More of the Music of Harry Belafonte

A Living Stereo knockout. We often forget to spend time with records like this when there are Zeppelin and Floyd records to play. We’ve always enjoyed Belafonte At Carnegie Hall, but when we’ve dug further into the man’s catalog we’ve been left cold more often than not.

However, when we finally got around to dropping the needle on a few of these we were very impressed by the music and completely blown away by the sound on the best pressings.

Our Shootout Winner showed us everything we could ever want in this kind of recording and more. More, in this case, was a side two that was a step up over our best side one. We used to give records with a side two like this one a grade of A++++, but we stopped doing that years ago. (We discuss the subject of outliers down below.)

The notes for side one read:

Track One

Big, dynamic and rich vocals. Very full and rich.

Track Four

Good bass, rich and note-like.

Vocals are silky and present and hi-rez.

The notes for side two read:

Track Two

Dynamic, three-deimensional vocals.

Frequencies extend high and low.

Sweet and breathy flutes and vocals. Tubey.

Track One

So sweet and rich, can’t complain.

This is a serious step up! Crazy good.

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If you want to hear a record with sound like that, focus your attention on the pressings made in 1959 – that’s where that sound can be found, and you will have a hard time finding it on any record made in the last 50 years, no matter what anybody may tell you.

If someone disagrees with that assessment, have them play you the record that beats this one, something they will have a devil of a time managing to do.

1959 Tubes?

You just can’t beat ’em.

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