Basie, Count - Farmers Market Barbecue - Super Hot Stamper

Basie, Count - Farmers Market Barbecue - Super Hot Stamper*NOTE: On side 2, track 1 ("Blues for the Barbecue") and track 2 ("I Don't Know Yet") play a little noisier than Mint Minus Minus. Musically, FMB is a top Basie big band title in every way. This should not be surprising: many of his recordings for Pablo in the mid to late 70s all the way through the early 80s display the talents of The Count and his band of veterans at their best. Sonically, it's another story. Based on our recent shootout for this

How could it

This is music for those who want to be challenged

there is a bubble in the vinyl that plays as 13 moderate thuds at the start of track 1

but Brazil 66 is clearly a step up in every way: songwriting

immense charm

They're front and center where any recording engineer worth his salt -- Robin Black and Alan Parsons in this case -- would put them

with almost none of the sweetness

The sound is to die for

gets to the reason shootouts are the only real way to learn about records

percussion instruments -- everything has the natural timbre of the real thing

The fact that nobody seems to be able to make a record that sounds this good these days tells me that in fact

What The Best Sides Of Gilbert and Sullivan Overtures Have To Offer Is Not Hard To Hear