In these excellent Original Source remasterings on vinyl - courtesy of Emil Berliner Studios - two more titles from this landmark series arrive for a new generation maybe more receptive to their musical and sonic experimentation.

You can read Part 1 of this series here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here.

Includes a review of the first of these finely executed Original Source Remasterings of DG Avant-garde titles on vinyl, comprising three albums in total from this landmark series of the 1960s and 70s - arriving for a new generation maybe more receptive to their musical and sonic experimentation.

You can read Part 1 of this series here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 5 here.

In the early days of LPs, it wasn’t easy to buy records of contemporary and avant-garde music.  But slowly the labels realized there was a market for this music, and the 1960s and 70s saw a proliferation of specialist labels and imprints that managed to cover a lot of this repertoire - even if it wasn’t always easy to track down these records in your local record emporium.  

The DG Avant-garde series, released between 1968 and 1971, represents perhaps the most dedicated commitment to new music from any major label - but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a ton of other interesting stuff coming out on other labels too.  And much of that continues to show up in the used record bins, often in excellent playing condition.

So we take a little trip down memory lane to explore how modernism and the avant-garde were represented on various record labels.

You can read Part 1 in this series of articles here, Part 2 here, Part 4 here and Part 5 here.

How the classical Avant-Garde launched a stealth attack on the general listening public.

By the early 1970s, everyone had heard avant-garde music, often without knowing it.

I take a deep dive into some of the ways film, popular music, and even TV were taking us to the New Frontiers of the Avant-garde.

You can read Part 1 of this series here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, and Part 5 here.

An odd set for the weekend: a track from the Command Records stereo classic Persuasive Percussion—everyone's favorite late '50s stereo demo record and a few tracks from Triiple Play among the weirdest jazz albums ever! On the left channel a string section plus a few other instruments playing "pop" arrangements. And on the right channel some of jazz's greatest musicians of the early '60s (and before and after) playing jazz arrangements,... Read More

Sonny Rollins, the “saxophone colossus,” died on May 25 at the age of 95, a profound loss for jazz. His passing marks, literally, the end of an era. He was the last jazz titan from the generation that revolutionized jazz just after World War II; the last musician to have played with Charlie Parker (the spearhead of that revolution); and the last of the 57 jazzmen and women who posed for Art Kane’s iconic 1958 “Great Day in Harlem” photo. More important, Sonny Rollins... Read More

DG’s Original Source Remastering of three titles from its iconic Avant-garde LP series of the 1960s/70s prompts me to follow the White Rabbit of Musical Curiosity down a very long rabbit hole into the Wonderland of 20th century modernism and the avant-garde, a Wonderland that as a teenager I found fascinating (and still do); a Wonderland I never entirely left. 

It’s a Wonderland with many surprises - some agreeable, some disorienting, some a little alarming. Which is precisely as it should be with any good movement in the Arts that aims to question everything.  

All essential to an understanding of where we are today in our ongoing voyage through the musical firmament.  Thus I invite you to join me on an exploration of what makes this music tick, and why it remains worth listening to - even if you are not quite sure you like it!  Maybe you will surprise yourself…

You can read Part 2 of this series here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, and Part 5 here.

Reference Recordings and Decca Pure Analogue release new recordings in tandem of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony aimed squarely at the audiophile market. Separated by 54 years, one of an orchestra with a lineage dating back136 years to Mahler himself, the other of a contemporary orchestra that is essentially a pickup group, albeit an extraordinary one. The resulting comparisons yield far from predictable conclusions.

It’s been a while since I reviewed a large batch of titles from Deutsche Grammophon’s Original Source series. The success of the label which once took us all by surprise has now become a juggernaut with over 40 releases under its belt, including its first foray into DG’s massive opera catalog with the brand new release of Das Rheingold reviewed by our own Mark Ward just recently. With the launch of Decca Pure Analogue and Analogue Productions new 45rpm Living Stereo... Read More

After the huge commercial success of Decca’s recording of Wagner’s tetralogy in the late 1950s and early 60s, Deutsche Grammophon decided it was time to throw its hat in the ring (so to speak).  Turning to its star conductor and orchestra - Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic - what emerged was an account very different to Solti’s instant classic, both musically and sonically. Karajan's Ring may not enjoy the notoriety of Solti's account, but it more than holds its own, and for many is preferable.  Marking the 150th Anniversary of the cycle’s first performance at Bayreuth’s inaugural Festival in 1876, DG has turned over the master tapes of Das Rheingold to the technical wizards at Emil Berliner Studios for this Original Source vinyl reissue.  In Part 1 I took a deep dive into the origins, story, themes and musical processes of this groundbreaking opera. In Part 2 I examine Karajan’s distinctive approach to the score, and assess the performance and sonics of this important reissue.

After the huge commercial success of Decca’s recording of Wagner’s tetralogy in the late 1950s and early 60s, Deutsche Grammophon decided it was time to throw its hat in the ring (so to speak).  Turning to its star conductor and orchestra - Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic - what emerged was an account very different to Solti’s instant classic, both musically and sonically. Karajan's Ring may not enjoy the notoriety of Solti's account, but it more than holds its own, and for many is preferable.  Marking the 150th Anniversary of the cycle’s first performance at Bayreuth’s inaugural Festival in 1876, DG has turned over the master tapes of Das Rheingold to the technical wizards at Emil Berliner Studios for this Original Source vinyl reissue.  Join me for a deep dive into this groundbreaking opera, Karajan’s distinctive approach to the score, and this important reissue. (You can read Part 2 here).

Hard to believe that today, April 23, 2026 is the golden anniversary of the start of pure punk music. The release of the Ramones eponymous debut album was ground zero for punk and the world would never quite be the same again. I was there and this is how I saw it. First some background. Punk rock is a subgenre of rock and roll with roots in garage rock, but it's generally faster, louder and more aggressive than garage. Punk was a rebellion against the hippie... Read More

Decca has just released a remastered collection on CD of Antal Doráti’s complete cycle of the Haydn Symphonies - a landmark achievement in the history of the gramophone.  This new set includes the appendices and extras, together with three additional oratorios also recorded by Doráti for Decca.  In Part 2, I continue my exploration of this still remarkable set with a detailed account of the events leading up to Decca launching the project project, the recording sessions, and a review of the performances in their new revitalized sonics. (You can read Part 1 here).

Decca has just released a remastered collection on CD of Antal Doráti’s complete cycle of the Haydn Symphonies - a landmark achievement in the history of the gramophone.  This new set includes the appendices and extras, together with three additional oratorios also recorded by Doráti for Decca.  I explore every facet of this still remarkable set: its history, how it was recorded, and its significance in the larger universe of Haydn recordings.  And, of course, how it sounds in its new incarnation.  This is also the story of my own journey in the appreciation of Haydn’s music - from disinterested skeptic to passionate fan. (You can read Part 2 here).

It’s astonishing to consider that Yes was only five years shy of working together professionally when they peaked on Close to the Edge in 1972. The band saw it as a moment defining the ambitious compositional and musical scale they had set out to achieve. Drummer Bill Bruford felt that leaving the group after reaching an insurpassable milestone was the natural progression. Alan White, drummer of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, joined the ranks of a band that was... Read More

Dream Theater was in an interesting position within the progressive metal landscape at the turn of the 2010s. They were deemed legends, having won artistic liberation instead of caving into commercial demands by the record label, and they still had the spark for exploring fresh musical ground. Their 25th anniversary in 2010 honed in on how far the group had come from playing in rehearsal halls at Berklee College of Music to their hometown arena, New York’s Madison... Read More

It’s been a while since I reviewed what Deutsche Grammophon and Emil Berliner were up to with their Original Source series. I’m happy to report that not only is their program still going strong, but they have also dipped into the catalog of their subsidiary Archiv Produktion, which is something I’m very excited about. This fall we saw four new releases from the acclaimed series, and before we get ready for all the titles that 2026 will bring, I thought I would recap... Read More

Nothing says Christmas like Tchaikovsky’s supremely popular music for this seasonal classic.  This is the kind of music that even the Scroogiest of listeners will have a hard time resisting.  We continue our survey of its many fine recordings, focusing on CD/SACD and streaming versions, plus recordings of the popular Nutcracker Suite. You can read up on the history of the work and our recommended vinyl versions of the complete ballet in Part 1.