Copper

Johnny Cash - Bear’s Sonic Journals: Johnny Cas...

Once again, I’m focusing on a single outstanding record; this time it’s a 1968 Johnny Cash live date in San Francisco that never saw the light of day prior to...

The Case of the Return of NRBQ

I first caught “the Q” in college on a whim. It was a last-minute thing in 1987 and my buddy Matt who was from Hartford was a rabid fan. He...

Are Musicians’ Brains Wired Differently?

It’s not unusual for musicians to be characterized as strange, eccentric and even downright wacky. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to them. I’m fascinated by eccentricity, nonconformity and rebelliousness, traits...

Phil Keaggy: A Lifetime of Joyful Noises, Part ...

In Part One (Issue 145), we looked at Phil Keaggy’s musical beginnings with power trio Glass Harp, and his early solo recordings, which showed his skills expanding beyond hard rock music to...

Tom Waits – Our Beat Storyteller, Part Three

I must apologize to my valiant readers (all four of you) for the time lapse between Part Two (Issue 142) and Part Three. (Part One appeared in Issue 139.) I had a crazy...

Heaven

What will the audiophile section of heaven be like? You’ll have an endless supply of Black Gate capacitors of all types and values. Quads will always go low, play loudly,...

Thriller!

Here’s an eclectic collection of music appropriate for Halloween you might not have heard before or listened to in this context. This assortment ranges from ballet, movie, and orchestral works...

Confessions of a Setup Man, Part 13: Engineerin...

I’m not a degreed engineer. True, I understand and can write about complex concepts. In fact, I’ve edited and rewritten articles by engineers, some of whom are way better at...

Pilgrimage to Sturgis, Part Six

  [The first installments of this series appeared in Issues 143,144, 145, 146 and 147 – Ed.] I started sloshing past the traffic towards the sound of the sirens. Chip, Candy, and KP strolled with me....

Stream of Consciousness: Better Sound From My C...

In Part One (Issue 147), we looked at the value of improving your computer audio sound by routing the output of your source to an external DAC, which can be used not...

The Role of Imagination

Sitting here listening to a Steinway recording – literally, a Steinway recording, as in an album of Ravel by the artist Sean Chen, released by Steinway & Sons records –...

It's A Good, Good Feeling: The Latin Soul of Fa...

I recently left a music journalism group on social media because the level of resentment towards boomer critics was snowballing from an undertow of irritation to outright hostility. So much...

The DMM Dubplate, Vol. 1 and the Art of Pushing...

In the previous episode (Issue 147) we dived into my past encounter with the name of Günter Pauler, and we now come back to the present event. Which is a shiny new...

You’ll Never Take the Amp Away From Me

I know I’m not the only one who gets that overpowering urge to explore new looks, sounds, and possibilities with a different piece of audio equipment. I spent all of...

Back To My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part Two

Ken Kessler recounts the hardware phase of his re-entry into the world of open-reel tape, as a cautionary tale and a guide-of-sorts to help you maintain your sanity. As inveterate...

Burt Bacharach Part Three: Big Screen, Little S...

Like many prolific composers, Burt Bacharach was called upon to compose music for a handful of films and stage productions. Some were fantastic works. One was so notoriously difficult that...

Mumford & Sons: New Folk Revivalists

The term “folk revival” usually conjures up images of Joan Baez and the Kingston Trio in the 1960s, but there’s a much more recent manifestation of folk music making inroads...

Louise Farrenc: Pride of the Paris Conservatory

Born in Paris in 1804, Louise Farrenc grew up in a swirl of artsy types, the true embodiment of the bohemian spirit. Yet she must have been focused and disciplined...

Halloween Spirits

For Halloween, some street art: these ghostly fellas are painted on an alley in Bisbee, Arizona. Bisbee, a former mining town, is a remote community where artists have discovered the...

On the Case

We couldn’t find any information on this Telefunken Musikkoffer (music case) ad (from the 1950s or 1960s?), but it was too cool to pass up. And it sounds even better...

The Need for Speed

Noise Reduction

Beyond the Firesign Theatre: Other Comedy Troup...

(WARNING: You may be exposed to adult content and humor of questionable taste.) The late 1960s through the mid-1970s was a fertile time for recorded comedy, both stand-up and ensemble....

Pretenders: The Real Thing

On September 7, 2021, Chrissie Hynde turned 70 years old. Granted, the lead singer, songwriter, and co-founder of the Pretenders was young when she started turning punk into something brainy,...

Everyone Loves the Sound of a Train in the Dist...

I’ve always loved trains and music. When I was little, I thought Aretha Franklin was singing “Train train train/train of fools.” Back then, if you enjoyed model trains, you could...

Roon Done Right: A User Guide, Part Two

In Part One (Issue 146), we covered the fundamentals of what Roon is and how it works, and the advantages it provides in organizing and accessing digital music. Part Two explores the...

The Joys of FM

Although it’s common for more than person to discover or invent something, these names come from my own history, so they hold special importance for me, and are as correct...

One Speed Is All You Need

Detail of the front panel of a 1970s MAC-1900 receiver, made by McIntosh. Who needs surround sound when you've got switching options like these? MAC-1900, rear view. For a look...

Choosing New Speakers: What Information Is Help...

Impedance. Signal to noise ratio. Driver size. Flatness of frequency response (or deviation from it). Sensitivity rating in dB. Cabinet size. Off-axis response. Power-handling capability. There are many considerations in...

King Crimson - Red (40th Anniversary Steven Wil...

I know, I’m pretty much late to the party with regard to the Steven Wilson remix/remasters of classic rock and prog titles, many of which have been out for a...

Pilgrimage to Sturgis, Part Five

[The first installments of this series appeared in Issues 143, 144, 145 and 146 – Ed.] As the midday heat passed, it was time to head back to Spearfish. While gearing up, Spider insisted on riding...

Hole in the Wall

It was the perspective through the hole in this stone wall that enticed me to take this photo on the grounds of the Tower of London. There are moments when...

The DMM Dubplate and the Art of Pushing the Bou...

Before I begin writing about the DMM Dubplate Vol. 1 disk, recently released by Stockfisch Records of Germany, some background is essential for a full appreciation of what this actually means, in technical and...

Avian Audiophile

Sevdah

The early years of my life were spent on my maternal grandmother’s farm. While Opa (grandpa) worked at the paper mill, Oma raised pigs and grew greens and grapevines. I passed the time feeding...

Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, Part Two

In Part One (Issue 146) Ken talked about his journey to Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, which took place on July 28, 1973, and his experiences at the festival, which featured the...

Joe Grushecky: Still Rocking the House

Pittsburgh’s own Joe Grushecky is one of the most genuine, authentic artists in rock and roll. He is also arguably the most honest. Grushecky first became known in the late...

Stream of Consciousness: Better Sound From My C...

As something of a musical magpie, I have always been of the mind that it’s just such a special thing to physically own the commodity that you buy. Call me...

Big Bill Broonzy, Live in Nottingham 1957

Big Bill BroonzyThe Midnight Special: Live in Nottingham 1957ORG Music If blues legend Big Bill Broonzy (1893–1958) plied his trade in the 21st century, he’d probably be an Uber driver. A...

Burt Bacharach, Part Two: Make Way for Dionne W...

Part One in Issue 146 covered Burt Bacharach’s early years, writing hits for artists like Jerry Butler, Gene McDaniels, Gene Pitney, and…the Five Blobs. The series continues here. The work of Burt...

1960s Rock Band Rhinoceros: Hype (and Then, Mor...

Way before Menudo there was Rhinoceros. Rhinoceros was a late 1960s rock band and the brainchild of Elektra Records’ producers Paul Rothchild and Frazier Mohawk (aka Barry Friedman). Mohawk had...

Octave Records Releases its First Vinyl LPs

PS Audio’s Octave Records is proud to announce its first vinyl LPs Say Somethin’ by virtuoso jazz trumpet player Gabriel Mervine and Out of Thin Air by GRAMMY-winning solo pianist Don Grusin. Both records were recorded...

This Year's Model

Bobby Hutcherson: Good Vibes

Given the up-and-coming jazz greats who surrounded him, Bobby Hutcherson was likely to become a musician. While they were growing up in Los Angeles, Hutcherson’s brother was a good friend...

Issue 147

Readers may know I’m a fan of weird fortune cookie sayings. Here’s another one: “Do it now! Today will be yesterday tomorrow.” There’s simply nothing I can add to that....

Praiseworthy Achievement

A stunning Harman Kardon Citation II B power amplifier. Designed by Stu Hageman and introduced in 1959, it’s considered by many to be one of the greatest Golden Age amplifiers....

The Man with No Name? Michael Baugh Interview, ...

In Part One (Issue 145) we talked to multifaceted guitar playing genius Michael Baugh about what inspired him to play guitar, and how he got into film composing. Here, Mike tells us...

Bob Dylan – Springtime in New York: The Bootleg...

This issue, I’m focusing on a single release, Bob Dylan’s Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16/1980-1985, a new five-disc box that covers Dylan’s return to form following his...

Burt Bacharach, Part One – The Early Years

Burt Bacharach is one of those composers who I’ve listened to nearly my entire life. From the age of six or seven, my mother – the adventurous listener in the...

Alternate Realities – Janácek: Piano Works

Janácek: Piano WorksLars Vogt, pianoOndine ODE1382-2 With his tart rhythms and uneasy tonality, Leoš Janáček, a late Romantic Czech composer and early innovator in folk musicology, circles his own little...