October 3rd, 2025
Four New Strata-East Titles Cut From Tape Announced one for RSD "Black Friday" the others Dec. 12th By: Tracking Angle
October 2, 2025: Today, Mack Avenue Music Group and Strata-East Records announced the physical release of four legendary albums from the Strata-East catalog. Celebrating the revolutionary spirit of one of the most influential artist-owned independent jazz labels in history, Strata-East titles from Charles Tolliver & Stanley Cowell, The Heath Brothers, Cecil McBee, and The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe will be released on CD and 180-gram vinyl, with audio cut directly from the original master tapes. The vinyl release for The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe is out on November 28 as a Record Store Day Black Friday 2025 exclusive, while the other three albums will be released on December 12. |
October 3rd, 2025
"Miles Davis Live at the Plugged Nickel" 10 LP Mosaic Box Set Reissued by Sony Music Entertainment! no info yet as to sourcing, mastering or pressing...will update ASAP By: Tracking AngleOctober 3, 2025 – Six decades later, the music still wows, baffles, and inspires. What happened over two nights in a tiny, unassuming Chicago club under a bakery was a fascinating and unplanned documentation of a pivotal moment in the evolution of Miles Davis's leadership and sound. Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, today announce the reissue of these legendary recordings: THE COMPLETE LIVE AT THE PLUGGED... Read More
Comments: 7October 2nd, 2025
"The Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman Announces Time Traveler Recordings a multiple genre venture that begins with reissues from the Muse Records catalog By: Michael Fremer"The Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman best known for his worldwide vault discovery jazz issues on Resonance, Elemental and other labels, just announced a new venture: Time Traveler Recordings —a wide ranging program of reissues and newly discovered recordings that will cross over beyond jazz to other musical genres. For starters though Feldman is reissuing, in association with Craft Recordings, titles from the long dormant Muse Records catalog. The "Master... Read More
Comments: 3October 2nd, 2025
Parlophone Finally Finishes Ruining David Bowie’s Catalog Mastering (PART 2) The botched 'I Can't Give Everything Away' box set plus two others By: Malachi LuiNow for part two of our David Bowie vinyl guide aka “how Parlophone botched most of their current remaster series” (part one here). Before we dive in, I’ve read all the comments about part one and have a couple things to address:Yes, the '70s albums inherently aren’t the most dynamic mixes, nor would I want them to be. Yes, Bowie and Visconti (when applicable) often went for a thick, processed sound, and they achieved that on the originals. That’s what Bowie... Read More
Comments: 21October 2nd, 2025
The Monkees "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones LTD." First Ever Sourced From Original Master Tape Rhino High Fidelity Limited edition By: Tracking Angle(October 2, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA) Rhino revisits The Monkees’ most sonically adventurous studio album with two new editions of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. On October 3, the album will receive its first-ever vinyl pressing from the original analog stereo master reels as part of the Rhino High Fidelity series. Alongside the High Fidelity pressing, returns in an expansive 4CD/7-inch Super Deluxe Edition featuring previously unreleased recordings, new... Read More
Comments: 6October 1st, 2025
Intervention Records to Release Sun Record Classic "Dance Album of Carl Perkins" Cut AAA 180g, 45rpm mono cut from original analog tapes for first time in decades! By: Tracking Angle(Press release): 10/1/2025 Intervention Records is proud to announce the first vinyl release in its Intervention Sun Records Hi-Fi Series, Carl Perkins' groundbreaking rockabilly classic, 1957's Dance Album of Carl Perkins.This December 2025 premium vinyl release commemorates the 70th anniversary of Sun's Sam Philips recording Carl Perkins' smash "Blue Suede Shoes," which was released as a single on New Year's Day 1956. Dance Album... Read More
Comments: 4September 30th, 2025
The Lamb STILL Lies Down on Broadway Rael’s story gets retold for its 50th anniversary By: Dylan PegginBy 1974, Genesis was on its way from being lauded an underground cult favorite to an entity with commercial potential within the English progressive rock scene. Selling England By The Pound peaked at No. 3 in the UK album charts, and it spawned their first minor hit, “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe).” In a concert setting, frontman Peter Gabriel became the group’s central figure, captivating audiences with an abundance of costumes and headdresses that elaborated... Read More
Comments: 8September 29th, 2025
REL Acoustics Celebrates 35 Years With New S Serie Subwoofers & HQ Event I attended and learned a lot from the team By: Michael FremerCelebrating 35 years in the subwoofer business this year was a major landmark for REL Acoustics. On September 23rd, 2025 the company launched a completely new and "reimagined" Serie S line featuring four new models: the 212 Black Label, Carbon Special Black Label, S/850 and S/550. REL also held a September 17th and 18th event at its Berkeley CA headquarters, inviting journalists from traditional print magazines and websites as well as a group of "brand... Read More
Comments: 3September 27th, 2025
Decoding the Dawn of Modern Music - The Original Source Offers Fresh Illumination of Karajan and the BPO's Groundbreaking Survey of the Second Viennese School - PART 3 The Karajan Effect By: Mark Ward
In Part 3 of my detailed survey of these groundbreaking recordings, I examine the unique qualities Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra brought to these still benchmark accounts of this challenging repertoire. I also offer a detailed review of each record, and suggestions for further exploration of the Second Viennese School - on vinyl, CD, SACD and in a fine new biography of Schoenberg. (Part 1 of this series of articles presented an account of Schoenberg's development of atonality and serialism, and Part 2 examined the history of recordings of this repertoire prior to the original release of Karajan's set in 1974).
Read More Comments: 33September 26th, 2025
Tears For Fears "Songs From The Big Chair" 40th Anniversary Issue Editions Due Nov. 14th press release includes no mastering or pressing credits (grade: F) By: Tracking AngleTears For Fears' multi-platinum-selling second album, Songs From The Big Chair, will be reissued in multiple formats on November 14, marking its 40th anniversary and celebrating its enduring impact. Originally released on February 25, 1985, Songs From The Big Chair became a global sensation, topping the US charts and spawning five hit singles: “Mothers Talk,” “Shout,” “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” “Head Over Heels,” and “I Believe.” The album captured a... Read More
Comments: 9September 26th, 2025
The Rolling Stones Announce a Super Deluxe Reissue of !976 Classic "Black and Blue" SuperDeluxe Box Set Due Nov. 14, 2025 By: Tracking AngleSeptember 24, 2025 - Nearly five decades after its original release, The Rolling Stones are set to celebrate their groundbreaking 1976 album Black and Blue with a definitive Super Deluxe Box Set, arriving globally on November 14, 2025 from Interscope/UMe. Originally released in April, 1976 Black and Blue marked a bold new chapter for the band and now returns in a stunning, remixed and expanded package across multiple formats.Available as a 5LP vinyl box set and a 4CD... Read More
Comments: 6September 24th, 2025
Parlophone Finally Finishes Ruining David Bowie’s Catalog Mastering (PART 1) An exhaustive sonic guide to Bowie’s discography By: Malachi LuiWith the arrival of the sixth and final David Bowie anthology box set I Can’t Give Everything Away [2002-2016], Parlophone has finally completed a decade-long undertaking: ruining the sound of Bowie’s entire catalog.It’s quite impressive, actually. Six hefty remaster box sets from 2015 to 2025, most with some problem of some sort, and none of them having the sound quality these records deserve. Not all of the box set remasters (and the equivalent individual album... Read More
Comments: 34September 22nd, 2025
Decoding the Dawn of Modern Music - The Original Source Offers Fresh Illumination of Karajan and the BPO's Groundbreaking Survey of the Second Viennese School - PART 2 20th Century Modernism and the Gramophone By: Mark Ward
To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Arnold Schoenberg, DG's Original Source deluxe vinyl reissue series presents Herbert von Karajan's seminal survey of music by the composer and his two most famous pupils, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. In Part 1 of our coverage of this important reissue I discussed the development of atonality and serialism in the music of Schoenberg, which laid the foundation for a major strand of 20th century modernism. Here, in Part 2, I discuss how the recording industry represented this repertoire in the years leading up to the release of Karajan's game-changing box set.
Read More Comments: 10September 21st, 2025
Technics SL-50C Direct Drive Turntable $899—Unboxed! includes Ortofon 2M Red, built-in phono preamp too By: Michael FremerTomorrow I leave for the Making Vinyl even in Haarlem, The Netherlands, and what shows up today? The New $899 Technics SL50C turntable that comes complete with an Ortofon 2M Red and built in phono preamplifier! So let's unbox it together (in a hurry). I'm hoping tomorrow I'll have time to give it a quick spin and post video before I leave, but maybe not! Read More
Comments: 1September 21st, 2025
Legendary The Record Plant, Sausalito is Now 2200Studios take the tour By: Michael FremerLast week during a visit to REL Acoustics in Berkeley, CA, I was among the guests treated to a tour of 2200 Studios, the former legendary The Record Plant where Fleetwood Mac recorded "Rumours", Prince recorded his debut album and so much music history was written and played. The new owners just recently opened the restored facility that also contains many of the musical instruments formerly housed at Fantasy Studios, including the piano Bill Evans played on... Read More
Comments: 2September 20th, 2025
Soundsmith is Moving, Funding Move With 25% Off Sale on Some Cartridges we don't normally do this sort of free quasi-advertising but we go back a very long time with Peter By: Tracking AnglePeter Ledermann's announcement: After 30 years in our location, we are being forced out of our Soundsmith home......with little time to move…..and we need your help. This rapid unplanned move is very expensive…so to raise funds for the move and to create an opportunity for you….Peter Ledermann is personally building a limited number of our high end cartridges - now available direct to you at a great discount for a limited time…….and he will help you on the phone... Read More
Comments: 0September 20th, 2025
Strata-East's First Reissue Titles Back in Stock! The first run sell-out kind of took them by surprise! By: Tracking AngleThe Mack Avenue licensing deal with Strata-east Records turned out to be more successful than the label had originally thought. The first run of 2500 titles each, sold out relatively quickly and probably exceeded sales when the records were originally released, which is both amazing and gratifying. The hyperlink is to our original coverage of the reissue announcement.The re-stocked titles are available now at the Mack Avenue Store And soon will be available again at... Read More
Comments: 0September 17th, 2025
Decoding the Dawn of Modern Music - The Original Source Offers Fresh Illumination of Karajan and the BPO's Groundbreaking Survey of the Second Viennese School - PART 1 Breaking Classical Music (or: What Schoenberg Did) By: Mark Ward
To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Arnold Schoenberg, DG's Original Source deluxe vinyl reissue series presents Herbert von Karajan's seminal survey of music by the composer and his two most famous pupils, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. Mastered and cut AAA directly from the original 4 and 8-track mastertapes by Rainer Maillard and Sidney C. Meyer at Emil Berliner Studios, this deluxe 4LP set offers the perfect opportunity to reassess how these composers played a central role in changing everything about how music was composed, listened to - and not always understood.
Read More Comments: 24