Album Review: Vinyl Collection

I have no problem accepting that the use of a so-called "audiophile pressing" to demonstrate the virtues of a system is often used. Now not everyone has access to these pressings. And while I agree that there are some extraordinarily good audiophile pressings, there are also some of these titles that contain music so far from the mainstream type that few people will ever appreciate them. But it is also true that there are some truly magnificent artists that will never have wide exposure because their music is not considered to be commercially viable. The album is most definitely an audiophile quality product; contains some excellent music by relatively unknown artists; and is readily available.

The Stockfisch Records label was completely unknown to me until a few months ago when a fellow vinyl enthusiast entrusted a record to me that I could immediately sense was something special, long before I even played it. It was Water Falls on the Stockfisch Records label, which operates from Germany and is known for the spectacular technical quality of its products, be it vinyl, CD, SACD or DVD. The album reviewed here, The Vinyl Collection is one of only three vinyl pressings from this label, with more to be released in future. As the title suggests this is a collection of music from the very impressive Stockfisch catalogue.

Direct Metal Mastering involves the process whereby the traditional first step, cutting on black cellulose nitrate lacquer, is eliminated. In order to get a stamper prepared for the final pressing of an album, four galvanizing steps are required. Instead of the traditional method, the first link in the chain with DMM preparation starts with soft copper being used. What this boils down to is a record with a much better frequency response and the elimination of one step greatly improves the ultimate sound of the record. Now this was done in the past as well, sometimes with not-so-spectacular results. This has been taken care of through the mastering process used by Hendrik Pauler from Pauler Acoustics.

The recording consists of the following pieces:

• Chris Jones: No Sanctuary Here
• Sara K: Stars
• Paul Stephenson: Captain of the Loving Kind
• Christian Willsohn: Caruso
• David Roth: Song for You Faraway
• Steve Strauss: Closer
• Ewen Carruthers: Paris
• Eugene Ruffolo: The Same Kind Words
• Mike Silver: Heaven
• Louis Capart and Due Balance: Au Large du Gueveur

The album starts off with the chilling guitar work of Chris Jones. Taken form the album Roadhouses and Automobiles, the late Jones displays his excellent ability on the guitar and dobro. On the original album's sleeve the guitarist's chords are supplied for each song, even indicating whether a capo was used and then its exact position! The message is a strong one - and almost could be written for the South African situation - where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Sara K, who so aptly displays her rather peculiar style of guitar playing on Water Falls, continues on the album Hell or High Water, from which the song Stars is taken. The last album the made with guitarist Chris Jones before his death shows an artists completely at ease with herself and she does not mind revealing her heart.

Paul Stephenson tells us of a Captain of the Loving Kind who diverts a flight to take care of the medical needs of a baby and lands his Jumbo on a small airfield. No-one seems to mind the fact that they will be delayed though, as they admire the man's actions. The guitar work is excellent and this is a trade mark of the Stockfisch catalogue - the best microphoned guitar work I have heard in a long time!

Christian Willisohn's Caruso is a great tune by blues singer from Munich who he excels on the piano. And while I did not understand a word of the lyrics, not written in his native German but rather in Italian, music does not need words to tell a story. Guitarist David Roth was asked to do an album of mostly cover material and he certainly makes no mistake with James Taylor's Song for You Faraway. Taken from Pearl Diver, an album pressed on 180 gram vinyl.

Side 2 starts with Steve Strauss' Closer reminds us of love lost and about longing. And reaching. And touching. And losing. And then doing it all over again. Ewen Carruthers takes us on a romantic journey to Paris, taken from the album When Time Turns Around.

Eugene Ruffolo is a singer / writer from New York is described as follows: "The wonderful thing about Eugene Ruffolo is that the grace and clarity you hear in his singing and writing mirror perfectly the man within." - Livingston Taylor. And when you listen to The Same Kind Words you will understand why. Mike Silver follows with Heaven and offers a few questions about Heaven and its location. Actually, if you follow some basic steps, Heaven is not a long way from here and indeed easy to find.

The last cut, by Louis Capart and Duo Balance, Au Large du Gueveur is from a brand new collaboration with Stockfisch Records and the song is beautifully sung in French with the accordion giving it a really romantic feel. Ruffolo was born in New York City and grew up in surrounding Westchester County. The son of a clothing designer with a love of the classical guitar, Eugene would spend hours as a child listening to the fluid strains of Bach preludes and finger style exercises, as his father practiced tirelessly. It wasn't until his teenage years that Eugene, after flirting briefly with the saxophone and clarinet, one day picked up one of his father's guitars and found the perfect accompaniment for his natural and budding tenor voice. Inspired by the singing and playing of singer/song writers such as James and Livingston Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills ,Nash and Young, the young performer immersed himself in the music, and within a year found himself performing professionally in neighboring bars and restaurants.

While collections are often themeless, this one manages to perfectly capture the essence of the Stockfisch catalogue and is a handy evaluation tool for exploring the many artists and their music. Technically there is absolutely nothing that one could find fault with. The pressing is superbly done on 180 gram vinyl, surface noise is all but non-existent, and the sleeve itself speaks volumes for the care taken in both pre- and post production of all titles in the Stockfisch catalogue.

Available from A Sound Experience at R300.00, with new stock available in January 2007. Pre-orders and up front payments only. Contact A Sound Experience by e-mail or mobile 072 235-9818.