Alan Burns
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alanburns.bsky.social
Alan Burns
@alanburns.bsky.social
600 followers 510 following 5.1K posts
Kilmarnock-born Edinburgher, civil servant who likes a lot of music, niche trivia and funny stuff
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alanburns.bsky.social
Just the one from a quick dip into Nicolson Street Oxfam, but in keeping with current obsessions: never heard the pianist and this looks like the most cheapo label imaginable, but I've been buying thrift classical long enough to know that doesn't mean it'll be great
2CD of Chopin: Complete Nocturnes performed by Richard Meyrick [Cirrus Classics/Castle Communications, 1997]
November 15, 2025 at 11:47 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Now playing: GOAT Chopin
2CD cover of Chopin: Complete Nocturnes performed by Daniel Barenboim [Deutsche Grammophon, 1982; late 90s reissue]
November 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Now playing: cheap twofer of a couple of albums from the Conifer label, from 1987 (Debussy) and 1991 (Ravel), sounding great
2CD cover of Debussy/Ravel: Piano Music performed by Kathryn Stott [Conifer, 1987/1991; this compilation Sony Classical, 2009]
November 14, 2025 at 8:52 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Me and my brother came up with Tolkein-level lore for these guys, think they even had their own organised religion at one point
A Boglin, one of the full-sized ones called Plunk. A blue rubber monster hand puppet, I can still feel the minging sweat on your hand that these things created
November 13, 2025 at 9:00 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
NP: rainy day night music
2CD cover of Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes performed by Daniel Barenboim [Deutsche Grammophon, 1982; late 90s reissue]
November 13, 2025 at 9:46 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Now playing: starting where I left off yesterday, dug out this gorgeous little suite at the same time as Voyage
CD cover of Children’s Songs by Chick Corea [ECM 1267]
November 13, 2025 at 8:32 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Found it, here goes
CD cover of Voyage by Chick Corea & Steve Kujala [ECM 1282]
November 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
Returning to Windham Hill now, my happy place until Spring
CD cover of High Plains by Philip Aaberg [Windham Hill, 1985]
November 12, 2025 at 10:39 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
And this, while I'm at it
CD cover of Liszt: Piano Sonata h-moll/ Légendes perfomed by Alfred Brendel [Philips, 1982]
November 12, 2025 at 9:29 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
NP
CD cover of Liszt: Late Piano Works performed by Alfred Brendel [Philips, 1980]
November 12, 2025 at 8:50 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Forest was lovely, and a twee suite from The Snowman aside, showing more ambitious playing & writing plus some good cover choices. Now for Plains, and at 72 minutes the CD bloat era is in full swing; George still sounds great though
CD cover of Plains by George Winston [Dancing Cat/Windham Hill/BMG, 1999]
November 11, 2025 at 11:34 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Now playing: venturing further into the Winston catalogue
CD cover of Forest by George Winston [Dancing Cat/Windham Hill/BMG, 1994]
November 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Oh yeah, the Discogs deliveries for this month concluded yesterday while I was out, the full run going thus:
6 CDs: Piano Solos Of Erik Satie by Bill Quist Forest by George Winston Plains by George Winston High Plains by Philip Aaberg Energy by Michael Jüllich Tender Ritual by Jim Chappell
November 11, 2025 at 9:24 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
NP: Satie a la Windham Hill, 1st piano album they ever released (Winston would record Autumn in the same studio the following year). Striking in how belt & braces straightahead an interpretation this is, and a sharp-eared reviewer I've read has noted a poorly-tuned piano: a quite sweet naivety to it
CD cover of The Piano Solos Of Erik Satie performed by Bill Quist [Windham Hill, 1979]
November 11, 2025 at 9:21 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
I did, I love it - so well executed, with that nice fat Buchla sound on the Gymnopedies.

Only just got hold of this one from a Discogs Windham Hill order - pretty cool that Satie was their first ever piano album. Same studio where Winston would record Autumn a year later.
CD of Piano Solos Of Erik Satie by Bill Quist [Windham Hill, 1979]
November 11, 2025 at 8:35 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Now playing, 'night all
Album cover of Satie: Piano Works performed by Daniel Varsano and Philippe Entremont [Sony Classical compilation, 1992]
November 11, 2025 at 12:44 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Post a non-religious photo you think of as holy.
George the Hofmeister Bear
November 10, 2025 at 9:38 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
Yesss it's Mia Goth time
Frankenstein (Guillermo Del Toro, 2025)
November 9, 2025 at 4:40 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
Last shot of the bus scene in the Dinner In America epilogue, the two motherfuckers who needed to take it down a notch
November 9, 2025 at 2:48 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
Blunt for John Nettles, in the Mamdani generator
November 9, 2025 at 12:00 AM
alanburns.bsky.social
Where’s your fucking poppy?
Rio, a tabby cat, glaring up at me from the kitchen floor
November 8, 2025 at 12:08 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
Watching this again, it's great
Weapons (Zach Cregger, 2025)
November 7, 2025 at 11:13 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
George the Hofmeister Bear's Hogarthian calendar
November 7, 2025 at 9:50 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
Reading this (from ScreenRant) about Knowing and I wouldn't say the Christian symbolism is "debatable", whoever CGI'd the aliens in their final revealed form was clearly just given the first chapter of Ezekiel with the brief to follow it to the letter
Whether Knowing's depiction of an alien race has Christian symbolism will always remain debatable, since its answer is a matter of personal interpretation. However, one element about the sci-fi movie's storyline is certain: it centers on how Nicolas Cage's character feels divided between the conflicting philosophies of determinism and randomness.
November 7, 2025 at 6:51 PM
alanburns.bsky.social
The first of the Discogs postmen for this month cometh: diversifying my new age solo piano portfolio with the mid-80s debuts of Philip Aaberg & Jim Chappell, and now playing the Michael Jüllich one, which so far is quite promisingly sounding like an hour-long How To Destroy Angels, yes ha ha ha YES
November 7, 2025 at 2:38 PM