Magic and Loss
I and so many of us are saddened by the passing of Nanci Griffith at 68. Some singers are good, some are truly great, and the rare few can move you to tears. Nanci Griffith was one of the rare few.
Charlie Watts is no longer with us. To say we lost a giant (at age 80) would be to seriously understate the man’s titanic talent and influence. Watts was the Rolling Stones' driving force, a rock-steady powerhouse, yet one who also played with an inimitable sense of jazz-informed swing. The rock world will never again be the same.
We are honored to announce a new contributor: Ed Kwok. Ed spent his formative years taking things apart. He subsequently trained as an electrical engineer at Imperial College London in the 1980s, and got caught up in the high-end wave. His early ambition was to be an analog audio designer, but he ended up in digital military electronics. Ed then retired from engineering and relocated back to Hong Kong to concentrate on a financial career. He enjoys the computer audio space, considering it partly science and partly high-end art.
Ed founded the Asia Audio Society (asiaaudiosoc.com) with some like-minded friends, with the aim of crystallizing the essence of high-end audio reproduction. In this issue: Ray Chelstowski interviews Stephen Duffy, whose post-Duran Duran band the Hawks has been an undiscovered gem – until now. J.I. Agnew begins an interview series with Martin Theophilus and the remarkable Museum of Magnetic Sound Recording. Michael Walker offers a tribute to Nanci Griffith. I interview the members of rock band Augustus about Ragtime World, their new Octave Records album. Anne E. Johnson can’t get enough J.S. Bach, or Creedence Clearwater Revival. Russ Welton delves deeper into subwoofer placement. John Seetoo considers the record-at-home revolution of multitrack cassette recorders. Ken Sander works at The Psychedelic Supermarket. B. Jan Montana continues his pilgrimage to Sturgis. Jay Jay French and Joe Rock wrap up the question: what do radio stations consider classic rock? Stuart Marvin ponders the future of jazz clubs. Adrian Wu continues his series on notable analog recordings. Tom Gibbs reviews new SACD releases. Rudy Radelic begins a series on keyboardist and composer extraordinaire Lyle Mays. Ed Kwok gives us the first part of a comprehensive overview of computer audio. The Copper A/V squad hits home with some Uber upgrades, gets no respect, makes a splash, and sits in the cheap seats.
Staff Writers:
J.I. Agnew, Ray Chelstowski, Cliff Chenfeld, Jay Jay French, Tom Gibbs, Roy Hall, Rich Isaacs, Anne E. Johnson, Don Kaplan, Don Lindich, Tom Methans, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Tim Riley, Wayne Robins, Alón Sagee, Ken Sander, Larry Schenbeck, John Seetoo, Dan Schwartz, Russ Welton, WL Woodward, Adrian Wu
Contributing Editors:
Ivan Berger, Steven Bryan Bieler, Harris Fogel, Robert Heiblim, Ken Kessler, Ed Kwok, Stuart Marvin, Bob Wood
Cover:
“Cartoon Bob” D’Amico
Cartoons:
James Whitworth, Peter Xeni
Parting Shots:
James Schrimpf, B. Jan Montana, Rich Isaacs (and others)
Editor:
Frank Doris
Publisher:
Paul McGowan
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– FD
