Copper
Songs of Praise from Unlikely Artists, Part Two
In Part One of this series (Issue 112), I noted that throughout the history of American music, the influence of the Christian church has been well documented and apparent. While...
Steve Hoffman – Mastering Legend and Audio Rest...
If you have listened to any popular music from the last 75 years or so that was remastered for CD, DSD, SACD or limited-edition vinyl, there are very good odds...
And it Feels Just Like...Starting Over
So, as I have written about and stated in numerous articles and interviews, my portal to music was laid down through a 4-inch speaker through a Blaupunkt tabletop radio around...
Smuggling
I come from a family of smugglers. “Have you anything to declare?” the customs agent said as he pulled my father’s car apart. “No, nothing. Nothing at all,” said my...
Marcus Miller: Burning Up the Bass
Born in Brooklyn in 1959, Marcus Miller grew up surrounded by music. His dad was an organist and church choir director who made sure his son had classical music teachers...
Johnny Cash: American Icon
Johnny Cash is part of America’s DNA. In a way, he was a one-man melting pot. His rich bass voice could praise the Almighty as effectively as it could tell...
Sensations, Arts and Crafts: Italian Progressiv...
In this installment, I’ll introduce you to two very different bands that still fall under the general category of progressive rock. Sensations’ Fix is not your typical Italian rock band, with...
Pacific Breeze
It might be hard to imagine, but there was a time when there was not a Japanese restaurant in every city neighborhood and suburban strip mall. It was a time...
Labelle: Quality Time with the Girls
In the rental car, the two Jims and I head down I-95 south to Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. It’s an afternoon Rolling Stones concert and we have backstage VIP passes....
Four Figaros
In the last six weeks, I’ve watched Mozart’s opera Le nozze di Figaro three times. That’s three hours per performance, so nine hours, not counting bathroom breaks or snack attacks. Well worth...
Two New Releases, and Three Catalog Titles Reis...
Rush – Permanent Waves – Fortieth Anniversary Edition Permanent Waves was something of a departure for Canadian power trio Rush; it was their first record since the addition of drummer and primary lyricist...
Vinyl and Absolute Polarity: Q&A
Bob Lehman, a classically-educated retired electrical engineer and long-term audiophile, asked some very good questions upon reading my column in Issue 110, “Vinyl and Absolute Polarity: A Technical Exposition.” What follows...
Tiptoe Through the Tweeters
This Issue’s Cover: Bob Dylan (born 1941). The times they are a changin’ indeed. Issue 112...evoking Route 112 on Long Island and another memory flash from around 30 years ago...
Attack of the 20-Foot Tweeter
Editor’s Note: Chris Brunhaver is the senior speaker design engineer at PS Audio. We asked him about what inspired him to become involved in the audio industry. On a typical...
How I Met Buck Dharma of Blue Öyster Cult
When I was a teenager I wanted to be a rock star. Every month, the magazines Creem and Circus came out and I devoured them, windows into that mythical rock and roll world I...
Axiom Audio Celebrates its 40th Anniversary
Canadian loudspeaker and electronics manufacturer Axiom Audio is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. Located in Dwight, Muskoka, Ontario, the company offers a range of wired and wireless speakers, systems and amplifiers....
Songs of Praise From Unlikely Artists, Part One
Sex, drugs and rock and roll – the phrase is a catchall euphemism for the debauchery and revelry associated with the music industry. Tales of Dionysian excess, wild drunkenness, partying,...
A Quartet of Outstanding New Releases
I’ve been away for a few issues; and besides, there haven’t been an exceptional number of interesting new releases coming out during the pandemic — not too many artists in...
Tales of an Audio Forum Administrator, Part Three
My last installment gave an in-depth look at what many forum moderators experience on a day-to-day basis. It isn’t the most glamorous job, but it’s ultimately rewarding enough that they...
Diving Into Dire Straits
It was the late 1970s in London. Two guitar-playing brothers from Newcastle, Mark and David Knopfler, had been active in the music scene. Sometimes they crossed paths with bass guitarist...
Lee Morgan: Eight Great Tracks, Redux
[FYI: from Columbia University’s Jazz Glossary—yes, there is such a thing: “Also ‘trading fours,’ etc. Soloists taking turns at improvising, playing for eight (or four, etc.) bars at a time.” In...
Donovan’s Muse: an interview with the Real Jenn...
For those who don’t know, Jenny Boyd is a former model and was a big part of the 1960s British rock scene. She’s also Pattie Boyd’s sister. (Pattie was...
Little Richard: The Architect of Rock and Roll
This incredible story is about one of the most influential vocal stylists of our generation and generations to come. Giants will remember Little Richard and the debt owed to his...
Fiona Apple: Fetch the Bolt Cutters
I knew I was all in with the new Fiona Apple album was when I had my “Shameika” moment. “Shameika” is the first single and second song on Fetch the Bolt...
Riders in the Sky
Contributed by reader Michael Walker. These bicycles look ready to go places.
Routine, Ritual and Wabi-Sabi
In the past few weeks, I’ve rediscovered something: routines can be comforting. They offer a sense of order when things get jumbly. Even humble food or drink habits help us...
It's a Lonely World, Redux
I didn’t set out to be a hired gun, but it occurred to me pretty quickly that this was the likely path to earning a living through music – either...
White-Knuckling It: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Ban...
The 1970s dawned with a blistering hangover as the 1960s bled right into the new decade. On September 13, 1969, just before Abbey Road began dominating end-of-’60s radio, John Lennon sang at...
The X Factor: Richard X. Heyman
I discovered Richard X. Heyman by chance, really. Upon release, the cover of his 1988 debut album Living Room just kind of caught my eye as I was browsing through a record...
Where the Action Is!
Man, I can dig it! Take me to school! From Audio, August 1966. Admit it, you remember this ad. From Audio, December 1972. There's nothing like a well-behaved tonearm. From...
Imaginations Real
(With a tip of the hat to Dave Davies for the title) This issue’s cover: Prince (1958 – 2016). One of the greatest rock songwriters, performers, producers, guitar players and...
Breathing Restored Life Into a Classic Pipe Org...
Calvary Episcopal Church was founded in 1836 and is part of the Parish of Calvary – St. George’s in New York City. A fixture in the Gramercy Park area for...
For the Record: Restoring a Vintage Disc Cuttin...
A customer recently imported a vintage Presto 75A disk recording lathe from the US, with a view to cutting records in Europe. [J.I. is based in Europe – Ed.] He quickly...
Where Cool Water Flows
The Cart Creek Bridge at the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in the eastern corner of Utah. The water is part of the Green River.
Waiting for the Black Cadillac, Redux
Who knows what’s behind our taste? A record that I think persists in its genius (My Life In the Bush of Ghosts) you may find abstract and boring. And that’s...
Tracy Chapman, Redux
Some pop stars wear the glamour of fame and fortune, like a suit they’ve longed to try on since they first picked up a guitar or a mic. Keeping the...
Interpreting Purcell, Redux
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) lived at an expansive time in British music history, when artistic freedom had been restored after a generation of repressive Puritan control. Somehow this allowed Purcell to...
Ears in the Clouds
As anyone who's heard one knows, they weren't kidding. From Audio, December 1960. Maybe not strictly audio-related, but what a stunning cover, and we've sure heard plenty of this gear...
John Prine – In Spite of Himself
I did a Copper piece on John Prine a year ago (Issue 80). However his passing on April 7 brought me back to the closet. John was a friend to all Americans and...
Breathing Restored Life Into a Classic Pipe Org...
Calvary Episcopal Church was founded in 1836 and is part of the Parish of Calvary - St. George’s in New York City. A fixture in the Gramercy Park area for...
Pond Hopping with the Stranglers
The heat is coming on and the pipes are clanking. It is a comforting sound. Across the street is Carnegie Hall. You can see the entrance by looking through the...
The Incalculable Influence of Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk’s influence on today’s pop music is so pervasive, the band is so historically important, and so much has been written about them already that doing an introduction here almost...
Being an Audio Forum Moderator, Part Two
This is the second in our series of articles giving a behind-the-scenes look at how a forum operates. I will start this installment out by being perfectly honest: A forum...
Italian Progressive Rock, Part Two: Le Orme
Le Orme (“The Footprints”) is one of the most successful and prolific of the Italian progressive rock bands. From their inception in 1966 through the last decade, they have continued to...