By 1971, things were finally starting to come together for Genesis. Vocalist Peter Gabriel, keyboardist Tony Banks, and guitarists Mike Rutherford and Anthony Phillips initially churned out short baroque pop pieces on their 1969 debut, From Genesis to Revelation, while they were still pupils at England’s prestigious Charterhouse boarding school. Producer Johnathan King fought to keep the group’s arrangements concise to a simple pop formula, but Genesis was keen to... Read More

Somehow, it’s already the end of November, which means that the holiday season is upon us. “Finding good gifts for picky vinyl obsessives can be hard,” goes our gift guide intro year after year. Thus, Michael Fremer and Malachi Lui (with the consideration of other writers’ most enthusiastic reviews this year) have compiled a list of recommended records, gear, and accessories. All products are independently selected. We hope this helps at least someone.iFi Zen Phono 3... Read More

A relatively lackluster set of RSD Black Friday offerings had me staying home. There were a few interesting items but nothing that had me running to the store, especially pre-dawn to wait on line. Your reaction may have differed and for all I know you are reading this standing on line at your favorite record store. These three were sent my way, so of course I listened.Resonance HLP-9074The Sun Ra Arkestra played Warsaw while I was there covering last October's... Read More

Bill Evans in Norway is a double album with a never before heard recording of an excellent 1970 concert from the Kongsberg Jazz festival featuring the Evans trio with bassist Eddie Gómez and drummer Marty Morell.

Veteran music journalist, author, Zelig-like scene schronicler Harvey Kubernik has seen it all, (or at least much if not most of it) and over the decades has managed to be the man on the ground for the most momentous events in rock history. The genre may be fading but interest in it, and its history has not, as the excitement surrounding this new documentary that covers the same time frame as the recently released The Beatles 1964 US Albums in Mono box... Read More

Part 2 of my examination of this landmark release of Furtwängler's wartime recordings with the BPO continues with a detailed discussion of the music and performances contained on these records, and of their cultural, historical, and political context and significance.

You can read Part 1 here. 

You needn't read the liner notes to feel from where drummer/composer Jacob Wendt draws his inspiration. The front cover photo and art direction offer a hint. The back cover does not, but drop the stylus on the title track opener and you'll hear Rudy's classic Blue Note stereo spread and feel Horace Silverness of it. The "Sidewinder"-ness of the follow up tune, "New Groove" is even more obvious, but on neither tune nor on any of... Read More

In this limited edition 8-vinyl LP set of recordings drawn from its epic 22 CD/SACD of the wartime recordings of Wilhelm Furtwängler and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, we have a unique and compelling portrait of music-making as an act of cultural and political assertion, latterly embodying defiance in the face of defeat and fear.  These were also recordings made with a higher level of sonic fidelity than hitherto available, made possible by the new technology of tape and tape recorders developed and built in Germany in the 1930s.  That any of the original master tapes themselves survived the fall of Berlin and their removal to the Soviet Union is just one aspect of the fascinating tale told by these legendary recordings and the beautifully presented accompanying materials in this remarkable set.  Part 1 features an overview of the set, a discussion of Furtwängler’s unique place amongst conductors, and the story behind how these recordings came to be made, and the technology developed to make them.  Part 2 continues with a detailed discussion of the music and performances contained on these records, and of their cultural, historical, and political context and significance.  

Serious Green Day fans will tell you American Idiot is not their favorite G.D. album and I'm not going to go down the road of naming names and producing my Top 10 G.D. albums. Your choice, but there are so many great ones, mostly fast, furious, Clash inspired all-American teen-angst infused punk with sly humor added. 2004's American Idiot is Green Day's Tommy—an ambitious, tune-filled, provocative rock opera that critiqued life in W's America and... Read More

Blue Note Records has released Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’, a never-before-issued live recording of jazz legends McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson leading a stellar quartet with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Jack DeJohnette at the hallowed lost NYC jazz shrine, Slugs' Saloon, in 1966. The release was produced by Zev Feldman with Jack and Lydia DeJohnette, and is available now on 2-LP, 2-CD, and digital formats. Tyner and Henderson had been forging a strong... Read More

If you were not expecting greatness from this set be prepared to be disappointed. The box set's producers understood that the high bar set by the all-analog 2014 The Beatles In Mono box set required this American follow up to be at least equally good, if not better, even though it covers but a single year in the life of The Beatles and the group's relationship with Capitol Records. But what a year it was! Filled with label competition, marketing intrigue,... Read More

On October 28th Rega company owner and sole director Roy Gandy gave away all of his shares to a trust established to protect the company in the future. He created an EOT (employee owned trust) and effectively gifted Rega to its workers. The reason given is that this move will “protect our culture and decades of hard work. Becoming an EOT prevents the company being sold and potential buyouts (by dreaded investors) whilst providing all staff with job security going... Read More

On 1973’s Living in the Material World, George Harrison’s capacity for subtlety began to elude him in earnest.Six years earlier, he’d released “Within You Without You” on Sgt. Pepper’s — scolding, to be sure, but above all gorgeous, enveloping, and innovative. (Plus, the snickers at the end made it all land.) On the 1968 B-side “The Inner Light,” he channeled the Tao Te Ching with sweet poignancy. On other key songs I don’t need to name, he deftly threaded eros and... Read More

The box set arrived about an hour ago and I got right on it and shot this box opening video. Honestly, more interesting is the second embedded video with Kevin Reeves and Pat Kraus showing the tapes and the cutting process along with some of the ideas that went into the new cuts. The tape box notes show that bass was seriously cut for the original records as was some top end splashy cymbal stuff.What wasn't clear from the video is what they did for these new... Read More

Let the record reflect that the first time people heard “Purple Rain” played live, nobody clapped. It was August 8th, 1983, and Prince and the Revolution were doing a benefit gig to help out a local dance studio where his band worked out their choreography. Furthermore, that iconic solo? Improvised on the spot. And he was just 25 years old. All of this leaps up from just a couple of the 176 pages Twin Cities journalist Andrea Swensson has pieced together for “Prince... Read More

1957 was a landmark year for Thelonious Monk, possibly the most overtly original pianist in jazz history. He started playing in New York nightclubs again for the first time in six years, owing to the return of his cabaret card (essential for the city’s musicians back then), which had been suspended due to a drug charge. He recruited John Coltrane, who brought a thrilling new timbre to his band. And he recorded Monk’s Music, one of his most splendid albums—a brash... Read More

Each year, I dedicate one review to exploring the often contentious world of audio cables, selecting what I believe to be a significant product in this category. This year's choice will surely spark lively discussions in the comments, given its price point and the technology used. My annual exploration allows me to delve into a subject that consistently ignites passionate debates among audiophiles and casual listeners. I always look forward to readers sharing... Read More

Thumbing through my parents’ record collection as a kid was the equivalent of an archaeologic excursion. Records were an object of wonder long before I became a bonafide collector, down to how the grooves came across the speakers and the mythology behind the album artwork. When I was five years old, my eyes became fixated on a cartoonish-looking album featuring four men donning a uniform of leather jackets and ripped jeans. My ears were eager to hear what it entailed,... Read More