blog for other interests is a grand idea. So is going to France, for the record. I watched in its entirety, for the first time, strangely, "On the Waterfront" last night. Wonderfa.

Well since I only have Dereks ok about the Adams work, and since the 18th is only 2 weeks away, I think we will have to postpone this for the next club after dereks, (unless you lazy bastards email your acceptance in the next day or so)
s

while it is indeed possible that a nice bottle of bordeaux will be consumed while in paris, we will be most looking forward to the burdundies and southern rhone wines of the chateaux we'll visit in person. aggravated you all enough? okay. but be sure to play an edith piaf disc in my memory.

also, when i get back, or more likely sometime in early july, i would like to revamp the blog a little bit to make room for posts about other passions and diversions. i think in doing so, we will see less lag times between posts. i know that some days i feel that i don't feel like posting about music but i may have just seen a really interesting film that i want to discuss.

any objections to doing so? discuss.

a deux semaines!

The Adams piece works for me. I have a few discs with works by him but not that particular piece. My only quibble is that there appears to be only one recorded performance of the work and that is on Nonesuch from 2002. So there won't be any discussion of variations in performance and more pertinently it might be difficult for each of us to get our hands on a copy. The proposed CD club night is still Saturday June 18. (I think you mentioned the 20th Stuart).

Since Brian expressed no objections when I spoke to him of that date and Kylie will be sipping Chateaux Margaux by the banks of the Seine let's make it official.

with regard to dereks upcoming cd club, if we are still into a classical music review, tell me if there is any interest in John Adams. I keep coming up against references to his work and there is quite a large body of work. Some of you may have some of his stuff. "Naive and sentimental" music keeps coming as as a hotly debated masterwork ( or not)....its also a topic about music in general which I have debated with some of you.... How about it boys? If you already know this piece, is there other Adams work that interests you? WE should decide soon as the 20th is near...