Wow, what an evening, what a way to cap off another amazing day.
As the last rays of summer are sure to roll into fall, I got up early this morning and rode 25 km on my road bike around Stanley Park and then went on another ride later, with a friend on my hybrid bike. The second ride was along an 11 km paved road through some of the most beautiful forest country around, in the North Vancouver Seymour Demonstration forest. One of the highlights is to make it down to the rivers edge near the fish hatchery and lay on the waters edge, taking in the sun, before the long trek back to the start of the trail of magnificent rolling hills, surrounded by majestic Douglas fir trees that are at least 15-20 stories tall, in every direction are towering mountain peaks above and rushing rivers below. I am in the forests of British Columbia, and I want to be a lumberjack... Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Seymour-D...er-BC-4800
When I got home, I had a free evening to listen to music and explore my surround music collection. Since upgrading to Davaar 20 Beta last week, the sound quality of multichannel surround music and music in stereo is a revelation, as I rediscover many albums again. My neighbour downstairs is away on holidays, so I turn it up, loud!!!
A number of references in the last few weeks from some Linn Forum members has me pulling out the one Frank Zappa 5.1 DVD-Audio disc I have, Quadiophiliac. I load it into the OPPO and spin away. This is a fantastic album, of exceptional sound quality. I can now hear the brilliance of Frank Zappa and his band.
I pull up Frank Zappa's Biography on my iPad while listening to his music. I had no idea what an amazing talent he was, but I am often late to the party on discovering great musicians.
I read his biography and discography for a couple of hours while I spin more 5.1 surround music from a group called Flaming Lips.
I start with Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, one of my favourite 5.1 discs, to show off what surround music can do. This is an album that actually blends seamlessly as a follow through to Frank Zappa's album. I have never heard it sound so good, as this evening, all the while reading about Frank Zappa.
Next album in the cue is Flaming Lips 5.1 album War of the Mystics. This is the perfect accompaniment to the Frank Zappa album, and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Great music, superb sound quality.
Hmmm, checking Amazon for Frank Zappa albums, and there are 220 available, although he officially had around 60 albums.
I pull out the last Flaming Lips album I have in 5.1 surround, The Soft Bulletin. This is after all, an evening of experimental music, rock and psychedelia. Still reading the autobiography of Frank, with Flaming Lips in the background. Okay, I have not played this album before in it's entirety, but will have to revisit it again sometime, but it is okay on first listen.
So how can I finish off the evening and continue the theme of the night. Of course, Grateful Dead's iconic 1972 concert on DVD, in surround, just released last year, Sunshine Daydream. I have not played it before tonight, but will go back and take a listen.
Cheers
“Don't eat the yellow snow.”
"I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."
― Frank Zappa
As the last rays of summer are sure to roll into fall, I got up early this morning and rode 25 km on my road bike around Stanley Park and then went on another ride later, with a friend on my hybrid bike. The second ride was along an 11 km paved road through some of the most beautiful forest country around, in the North Vancouver Seymour Demonstration forest. One of the highlights is to make it down to the rivers edge near the fish hatchery and lay on the waters edge, taking in the sun, before the long trek back to the start of the trail of magnificent rolling hills, surrounded by majestic Douglas fir trees that are at least 15-20 stories tall, in every direction are towering mountain peaks above and rushing rivers below. I am in the forests of British Columbia, and I want to be a lumberjack... Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Seymour-D...er-BC-4800
When I got home, I had a free evening to listen to music and explore my surround music collection. Since upgrading to Davaar 20 Beta last week, the sound quality of multichannel surround music and music in stereo is a revelation, as I rediscover many albums again. My neighbour downstairs is away on holidays, so I turn it up, loud!!!
A number of references in the last few weeks from some Linn Forum members has me pulling out the one Frank Zappa 5.1 DVD-Audio disc I have, Quadiophiliac. I load it into the OPPO and spin away. This is a fantastic album, of exceptional sound quality. I can now hear the brilliance of Frank Zappa and his band.
I pull up Frank Zappa's Biography on my iPad while listening to his music. I had no idea what an amazing talent he was, but I am often late to the party on discovering great musicians.
I read his biography and discography for a couple of hours while I spin more 5.1 surround music from a group called Flaming Lips.
I start with Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, one of my favourite 5.1 discs, to show off what surround music can do. This is an album that actually blends seamlessly as a follow through to Frank Zappa's album. I have never heard it sound so good, as this evening, all the while reading about Frank Zappa.
Next album in the cue is Flaming Lips 5.1 album War of the Mystics. This is the perfect accompaniment to the Frank Zappa album, and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Great music, superb sound quality.
Hmmm, checking Amazon for Frank Zappa albums, and there are 220 available, although he officially had around 60 albums.
I pull out the last Flaming Lips album I have in 5.1 surround, The Soft Bulletin. This is after all, an evening of experimental music, rock and psychedelia. Still reading the autobiography of Frank, with Flaming Lips in the background. Okay, I have not played this album before in it's entirety, but will have to revisit it again sometime, but it is okay on first listen.
So how can I finish off the evening and continue the theme of the night. Of course, Grateful Dead's iconic 1972 concert on DVD, in surround, just released last year, Sunshine Daydream. I have not played it before tonight, but will go back and take a listen.
Cheers
“Don't eat the yellow snow.”
"I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."
― Frank Zappa