Copper


Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

There are days for haute cuisine, hipster toy food, meals that challenge and provoke and lead one to question the nature of food itself: nourishment? Art? An act of rebellion...

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Issue 77THE AUDIO CYNIC

There are days for haute cuisine, hipster toy food, meals that challenge and provoke and lead one to question the nature of food itself: nourishment? Art? An act of rebellion...

The Life of Brian

Havergal Brian was one of the most prolific English composers of the 20th Century. Many of you will be thinking “Havergal Brian”? Very few have actually heard of him, but that...

The Life of Brian

Issue 77QUIBBLES AND BITS

Havergal Brian was one of the most prolific English composers of the 20th Century. Many of you will be thinking “Havergal Brian”? Very few have actually heard of him, but that...

96,000 People Can't Be That Wrong, Redux

As I write this, I’m listening to the early Flying Burrito Brothers. I love this stuff. I first got “turned on” to music like this by hearing the very first...

96,000 People Can't Be That Wrong, Redux

AND OTHER ILLNESSESAUDIOIssue 77MUSIC

As I write this, I’m listening to the early Flying Burrito Brothers. I love this stuff. I first got “turned on” to music like this by hearing the very first...

Steely Dan

Steely Dan

Steely Dan has such a smooth sound, it’s easy to imagine them appearing fully-formed from the musical ether. Needless to say, that wasn’t the case. Singer/keyboardist Donald Fagen had met...

Steely Dan

Issue 77OFF THE CHARTS

Steely Dan has such a smooth sound, it’s easy to imagine them appearing fully-formed from the musical ether. Needless to say, that wasn’t the case. Singer/keyboardist Donald Fagen had met...

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Issue 76PARTING SHOT

Sears: the Last Gasp?

We’ve written about the decline and fall of Sears a zillion times in Industry News, most recently in Copper #45, Copper #69, and  Copper #70. The dual themes of all these stories have been “how are they staying...

Sears: the Last Gasp?

Issue 76INDUSTRY NEWS

We’ve written about the decline and fall of Sears a zillion times in Industry News, most recently in Copper #45, Copper #69, and  Copper #70. The dual themes of all these stories have been “how are they staying...

Joan Rivers: Yutz, or Audiophile Hero?

More often than not, it used to be that weekday mornings I would be rushing around, behind schedule, trying to get out the door to get to work. Since I...

Joan Rivers: Yutz, or Audiophile Hero?

Issue 76FEATURED

More often than not, it used to be that weekday mornings I would be rushing around, behind schedule, trying to get out the door to get to work. Since I...

It’s the End of the World As We Know It

Athens, Georgia has always had a very specific musical sound. The colleges in that area were a breeding ground for tangential thought and musical insurrection. R.E.M. came to exist from...

It’s the End of the World As We Know It

Issue 76HAND PICKED

Athens, Georgia has always had a very specific musical sound. The colleges in that area were a breeding ground for tangential thought and musical insurrection. R.E.M. came to exist from...

Richie Havens

Born in 1941 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, with heritage from the West Indies and the Blackfoot tribe, Richie Havens always loved to sing. He had a neighborhood doo-wop group and joined...

Richie Havens

Issue 76OFF THE CHARTS

Born in 1941 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, with heritage from the West Indies and the Blackfoot tribe, Richie Havens always loved to sing. He had a neighborhood doo-wop group and joined...

Fairchild, Part 2

In Copper #75, we began the story of the remarkable business empire created by Sherman Fairchild. Fairchild started over 75 companies, and as much as possible, we’ll focus on those directly involved in...

Fairchild, Part 2

Issue 76VINTAGE WHINE

In Copper #75, we began the story of the remarkable business empire created by Sherman Fairchild. Fairchild started over 75 companies, and as much as possible, we’ll focus on those directly involved in...

Citizenship

“Oh, you speak English? Thank God. You’re the first one today,” said the immigration officer. I came to the U.S. in 1970, following the love of my life. We spent...

Citizenship

Issue 76MUSIC'AL NOTES

“Oh, you speak English? Thank God. You’re the first one today,” said the immigration officer. I came to the U.S. in 1970, following the love of my life. We spent...

You Know It Ain’t Easy, Part 2

….unless you really wanted to meet John & Yoko. New York City, 1979 This one really came out of left field as Doug Kleiman, the person whose story it is,...

You Know It Ain’t Easy, Part 2

Issue 76TWISTED SYSTEMS

….unless you really wanted to meet John & Yoko. New York City, 1979 This one really came out of left field as Doug Kleiman, the person whose story it is,...

Audiophile Haiku

A haiku is a traditional Japanese form of poetry, although it is now appreciated worldwide. A Haiku comprises three lines of verse structured around a 5-7-5 pattern of syllables. The first and...

Audiophile Haiku

Issue 76QUIBBLES AND BITS

A haiku is a traditional Japanese form of poetry, although it is now appreciated worldwide. A Haiku comprises three lines of verse structured around a 5-7-5 pattern of syllables. The first and...

Steve Reich: Drumming, Redux

When I was 17, I discovered the compositional style called Minimalism. I remember the moment very well. It was 1974, the spring of 11th grade, and my mother was downstairs teaching...

Steve Reich: Drumming, Redux

AND OTHER ILLNESSESAUDIOIssue 76MUSIC

When I was 17, I discovered the compositional style called Minimalism. I remember the moment very well. It was 1974, the spring of 11th grade, and my mother was downstairs teaching...

Without CES, Does January Exist?

Without CES, Does January Exist?

Welcome to Copper #76! ---here we are, halfway through January already, and I guess I'll find out if January actually exists without the mania of CES. I've attended since 1989, I'm done....

Without CES, Does January Exist?

Issue 76Opening Salvo

Welcome to Copper #76! ---here we are, halfway through January already, and I guess I'll find out if January actually exists without the mania of CES. I've attended since 1989, I'm done....

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Scratchy Sound

Scratchy Sound

Scratchy Sound

Issue 76FEATURED

Don't Even Think About It

Don't Even Think About It

Don't Even Think About It

Issue 77FEATURED

How About THX 1138?

How About THX 1138?

How About THX 1138?

Issue 78FEATURED

Don't Call Them Q-Tips

Don't Call Them Q-Tips

Don't Call Them Q-Tips

Issue 79FEATURED

No CES For You!

No CES For You!

Yes, it’s that time again. Time for Leebs’ annual rant about CES—after the fact, as the show took place last week in Las Vegas. Way back in the very first...

No CES For You!

Issue 76THE AUDIO CYNIC

Yes, it’s that time again. Time for Leebs’ annual rant about CES—after the fact, as the show took place last week in Las Vegas. Way back in the very first...

Telling the (Vocal) Story

In TMT #75 we talked about narrative in instrumental music. Today, let’s consider narrative in vocal works. But really, what’s to consider? Reminds me of that exchange in the 1988 film Big Business when...

Telling the (Vocal) Story

Issue 76TOO MUCH TCHAIKOVSKY

In TMT #75 we talked about narrative in instrumental music. Today, let’s consider narrative in vocal works. But really, what’s to consider? Reminds me of that exchange in the 1988 film Big Business when...

A Tale of Two Praetorius(es)

A Tale of Two Praetorius(es)

No, they’re not related, but Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) and Hieronymus Praetorius (1560-1629) co-existed in Germany, composing mainly Lutheran sacred music as the Renaissance was giving way to the Baroque. Each...

A Tale of Two Praetorius(es)

Issue 76SOMETHING OLD / SOMETHING NEW

No, they’re not related, but Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) and Hieronymus Praetorius (1560-1629) co-existed in Germany, composing mainly Lutheran sacred music as the Renaissance was giving way to the Baroque. Each...

Records as Time Machines

  After years of experience as a producer and engineer, I’ve come to expect the unexpected—even with something as familiar as the sound of my own  grandfather’s voice. Astute listeners...

Records as Time Machines

Issue 76FEATURED

  After years of experience as a producer and engineer, I’ve come to expect the unexpected—even with something as familiar as the sound of my own  grandfather’s voice. Astute listeners...

Roots, Sonoma

Roots, Sonoma

Roots, Sonoma

Issue 75Rich Isaacs
Smokey The Bear Says…

Smokey The Bear Says…

Smokey The Bear Says…

Issue 75RODRIGUES

Gibson: Missed It By That Much

Believe it or not, it’s not over yet. Reports of Gibson Brands’ emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy were, as it turns out, premature. In Copper #72 we reported the news that thanks to agreements between the...

Gibson: Missed It By That Much

Issue 75INDUSTRY NEWS

Believe it or not, it’s not over yet. Reports of Gibson Brands’ emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy were, as it turns out, premature. In Copper #72 we reported the news that thanks to agreements between the...

“When Did THEY Do THIS To US?”

The other day I had the opportunity to meet with a local journalist who anchors one of the local TV morning news programs. He had been trying to upgrade the...

“When Did THEY Do THIS To US?”

Issue 75FEATURED

The other day I had the opportunity to meet with a local journalist who anchors one of the local TV morning news programs. He had been trying to upgrade the...

The 50 Best Albums of 2018

For me, 2018 was a blur, and seemed to pass faster than any other year before. Was it the politics? Was it work? Friends and Family? No idea. In all...

The 50 Best Albums of 2018

Issue 75FEATURED

For me, 2018 was a blur, and seemed to pass faster than any other year before. Was it the politics? Was it work? Friends and Family? No idea. In all...

Top Dog

[There is no sexism intended by use of “man” in this piece. Luckily for the survival of humanity, insanely destructive competitive behavior is primarily, if not uniquely, a male trait....

Top Dog

Issue 75FEATURED

[There is no sexism intended by use of “man” in this piece. Luckily for the survival of humanity, insanely destructive competitive behavior is primarily, if not uniquely, a male trait....

Joni Mitchell

In 1943, Alberta, Canada released a musical wood sprite into the world who came to be known as Joni Mitchell. A polio survivor whose damaged fingers made her get creative...

Joni Mitchell

Issue 75OFF THE CHARTS

In 1943, Alberta, Canada released a musical wood sprite into the world who came to be known as Joni Mitchell. A polio survivor whose damaged fingers made her get creative...

Fairchild, Part 1

I truly enjoy the research involved in these pieces, refreshing faded memories, absorbing facts overlooked or misunderstood in my youth, and especially—ending up somewhere completely unexpected. That’s how I came...

Fairchild, Part 1

Issue 75VINTAGE WHINE

I truly enjoy the research involved in these pieces, refreshing faded memories, absorbing facts overlooked or misunderstood in my youth, and especially—ending up somewhere completely unexpected. That’s how I came...

Berlin Stories

KaDeWe  “How can you stand to be here after all that happened to your family?” Her name was Anna and she lived in East Berlin. I met her at the...

Berlin Stories

Issue 75MUSIC'AL NOTES

KaDeWe  “How can you stand to be here after all that happened to your family?” Her name was Anna and she lived in East Berlin. I met her at the...

You Know It Ain’t Easy, Part 1

Montreal, 1969 Over the last year or so, I have run across 2 people with incredible stories about how they planned ways to meet John & Yoko, and managed to actually...

You Know It Ain’t Easy, Part 1

Issue 75TWISTED SYSTEMS

Montreal, 1969 Over the last year or so, I have run across 2 people with incredible stories about how they planned ways to meet John & Yoko, and managed to actually...

The Volume Of A Pizza

Numbers, and the mathematics that describe them, can help you with many interesting things, including the volume of a pizza. There are some wonderful surprises hidden in plain old numbers....

The Volume Of A Pizza

Issue 75QUIBBLES AND BITS

Numbers, and the mathematics that describe them, can help you with many interesting things, including the volume of a pizza. There are some wonderful surprises hidden in plain old numbers....

2018 Was Really Something

Over more decades in audio than I care to dwell upon, I’ve attended concerts and demos that assaulted not just my ears but my intellect and my emotional stability. Somehow...

2018 Was Really Something

Issue 75THE AUDIO CYNIC

Over more decades in audio than I care to dwell upon, I’ve attended concerts and demos that assaulted not just my ears but my intellect and my emotional stability. Somehow...

The Revenge of The White Album

The Revenge of The White Album

By now, you know whether The White Album re-issue is for you.  I’m happy to go on record, so to speak, as saying that most of these Fabs reissues aren’t...

The Revenge of The White Album

Issue 75MUSIC AUDIO AND OTHER ILLNESSES

By now, you know whether The White Album re-issue is for you.  I’m happy to go on record, so to speak, as saying that most of these Fabs reissues aren’t...

Telling the Story

Every picture tells a story. That’s utterly true, regardless of Rod Stewart. And if every picture can speak, so can all the music ever made. It’s always useful to remind...

Telling the Story

Issue 75TOO MUCH TCHAIKOVSKY

Every picture tells a story. That’s utterly true, regardless of Rod Stewart. And if every picture can speak, so can all the music ever made. It’s always useful to remind...

Issue 75

Issue 75

Issue 75

Issue 75Opening Salvo
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Sincere Condolences

Sincere Condolences

Sincere Condolences

Issue 72RODRIGUES

One Way To Stay Warm This Winter…

One Way To Stay Warm This Winter…

One Way To Stay Warm This Winter…

Issue 74RODRIGUES

Tom Fine: New Mercury Living Presence Analog Releases Part 2

Tom Fine: New Mercury Living Presence Analog Re...

[Tom Fine is a second-generation audio engineer, specializing in mastering and analog-to-digital transfers. The son of audiophile pioneers C. Robert and Wilma Cozart Fine, he grew up steeped in music...

Tom Fine: New Mercury Living Presence Analog Re...

Issue 74THE COPPER INTERVIEW

[Tom Fine is a second-generation audio engineer, specializing in mastering and analog-to-digital transfers. The son of audiophile pioneers C. Robert and Wilma Cozart Fine, he grew up steeped in music...

Gibson to Close Memphis Factory

Regular readers of Copper, and especially of Industry News, have no doubt noticed that Ye Increasingly-Olde Editor has an obsessive streak big enough to be seen from space. I credit this to three things: growing up...

Gibson to Close Memphis Factory

Issue 74INDUSTRY NEWS

Regular readers of Copper, and especially of Industry News, have no doubt noticed that Ye Increasingly-Olde Editor has an obsessive streak big enough to be seen from space. I credit this to three things: growing up...

Val and Ed…and Amy

How would you react if you were suddenly face-to-face with one of your idols? I hope you’d be more prepared than I was on that day in 1984. I remember...

Val and Ed…and Amy

Issue 74FEATURED

How would you react if you were suddenly face-to-face with one of your idols? I hope you’d be more prepared than I was on that day in 1984. I remember...

François Couperin

The Year of Couperin is drawing to a close. What, you haven’t celebrated François Couperin’s 350th birthday yet? There’s still time, and I’ve even got a playlist of new recordings for...

François Couperin

Issue 74SOMETHING OLD / SOMETHING NEW

The Year of Couperin is drawing to a close. What, you haven’t celebrated François Couperin’s 350th birthday yet? There’s still time, and I’ve even got a playlist of new recordings for...

Christmas and Us

When I was a kid, on Christmas Eve I heard my parents taking presents from an unused room next to the bedroom I shared with my younger brother. The full...

Christmas and Us

Issue 74MUSIC TO MY EARS

When I was a kid, on Christmas Eve I heard my parents taking presents from an unused room next to the bedroom I shared with my younger brother. The full...

Killing In The Name

At this point, you might be forgiven for thinking that I am picking bands for my piece JUST to piss off our Editor. Nothing could be further from the truth, it just...

Killing In The Name

Issue 74HAND PICKED

At this point, you might be forgiven for thinking that I am picking bands for my piece JUST to piss off our Editor. Nothing could be further from the truth, it just...

The Police

For some reason, The Police are best known today for two particularly creepy songs: “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” in which ex-teacher Sting references Nabokov’s Lolita while describing a female student’s...

The Police

Issue 74OFF THE CHARTS

For some reason, The Police are best known today for two particularly creepy songs: “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” in which ex-teacher Sting references Nabokov’s Lolita while describing a female student’s...

50 Ways to Read a Record Part 9

50 Ways to Read a Record Part 9

In Copper #73 we discussed an interesting but purely theoretical  method of scanning phonograph records with a laser. We’re about to look at a real-world product—more or less— which plays records using a...

50 Ways to Read a Record Part 9

Issue 74VINTAGE WHINE

In Copper #73 we discussed an interesting but purely theoretical  method of scanning phonograph records with a laser. We’re about to look at a real-world product—more or less— which plays records using a...

Trade Shows

Politics. “Roy, I need you to be on your best behavior,” said my friend Tony who worked for Epos Acoustics, an English loudspeaker company. “I’m going to bring Margaret Beckett...

Trade Shows

Issue 74MUSIC'AL NOTES

Politics. “Roy, I need you to be on your best behavior,” said my friend Tony who worked for Epos Acoustics, an English loudspeaker company. “I’m going to bring Margaret Beckett...

Keith Richards Will Still Be Here When You Are ...

This article is about preservation. No one exemplifies this more than the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards. Oh, sure, his survival despite years of damage from drug and alcohol...

Keith Richards Will Still Be Here When You Are ...

Issue 74TWISTED SYSTEMS

This article is about preservation. No one exemplifies this more than the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist, Keith Richards. Oh, sure, his survival despite years of damage from drug and alcohol...