Fred Neil Sessions 1967

Fred Neil Sessions 1967

Something happened, yesterday�


... during a quiet, lovely listening session, mostly devoted to the �new� vinyl discs I recently purchased at a local flea market, after some Bach and assorted harpsichord music by Gustav Leonhard, I felt the need to listen to something different� I mean very different.

 

I browsed in a discs-box and Fred Neil�s �Sessions� on Capitol (1967) re-surfaced.

 

I immediately recognized it as an original promo pressing with a �free� punched on a cover corner.

 

I placed the wax on Garrardzilla platter, put the peripheral-ring and the clamp and hand-lowered the Lumiere DST�s diamond tip on the disc.

 

The vinyl surface wasn�t perfect � i.e. assorted tiny pops and some wear-noise, but� when Fred�s voice began singing and those acoustic guitars interwoving and the low, nicely recorded double-bass also blossomed, it became apparent the surface noises weren�t disturbing the music and listening experience, at all!

 

To my surprise, I paid more attention to the phenomenon: it was like the vinyl noises where embedded in the dark studio/listening room background, while the music, so rich of nuances and bits, was simply more important and unaffected and popping out above mentioned pressing/worn out defects.

 

Impressive.

 

P.S. � the disc is a true masterpiece: Fred was the model after the late Tim Buckley made himself as Tim Buckley� roaring voice, superb 12 strings strumming� Mr. Tambourine Man himself � aka Bruce Langhorne is also playing his acoustic guitar� very cool idea leaving � thus the Sessions title � some chatting after the takes.

Highly recommended.

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