March 1st, 2023
Craft Announces Re-Launch of Original Jazz Classics (OJC Series)! first two cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio using the original master tapesBy: Tracking Angle
Craft Recordings relaunches Original Jazz Classics – the acclaimed reissue series that faithfully presented more than 850 memorable jazz albums over three decades. The soon to be relaunched reissue series will be focused on audiophile-quality vinyl and HD audio releases. Upcoming reissues include titles from Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Mal Waldron and Yusef Lateef, with further details to be announced soon via Craft Recordings. First launched in 1982... Read More
March 1st, 2023
ECM Announces "Luminessence"—a New Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series "cut from the original masters made in europe analog productions wherever possible"By: Tracking Angle
The series Includes jewels of the label’s deep catalogue that have long been out of print or have never been available on vinyl, packaged in elegant, high-quality editions cut from the original masters made in Europe analogue production wherever possible
Read MoreFebruary 18th, 2023
Rich Record Store Day 4/22 Offerings! here are some "must haves"By: Michael Fremer
This year's RSD offerings are many, varied and of great interest whatever your musical tastes. The lead image shows the Craft offerings that includes the first American mono reissue of "Chet" by Chet Baker, Jonathan Richman's country record "Jonathan Goes Country" from 1990, Travis's "The Invisible Band Live", and others. Here are some great ones. At the bottom is a link to the Record Store Day listing of all titles. From... Read More
December 17th, 2022
VMP to Release Original "Anthem of the Sun" Mix Cut By CB From Tape a Lysergic experienceBy: Michael Fremer
VMP's January 2023 "Record of the Month" is The Grateful Dead's "Anthem of the Sun"—the original 1968 mix not the 1971 Lesh remix—originally released on Warner Brothers-7 Arts. Chris Bellman cut lacquers using the original master tape for an AAA release. VMP does this so correctly both in terms of how they produce these records and in how they describe the process: "with AAA lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Chris... Read More
December 13th, 2022
Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh's New AAA Kickstarter Project Is Now "Live" Have a listen!By: Michael Fremer
Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh recently recorded "Vintage", a new all-analog jazz album with Kenny Barron, Joe Martin and Johnathan Blake, tracked to 30 IPS multitrack tape at Oktaven Audio, mixed to a custom, completely restored 1/2" 30 IPS Ampex 351 tube deck. Ryan Streber engineered at Oktaven, Pete Rende mixed at Brooklyn Recording.darTZeel's Hervé Delétraz recently came on board the project as the vinyl edition's Executive... Read More
December 12th, 2022
Thursday Evening 12/15 at The Audio Salon, Santa Monica—Record Collecting Made Difficult With Michael Fremer 60 years of record collecting experience concentrated into a single eveningBy: Michael Fremer
This Thursday, December 15th from 4PM until 8:30PM at a special event hosted by Maier Shadi at The Audio Salon at The Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue (Gallery F1) Santa Monica, California 90404, I will be be talking about my 60 years of record collecting and offering tips on what to look for and what to avoid when buying records, both new and used. Especially used. It will be more of a conceptual discussion rather than a list of what you should buy and own,... Read More
December 6th, 2022
Listen to Neil Young’s Music with the Best Audio Fidelity on ‘Neil Young Radio High-Res’ Hi-res on Sirius/XM? Yes. Through December 16th: 96K or 192K, Both 24 BitBy: Michael Fremer
You have to log into your Sirius/XM account and then you can hear: "...decades of Neil’s classics, tracks from his new World Record LP, and songs from his recently released Harvest 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition featuring outtakes, demos, alternate versions and live tracks."The "Harvest" link takes you to where you can order the deluxe bundle for $149.00. The most interesting thing there is a previously unseen two hour 1971 documentary film shot... Read More
December 1st, 2022
Blue Note Announces New Run of "Classic Vinyl" Reissues—January through August 2023 AAA, Kevin Gray mastered, pressed at Optimal on 180g vinyl series continuesBy: Tracking Angle
Blue Note announces today a list of new, upcoming titles in its Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, the label's affordable long running series, mastered by Kevin Gray from original master tapes and pressed on 180 vinyl at Optimal. The series is curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman. The first two coming January 20th, 2023 are Grant Green's "Green is Beautiful" and Bobby Hutcherson's "San Francisco". Both are currently available for pre-order on the Blue Note Store.
Read MoreNovember 28th, 2022
Tracking Angle’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide Finding gifts for analog obsessives gets hard. This guide simplifies it.By: Tracking Angle
The holiday season is here, and finding good gifts for picky vinyl obsessives can be hard. To provide some suggestions and guidance, we’ve compiled the 2022 Tracking Angle Holiday Gift Guide, selecting some records, gear, and accessories that would make suitable gifts. These products are independently selected by our Michael Fremer and Malachi Lui, and are recommended based on our experiences or personal opinions of each item.
Read MoreNovember 17th, 2022
VMP Record of the Month is "Blonde on Blonde" Mono, RKS Cut From Analog Master Tapes! Dylan hung around for the mono mix, split for the stereoBy: Michael Fremer
VMP's just announced December's record of the month is Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" mono edition mastered by Ryan K. Smith using the original analog master tapes.The cut appears to be from a previous one done by Ryan for Music On Vinyl in 2010. The 2010 Columbia box set was mastered by the late George Marino. The records are pressed on "blonde on blonde" colored vinyl.Listening notes by my old pal Michael Simmons. This is a record... Read More
November 2nd, 2022
After a 40 Year Pause Audio-Technica Brings Back The Sound Burger! portable turntable updated with Bluetooth connectivity and USB-C charging cableBy: Michael Fremer
Audio-Technica just announced the return of the $199 AT-SB2022 "Sound Burger" portable record player. It's been bought back after 40 years away to help the company celebrate its 60th anniversary. The Sound Burger is a belt driven portable 33 1/3/45rpm record player driven by a high-precision DC motor. It features a die-cast aluminum alloy platter with "damping design" and is equipped with the ubiquitous Audio Technica AT3600L moving magnet... Read More
October 19th, 2022
Beatles "Revolver" Remix 4 LP "Super Deluxe" Box Set Unboxing another outstanding presentationBy: Michael Fremer
I unbox the "Revolver" "Super Deluxe" 4 LP Edition that includes 180 gram vinyl editions of the original mono LP, the new stereo mix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, two Sessions LPs of outtakes, rehearsals, demos and studio chat, plus a 7" bonus EP that includes the original mono and new stereo mixes of "Rain" and "Paperback Writer". The press release confused me. Apparently only me so I apologize here to the publicist and... Read More
October 18th, 2022
Beatles "Revolver" Remix Box Set Unboxing! 5 CD super deluxe 5 CD edition does not include vinyl LPBy: Michael Fremer
I just posted this "unboxing" video of the new "Revolver" re-mix deluxe 5 CD box set. It includes the original mono mix on a CD, following Harry T. Moss's original vinyl mastering notes. I thought the set would include the vinyl LP but it doesn't. However, the box set presentation is outstanding and the book is really special! Since I've not yet read or listened I've nothing else to add here. Will write a full review ASAP! Read More
October 1st, 2022
Temporal Drift Announces Les Rallizes Dénudés Reissues The radical Japanese band’s core discography receives desperately-needed reissuesBy: Malachi Lui
This week, Temporal Drift announced the first official CD and vinyl reissues of Japanese psychedelic rock band Les Rallizes Dénudés' three-album discography. Originally released on limited edition CDs in 1991, this series marks the first official vinyl and digital releases of these seminal recordings.The three albums—’67-'69 Studio et Live, Mizutani / Les Rallizes Dénudés, and ’77 Live—capture the band from their formation to their artistic height, and were... Read More
October 1st, 2022
"Creed Taylor: The Music Came First" Now Available For Streaming Tracking Angle editor has some FaceTime in doc along with Taylor, Ron Carter, Ashley Kahn, Herb Alpert and many othersBy: Michael Fremer
Creed Taylor produced records are no doubt among your most treasured, whether on CTI, which he founded in 1967, or Verve or other labels in which he was involved. Taylor passed away Augusts 22nd, 2022 at age 93. The recently released documentary "Creed Taylor, The Music Came First" is now available as a free, high resolution stream on the Snapshots Music and Arts Foundation website. If you click on "Vimeo" from that site you can watch full screen... Read More
September 16th, 2022
Analogue Productions Announces Steely Dan Catalog UHQR/SACD Series Seven 45rpm UHQR, two non-UHQR 45rpm titles, all titles on SACDBy: Tracking Angle
Full disclosure is but one welcomed feature of this ambitious and exciting Steely Dan catalog reissue roll-out from Analogue Productions. All titles remastered from the original analog tapes with the exceptions of Aja and Gaucho. Aja will be mastered from an analog, non-EQ'd tape copy and Gaucho from a 1980 analog tape copy originally EQ'd by Bob Ludwig (who cut the original Gaucho lacquers). According to the press release, it's likely that original... Read More