Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

Publisher: Analogue Productions – RRAP 0022

Playing time: 45 min

Specifications: half track ¼", stereo, 2 metal reels, CCIR, 38 cm/s

Reel(s):               2 standard metal reels, printed

Packaging:        2 deluxe cardboard boxes, 1 cardboard slipcase, printed, with spine labeling

Inserts:                1 insert sheet, 1 booklet with 4 pages

Homepage: https://store.acousticsounds.com/

Translation of the German review:

When I told a friend on the phone that I had bought the Norah Jones tape, I had to endure a triad of ridicule and malice quite unexpectedly: Whether I was already sure it would be a reasonably good recording, because his SACD would in no way meet the standards of the recording or the medium. Besides, "the girl" would be hyped on the market as Ravi Shankar's daughter and completely overrated. And then to add such a price for a tape: "Claus, I don't understand you anymore, you are completely radiated by now." I had to shake myself at first. I replied to him that he should put on his shoes and come over as well as use the way to neutralize his head in order to be able to listen to the tape as painlessly as possible. A short time later, he was actually on the doorstep, smirking softly, freely saying, "Maybe it wasn't meant that way after all." Already after the first song, his doubts began to fade. The music comes very relaxed and calm from the magnetic medium. Without any background noise, with a balanced spectrum and frequency response, as well as exorbitant audibility - in two respects: on the one hand, all instruments are accurately mapped, the singer exactly in the middle of the stereo image, and on the other hand, you can listen to the album very well from the first to the last note. In the end, the critic fell silent. A few days later came the call: "Sh..., Claus, I think I need a tape recorder too".

Dear Norah,

welcome to my living room! It's nice that you took the time tonight to perform your album in the form of a house concert. Thank you for bringing your musicians. So far I know your music from the high class vinyl, which had been released in various editions and had found its way to me. However, what comes from the present tape is in another league. It is not only the music that is transported, it is the pure energy of your voice and the instruments that penetrate into every cell of the listener's body at an appropriate listening volume. Your band and you stand physically in the room. You provide moving moments of happiness! Your songs come with a bouncy ease in a full musical spectrum and raise the bar of what is possible quite high. It is the fulfillment of all parameters in a musical production that make this debut album a timeless classic even 20 years after its release. It is also pleasing that it is not a songbook that is being reproduced, but songs that were predominantly composed by you and some of your musicians and are thus perfectly tailored to you.

With best regards from Claus

Nevertheless, two things stand out. Either it is because this music has now already 20 years on the hump or I had not noticed before: A tad overrated the work could actually be. Some songs are very similar, which is made up for to some extent by the brilliant recording and performance of the musicians - especially the singer and pianist: Norah Jones strikes a chord with the listener by celebrating her singing so charmingly that emotional rapture overtakes factual thinking. The second point is that the tape material used by Analogue Productions produces a bit of abrasion that lingers on the surface of my Telefunken M15. That's fine as long as the issue doesn't accelerate. More accurate findings will become apparent over the years. Often enough this excellent tape will be played, that's for sure!

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)