A little more than five years ago, on an October eve, Diane and I ventured to the World Cafe Live Upstairs in Philly to see a British singer who had yet to release an album in the U.S. – Rumer. At most, 50 folks were in attendance; and half of them, I think, were there for dinner and drinks, not the show. As I wrote in my first post to the Hatboro-Horsham Patch (since relocated to this blog), only a smattering – including us – were already familiar with her music.
Here are a few clips from that night (taken with a Canon digital camera):
Afterwards, Rumer stuck around to sell merchandise and meet the fans… and, despite not having a working turntable, I bought (for $10 or 15) her debut LP, Seasons of My Soul, which I’d had on CD since the previous fall. We talked a bit, as not everyone stuck around. She was exceptionally nice and gracious (as she has been the other two times we’ve met).
To the point: Through the years, I’ve collected quite a few new (and never played) LPs – Neil Young, Blake Babies, First Aid Kit, Fleetwood Mac, others – that came as part of “deluxe” packages. I’ve intended, for quite a while, to return to the days or yore, but one thing or another – usually, the purchase of CDs and high-res downloads – cut into my music budget. But with the advent of Apple Music, my costs have gone down. I rarely purchase. Rumer’s new one? Yes, I bought that (and, in fact, have a CD-LP combo flying across the Atlantic to my doorstep); Neil? Of course. He’s a no-brainer. Most others? Eh. I’m quite content with the sound quality of Apple Music. As much as I enjoyed my Pono player, and I did, I’ve relegated it to home-use. But that’s a post for another day…
Back on point: Today, I listened to Seasons of My Soul the way nature intended – analog. In my case, that means via a Sony turntable connected to a Samsung shelf-stereo system that I picked up, for free, through my job earlier this month. The sound is good. Great? Probably no better than the CD, given that the system isn’t top-end, but that’s okay. It’s cool to slip a vinyl disc from its sleeve, drop onto the turntable and let the music wash over you. Like days gone by.
Even my wooly bully of a feline, Tyler the Love Cat, enjoys it.
The Old Grey Cat 