FEATURE:
A Turntable Under the Tree
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A Musical Christmas Gift Guide
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I am going to borrow from some other…
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articles for this feature because, as people are still Christmas shopping, they may need some general guides when it comes to all manner of things! In this feature, I will look at some books, music technology, albums/boxsets and assorted sundries that should provide you with some guidance if you are having trouble finding those gifts for the music lover in your life. I will start with some books because, whilst there are some lists out there, it can be hard deciphering which are worth looking at. The Times recommend some great music books from this year - but there are a few I would narrow down on. I am going to slightly repeat a feature I put out a little while ago regarding the best music books of 2020 but, if you need some great gift ideas, I have a few. In some cases, these books might suit people who are fans of a particular artists - but I feel they are just great reads in any case. Small Hours: The Long Night of John Martyn has won a lot of critical acclaim, and it is a book I would recommend people to buy. One does not need to be steeped in Martyn’s music and life to appreciate Graeme Thomson’s new book. You an buy it here - and it is a book that The Telegraph have highlighted (I shall borrow from them again soon):
“Serious readers will find more to chew on in Small Hours: The Long Night of John Martyn (Omnibus, £20), Graeme Thompson’s overdue study of a brilliant talent led astray by his own poisonous character defects. The virtuoso guitarist and songwriter whose influence can be detected all the way from U2’s The Edge to Ed Sheeran, died aged 60 in 2009 in a parlous condition after a life of drunkenness and debauchery. Thompson somehow makes you care about this violent, alcoholic misogynist who once impaled himself on a fence and crashed his car into a cow”.
One book you do need to grab is Craig Brown’s One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time. This is an amazing book I have already bought someone as a Christmas present; it provides a fascinating new slant on the world’s biggest band. This is an essential purchase for any music-lover! The Guardian reviewed the book. I just want to grab a section from that review:
“It’s noticeable in this book how, once they are famous, they become prey to the most outrageous hangers-on. This vulnerability is most evident in John, the prickliest of the four, and also the neediest. He was first seduced by Magic Alex, a Greek conman whom he appointed his guru and electronics expert. Then he and George fell under the spell of the Maharishi.
Finally, and fatefully, came Yoko Ono, who John initially assured his wife Cynthia was “crackers, just a weirdo artist who wants me to sponsor her”. Brown reserves a particular scorn for Yoko, not because she “broke up the Beatles” – that was inevitable – but because her narcissism egged Lennon on to painful extremes of silliness and self-importance.
The saddest irony was that the Beatles once did have someone to take care of them. The Hamlet’s Ghost of this book is Brian Epstein, whose story Brown plots in reverse – from the eclipse of his lonely suicide to the bright-eyed overtures as manager and impresario. It makes a poignant epilogue. Of course that story is nothing without the Beatles’ talent, but here is the reminder of how Epstein discovered it, packaged it, and sold it. Had he not taken himself down the steps of the Cavern Club one lunchtime in November 1961, the world might never have heard of the Beatles. As Lennon once admitted: “Brian … made it all seem real. We were in a daydream ’til he came along … We stopped chomping at cheese rolls and jam butties onstage”.
There are a few more books I will highlight; first of all is Annie Nightingale’s Hey Hi Hello: Five Decades of Pop Culture from Britain's First Female DJ. Go and buy the book, as it is a remarkable insight into one of radio’s most influential and iconic figures! It is another terrific read, so this will be a welcomed present for anyone who loves their music and has even the faintest knowledge of Nightingale and her story. Another book that I highlighted recently was David Hepworth’s Overpaid, Oversexed and Over There: How a Few Skinny Brits with Bad Teeth Rocked America. This is a wonderful book and, again, one that can suit the tastes of any music fan! This Waterstones synopsis gives us some guidance:
“'Hepworth's ability to mock subjects he has a clear affection for and cast well-worn anecdotes in a fresh light makes his history of rock'n'roll's special relationship a zippy delight' The Times
The Beatles landing in New York in February 1964 was the opening shot in a cultural revolution nobody predicted. Suddenly the youth of the richest, most powerful nation on earth was trying to emulate the music, manners and the modes of a rainy island that had recently fallen on hard times.
The resulting fusion of American can-do and British fuck-you didn't just lead to rock and roll's most resonant music. It ushered in a golden era when a generation of kids born in ration card Britain, who had grown up with their nose pressed against the window of America's plenty, were invited to wallow in their big neighbour's largesse.
It deals with a time when everything that was being done - from the Beatles playing Shea Stadium to the Rolling Stones at Altamont, from the Who performing their rock opera at the Metropolitan Opera House to David Bowie touching down in the USA for the first time with a couple of gowns in his luggage - was being done for the very first time.
Rock and roll would never be quite so exciting again”.
The last music book I will recommend is from The Telegraph and their suggestion, Ready Steady Go! The Weekend Starts Here, by Andy Neill. This is what they have to say:
“…a forensic account of Britain’s first great TV pop show. It is packed with photographs of show favourites such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Dusty Springfield, and crammed with intriguing encounters. Its neutral prose, however, leaves you speculating as to what really went on when the likes of David Hockney, Vidal Sassoon and Michael Caine squeezed into the green room to watch Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye and the Supremes, before decamping to the Ad Lib club to dance with Christine Keeler and drink with John Lennon. One indication that everything might not be as innocent as it was presented at the time is the way Paul Gadd flits through the book’s pages as a studio warm-up man, later to change his name to Gary Glitter. The rest is infamy”.
You can buy the book here. I would encourage people to do that! Other features like this give some good insight into the best music books of this year but, if you have been stuck regarding presents, I hope the suggestions above help a bit!
IN THIS PHOTO: The Sonos Move
Music tech and kit is quite a broad and extensive field when it comes to making recommendations. There are good features like this that are useful. I think narrowing down to speakers, headphones/earphones and record players is the best way to go! There are other great lists for a more general rundown, but let’s start with speakers. There is some advice and recommendation from Pitchfork when it comes to bookshelf speakers. These might be more for those with deeper pockets, but there is a nice variation and a mix for various budgets. If you are looking for some speaker guidance for a lower budget, then this article is really useful! The Sonos Move seems to be a must-buy:
“Here’s the thing about the Sonos Move – it’s so good, you might want to consider it not only as your on-the-go party station, but also as your main in-the-home wireless speaker too.
With two quality drivers, a solid app that unlocks playback from hundreds of wireless sources, multi-room capabilities and smart audio-tuning tech which tweaks the output based on the speaker's immediate surroundings, the Sonos Move is engineered well beyond your average Bluetooth speaker. It's a versatile speaker, one that stands solidly alongside the built-for-home Sonos speakers that the company made its name on.
It’s not perfect – it’s heavy as a byproduct of its incredible sound, it’s expensive due to its rich feature set, and it sadly can’t be used as rear channels for a home cinema set-up. But if you’ve got the money, it’s hard to fault the Sonos Move when it comes to hunting down the very best Bluetooth speaker in the world”.
If you need some more advice and choice then I can recommend this article too. Let’s have a look at the all-important headphones/earphones.
IN THIS PHOTO: The Sony WH-1000XM4
This is something that everyone can do with. There is a lot of differing opinions regarding the best headphones and earphones of this year but, in terms of headphones, this is a pretty deep and useful guide. From the list, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is a good/the best buy:
“The Sony WH-1000XM4 deliver excellent noise-cancellation and surprising sound quality all in a lightweight, comfortable design.
While they don't look significantly different from their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM3, a number of new features including multipoint pairing, DSEE Extreme upscaling, conversational awareness and auto-play/pause using a built-in sensor all help the WH-1000XM4 claim the title of best headphones in 2020.
By every possible metric, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is a wonderful pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones. They deliver exactly what they promise and then some thanks to their exceptional noise cancellation and cutting-edge codec support.
On top of the adjustments listed above, the Sony WH-1000XM4 support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format that enables spatial audio on stereo headphones plus the LDAC codec that can send a bitrate of up to 990 kbps. The unfortunate bit there, though, is that it no longer supports aptX or aptX HD, so your Hi-Res Audio support mileage may vary.
Despite being usurped by the XM4s, the Sony WH-1000XM3s are still well worth considering – and they're likely to be discounted now that the newer model is out”.
IN THIS PHOTO: The SoundMAGIC TWS50 being sported
WIRED have also provided a nice list that addresses the pros and cons of various headphones (here is another, similar article). I will skip to earphones because, as expected, people lump in earphones with headphones when it comes to these things! Refer to the articles I have suggested above but, for more affordable (under £100) earphones, the SoundMAGIC TWS50 are pretty decent:
“In the first ten years or so of its life, SoundMAGIC set about proving its mastery of the affordable in-ear headphone. And having established unarguable credentials on that score, the last four or five have been spent doing the same thing with affordable wireless in-ear headphones. With the TWS50 (£79), it would seem the company’s case is water-tight.
Everything that’s impressive, and everything that’s a bit underwhelming, about the TWS50 must be considered in context of the price. No, neither the earbuds themselves nor the charging case they’re supplied with feel anything special – those plastics are quite hard and shiny. No, the TWS50 aren’t the last word in out-and-out volume. But they have Bluetooth 5.0, so can play hi-res audio files. They have a total of 30 hours’ battery life, which should prove ample. They have touch-controls, compatibility with all popular voice-assistants and an IPX7 rating. They’re comfortable in use. And, most crucially of all, they sound authentically entertaining.
They’re an organised listen, but that’s not at the expense of dynamism or attack. They sound quite spacious, but well-defined. They carry plenty of detail, especially through the midrange, and have plenty of bass texture to make up for a slight lack of outright extension. And they’re a swift, purposeful listen where so many rivals can easily get bogged down.
And, of course, they’re affordable. Much more affordable than the sound they make might suggest”.
That should give you some food for thought if you need to get some headphones or earphones and are not sure which ones are the best – and the best value for money.
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This year has been a strange one for music and, despite some delays, we have seen some remarkable albums! If you want to give the music lover in your life a vinyl subscription, then Wax and Stamp are great; here is another wonderful service - and there are even more options should you need them! For some boxsets and reissues that are not necessarily from this year, this article is pretty helpful; this one from The Sound of Vinyl is specific to this year. I want to highlight a few – again, I might be repeating myself, but it needs to be done! There are five that I want to highlight. This year, we celebrated John Lennon’s eightieth birthday (on 9th October) and, sadly, we will mark forty years since he died (on 8th December). For that reason – and many more -, I think GIMME SOME TRUTH. Limited Edition 4LP Vinyl Box Set is one you should go and get. The Flaming Pie: Collector's Edition Box Set from Paul McCartney is pretty pricey but, as it is a masterful and gorgeous edition from the world’s greatest songwriter, it is worth some pennies:
“A 4LP/5CD/2DVD Collector’s Edition — remastered at Abbey Road Studios and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies issued in a numbered cloth wrapped two-piece collector's box — will feature everything in the Deluxe Edition plus a marbled art print portfolio of six silkscreened Linda McCartney art prints, exclusive vinyl versions of the remastered album cut at half speed across 2LPs in an exclusive gatefold sleeve, an LP of home recordings in a hand-stamped white label sleeve, and “The Ballad of the Skeletons” – Paul's 1996 collaboration with Allen Ginsberg, also featuring Philip Glass and Lenny Kaye – released for the first time on vinyl and cut at 45 RPM with vinyl etching and poster”.
A relatively new collection is the Amy Winehouse 12x7 The Singles Collection: Limited Edition Box Set. This is a sublime collection of music from the sadly-departed singer. Again, I don’t think you need to be a big fan of Winehouse to appreciate her and the stunning music that she left behind! Similarly, who can go without The Studio Albums: Limited Edition Coloured Vinyl Box Set from ABBA?!
“ABBA: The Studio Albums collects together, for the first time on coloured vinyl, and with replica LP artwork, each of those releases: 1973’s Ring Ring (on red vinyl), 1974’s Waterloo (on orange vinyl), 1975’s ABBA (on silver vinyl), 1976’s Arrival (on white vinyl), 1977’s ABBA: The Album (on green vinyl), 1979’s Voulez-Vous, on blue vinyl, 1980’s Super Trouper (on gold vinyl) and 1981’s The Visitors (on yellow vinyl). Taken together, they represent one of the most stunningly creative runs in pop music, setting the bar for those that followed in their wake.
Across eight studio albums released over eight years, ABBA established themselves as one of the greatest pop groups of all time.
Dominating the charts throughout the 70s, and continuing their winning streak into the early 80s, the Swedish four-piece redefined the boundaries of pop music, with each new album charting an astounding artistic progression that remains a fabric of our culture.
Decades after their last release, 1981’s The Visitors, their music has inspired stage shows, cinematic blockbusters and even themed restaurants”.
Another expensive (but excellent) boxset is Sign O’ the Times: Super Deluxe Edition 13LP+DVD Box Set. This is a must-own for any Prince fan. Here are some more details:
“Overflowing with musical ideas and topical lyrics that sound just as relevant today as they did when they were initially released, Prince’s iconic double album Sign O’ The Times captured the artist in a period of complete reinvention. The final 16-track album included just some of the countless songs Prince recorded in the prolific period of 1985-1987, which saw the dissolution of his band The Revolution, the construction of his innovative recording complex, Paisley Park, and the creation (and ultimate abandonment) of the albums Dream Factory, Camille, and Crystal Ball.
This September 25, The Prince Estate, in partnership with Warner Records/Rhino UK, will reissue Sign O’ The Times. The Super Deluxe Edition will feature the classic album remastered for the very first time, 63 previously unreleased tracks, and a previously unreleased 2+ hour video concert performance from Prince’s legendary vault that illuminates his wide-ranging and prolific creativity in this era. Following the successful release of the 1999 Super Deluxe Edition in the fall of 2019, the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition represents the deepest dive to date into Prince’s vault and includes a total of 92 audio tracks across thirteen LPs”.
IN THIS PHOTO: The Rega Planar 3
The last section that I want to talk about in terms of potential Christmas presents is record players. There are great lists like this that weigh up the positives and negatives of each turntable, but the Rega Planar 3/Elys 2 is an essential for those with a larger budget:
“No turntable has dominated its category like the Planar 3, taking on all-comers since its launch the 1970s. So if you want a step-up in performance, we're only too happy to recommend the Rega Planar 3/Elys 2 you see here.
Thanks to a thorough revision and some key component upgrades – notably the tonearm and cartridge – this version keeps the legacy in tact. The Planar 3 remains what it has always been: a simple, beautifully-engineered deck that puts performance first. With an engaging sense of scale and good organisational skills, the Planar 3 ensures that every instrument is well-separated and composed, no matter how complex the track. It exhibits a greater level of transparency than its talented predecessor, too.
In short, this new version is the best RP3 yet – as illustrated by its Product of the Year gong at the 2019 What Hi-Fi? Awards – adding extra servings of clarity, precision and insight to an already musical sound. If you're looking for the best value turntable on the market, this is it”.
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If you want to buy from the high street, then there are some great record players at HMV that everyone who likes their vinyl would love to receive! If you want a vintage-looking record player then this one on Amazon is really good; there are others in the price range (or close enough) that gives you some options! If you need some more tips on great record players for under £300 (most of us will!) then this article from LOUDER is a big help. I would look at reviews for many of these record players before you commit, as all of them have their good and bad points – it depends on what you are looking for. In any case, I hope that I have provided some assistance if you need some bigger Christmas presents or some smaller ones for that music fan in your life. It is the start of December, so there is still a little way to go, but go and snap up a great present now! I am going to leave it there but, for those of you who are puzzling when it comes to great vinyl, record players, music books and kit, then I hope that I have…
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HELPED a little.