2nd Edition
Rest in Peace, Roger Modjeski
Roger Modjeski passed away December 11th 2019 at age 68 after a year long battle with cancer. He was a brilliant audio engineer who, after working at IBM and teaching at Stanford, joined Harold Beveridge in Santa Barbara, CA where he worked on that designer's electrostatic loudspeakers.
Dire Straits Debut Delivered as a 45rpm Sonic Spectacular
When first released in America in 1978 Dire Straits' debut was an immediate sensation, though cautious record labels at first rejected signing the group until Warner Brothers bit. The original Vertigo release hit the U.K. earlier. Eventually, propelled by the catchy single "Sultans of Swing", the album was Top Ten throughout Europe and much of the world.
Grant Green's sunday mornin'--A Blue Note That Got Away!
Single-line guitarist Grant Green's fourth Blue Note album released in 1962 is as easy to listen to and relaxing as the title suggests. Kenny Drew is on piano with Ben Tucker, bass and Ben Dixon on drums in a set of six tunes with inspiration and/or vaguely religious themes, three of which are Green originals.
Legendary Loudspeaker Designer Andrew Jones Receives LA&OC Audio Society Founders Award
Legendary loudspeaker designer Andrew Jones (KEF, Infinity, TAD/Pioneer and now ELAC) received the Founders Award from The Los Angeles & Orange County Audio Society December 8th at the organization's annual Gala. AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer was again asked to "roast" and introduce the recipient.
More Blue Note "Tone Poet" All-Analog Reissues Coming in 2020!
Blue Note Records just announced the 2020 continuation of the acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. "Tone Poet" Joe Harley (so named by jazz great Charles Lloyd) produces the series, originally launched in 2019 to honor the label's 80th anniversary. The all-analog 180g series mastered directly from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed at Camarillo, CA-based RTI features deluxe Stoughton Printing "Old Style" Gatefold Tip-On Jackets.
Nitty Gritty's Compact $839 Model 1.5 RCM, Despite Shortcomings, Does Its Job Well
During my initial two years of record collecting, my dumb self rarely bothered to clean my records, and as an 8-year-old, I didn't think grabbing records by the grooves it affected anything. Three years into the hobby, I began, with a MoFi brush and ONE solution, obsessively hand cleaning my LPs (as well as handling them properly).
Marcelle Meyer Plays Debussy Is French Record Company's Superb AAA Debut
The French Record Company's first release is a "never before released but should have been" 1958 recording of pianist Marcelle Meyer playing a Debussy program recorded for the Les Discophiles Francais label (DF 211-212).
SME Exits the OEM and Retail Tone Arm Business
SME will exit the tonearm retail and OEM business with immediate effect shifting our focus on our core turntable and tonearm combination business. The decision to leave the tonearm business was not taken lightly, especially as we have played a key role in the design and development of the world's best tonearms.
1st Edition
Craft Recordings Reissues Big Star #1 and Radio City AAA on 180g Vinyl
"What happens in Memphis stays in Memphis"--at least until you get these home (unless you live in Memphis!) might be Craft Recordings' slogan for this all-analog pair of Big Star reissues, probably the first all-analog reissues of these two ignored when first released but now highly regarded early '70s albums since Classic Records released them in 2009 AAA on Clarity vinyl.
With the SL-1500C Technics Cuts the Price But Not the Sound Quality
Technics follows up on its successful re-entry into the turntable business (SL-1200 series, SP10R, SL1000R) with the SL1500C, a lower cost ($1199) direct drive turntable that features a version of the sophisticated coreless, single rotor direct drive motor used on its more costly turntables.
Warsaw Audio Video Show 2019 Days Two and Three Coverage
This video was originally blocked worldwide because one of these artists had a problem with a 10 second piano break that could be heard in the background in a hotel room at this show. Can you guess which?
It Could Happen To You: Chet Baker Sings From Craft Is Another AAA Reissue Great
Chet Baker was 29 years old when he recorded this album of vocals with occasional trumpet back in the summer of 1958 released today, 61 years later for RSD Black Friday.. He sounds like a kid. Actually you could argue he sounds positively girl-ish, which back then must have driven them pretty crazy--even crazier than did his chiseled, pugilistic face.
Newvelle Breaks Open the Season Four Box For RSD Black Friday
Newvelle's Season Five Box is ready, but sorry, we're behind so here's coverage of Season Four's box just in time for the subscription-based label's Black Friday Record Store Day "open box" specials.
A Jury of My Peers Weighs in on The Beatles The Singles Collection
Ever since the publication of The Beatles, The Singles Collection box set review, it's been gnawing at me. I went into this hoping and expecting the new set to better or at least equal the older set but that clearly was not the case. However, it's also true that had I not had the World box with which to compare the new box, I'd probably not have been so negative.
The Thorens TD402 DD Direct Drive Semi-Automatic Turntable
Hermann Thorens founded his company in 1883 to manufacture music boxes in Switzerland. Cylinder-based phonograph manufacturing began around the turn of the century. In 1956 the company introduced the TD-124--the company's first high performance turntable and one that among collectors is still in demand.
Source AnalogPlanet
