LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (Apr 1980)

Earl Hines

I enjoyed Stanley Dance's interesting and informative article on Earl Hines in the February issue. Hines certainly deserved STEREO REVIEW'S award for outstanding contributions to American music, and you selected the right man to write about him.

My jazz collection contains dozens of al bums with liner notes by Stanley Dance, and I have always been impressed by his thoroughness, interesting "inside" information about the recording sessions, and avoidance of hollow promotional verbiage.

DONALD F. SWENSON; Minneapolis, Minn.

I don't know from jazz, but I am certain from STEREO REVIEW'S cover story on Earl Hines that he is unique. On page 72 of the February issue he is both "eighteen when he went to Chicago in 1924" and "seventeen in 1926"! Truly a timeless man!

CLARK CHAMBERLAIN Welsh, La.

The photo incorrectly captioned "Earl Hines at seventeen" was made in 1926, when he was either twenty or twenty-one (he was born December 28, 1905). Sorry.

Cabaret

William Anderson's "Missing Ingredients" (February "Speaking of Music") is a marvelous piece: he has been there, and he says it like we wish we could.

The cabaret artist, as Mr. Anderson says, is often better when seen and heard than when just listened to. Ronny Whyte and his impeccable taste in songs are best in person.

The Tubeside Cabaret may be the answer, although I suspect TV and its bountiful presentation of musical performers have contributed to today's rude audiences. The TV Tony Bennett doesn't complain when we talk about our day at the office, so we might as well talk about this year's Elks convention while pretending to listen to him in a club. Also, audiences today are per formers! It is important to let the next table know we have been visiting the Pierponts in Majorca. At New York's Carlyle, Marian McPartland may stop in the middle of While We're Young to say, "There's a cheap bar three blocks down the street; you might like it there!" But only Marian, with her Queen Elizabeth accent, can get away with it.

LOON IS MCGLOHON; Charlotte, N.C.

Monstrous Installation?

Horrors! It is bad enough that a man who claims to be both an audiophile and an antique collector has the bad taste to cannibalize a "still functional" 1919 Victrola in order to house his modern gear in its cabinet. It is shocking that STEREO REVIEW would choose this as an "Installation of the Month" (February 1980). A functioning Victrola is a marvelous piece of audio gear in itself. Would you advocate installing a cassette recorder in a Stradivarius violin? Or the works of a modern small piano inside the cabinet of a functioning antique harpsichord? I really had hoped that this type of disregard for the past died out with the Fifties, which was the last time I encountered this particular monstrosity.

ROBERT E. LUFP; Mercerville, N.J.

The Editor replies: I hope Mr. Lupp is being hyperbolical for effect when he com pares old Victrolas to Strads or antique harpsichords; they are, after all, musical instruments, and the Vic merely an obsolete reproducing agency. Given enough time, practically anything seems to acquire an antique charm, but has that time really come for the Vic? Personally I have always found it an ugly little beast, waterfall oak, bow legs, and all.

ELP, 'ELP!

I didn't think much of Steve Simels' re view of Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "In Concert" ("ELP: The Band That Wouldn't Die," February). I didn't think it was funny or informative. I think it was a waste of time. He didn't say anything about the record, just about his weird friend who went insane listening to it. So how am Ito tell if it's worth buying or not?

S. M. BOLLAS; North Royalton, Ohio

Thanks for Steve Simels' "The Band That Wouldn't Die." It was very well writ ten, though in a rather bizarre style for a stereo magazine. I wonder how many readers of STEREO REVIEW are H. P. Lovecraft buffs and understood the in jokes or recognized the Lovecraftian style Mr. Simels used. But the review stands on its own merits, and you don't have to be familiar with Lovecraft to understand its message: the al bum is bad!

TERRY L. RISING; Saugus, Calif.

As an avid and unfortunately die-hard ELP fan, I have to respond to Steve Simels' rather sick but humorous article, "The Band That Wouldn't Die." When I read the title, I expected it to be a tribute to one of the best rock bands of the past decade. But no, he had to spoil it! I haven't read any thing like that since the last time I opened Creem magazine. Doesn't anybody have anything nice to say about this band?

CAROL CECCOTTI; Oradell, N.Y.

Steve Simels' review of ELP "In Concert" was simply wonderful! He brought off that which is nearly impossible to do: an allegorical satire that takes care of two porn posities at once. I admire the result and only wish I'd thought of it first.

HARRY PEARSON; Sea Cliff, N.Y.

Digital Decade I want to express my appreciation for the cover story, "Digital Decade," by Steve Traiman in the January STEREO REVIEW. It was a no-nonsense summary of the developments in audio that will, in effect, make much of present broadcasting and receiving equipment obsolete. Maybe if the FCC got off their butts and made it mandatory for the manufacturers to agree on a standard, for once the consumer would get a halfway decent break. (I still have my Pioneer QX949 quad receiver sitting on the shelf because of the lack of standardization.)

S. S. BOONE Armonk, N.Y.

Laudable as the many articles and news tidbits about the coming digital revolution may be, I think record manufacturers should be put on notice that consumers are about to boycott their products until we have permanent, un-scratchable, ultra-high fidelity records like the Philips Compact Disc. I have stopped purchasing records, except for those being discounted or deleted, because it does not make sense to build a library of clicks and pops that can only grow worse after each playing.

What is holding back all-digital discs and players from being on the market right now? Agreements on standards? Horse-feathers! Surely quad was a lesson on that.

Technology? Programming? Nonsense! Being familiar with microprocessor -based controt systems, I know there are no barriers to immediate availability. We keep on hearing about digital recordings being made right now in the field. Why not digital playback at home? My guess is that the only thing the digital revolution is waiting for is a clear signal from consumers that they've had enough of the hundred -year -old technology of analog recordings. My message to record companies and hardware manufacturers is that I'm mad as hell, and I won't buy it any longer!

MALCOLM DEAN; Toronto, Canada

The Editor replies: My guess is that what killed quadraphonics was the very rush to market Mr. Dean recommends for digital audio. Standards for digital recording have, in fact, just been promulgated by Jawan's Electronic Industries Association (see last month's "Audio News"), but a wholesale replacement of the record catalog is (sensibly, I think) years away. And now, of course, is the time to be stocking up on those artists who won't be around when digital recording becomes the rule rather than the exception. How many priceless 78-rpm performances never got duplicated on LP? In any case, all the bugs are not out of the digital recording process, the equipment is enormously expensive, and there aren't yet even enough skilled tape editors to go around.

After reading David Ranada's "A Dozen Digital Demo Discs" in January, I ordered the Telarc recording of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. I had to wait a couple of weeks and the price was high, but it was worth 'it. Mr. Ranada's and the manufacturer's cautions about the power of the disc were justified. The record exceeded my expectations. I attend the Tanglewood Festival every year and make it a point to hear the performance of the 1812 Overture, and this disc has captured it totally.

GERALD CARON, Berkley, Mass.

Evita I wish to differ with parts of Peter Reilly's review of the Broadway -cast recording of Evita in February STEREO REVIEW. I saw Evita in London, and I was most impressed with Elaine Page's portrayal of Eva Peron.

Mr. Reilly misquotes the lyrics to the song Don't Cry for Me Argentina. He says that the line after "I kept my promise" is "You kept your distance," which I agree is gibberish. But in the London production and in every recording I have heard the lines are "I kept my promise/Don't keep your distance," which certainly makes sense.

Mr. Reilly also says that the rendition of this song he prefers is Olivia Newton -John's. I haven't heard Patti LuPone sing it, but I have heard Newton-John, Julie Covington, Elaine Page, and Shirley Bassey. All my friends and I agree that no one else can match Shirley Bassey's rendition.

CAREY R. MILLER; Robbinsdale, Minn.

Vladimir Horowitz

Since it is generally accepted that Vladimir Horowitz is one of the most important pianists of this (or any other) century, it seems safe to assume that future genera tions will examine his recordings carefully in search of clues to his unique pianistic genius. It would follow, then, that Horowitz's rather infrequent recordings call for careful and thoughtful analysis.

What, then, is one to make of Eric Salzman's insipid discussion (in the February is sue) of Horowitz's latest recording of Schumann, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt? About 98 per cent of Mr. Salzman's review deals with the music rather than with the performance-and in fact reads as though it had been cribbed from the record jacket. Only one sentence fragment gives any clue to Horowitz's playing: ". . . the piano sound strikes me as hard." Of course, Mr. Salzman does coin the critical term "bardic" to describe Horowitz's playing, but one is hardly enlightened to learn that this means Horowitz "plays the piano the way a great storyteller tells stories." If Mr. Salzman finds reviewing piano recordings uncongenial, he ought to leave the task to others.

DONALD H. CROSBY

Ashford, Conn.

Music Editor James Goodfriend replies:

Horowitz, far from being an infrequent visitor to the recording studios, has built up a considerable catalog of recordings to document his distinguished career. A critical assessment of his pianism is possible only through adding up one's responses to many of his recordings, some of which provoke more thoughtful analysis than others. In the meantime, Horowitz is still playing music, and that may also be worth talking about.

Eighties Pop

Lester Bangs' "Pop Music in the Eighties" (January) was both insightful and well written. I believe, however, that one of his critical prognostications (a coming reaction against "technical excess") is incorrect This claim seems frivolous in the face of the intelligent and constructive use of modern technology in the music of the New Wave.

The idea is to implement technology in such a manner that almost anyone can make music that is individual and of good sound quality.

ALAN ROSIENE; Middletown, Conn.

Lester Bangs' January article, "Pop Music in the Eighties," seems to be an organized observation of the present and fu ture state of musical affairs. Given how music has progressed up to now, punk rock does seem to be the next logical step.

But, my friends, look deep into the gaping mouth of punk and see if it has some thing any better to offer. Let's look before we leap, step, or crawl, whatever the case may be. It could be that we don't actually need a change in music, but only in what is said in music. We can have today's kind of music with lyrics that are life- and character -building. Bob Dylan has opened the door for us, and there are other artists who are just as musically potent as anyone around in contemporary music but, like Dylan, are talking about things that are real and true-for instance, Michael Omartian, Larry Norman, Phil Neaggy, and Keith Green. They are offering something worth looking into.

DOUG CRAWFORD; Pittsburgh, Pa.

Christmas Present

Amen to Thomas Corum's January letter regarding the helpfulness of STEREO REVIEW in choosing what albums to buy. Unlike Mr. Corum, however, I simply haven't time to read all the reviews, so I find especially helpful the policy of highlighting certain albums (reviews of which I might not otherwise take time to read) by giving them feature reviews or designating them "Recordings of Special Merit." For example, because it was a feature I read William Anderson's review in December of "A Christmas Together" by John Denver and the Muppets. The review was most intriguing, and after rushing out to buy a copy my wife and I nearly played it to death all through the Christmas season. Move over, Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

FRANK MOYER; Albuquerque, N.M.

Young Composers

May I make a belated response to the Editor's "Advice to Young Composers" in the September issue? I agree that composers are "often too vulnerable .. . to the news of what their peers are up to all over the world." Therefore, by all means avoid modern -music concerts and other composers, and do not teach at a university. But don't "move to New Zealand." Any isolation from the mainstream of our contemporary society and culture will put a composer out of contact with the realities of the world in which he lives. What great art does not reflect some aspect of the contemporary world as seen through the eyes of the artist? So do not sell your record player, TV, or radio. Listen to what audiences are hearing and reacting to and enjoying. Then go and write your compositions-in New Zealand if you must, or wherever you work best.

FREDERICK STEINWAY; Amherst, Mass.

Price Correction

The retail price of the Denon/PCM two-disc digital -Master recording of Schubert's Ninth Symphony (0B -7350 -51 -ND) is $18, not $28 as was erroneously stated in a review in the February issue.

Also see: NEW PRODUCTS: Roundup of the latest audio equipment and accessories

Source: Stereo Review (USA magazine)

Prev. | Next

Top of Page   All Related Articles    Home