An Hour With Steve Westman Showing "Off the Beaten Audiophile Record Path" Turned into An Hour and a Half and I Could Have Kept Going

I think you'll enjoy it

The first time I was a guest on Steve Westman's YouTube channel the subject was the Mo-Fi cuts from digital file story. Steve assured me a "whistleblower" was going to come forward in a few days and break the news. First, I really didn't believe it could be true. Why would a company with such a deep reputation not inform readers about it? If it thought it a superior way to go, make it public and certainly discontinue how the process is described in the literature etc. Well you know the story.

It turned out to be true but I was not going to be a rumor monger. It turned out the story was true, though the whistleblower never blew his whistle in public. And then i got accused of not breaking the story because I'm "on the Mo-Fi gravy train". Such a crazy time! But that's all behind us now (I hear, you, "then why bring it up now"). Just as background.

This time Steve asked me to talk about some less than well known AAA records people might find interesting and so that's how it started but not how it ended! Before we knew it an hour and a half had passed. I was on fire and I think it's among the most fun appearances I've had on any YouTube channel because as fiery and I can get, Steve maintains a Canadian cool and the contrast works well.

As you can see, I sent Steve the photo showing piano great Monty Alexander checking out my hair following a Birdland appearance a few days after I'd interviewed him but he cropped out Monty.....

Comments

2026-02-09 06:24:46 PM

Andrew wrote:

Michael, I love hearing your passionate opinions, I'm sure the host is a nice person, but his statements aren't factual and I wished he focused on listening to you. I found myself skimming through the video. I'm afraid that of what he's spouting when you're not there will cause music lovers to be misinformed.
- 2026-02-09 08:50:17 PM
  
  Come on wrote:
  
  I see him as a kind of moderator for record topics. Certainly no expert, not only in comparison to MF, but basically a nice guy who occasionally has interesting people over. Where I think he was right is, that warming up old controversies isn’t helpful. But most important…I took two good tips from Michael, which I'll get from Discogs.
2026-02-10 02:17:55 PM

bwb wrote:

thanks to Come On for recommending NotebookLM.
1. McInness Flint – Lo and Behold Released in 1971, this album features the music of Bob Dylan. It is noted for being incredibly "immediate," sounding like a rock band is playing right in your room. Look for the original mastered at Sterling Sound with "RL" (Bob Ludwig) in the deadwax.
2. Ali Akbar Khan – Morning and Evening Ragas A 1966 recording of Indian classical music featuring tabla, tamboura, and sarod. It offers an insanely great, three-dimensional soundstage where the instruments are "transparently present".
3. Buddy Holly – The Chirping Crickets (Roller Coaster Records Stereo Reissue) This specific UK reissue uses AI technology to separate the original recordings, creating a stereo remix that removes added background vocals. It allows you to hear Buddy Holly’s voice and the Crickets with incredible clarity.
4. Allen Toussaint – Southern Nights A classic concept album about New Orleans. To get the best sound, the sources recommend the Rhino High Fidelity reissue mastered by Chris Bellman over other digital-sourced versions.
5. Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane – Rough Mix This 1977 collaboration features guests like Eric Clapton and Charlie Watts. The UK original Polydor or the Classic Records reissue are described as an "11 out of 11" for sound quality, especially for their acoustic textures.
- 2026-02-10 02:18:08 PM
  
  bwb wrote:
  1. Dallas Symphony Orchestra – Copland: Rodeo & Fanfare for the Common Man A 1978 "one-step" direct press disc engineered by David B. Hancock. It is known for its "very dry" but phenomenal sound that captures the orchestra's power.
  2. The Byrds – Mr. Tambourine Man (Sundazed Mono Reissue) Unlike many "fold-down" mono records, this is a dedicated mono mix cut from the original analog tapes. It is praised for its transparency and clarity compared to standard stereo versions.
  3. Prokofiev – Love for Three Oranges (Connoisseur Society) This 1986 recording was made using a modified pure analog tape system. It is recommended as a way to hear what your stereo can truly sound like, offering massive scale and fidelity.
  4. Gheorghe Zamfir & Marcel Cellier – Pan-Flute and Organ Recorded in various Australian town halls, this album features extreme dynamic range and deep organ pedals that go "really deep". The signal path was kept incredibly pure, with microphones plugged directly into the recorder.
  5. Gil Evans Orchestra – Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix A unique jazz interpretation of Hendrix classics. The Alto Analog reissue, mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original tapes, is highly recommended for its superior sound quality.
  - 2026-02-10 03:31:25 PM
    
    Come on wrote:
    
    and...Gil Evans - Live At The Public Theater Vol. 1 and Vol.2
- 2026-02-10 07:32:20 PM
  
  Michael Fremer wrote:
  
  Great! However "Southern Nights" is Rhino Reserve series.
  - 2026-02-10 08:16:18 PM
    
    bwb wrote:
    
    That's the Catch-22 of an AI generated summary.
    
    You use AI because you don't want to take the time to listen to the whole podcast. But if you don't listen to the whole podcast, you don't know if the summary is correct.
2026-02-10 07:33:21 PM

Michael Fremer wrote:

This is why Tracking Angle has the greatest readers!
2026-02-11 03:29:13 PM

Jeff 'Glotz' Glotzer wrote:

Haven't viewed the video yet, but you look great in that photo! Your DOES look fantastic... lol.
2026-02-17 09:39:27 PM

MagnanimousMike wrote:

Besides being the consummate gentleman, Monty is one of the greatest musicians of our time. And his piano playing isnt too bad either. ;).
2026-02-20 05:05:53 PM

Come on wrote:

Got the 3 Gil Evans in the meantime. Don’t expect real audiophile quality from any of them, but the two Public Theater ones are really interesting and good music I didn’t know from his repertoire. I’m glad I have them now.