Devil is in the detail

Vinyl Face-Off - Black Sabbath Paranoid

Alright, folks, I’m now officially at that point where I’m becoming picky about my vinyl purchases. It’s fine to grab some old records for a buck or two, but sooner or later, you’re going to want some quality, heavy vinyl. This is where reissues come in.

Currently, for whatever reasons, I’m on another one of my intermittent Black Sabbath kicks. I’m really not a heavy metal fan - the proper response would be, “ugh” - but Sabbath became the gold standard for every underground guitar band of my generation, including hardcore punk, thrash, and Seattle grunge. That’s where my experience comes from. So let’s take a look at Sabbath’s signature album, their second - Paranoid.

I first bought this album on CD, then upgraded to an old ’70s Warner Bros record, one with the palm trees. The vinyl, was, as you would expect, a dramatic improvement over the CD, but the record itself was extremely lightweight. Very light and flappy, and standard for a lot of ’70s albums. This means you can’t ever play loud, which pretty much defeats the whole point of listening to Sabbath. So I decided to get one of the current reissues from the Uptown Cheapo.

The Contenders - Earmark, NEMS, Rhino

Earmark is the most easily available records around here, and I suspect it’s the same wherever you live. The label is Italian, a joint venture between Get Back Records and Sanctuary. All of the ’70s Sabbath albums are available, and come in a variety of weights, from standard vinyl to 180 gram. I’ve bought a few Earmarks, including Vol. 4, Sabotage, and Never Say Die.

NEMS is a UK label founded in 1976 and only ran until 1983. They were beset with troubled finances and collapsed, despite the advantage of having the Sabbath catalog and some other bands. I think Sanctuary eventually got the rights and the name, but I could be mistaken. For one thing, they continue to issue vinyl under the NEMS label, instead of Earmark. For another, the vinyl on both labels are very different. NEMS is still available on shelves with the gold “180 Gram” sticker.

Finally, Rhino. Rhino is one of the better record labels for music fans, especially for vinyl junkies. They reissued Paranoid, with the Warner label, which is currently their only Sabbath release. There remains some hope that the other albums will be reissued at some future point. Paranoid is also issued on 180 g vinyl.

1) Album Packaging

Earmark - In the interest in fairness, I haven’t purchased the Paranoid album on the Earmark label, but I have several others, so I can vouch for the packaging. This is one of Earmark’s strengths. Gatefold packaging is included, and the vinyl is clear white. The paper has that glossy waxy quality, which I really don’t like too much, due to fingerprint smudging. But this sort of thing is pretty common these days. Finally, the record comes wrapped in a plastic bag, instead of the standard paper.

NEMS - This is the one area where NEMS loses out. The album cover is not a gatefold. Just a standard record cover. I’m one of those who tends to prefer the gatefold album covers, provided that the band actually earns it. It’s a declaration of quality - hey, kids, this album is a notch above the rest. Simply Vinyl’s Nevermind, for example, doesn’t have a gatefold. That’s just scandalous. If any album has earned its gatefold, it’s Saint Cobain’s Nevermind.

Anyway, all a matter of preference. The NEMS cover has the glossy finish, which I’ve mentioned earlier. A sturdy paper sleeve is included, which is nice.

Rhino - Now this is the best of the bunch. The packaging is with the Warner Bros label, the colors are bright and vibrant, and the gatefold is included. The paper is sturdy, heavy, and, most importantly, not coated in wax. It’s nice and dry. Best of all is the paper insert which holds the record. It’s padded. Great job.

Winner: Rhino

2) Analog or Digital

Earmark - Now this is the real make-or-break issue for audiophiles, and it should be a deal-breaker for you, no matter how new you are to collecting vinyl. Analog is the original sound of the music, the original sound that appeared on those old records. Digital is what you hear on Compact Disc or your iPod. It’s not a recording of the original sound waves, but a computer sampling of those sound waves. It’s a simulation of sound.

Why is this important? Digital sampling loses much of that original sound wave. That means a lot of the music is lost. You’re getting less music, smaller music. Vinyl records have a much wider, deeper sound than CD’s, and the analog recording and mastering is the key to vinyl’s celebrated “warmth.”

Now for the bad news. The Earmark albums are digital. As I understand it, all of their albums are taken from digital masters, mastered and pressed by GZ Vinyl in the Czech Republic. This plant, according to the Steve Hoffman forums, usually master from manufactured CD’s, and cannot even cut records in analog.

The really bad news? Earmark has reissues of Motorhead’s albums in addition to Sabbath. Boo! Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to find old Motorhead records? Sorry, Earmark, you’re out.

NEMS - All the NEMS records are from 1976, so obviously everything is analog. I would assume, also, that their masters are based on the original UK Vertigo masters. The Vertigo records are hailed as the gold standard by Sabbath fans, and routinely sell for high prices on eBay. Then again, the issue of Black Sabbath and record labels and who owned what is a nightmare. That was one of the things that finally destroyed them in the late ’70s.

Rhino - Rhino’s Paranoid reissue is based on a US tape copy, which is analog. For Sabbath fans, it’s important to know that all the records and CD’s are ultimately taken from two original lines - Vertigo in the UK, and Warner Bros in the US. Warners are considered to be a step below Vertigo, and Paranoid in particular has a couple problems, which we’ll look into. But, for now, Rhino is analog, and gets a pass.

Loser: Earmark

3) Sound Quality

Earmark - Again, I haven’t sat down with the Earmark version of Paranoid, but I do have three other albums. I’ve discovered there is a certain level of consistency with their releases, so the sound quality is the same level throughout. Unfortunately, as we’ve learned, Earmark is digital. This becomes apparent when listening, and I’ve found Earmark to be the weakest of any bunch.

In my experience, Earmark records sound bright and crisp, but perhaps too harsh and loud. It’s like the contrast on a photo has been turned up. The various sounds don’t integrate too well, and this is a calling card of digital music. Analog music will be far more subtle, and the various instruments will mesh together perfectly. Earmark’s Vol. 4, for example, is far weaker than NEMS’ Vol. 4.

NEMS - This is where the NEMS really wins out. It’s fantastic in every way. This was the third Paranoid I purchased, after the old ’70s WB and the Rhino reissue. I wasn’t sure what to expect, or if it could top the Rhino version, but it does. It’s close, but I think this version is slightly better. Everything is just silky smooth.

The volumes on everything are just right. You can crank the noise up and blast your eardrums and your speakers, but the sound isn’t needlessly loud or sparkly. It’s integrated, subtle. Paranoid is possibly the best sounding of all the Sabbath albums, since they’re still a young band, and the songs have a live, jazzy feel. They haven’t become drugged-out rock stars obsessed with studio perfection yet. This means you really get to hear all the instruments perfectly and appreciate the masterful musicianship.

Rhino - Ah, this is a close one. I loved the Rhino version when I took it home. It really is a step above those flimsy old ’70s records. This record is LOUD. The bass and drums just kick you in the gut, and it’s a terrific rush. However…(long pause), I’ve found the little flaws and weakness continue to grate on me as time wore on. Let me explain.

The Rhino Paranoid is based on a US tape copy, which means that certain flaws that were always present on the original WB records are present here. For Paranoid that means some odd volume drops on the first side, particularly with War Pigs and Iron Man. Just great - the two best songs on the album. The volume is strangely quiet for the first three minutes of War Pigs, and then you can hear the volume being cranked up, where it remains for most of the album. It’s really strange, and it’s one of those things that just grows into manias in my mind. Iron Man, I think, also has some volume flux in the beginning, for some weird reason.

This brings me to the second big issue - the vinyl itself. It’s loud. It’s really loud and scratchy. I’m surprised, frankly. Perhaps I’ve just become spoiled by The White Stripes’ Icky Thump, which is probably the best-sounding vinyl record of all time. But then the NEMS vinyl shatters this myth. That record is perfectly quiet, wonderfully so, while Rhino’s vinyl sounds like static. That can be a problem for an album like Paranoid, which relies upon loud and quiet segments to play against one another.

Finally, the matter of the bass and drums. The rhythm section has been boosted a bit for this record, and it’s really a matter of preference. For me, it was a thrill upon first listen, but NEMS is so perfectly integrated, that I’ve come to prefer that version. Again, it’s a personal choice for you, and not something that would make or break.

Winner: NEMS

Final Choice - Which is the Best Paranoid?

The World of Italian Coffee

It would be hard to think of Italy without coffee. After all it is the national breakfast and the home to coffee drinks that have taken the rest of the world by storm. Without Italy, Starbucks would not exist and without coffee, Italy would grind to a halt. No, coffee was not invented in Italy but coffee culture as we know it did originate here. Today Italy is a country of coffee aficionados who will not tolerate (or visit) an establishment that has bad coffee. Italians will even skip coffee in a restaurant to have one at a favorite bar, it is just that important.

Coffee is so much a part of Italian culture that the idea of not drinking it is as foreign as the idea of having to explain its rituals. These rituals are set in stone and not always easy for outsiders to understand.

In fact, as in any self-respecting cult, they are made deliberately hard to comprehend, so that the initiated can recognise each other over the bar counter without the need for a curious handshake (which would only lead to stubborn cappuccino stains).

Some might object that the Italian coffee cult is now a worldwide church with branches in London, Dubai and Bora Bora. But although the Arabica coffee blend is often perfect, the cups just the right size and shape, the machines as Made in Italy as they come, Italian coffee bars outside Italy almost always adapt to the host culture – just like the vast majority of Chinese restaurants outside China. If you take your cue from your local high street espresso purveyor, you risk straying from the True Path on arrival in Italy.

Here, then, for those who fancy going native in true Lorenzo of Arabica style, are the Ten Commandments of Il Culto del Caffè.

1. Thou shalt only drink cappuccino, caffé latte, latte macchiato or any milky form of coffee in the morning, and never after a meal. Italians cringe at the thought of all that hot milk hitting a full stomach. An American friend of mine who has lived in Rome for many years continues, knowingly, to break this rule. But she has learnt, at least, to apologise to the barman.

2. Thou shalt not muck around with coffee. Requesting a mint frappuccino in Italy is like asking for a single malt whisky and lemonade with a swizzle stick in a Glasgow pub. There are but one or two regional exceptions to this rule that have met with the blessing of the general coffee synod. In Naples, thou mayst order un caffè alla nocciola – a frothy espresso with hazelnut cream. In Milan thou can impress the locals by asking for un marocchino, a sort of upside-down cappuccino, served in a small glass which is first sprinkled with cocoa powder, then hit with a blob of frothed milk, then spiked with a shot of espresso.

3. Which reminds me, thou shalt not use the word espresso. This a technical term in Italian, not an everyday one. As espresso is the default setting and single the default dose, a single espresso is simply known as un caffè.

4. Thou can order un caffè doppio (a double espresso) if thou likest, but be aware that this is not an Italian habit. Italians do drink a lot of coffee, but they do so in small, steady doses.

5. Thou shalt head confidently for the bar, call out thine order even if the barista has his back to you, and pay afterwards at the till.

6. If it’s an airport or station bar or a tourist place where the barista screams “ticket” at thee, thou shalt, if thou can bear the ignominy, pay before thou consumest.

7. Thou shalt not sit down unless thou hast a very good reason. Coffee is a pleasurable drug, but a drug nevertheless, and should be downed in one, standing. Would thou sit down at a pavement table to take thy daily Viagra?

8. Thou shouldst expect thy coffee to arrive at a temperature at which it can be downed immediately as per the previous commandment. If thou preferest burning thy lips and tongue or blowing the froth off thy cappuccino in a vain attempt to cool it down thou shouldst ask for un caffè bollente.

9. Thou shall be allowed the following variations, and these only, from the Holy Trinity of caffè, cappuccino and caffé latte: caffè macchiato or latte macchiato – an espresso with a dash of milk or a hot milk with a dash of coffee (remember, mornings only); caffè corretto: the Italian builder’s early morning pick-me-up, an espresso “corrected” with a slug of brandy or grappa; and caffè freddo or cappuccino freddo (iced espresso or cappuccino) – but beware, this usually comes pre-sugared. Thou mayst also ask for un caffè lungo or un caffè ristretto if thou desirest more or less water in thine espresso.

10. Anything else you may have heard is heresy.

Online Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/6246202/Italian-coffee-culture-a-guide.html

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/coffee.asp

Release party for the new collaboration between S Magazine and A QUESTION OF.

Photos by Hugo Jøzwicki for S Magazine blog. Source —> http://www.smagazine.com/blog

Vinyl Is Forever: In Praise of Indie Record Stores

What’s more, a good record store acts as a kind of brain trust and cultural meeting place for the music scene that surrounds it. “Hanging out in record shops” is a time-honored way to connect with like-minded (and like-eared) enthusiasts, find out what cool gigs are happening in town, and even meet other musicians who may also be looking for a band influenced by “My Bloody Valentine, Kid Creole, and the Fugs.” Getting to know the people behind the indie record racks is a great way to stay plugged-in to the local music scene; without them, you’re arguably just another isolated post-modern punter trolling the internet in your Crocs. Whether you’re picking up “rare groove” sides by Donald Byrd and Mongo Santamaria and ampling them into Ableton Live, or buffing out your collection of Dick Dale and Ventures singles to brag about in the pages of Goldmine, you’re likely to bump into someone who shares your passion.

Read full article here -> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-rotondi/vinyl-is-forever-in-prais_b_545098.html

Monocole: London – Zürich – Tokyo - Hong Kong - New York - Toronto

Magazines are almost history. Old media is in crisis, threatened by the internet and the collapse of advertising revenues. Which is why media increasingly relies upon events outside of its pages. Editorial, advertorial, curating and sponsorship are bleeding into one another in a desperate cluster-fuck that breeds hybrid offspring.
Monocle’s pop-up shop is a strange form of embedded reporting - a magazine that’s out there in the real world doing something real (or at least almost real). We might think of it as hyper-stylised Gonzo journalism, where the lines between fact, reporter and reported blur into one conceptual continuity. It’s a strange terrain where buying might be the same as reading and owning is equivalent to understanding.

Read the full article here —> http://www.iconeye.com/read-previous-issues/icon-068-%7C-february-2009/monocle-shop