Sometimes, the most improbable juxtaposition of musical styles, sounds, and textures just works and, when spotlit in breathtaking clarity, as with Mobile Fidelity's Platinum Ultra Disc One-Step version of Miles Davis's Bitches Brew, it's brilliant. When I was a child, my mother cooked and served our meals at home. Occasionally, some spillover occurred between the... Read More »
I can't tell you about all the new releases from this past week now available at NativeDSD. I haven't had time to listen to them all, and certainly not yet time to write about them all. But I have selected six that truly piqued my interest, and they turned out to be just excellent releases... Read More »
Buckingham Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks, Rhino High Fidelity Records (33 RPM LP) Kevin Gray's success with the Fleetwood Mac discography and related recordings continues to amaze. My go to copy for Rumors is the 2020 45 RPM reissue cut and mastered by Kevin Gray along with Steve Hoffman. My go to copy for... Read More »
If you were buying music in the mid eighties, then you might remember when the music industry expected us to replace our records with "perfect sound forever" compact discs (CDs). Even though I own a lot of CDs, and I still buy them on occasion, few were ever purchased to replace the same title on... Read More »
This new release in the ongoing series of outstanding organ recordings from APSoon Recordings is their best yet. If you love great organ recordings, just get this now! It will blow you away. Aare-Paul Lattik, Live at Riga Cathedral. APSoon Records 2025 (Pure DSD256) Edit Master Sourced HERE This is the most recent release of... Read More »
Here is an audiophile's dream—an exploration of superb performances remastered in Pure DSD from the original DSD tracking channels. Tom Peeters, founder and recording engineer of Cobra Records has gone into his archives to find his original DSD64 tracking channels from albums released between 2007-2014 and remastered selected tracks in Pure DSD256 for this Producer's... Read More »
Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti (1975, Swan Song Records) is undeniably the band's magnum opus, and quite possibly the most comprehensive statement of who Led Zeppelin were and how they evolved into the world's greatest rock ‘n' roll band. Fans obviously agreed by voting with their wallets, taking the album to 17x platinum in the US... Read More »
In mid-1989, guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist Bernard Sumner of New Order approached his bandmates with the idea of adding programmed synths to their new music. Neither Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, or Gillian Gilbert were particularly receptive to the idea, as they were all deeply involved in ongoing side projects at the time. Undeterred by their... Read More »
Today's issue is an eclectic mix, and I think delightfully so. From an outstanding new release by The Hague String Trio of modern music composed in the 1920s, to even more challenging modern music of the past 30 years with the Rudersdal Chamber Players, to music of the 18th Century on clavichord (of all things),... Read More »
I often have a hard time suppressing my level of excitement when I see upcoming new releases from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, but that pegged off the scale when I saw they were reissuing the debut album from prog rock legends Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). The excitement meter reading nearly doubled when I came... Read More »
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab continues their survey of Miles Davis' catalog of albums with an Original Master Recording reissue of his 1975 live album Agharta, now available as a 33 rpm, 180 gram 2-LP set. Easily the most dissonant album of Miles' entire catalog, Agharta's dense, sprawling compositions challenged listeners and divided fans—even those who'd... Read More »
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab honors the 50th anniversary of Heart's Dreamboat Annie with a deluxe 45 rpm, 180 gram LP reissue of the band's classic debut. Initially only available in their native Canada, Dreamboat Annie at first failed to gain much traction—at least until the album's second single "Magic Man" hit the Montreal airwaves. It... Read More »
We have a virtual cornucopia of excellence from NativeDSD for this edition of Recent Finds. Following the release of Eudora's outstanding Pure DSD256 album of Mozart's piano music for four hands, Review HERE, now we have a superb Mozart Requiem from Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Orchestra, delightful Handel and Bach secular oratorios from Florilegium... Read More »
When two masters play side-by-side, magic happens. So it is with this excellent new recording from pianists extraordinaire Josep Colom and Javier Laso. Mozart & Schubert Four Hand Piano Works, Josep Colom and Javier Laso. Eudora Records 2025 (Pure DSD256-Direct Mixed, Stereo, MCh) Edit Master Sourced HERE I have long admired the playing of both... Read More »
If you're a vinyl-spinning audiophile and you love great guitarists, you should listen to Chet Atkins (1924-2001). Heck, even if you don't spin vinyl you should listen to Chet Atkins. The soft-spoken man from Luttrell, Tennessee, was also known by the nicknames Mr. Guitar and The Country Gentleman. His guitar tone was sweet like honey,... Read More »
The Fenby Legacy: Music of Delius. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Eric Fenby. Unicorn-Kanchana DKP (CD) 9008/9 (2 CDs; recorded 1981-3). Songs of Farewell (The Ambrosian Singers). Idyll (Felicity Lott, s; Thomas Allen, b). Fantastic Dance. A Song of Summer. Cynara (Allen, b). Irmelin: Prelude. A Late Lark (Anthony Rolfe Johnson, t). La Calinda. Caprice and Elegy (Julian... Read More »
Rhino Entertainment and Warner are celebrating the 75th anniversary of iconic label Elektra Records with twenty limited edition LP reissues and releases as part of the Elektra 75 Vinyl Collection. Albums in the series include a mix of 140 and 180 gram LPs, with many of them pressed on really cool colored-vinyl! The Elektra 75... Read More »
Wilco, A.M. (Rhino High Fidelity) I am a Chicago guy, and I have been a long term loyal fan of Wilco since the very beginning of the band. Wilco was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of the alternative country group Uncle Tupelo, after Jay Farrar's departure that same year to form Son Volt.... Read More »
Every now and then, something really special comes our way. And today it has. A new release from HDTT of Miles Davis' album, Milestones, in a gorgeous, sonically luscious Pure DSD256 transfer. I hope you will forgive this fresh new article after so many others right in a row. But I wanted you to hear... Read More »