From: Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>
> Did I mention how much I don't like chronological-discography compilations?
> This substitutes the taste and intents of the artist and producer(s) for
> some sort of academic study of a body of work. Boring! Bad enough to waste
> listening time with rejected takes and false starts, but also to destroy
> album continuity and vibe, for the sake of what? I never understood this
> sort of compilation, going back to multi-LP collections of the 70's and 80's.
> -- Tom Fine


I have the exact opposite attitude. The body of work of a performer
exists as it was recorded in the studio. The ordering of the items in
the album is usually an afterthought that rarely includes the performer,
just as the performer almost never knew what the album cover would look
like. If "album continuity" actually meant something, they would record
it in the studio in that order. Just recently I did hear a discussion
by George Avakian about how he decided on programming LP tracks, but
that was his decision alone as producer, not the performer. In a live
concert the performer usually makes the choice. That is not the same.
And if there HAS to be a certain order, every one of their concerts
would be ordered in the exact same order. Some do, and others NEVER do!

The pacing of an LP is different when it is combined into a CD with no
turn-over break. Comments have been made about the British LPs of the
Beatles as opposed to the U.S. albums. Some American listeners were
disoriented when they could only get the British versions on CD, so
Capitol put out a set of CDs of the American albums. But those were
arranged by the Capitol people without any input from the producer or
performers. But it is what the American kids grew up with and they
preferred it. And TRUE Beatles fans want to hear the recording sessions
to learn how the tracks themselves were built. You can't know that from
just the "finished product".

Studying recording sessions with busted takes and alternate takes in
order is similar to studying rough drafts of a writer. Studying the
drafts of great documents like the Declaration of Independence and
speeches like the Gettysburg Address and FDR's Declaration of War where
you can see how words and phrases were tried, changed, and modified
gives great insight into the creative process. Hearing a talented
performer's recording session can be similar. Certainly you have
attended orchestral rehearsals. Same thing. THEN when you hear the
actual performance or the approved take you know more about what went
into it.

Mike Biel [log in to unmask]




-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Sonny Stitt Roost records discography wanted
From: Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, May 03, 2010 3:12 pm
To: [log in to unmask]

Hi All:

In one of my windmill-tilting projects for listening pleasure, I am
trying to deconstruct the Mosaic
set of Sonny Stitt Roost recordings and reconstruct it as the original
albums, in the proper
sequence. I couldn't find any good discography online. Does anyone have
the original Roost records?
Would you be willing to type in the song order and ping me on- or
off-list? Much appreciated, any
and all help. I will gather and organize the total of whatever I get
from the ether and publish in a
subsequent posting to this list.