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screen gems: Pop Music Documentaries & Rock and Roll TV Scenes

Rule number one: every documentary has an angle. I’ve experienced how a “rock doc” can rewrite its subject’s history. In the twilight of the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Jackson’s radical re-edit (his angle) of Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s Let It Be footage swept a touch-starved Beatles fanbase. The joy! The memes! Glyn Johns’s fabulous outfits! Jackson’s presentation of the Get Back project fundamentally changed the narrative of the Beatles’ January 1969 sessions.

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Geils Live, Uncle Tupelo Anodyne

(April 2, 2026 - Los Angeles, CA) Rhino High Fidelity (Rhino Hi-Fi) returns today with two limited-edition audiophile vinyl reissues—one of a band breaking through and the other of a band about to break apart—The J. Geils Band’s “Live” Full House and Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne.Both albums were cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at Optimal in Germany. Each features glossy gatefold packaging with tip-on jackets and newly... Read More

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"Birth pf the Cool" Tone Poet

Miles Davis’ earliest masterpiece Birth Of The Cool gets the royal treatment with a new Tone Poet Vinyl Edition to be released by Blue Note Records on May 22 in celebration of the legendary trumpeter’s Centennial. Produced by Joe Harley, the album was mastered by Kevin Gray directly from the original analog phono reel master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at Record Technology Inc. (RTI), and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket featuring session photos by William... Read More

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DECCA  Haydn Dorati CD box set

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).

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Dorati's Complete Decca Recordings of Hayden symphonies

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).

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Rega P6SR edition

At the recent U.K. Bristol Audio Show (where the kids are sharp as a pistol when they do the Bristol Stomp), the joint was jumping with Rega Research product debuts. Let's start with the new P6RS pictured in the lead photo.The Rega Planar 6 RS Edition is constructed using the company's unique Tancast 8 foam core plinth finished with an aluminium metal skin HP laminate and matching edging. This assembly creates a highly rigid ultra-light platform, ideal for... Read More

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Brian Wilson & Harvey the K.

Harvey Kubernik: I know the Beatles’ Rubber Soul made a big impression on you when first released in 1965.

Brian Wilson: “Michelle” and “All My Lovin’” are two of my favorite Paul McCartney songs. Norwegian Wood’ completely blew my mind, and marijuana was around for Pet Sounds. Well, when I first listened to Rubber Soul, I then went to the piano and all I could see were my keys. I locked in with the keyboard and wrote [with Tony Asher] ‘God Only Knows’ in 45 minutes.”

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Pet Sounds Definitive Sound Series

Despite its stature today as one of the greatest and most influential records in rock history, Pet Sounds was kind of a rush job. In late 1965 Brian Wilson met jingle writer/lyricist Tony Asher at an L.A. recording studio and shortly thereafter the two began writing the songs. By April it had mostly been completed. Considering the complexity of the compositions, arrangements and production, that's an impressive feat in such a short time. It was also expensive,... Read More

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Florida International Audio Expo 2026 Pt. 3

The third and final video from last month's Florida International Audio Expo 2026 covers SUPATRAC, Hana, Clearaudio, Aesthetic, Magnepan, Döhmann, Elekits, Audio Note U.K. AGD, Prodigio, Innovo, VOLTI, Border Patrol Benchmark, Altai, Grimm, Wireworld, ArgentPur, Perfect 8, Clarisys, Pink Faun, MSB, and Pass Labs. There's in-depth coverage with the people running the rooms and an interview with Border Patrol's Gary Dews. Not much in the analog world... Read More

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Florida International Audio Expo 2026

The Florida Audio Expo 2026 traditionally marks the unofficial beginning of the new audio show season. Held each winter in Tampa, it has become something of a welcome refuge for attendees traveling from colder parts of the country to trade snow boots for sunshine while spending a few days immersed in music. After the holiday rush, the show also offers audio enthusiasts a chance to refocus and reconnect with the passion that first drew them to this hobby: the pursuit... Read More

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akhnaten LA Opera

Even if you don’t think opera is for you, there is no doubting its important role in driving classical music through centuries of change.  It has always been at the vanguard of the avant-garde, from Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo in 1607 through Wagner’s Ring in 1876, from Richard Strauss's Salome in 1905 to Berg's Wozzeck in 1925. Now this production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten creates something entirely new for the 21st century.  It is revolutionary, riveting - and essential to talk about.

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Wilson Benesch Greenwich Turntable

Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, March 11th 2026: Wilson Benesch announces the Greenwich Turntable, a new model within the GMT® Collection that will receive its first global public preview at Audio Show Deluxe (21–22 March 2026).Greenwich establishes the entry point into the Wilson Benesch GMT® analogue architecture. Built around the same ALPHA–OMEGA drive platform that underpins the Prime Meridian and GMT® One turntables, Greenwich forms the foundation of a... Read More

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Whiskey A Go-Go Love

Though revisionist history in print and digital documentation sometimes portrays Arthur Lee as the sole brainchild of the group Love those who heard and saw the group's early incarnations always felt guitarist Johnny Echols was the bandleader—far more than an arranger and co-writer of some Lee tunes. In 2012 and 2017, Harvey Kubernik interviewed Johnny Echols about Arthur Lee and Love and drew from Johnny his memories of Jimi Hendrix and the writing and production of Love’s epic album Forever Changes. Portions first appeared in his books Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972 and 1967 and in A Complete Rock History of the Summer of Love. Harvey reminded me today that it was Arthur's birthday and sent this incredible interview for TrackingAngle to run.

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Florida International Audio Expo video Pt.2

Somehow, this "small" show produced so many great video moments, so much to see (and hear) that this second 1/2 hour video will not be the final one nor probably will the third one be. And I've tried to tightly edit these. On this video you'll see the big Acora room, the Avid Relveo turntable, and Audio-Technica's complete cartridge lineup. In the Geshelli Audio segment you'll find low cost, well-engineered, versatile, and cost-effective... Read More

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The Complete 'Round About Midnight Kenny Dorham at the Cafe Bohemia

Blue Note Records announces the April 24 release of a special Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of The Complete ‘Round About Midnight At The Cafe Bohemia by trumpeter Kenny Dorham. Produced for release by Joe Harley, the 3-LP vinyl set is all-analog and cut directly from Rudy Van Gelder’s original master tapes by Kevin Gray. Pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, the LPs come packaged in a deluxe tip-on trifold jacket which includes a booklet with never-before-seen photos by Francis... Read More

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Florida International Audio Expo 2026

The Florida International Audio Expo held last weekend in the Tampa-St. Pete Brandon Sheraton Hotel caught many seasoned show vets by surprise. New and important products made their debuts, the show truly was international, there were products at every price point, youth was served. Polish loudspeaker manufacturer Pylon made its American debut at the show. It's a wide ranging line I've seen for more than a decade at the Warsaw show and it's a line sure... Read More

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Newark, NJ (February 23, 2026) - Renowned audio brand Technics has introduced its highly acclaimed SL-1500C turntable in a new, technically enhanced version – the SL-1500CS.The new SL-1500CS turntable is a logical evolution within the Technics turntable line-up. Since the introduction of the SL-1200GR2/1210GR2, the very first Technics turntable with the highly innovative ΔΣ-Drive, which was released in 2023, Technics successively worked this technology into subsequent... Read More

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Two weeks ago, Record Store Day announced the list of special releases for independent record shops on Saturday, April 18. The past few years have been mostly underwhelming aside from archival jazz releases, but the 2026 RSD list is easily the best since 2020. Sure, there are still needless 7”’s of album tracks, Doors cash grabs, and zoetrope picture discs, though thankfully that’s balanced out by interesting archival projects and reissues of deserving albums that haven’t already been reissued to death. Without further ado, here’s our guide to some Record Store Day 2026 releases worth seeking out.

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