Wyn Morris was noted for being a difficult man with an alcohol problem. He just could not get along with other people, which sabotaged his career. That was a shame, because the guy could really conduct. In Mahler especially he was idiosyncratic but wonderful. In this recording, which I find to be in excellent audiophile sound, he makes the case for his personal view of the Mahler 5th, and does so convincingly. His orchestra keeps up with him, yielding an excellent version of this work. Add in the sound quality, and you've got a true winner!

I first heard this on LP (CD4 quadrophonic) back in the late 70's and was very impressed. The performance still impresses - real character, but without it being about the conductor. Would certainly be on my shortlist of top Mahler 5's. The recording is starting to show its age. A big open sound, but brass slightly blaring (might be the playing as much as the recording), and the bass congested at high levels (sounds like tape saturation). Still preferable to modern multi-miked confections.