I am very proud to continue our feature here at SoundStageDirect (look for this every Friday), music reviews that are written by the senior contributing editor of Stereophile magazine- Michael Fremer. It has been a pleasure to speak with Michael and learn more about audio sound and equipment. In fact, his new DVD, "It's A Vinyl World, After All" has hit the shelves and is selling out very quickly. This is a must have for anybody who loves vinyl, it is a true masterpiece.
ALBUM REVIEW: Neil Young (new reissue)
Neil Young Official Release Series Discs 1-4 Box Set
Warner Brothers/Reprise 4 180g LP, numbered Box Set
Produced by: Neil Young, Jack Nitzsche, David Briggs, Elliot Mazer, others
Engineered by: various engineers
Mixed by: various mixers
Mastered by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
Review by: Michael Fremer 2009-11-01
When Buffalo Springfield broke up, Neil Young set about building his solo career. The high-production work with Jack Nitzsche that had created classics like Expecting to Fly and Broken Arrow brought Neil back to the producer/keyboardist/orchestrator, who gained fame working with Phil Spector but the results on Young?s eponymous debut album were not as memorable. In fact, many critics and fans alike back in 1969 considered the album a disappointment and a misstep.
The overproduction charge was compounded by two issues: first was the original mix that buried Young?s voice, second was the label?s disastrous choice to master using the Haeco-CSG system. Invented by Howard Holzer, A&M?s chief engineer, Haeco-CSG was about cost cutting not sonic improvement.
By the late ?60s, stereo had taken hold among album buying youngsters but most rock was still heard on AM radio or FM in the car, which was mostly monophonic. Stereo records played back monophonically usually produced terrible results: folding stereo down to mono upped common L/R information by 3 dB, which is major. That means vocals placed in both channels so they?d appear in the phantom center channel would be way too loud in mono. Not many rock singers of the era needed that kind of exposure, so Holzer invented a system to deal with the problem.
Unfortunately, his solution was to phase-shift common L/R right information so that it didn?t get the 3dB boost. Imagine, though, what happened to image focus and soundstage clarity! It produced a sonic mess that ruined many releases of the era, including Neil?s debut and Roots The Everly Brothers? superb comeback album that inexplicably hasn?t been reissued yet on vinyl.
Neil remixed the first album, made sure it was mastered without Haeco-CSG and put a wide banner with his name on it at the top of the front cover in an effort to save the debut but it was too late. The album never recovered. Relatively rare original pressings with the first cover, mix and Haeco-CSG processing were quite collectible for a time, going for hundreds of dollars. I?m not sure what the going rate is today.
Time has actually been kind to Young?s debut. The Loner and I?ve Been Waiting For You are fuzz-tone laden standouts. I?ve Loved Her Too Long maintains its warm grip and even the surreal, Dylanesque overreach of The Last Trip to Tulsa, with Young?s acoustic guitar center stage and his voice off on the right channel, arrives nicely burnished through the time tunnel.
One could argue that the first album isn?t a high priority but no one would say that of the next three in this four, 180g LP box set: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Goldrush and Harvest.
With a set list that includes Cinnamon Girl, the title tune, Round and Round, Down By The River, and Cowgirl In The Sand, the second album with Crazy Horse is a hard-rocking, no-nonsense follow-up to the tentative debut and contains no filler. But surely you didn?t need to be told that.
Nor do you need to be told about the enduring folk/rock brilliance of After the Goldrush or Young?s greatest album chart success Harvest. If you do, you?re not forking over the big bucks for this 180g box set anyway. You?re more likely to opt for a 140g individual album or two.
What you?re really interested in hearing about is the sound quality of these reissues. But first a word about the packaging: Warner Brothers has gone to the trouble and expense of using deluxe paper over cardboard jackets that are authentic to the originals, though there are barcodes, new catalog numbers and updated mastering credits ? all tastefully and respectfully done. All original posters and inserts are included. Pick up the new Harvest and you?ll be hard-pressed to tell it from the original, so perfectly does the new, thick outer paper stock match the original.
What?s very different about these reissues though, is the sound: I have multiple originals of all of them, including both the original Haeco-CSG version of the debut album and the re-do (obviously, though Warner Brothers and Young went with the original cover, the second mix was used) and I have to tell you, these reissues, mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman and pressed at Pallas in Germany (buy a copy of my second DVD It?s a Vinyl World, After All and you can take a guided tour of Pallas, shot in high definition), sound far superior to the originals.
Look, I?ve been listening to these four albums for up to forty years now and I was not prepared for what I heard on all four of these albums. Grundman?s chain is sounding better than ever after what I hear are a series of upgrades.
Starting with the second album, Young arranged for multiple voices, often his own multi-tracked, but never before have the individual voices been so clearly locked in three dimensional space and timbrally distinct. The way the voices project into 3D space (including Young?s main centered one) is positively eerie (assuming your system can reproduced this, because trust me, it?s in the grooves in a way it?s not on the originals). Instrumental textures are far richer, fuller and better defined. Harmonics are fully fleshed out. Reverb trails extend to infinity before disappearing into background pitch blackness. There is so much more there there in every respect, it?s almost stupefying.
You can see Young before the microphone and experience every little vocal tick and breath pressurization. It?s not important because you can hear these details. It?s important because hearing them imparts greater meaning to the proceeding and certainly a greater appreciation of his singing and the deliberateness of his communications skills.
I wish I could tell you that the 140g versions, pressed, I assume, from the same stampers, sounded as good, but even correcting for the VTA/SRA differences, they don?t. They do sound plenty good, mind you, and better than the originals, but not quite as good as the 180g versions contained in the box set. And good as the Blu-ray versions are at 192k/24 bit, they don?t touch the vinyl.
So, my advice is: when the numbered, limited edition box is finally introduced shortly, if you?re as big a Neil fan as I am, don?t hesitate until it?s too late. Buy and enjoy this box set.
Warner Brothers, thanks to the tireless and meticulous efforts of Warner Brothers Senior Vice President and vinyl fanatic Tom Biery, demonstrates yet again, that it is possible for a major label to do vinyl correctly: cutting from analog masters, pressing at the best plants and packaging to provide fans with the genuine experience. It?s sad that the others don?t have the will to properly manage the task.
Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
U.S. independent record stores will sell a unique LP boxed-set edition, limited to 5,000 copies, of the Beatles? ?Abbey Road? on Saturday as part of a series of promotions designed to drive foot traffic into stores hard-hit by the boom in digital music sales.
Exclusive 40th-anniversary vinyl edition of the album, licensed and produced by EMI, includes a T-shirt and poster featuring artwork from the collection?s two-sided hit single, Come Together/Something.
The Vinyl Saturday promotion is the latest stunt in the campaign dubbed Record Store Day involving 200 indie music retailers across the country.
Former Beatle Paul McCartney said he was happy to support the cause with what is sure to be a collector-coveted edition of Abbey Road.
When I recently played Amoeba (musicstore) in L.A., I realized what fantastic memories such a collection of music bring back when you see it all in one place, McCartney said in a statement.
In other Beatles' news:
EMI has won a temporary injunction against BlueBeat, the digital-music vendor selling Beatles tracks without permission. According to Billboard, a temporary restraining order demands the company cease selling all EMI tracks, including Beatles songs.
US District Court Judge John Walter has ordered the internet site Bluebeat.com to remove the Beatles songs that they were selling for 25 cents on their site. Bluebeat had argued that they owned the copyrights to what they were selling as they had re-recorded them as "audio visual performances with related sounds."
The judge issued a restraining order barring the site from any further streaming or selling of the songs and stated that he believed EMI would most likely win in a lawsuit against Bluebeat.
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AC/DC Fans: For Those About to Rock, Play Something New
The very active and vocal fans at ACDCfans.net have written an open letter to their favorite group requesting that they change things up a bit. Specifically, they say that the set list used show-after-show, year-after-year is getting a bit stale and true fans would like to hear a little more variety.
It all started back in August when a board member posted a set list that they would like to see, one that included both the hits and some deep album cuts. The list set off a flurry of other comments and suggestions that eventually came down to the open letter.
Dear Malcolm, Angus, Cliff, Phil and Brian
acdcfans.net represents an extremely vocal group of your most loyal fans. Just a handful of us have collectively attended more than 157 of your concerts (and counting) since 1978 and estimate we've contributed more than USD$84,000 (and counting) to the AC/DC juggernaut. We are just the tip of the iceberg.
Now while those numbers may seem insignificant given your touring history and estimated wealth, for us the numbers represent a passionate investment of time and hard earned money in your music. We are AC/DC fans for life, and we wouldn't change that for the world.
However, there is something we'd like AC/DC to consider changing...
The setlist.
On the current Black Ice World Tour, during which some of us having travelled across Europe, the United States and flown between the two continents (with flights already booked to Australia to catch the Australian leg), we have listened to you play the same great songs each and every night. We absolutely appreciate every song you play, but we can't help but wonder if the band is getting a little bored of playing the same songs night after night.
Are you aware there are thousands of fans just like us who have spent months discussing the Black Ice World Tour setlist, every one of them hoping that the band will play something other than songs geared towards casual fans? - the sort of fans that put money in your pockets, but who don't have the same level of passion for your music as us. They may cheer at the concerts, they may go home happy... but they only came to hear Thunderstruck. They don't eat, sleep and shit AC/DC like we do.
As the greatest band on Earth, we think it is a travesty that you are not playing songs that are dear to yourselves and your long term loyal fans - the songs from albums that critics wrote off, but which we both know are some of the finest from your back catalogue.
So, we'd like you to consider changing the setlist. We won't be rude and say "play this" or "don't play that" - we'll leave it to you to decide - surprise us!
Please give us, and the many thousands like us, some hard hittin', heavy rockin' tracks that we, the true long term fans of AC/DC, know and love.
Thank you for your time and your music.
Yours respectfully in rock
acdcfans.net
Interesting, I wonder if the band will change the set list, time will tell, but if they listen to what their fans want; they will.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
P.J. Proby - sang on many of Elvis Presley's demos also singer, songwriter, and actor who has portrayed Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison in musical theater productions (1938)
Guy Clark - singer, songwriter, wrote songs for Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs (1941)
George Young - Easybeats (1947)
John Wilson - Them (1947)
Rushton Moreve (born John Russell Morgan) - Steppenwolf (1948)
Glenn Frey - Eagles (1948)
Chris Glen - Sensational Alex Harvey Band (1950)
Paul Brindley - Sundays (1963)
Corey Glover - Living Colour (1964)
Paul Gilbert - Mr. Big (1966)
R&B singer Pebbles (1966)
Trevor Penick - O-Town (1979)
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1814, Adolph Sax, inventor of the saxophone (died February 4, 1894).
The late Ray Conniff was born in 1916 (died October 12, 2002).
During a UK tour in 1972, Billy Murcia of The New York Dolls died after choking on his coffee after an overdose of Mandrax. The influential band formed in 1972 and made just two albums, the 1973 "New York Dolls" and 1974 "Too Much Too Soon."
Dickie Goodman died of a self-inflicted gunshot in 1989. He created a genre of novelty records in which a narrative was illustrated with snatches from top 40 songs. With Bill Buchanan, he had a string of hits in the '50s, including the #3 "The Flying Saucer (Parts 1 & 2)." He later became the head of music for 20th Century Fox.
Born today in 1942, Doug Sahm, Tex Mex Singer, songwriter, guitarist, Sir Douglas Quintet (died November 18, 1999).
History:
In 1954 Elvis Presley did his only commercial, for Southern-Made Doughnuts, on the "Louisiana Hayride" radio program (he also signs a year-long contract with the "Hayride").
Jimmy Dean started a five week run at #1 in 1961 with "Big Bad John."
Bill Graham, who will become one of rock's most powerful entrepreneurs, produced his first rock concert at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in 1965. The show featured the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and the Charlatans.
On the night of New York City's famous blackout in 1965, Bob Dylan, the Band's Robbie Robertson and Dylan friend Bob Neuwirth jammed with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones in his suite at the New York Hiton.
The Animals' "It's My Life" was released in 1965.
The Rolling Stones, Strangeloves and Fontella Bass appeared on "Shindig!" in 1965.
In 1967, working at Abbey Road studio in London, the Beatles mixed four songs, "Hello Goodbye," "Your Mother Should Know," "Magical Mystery Tour" and "I Am the Walrus." Due to the radio feed used in "I Am the Walrus" being recorded in mono, the song changes from stereo to mono at the line "Sitting in an English garden".
Also in 1967, during a three hour session Bob Dylan recorded "All Along The Watchtower" and "John Wesley Harding" at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Monkees' three quarter of a million dollar feature film, Head opened in New York City in 1968. Instead of being aimed at their target audience of teeny boppers, the film contained a dark theme about the manipulation of the group with walk-on appearances by inappropriate guests and scenes of Vietnam War atrocities. Reviews were harsh and the picture was a box office disaster.
Aerosmith performed their first ever gig when they played at Nipmuc Regional High School in Mendon, Massachusetts in 1970.
Cher started a two week run at #1 in 1971 with "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves," the singers first US solo #1.
The soundtrack to 'Shaft' by Isaac Hayes went to #1 on the US album chart in 1971.
Michael Jackson's first solo single, "Got to Be There" (#4 pop, #4 R&B), was released in 1971. Already he's had eight Top Forty hits with the Jackson 5, including four consecutive chart-toppers.
Also in 1971, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were hired as staff songwriters at ABC-Dunhill Records in Los Angeles.
Deep Purple's "Machine Head" LP went gold in 1972.
In 1973, singer Gram Parsons' manager Phil Kaufman was fined $300 for stealing Parsons' body from the Los Angeles International Airport. After he took the body, Kaufman had the corpse cremated and left the ashes at the Joshua Tree monument, according, he said, to his friend's wishes.
The Sex Pistols played their first show at St. Martin's School of Art in London in 1975.
The Steve Miller Band went to #1 in 1976 with "Rock 'n' Me," the group's second #1 hit (The Joker #1 1973).
Iggy Pop releases 'Lust for Life" in 1977. The album was produced by David Bowie.
In 1980, Led Zeppelin met on the island of Jersey to discuss their future following John Bonham's death. Peter Grant remembers, "What happened was the three of them - Jimmy, Robert, and Jonesy - went over to Jersey in the Channel Islands to have a discussion of what they were going to do in the future. I had never raised the subject with them. When they came back, we arranged to rent a suite at the Savoy in London and we had afternoon tea, just the four of us. They looked at me and said, 'What do you think, Gee?' And I said I couldn't see them carrying on as it was, because it couldn't be the same. It was a very emotional moment. They all said, 'Thank God you've said that, because that's what we thought while we were away.'"
In 1982, Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker started a three week run at #1 with a song taken from the film An Officer And A Gentleman, "Up Where We Belong."
Meat Loaf started a five week run at #1 in 1993 with "I'd' Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)."
Pearl Jam went to #1 on the US album chart in 1993 with "Vs," selling 950,378 copies making it the highest sales in US album history in one week.
Britney Spears' album "Britney" was released in 2001.
Winners at the 2003 MTV awards included Christina Aguilera for Best female, Coldplay won Best group, Justin Timberlake won Best album for ?Justified?, The Panjabi MC won best dance act. Best R&B act went to Beyonce. Eminem won the best hip-hop act award for the fifth year running. Reggae artist Sean Paul took the best new act award and best video was won by Sigur Ros. An estimated one billion people in 28 countries watched the show, which was held in Edinburgh, Scotland for the first time.
In 2005, Clear Channel agreed to remove posters with 50 Cent holding a gun in one hand and a microphone in the other in the Los Angeles area after a rally was held in protest, the company also agreed to remove 21 posters in Philadelphia. The posters were plugging the rapper?s forthcoming film 'Get Rich or Die Tryin.' "The message could be 'rob to get rich' said Bilal Qayyum, a leader of the anti violence group Men United for a Better Philadelphia.
In 2005, Madonna scored her 36th Top Ten single with "Hung Up," equaling the record with Elvis Presley for the most Top Ten singles. "Hung Up" was also Madonna's 47th Top Forty single, the most for any female artist.
Brooks & Dunn and Kenny Chesney were the big winners at the annual CMA Awards in 2006, but the ceremony is most memorable for Faith Hill's outraged reaction when she loses best female vocalist to American Idol's Carrie Underwood.
In 2007, previously unreleased live tracks from Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne were featured on the "Serve2" compilation. Proceeds from the album benefit the World Hunger Year charity's Artists Against Hunger & Poverty initiative.
Queen + Paul Rodgers Live From the Ukraine was shown in high-definition and surround-sound audio in more than 300 U.S. theaters in 2008. The footage was from a concert just two months earlier in Kharkov.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
I would like to thank Matt Trush over at http://analogapartment.com for the exclusive rights to reprint this interesting material.
Michael Gammon of Transcriptors
written by Matt Trush
If you have ever seen Stanely Kubrick's 1971 film 'A Clockwork Orange', you might recall an amazing turntable in Alex's bedroom. It is called the Hydraulic Reference and was made by a company called Transcriptors.
From 1963 to 1979, Transcriptors produced some truly unique turntables. David Gammon, the founder, won several awards for his iconic designs and today, you can find his work in places like the Museum of Modern Art here in NYC.
We had a chance to hear from Michael Gammon, the eldest son of founder David Gammon, to get an inside look at what it was like to grow up with Transcriptors.
Founded in 1960 by the late David Gammon, Transcriptors was one of the World?s leading manufacturer of manual turntables, tone arms and accessories, and one of the most modern Hi Fi manufacturing plants in Europe during the 60?s, 70?s and the early 80?s.
Many readers will be familiar with our turntables, which have been widely used in numerous television commercials, and in many films, including the classic 1971 film ?A Clockwork Orange? which used our 1964 Hydraulic Reference turntable in various scenes throughout the film.
Our products have been copied and reproduced all over the world, from the ?Concept 2000? and the ?Audio Linear?. Even today?s modern turntable design?s bear there origins to the striking designs that were designed by David Gammon, perhaps no better compliment could be paid to his famous turntables.
Sadly David passed away in December 2005 after a long illness. He leaves five children Michael, David, Natasha, Ben and Olga, and four grandchildren.
Michael Gammon was born in Colchester, England in 1971 and moved to Clacton-on-Sea and then to Borehamwood. He was kind enough to share some great stories from his childhood and offer us a unique perspective his father's work, the vinyl format, and turntables.
Tell us about how you came to love music, audio, and vinyl records.
I have been interested in records and audio since I was five years old. Dad used to take us to the factory on Saturday mornings and we used to sit at one of the work benches whilst he made us a cup of tea. It was one of these Saturday mornings that he said to me "have a listen to this" and what he played introduced me to the wonderful world of audio. The record he played was Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene and to this day I still use it as one of my main records when we do the hi-fi shows. As a young boy I could not get it into my head how you produced music from electronic components. This also lead me to play drums for twenty years and also piano, both self taught.
I love records, the way the outer sleeve is designed, removing the record and placing it on the turntable then sitting back in a chair and closing your eyes and being immersed into the sound.
Dad always said "you listen to music, you don't watch it!"
What was your earliest memory of your father's work with Transcriptors?
The earliest memory I have is when I used to come home from school and there would be a different turntable on the shelf, the first one i can remember is the Round Table. I later found out that Dad did this with all new models and would have my Mum testing each new model.
1975 Round Table
What is you're favorite story from that time period?
My favorite story is when Dad bought my Mum a new Mini car. He had just picked it up from the dealership and was smoking a cigarette when he could smell the fumes of petrol. He looked down at his feet and saw that a massive amount of petrol had leaked into the footwell of the car. So he carefully stopped the car, carefully open the door and ran!
The Hydraulic Reference is a design icon. Is this your favorite model or do you have another that you love?
The Hydraulic is one of my all time favorite turntables as this is the one that can tell you what it is without ever looking at the badge. It is a design classic and when you look in the old hi-fi year books and one page you have a standard turntable in a wooden box then you turn the page and you have a Hydraulic there is no comparison. That's probably why the late Stanley Kubrick came to see my father and borrow one for his film 'A Clockwork Orange', dad never saw it again!
Hydraulic Reference
However I love all the other models he did, because as an engineer you are always out to improve on an existing idea so hence the design timeline from the 1963 Reference to his last turntable the Transcriber in 1979.
Transcriber
It says on the history page that the family moved to New York in 1974 to serve the US market with the Skeleton and the Round Table. What was that like?
It was an eye opener that was for sure. Moving from the south of Ireland to the big apple was a big step. The hi-fi industry in Europe was starting to decline so Dad found a new exciting market in the US. We moved in to a penthouse overlooking Central Park and Dad used to take us there every day. On the same floor in our apartment block we had the 1970's group The Platters who always use to make fun of our english accents.
Dad had a house in Long Island lined up but then decided at the last moment that he could not stand the heat so we came back to Ireland. Also he had been to the World Trade Center to rent an office there but was cautious about safety. He was also afraid of heights and also could not foresee what would happen on that tragic day (god bless them all).
You re-launched Transcriptors in 2000. Tell us a bit about why you decided to do that and what Transcriptors does today.
I was trawling the internet and came across a post about somebody looking for David Gammon of Transcriptors. I replied and within two days I was having an eight hour conversation with a collector from Florida. He had all of Dads turntables and suggested I do a web site.
I originally posted a short one page of information but then started to get enquiries for spares etc. So after spending ten years in injection moulding as a cnc toolsetter I restarted the company. In late 2002, I was asked when the new turntable was coming out, I just told them there had not been one made since 1979.
I taught myself autocad over a weekend and then came up with the T6 turntable which we still make today. We also service and repair and also offer a full spares service for all the models my late father produced.
Tell us a bit about the future of Transcriptors. Any plans for new models / expansion?
We will still be producing turntables as long as there is a hunger for the format. The current line up of turntables in the T6, Reference Series II (based on dads hydraulic reference) and the Spyder. We move in to a factory in 2010 as at the moment 75% of our components is produce by sub-contractors so we are aiming to bring it all in house.
Today, more and more people are discovering / rediscovering vinyl records. Do you have any words of advice to someone just getting started with vinyl?
Go in with an open mind. Salesmen will do anything to get a sale so visit many hi-fi shops and listen to the setup that they have running. Also remember that what you are hear in a demo room might not sound exactly the same in your own room at home.
Also you will get a lot of info regarding specification, remember specification is nothing, performance is everything. Just sit down and listen as you are equipped with the very best test equipment that money cannot buy and is supplied as standard to every human being and that is your EARS!
Any words of wisdom for someone that has never been exposed to vinyl records and turntables?]
Buy yourself a mid price turntable, amplifier and speakers, ditch your compressed music iPod and listen to how music was meant to be listened.
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Thanks again to Michael for taking time to share his stories and insights with us. We're a huge fan of Transcriptors and we are looking forward to the next chapter in this great story.
The resurgent vinyl market isn?t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, recent figures released by Nielsen SoundScan indicate that overall U.S. vinyl sales will once again set a benchmark in 2009, with sales up 50% through the first five months of the year. SoundScan predicts vinyl sales will reach 2.8 million units in 2009, up from 1.9 million in 2008, a record since SoundScan began tracking sales data in 1991. Already in 2009, vinyl sales have topped 1 million. Rock albums account for 70% of all vinyl sold, but country vinyl is enjoying a growth spurt. Year-to-date country vinyl sales are already at 15,000 copies, compared with 5,000 for the comparable period in 2008.
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Rage Against The Machine Debut To Be Released on Vinyl
Music on Vinyl Records will be releasing Rage Against The Machine's self-titled 1992 debut on 180g vinyl on November 20th
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'This Is It': Michael Jackson soundtrack tops the albums chart in a busy week
Michael Jackson?s This Is It won the box office easily last weekend, so it should come as little surprise to find the concert film?s soundtrack topping the Billboard 200, too. The King of Pop?s latest posthumous release sold a strong 373,000 copies in its first week on shelves, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That?s comparable to the big sales his greatest-hits set Number Ones was putting up in the weeks immediately following his untimely death ? and since This Is It is categorized as a new release, Jackson finally gets to take the No. 1 Billboard 200 spot that a technicality robbed him of for much of this past summer.
A busy pack of other new releases crowded into the shadow of This Is It. Creed came Full Circle to No. 2 with a respectable 110,000 copies sold, answering the question of how many people still consider themselves Creed fans in 2009. The public?s appetite for Rod Stewart covers albums remained unwhetted as his latest such set, Soulbook, bowed at No. 4 with 84,000. Trans-Siberian Orchestra?s Night Castle checked in at No. 5 with 83,000. Sting?s If on a Winter?s Night? traveled to No. 6 with 80,000.
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Motown's 50th Anniversary
On November 21, Detroit will see the annual Motown Historical Museum gala turn into a huge celebration for the labels 50th anniversary. The black-tie affair will include performances by Otis Williams and the Temptations, comedian Sinbad and Stevie Wonder. Rumors also say that Jermaine Jackson will attend for a tribute to Michael Jackson.
There will also be honors for the labels first five employees, writer/producer Robert Bateman, secretary Janie Bradford (who also wrote Money), songwriter/producer Brian Holland, singer/VP Smokey Robinson and backup singer Raynoma Singleton.
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New Stereophile-Sponsored Audio Show Coming
The Audio Expo North American (AXPONA for short), launched under the auspices of Stereophile magazine and taking place in March of 2010, is being billed as the audio show of the future. The venue is the Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel in Jacksonville, FL and the dates are March 5 thru 7. A variety of AV dealers, manufacturers and distributors will exhibit their newest audio products and technologies, equipment and supporting media. Three floors of the hotel will be used, with 18 large exhibit rooms on the main convention level. The show is expected to draw many exhibitors due to its cost to exhibitors being up to 25% less than other AV shows, and there being no charges for drayage or removing furniture from the rooms - two sources of savings to those participating. There will be a focus on hi-end playback equipment, and audio recording demonstrations, plus live musical performances and seminars with top industry names. A new web site has been designed for the show: www.AXPONA.com
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Motion City Soundtrack Release More New Album Details
(PR) Motion City Soundtrack have revealed the details of their major label debut ? My Dinosaur Life today. It's official, the album ? produced by Blink-182's Mark Hoppus and mixed by the legendary Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Kaiser Chiefs) ? will be released on January 19th, 2010 on Columbia Records. In addition, they have released the final track listing for the new album (see below) and revealed the incredible cover art by renowned collectible toy artist Joe Ledbetter (www.joeledbetter.com) ? also responsible for the entire album art.
My Dinosaur Life is the exciting next chapter for Motion City Soundtrack. The band ? Justin Pierre, Joshua Cain, Matt Taylor, Tony Thaxton, and Jesse Johnson ? first jumped onto the scene with their 2002 debut I Am the Movie (Epitaph). They followed this up with 2005's Commit This to Memory (Epitaph). Also produced by Mark Hoppus, Commit This to Memory debuted at #72 on the Billboard 200 and has gone on to sell more than 300,000 copies. It garnered raves from Spin, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Blender among others and found Motion City Soundtrack making their late night TV debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In 2007, MCS released Even If It Kills Me (Epitaph), a markedly poppier endeavor that found them working with producers Adam Schlesinger, Eli Janney and Ric Ocasek. This third release debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200 and once again, the critics weighed in favorably ? Alternative Press featured them on the cover of their "Most Anticipated" issue, the New York Times claimed "they made an album that sounds like one long sugar rush, and so long as the rush lasts, it sounds pretty great" and SPIN proclaimed the album as "near perfect pop." In the Fall of 2008 Motion City Soundtrack further showcased their talents when they released alternative versions of five songs off Even If It Kills Me as an iTunes exclusive. The culturally acclaimed hit TV series Gossip Girl featured the alternative version of "Fell In Love Without You'" in their season premiere that fall.
Enter 2010 and Motion City Soundtrack are poised to take another giant step forward with the imminent release of My Dinosaur Life ? 12 new songs that are lyrically contemplative, poignantly honest, and cleverly and culturally astute. The music harkens back to early Motion City Soundtrack with is grit and hooks while employing the musicianship and maturity the band has gained over the past seven years. During these years they've accomplished quite a bit ? including headlining Warped tour, Bamboozle and the mvtU Campus Invasion Tour to playing Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Festival and Honda Civic Tour. They've won two mtvU Woodie Awards ? in 2005 the Breaking Woodie for Best Emerging Artist and in 2008 the Best Video Woodie for "It Had to Be You." Motion City Soundtrack has worked incredibly hard over the past seven years for everything they've achieved and they're excited about the next chapter.
My Dinosaur Life Track Listing: 1. Worker Bee 2. A Lifeless Ordinary (Need A Little Help) 3. Her Words Destroyed My Planet 4. Disappear 5. Delirium 6. History Lesson 7. Stand Too Close 8. Pulp Fiction 9. @!#?@! 10. Hysteria 11. Skin And Bones
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Aerosmith, Tyler Parting Ways?
antiMusic reports: Classic Rock posted a bombshell report on Wednesday about the future of Aerosmith. Could the band be parting ways with frontman Steven Tyler? Going by what members of the band, including Tyler himself, told Classic Rock it is looking more and more likely that it may happen.
Steven Tyler told Classic Rock, "I don't know what I'm doing yet, but it's definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself ? Brand Tyler."
The magazine goes on to report that the members of the band "will reconvene (probably sans Tyler) to discuss future plans, which could be either the announcement of a long hiatus or even possibly include carrying on with a new lead vocalist."
While you may see that as reading too much into things, guitarist Brad Whitford discussed the possibility of bringing in a new singer with the magazine and he seems open to the idea, "if somebody was willing to do it and the chemistry was right, why not?". On the other hand, the magazine promised that "February's issue of Classic Rock will have a full story and a very, very special surprise for Aerosmith fans."
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Cloud Cult Reissues
PR reports: On December 8th, 2009 Cloud Cult will release a double-disc reissue of They Live on the Sun (2003) and Aurora Borealis (2004) ? two of their earliest albums. These two home recorded releases have been re-envisioned, remixed and remastered for the first time by Cloud Cult's Craig Minowa and this special double-disc release will contain previously unreleased bonus tracks.
The albums, which are now out of print and could only be purchased at live gigs and select Independent record stores, will be available for the first time nationwide and fans can take advantage of a presale on the band's web site in late November ? www.cloudcult.com.
Cloud Cult's lead singer/songwriter Craig Minowa created these albums during 18 months of seclusion at his Northern Minnesota organic farm after his two-year-old son passed away unexpectedly in 2002. Originally released on the band's own Earthology Records, they were mainly available on a local level due to a shoe-string credit card budget.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Harry Elson - Friends Of Distinction (1938) Chuck Mangione (1940) Mike Smith - Amen Corner (1947) Delbert McClinton (country star who taught John Lennon how to play harmonica) (1940) Yanni (1954) Chris Difford - Squeeze (1954) Jordan Rudess - Dream Theater (1956) Sean John Combs, (aka, Puff Daddy & P Diddy) (1970)
They Are Missed:
Born on this day in 1951, Dan Hartman, multi- instrumentalist, producer, worked with Edgar Winter (died on March 22, 1994). Collaborated with Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, Holly Johnson and Steve Winwood, among others.
Born today in 1957, James Honeyman-Scott, Pretenders (died on June 16, 1982).
Founder member of The Ink Spots, Ivory Watson died in 1969 (age 60).
Nashville session guitarist Phil Baugh die in 1990. He had a unique sound courtesy of a series of six pedals he developed that allowed him to bend the strings of the guitar together or separately.
Fred "Sonic" Smith, guitarist with agit-rockers the MC5 and husband of Patti Smith, died of a heart attack in Detroit in 1994. He was 45.
Drummer Mana "China" Nishiura of Shonen Knife and DMBQ died in 2005 when the latter band's van flips over on Delaware's I-95.
History:
In 1957, the top six songs on the pop and R&B charts are identical: Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock," the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie," Sam Cooke's "You Send Me," the Rays' "Silhouettes," Rickie Nelson's "Be-Bop Baby" and Jimmie Rodgers' "Honeycomb."
Bob Dylan made his concert-hall debut at the Carnegie Chapter Hall in New York City in 1961. Fifty people, most of the friends of the singer, pay two bucks to attend. Dylan earns twenty dollars for the night.
In 1963, The Beatles topped the bill at The Royal Variety Show at The Prince Of Wales Theatre, London. With the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in the audience, this was the night when John Lennon made his famous remark ?In the cheaper seats you clap your hands. The rest of you, just rattle your jewellery." The show was broadcast on UK television on the Nov 10, 1963.
The Rolling Stones were at #1 on the US singles chart in 1965 with "Get Off Of My Cloud" (also a #1 in the UK).
A 1967 New York Times article described the new electric six-string sitar introduced by Danelectro Guitar Company, which was being used by many rock bands.
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "I Second That Emotion" was released in 1967.
Cream played their final US show in Long Island in 1968.
Also in 1968, at Abbey Road Studios, Pink Floyd recorded "Point Me at the Sky" and "Careful With That Axe, Eugene."
In 1970, Bob Dylan, long under pressure to return to his political stance of the Sixties recorded "George Jackson," a pagean to the black militant killed in a California prison shootout.
Johnny Nash started a three week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1972 with "I Can See Clearly Now."
Paul McCartney & Wings released "Junior's Farm," in 1974, it became their fourth Top Ten hit of the past year. The song goes to number three.
The Band's Martin Scorcese-directed concert film-documentary, "The Last Waltz" premiered in New York in 1977.
In 1978, Boston, the rock band from the city of the same name, played their hometown for the first time since becoming major stars. They open a two night, sold out stand at the Boston Garden.
Canadian singer Anne Murray went to #1 on the US singles chart in 1978 with "You Needed Me," her only US #1 hit.
In 1978, Greg Reeves, former bass player for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, sued the group for $1 million in unpaid back royalties.
The Talking Heads' "Take Me To The River" was released in 1978.
Also in 1978, Linda Ronstadt went to #1 on the US album chart with "Living In The USA."
In 1981, Daryl Hall and John Oates' "Private Eyes" was certified both gold and platinum. The album, now peaking at #5 on the pop LP's chart, contained two #1 pop singles, "Private Eyes" [which will top the pop chart for two weeks starting in three days] and "I Can't Go For That" which hits #1 on both the pop and soul charts early next year.
In 1984, Prince played the first of seven nights at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the start of his 87-date North American Purple Rain tour. The outing marked the live debut of his new band The Revolution.
Roxette scored their second US #1 single with "Listen To Your Heart."
Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. & The M.G.'s, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, The Isley Brothers, Sam & Dave and The Yardbirds are elected to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991.
Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin signed a $39 million publishing contract with Warner-Chappell music in 1992.
In 1993, Depeche Mode's Martin Gore was arrested at the Denver Westin Hotel after refusing to turn down the volume of his music in his room. Slow news day.
DMX went to #1 on the US album chart in 2000 with "The Great Depression."
In 2002, Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin received the Music Industry Trusts Award for one of the greatest songwriting partnerships of all time.
The book "Journals" was released in 2002. The book, about Kurt Cobain, contained letters and diary entries from the 1980s until 1994.
Diddy was at No.1 on the US album chart in 2006 with his fifth album ?Press Play.?
The Eagles went to #1 on the UK album chart in 2007 for the first time ever - 33 years after their debut album On the Border. This was the group's first full studio album since The Long Run in 1979.
The soundtrack to Twlight was released in 2008 containing ?Go All The Way? written by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell. "The song conjures up that adolescent feeling when a young man, who has been pursuing a girl he really likes, finally gets her," says Farrell. The vampire flick based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Let's continue our feature here at SoundStageDirect: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.
FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009
DEAR JERRY:As a teen living in New York in the '50s and '60s, I was exposed to a lot of regional hits that I learned in later years are unknown to the rest of the country.
This seems especially evident with doo-wop and group harmony records.
For example, everyone knows ?16 Candles,? by Johnny Maestro and the Crests, but does anyone outside New York recall the sequel one year later? After 50 years, I can't remember the exact title. I do know it is not ?17 Candles.? Did it make the national charts at all? ?Harold Lorring, Scottsdale, Ariz.
DEAR HAROLD: You're right about the Big Apple being a doo-wop hotbed in those days, though several other areas of the country also made significant contributions to that genre.
The success of the Crests, however, was not restricted to any one region. Following the huge success of ?16 Candles,? the next dozen releases by the Crests, featuring Johnny Maestro, became hits from sea to shining sea.
The sixth of those is your sweet 16 birthday sequel: ?A Year Ago Tonight? (Coed 521). This tune made the Top 50 on both Billboard and Cash Box, and did so exactly one year after ?16 Candles.?
As you suspect, no mention is made of 17 candles, though Johnny doo-wopingly reflects fondly on the previous year's party: ?A year ago tonight you were 16, the sweetest teenage queen I've ever seen. A year ago tonight I let you know, that 16 candles in my heart would glow.?
In 1964, three years after Johnny Maestro left to focus on a solo career, another group of Crests released ?You Blew Out the Candles? (Coral 62403).
A cha-cha-cha rather than a ballad, this song has nothing whatsoever to do with ?16 Candles,? though it's easy to think it does because of the birthday party theme and the group name.
DEAR JERRY:In the days when cover records were common, their release would at times be very close to the original, making it difficult to know which is which. Such is the case with ?Baby Elephant Walk.? I know Henry Mancini wrote it for the movie ?Hatari,? but apparently Mancini didn't have a single with it. I know it's on the soundtrack album.
We are then left with two versions, one by Lawrence Welk and the other by the Miniature Men. Both were hits at the same time, but which is the original and which is the cover? ?Gloria Esterfield, Hanover, Pa.
DEAR GLORIA: Even looking at the charts offers no solution. Both came out in May and both debuted on Billboard the week of June 3, 1962, with Lawrence Welk (Dot 16364) at No. 96 and the Miniature Men (Dolton 57) at No. 98.
Composer Henry Mancini did not have a single of ?Baby Elephant Walk,? leaving the field open for Welk, the Miniature Men, and three other non-charted versions: the Parisian Sextet (Challenge 9151); Carl Stevens (Mercury 71996); and Kai Winding (Verve 10258).
Henry Mancini's is clearly the original recording, but the Miniature Men got their record out first, about three days ahead of all the others. In this quirky situation, the Dolton single is both a cover and an original.
Not surprisingly, Lawrence Welk, with an established name and a popular TV show, outsold all the others combined, though no one made the Top 40 with this tune.
Rather than ?Baby Elephant Walk,? the ill-fated Mancini single chosen from the ?Hatari? soundtrack turned out to be ?Theme from Hatari? (RCA Victor 8037), issued in July '62. This selection pretty much bombed.
IZ ZAT SO? Perhaps because Dolton was in such a rush to get the Miniature Men to dee jays and stores ahead of the herd of baby elephant records that they didn't have time for proof-reading. First pressings mistakenly credit the group as #Minature Men,? and are valued at about $20. Subsequent pressings with the correct spelling fetch about half that.
The Miniature Men are really Dolton arranger Hank Levine and a studio band gathered for just this purpose.
Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368, e-mail: jpo@olympus.net, or visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com. All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.
Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission
(PR) Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives unleash four inspired performances from The Doors' final tour with Live In New York. The latest addition to the band's acclaimed series of archival concert releases, this six-disc collection contains all four of The Doors' performances ? in their entirety ? recorded in 1970 at the Felt Forum in New York City.
The collection will be available November 10 at all retail outlets, including www.thedoors.com and www.rhino.com, for suggested list price of $89.98 for the physical boxed set. A digital version featuring select highlights from all four Felt Forum shows will also be available at all digital retail outlets for $9.99. An exclusive stream of "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" from the second show on January 17, 1970 will premiere at spinner.com beginning this Thursday, August 27.
Recorded January 17 and 18, 1970 ? just a few weeks before the release of Morrison Hotel ? these concerts find Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek locked in tight as they deliver smoking takes on soon-to-be-classics from their forthcoming album, including "Roadhouse Blues," "Peace Frog," "Ship Of Fools," and "Maggie M'Gill." The shows also feature a number of driving blues covers, such as Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster," and John Lee Hooker's "Crawling King Snake." "Those were the bluesy songs we always used to do," Krieger says. "We probably hadn't done them in years, but we resurrected them for these shows."
The year prior to these shows, The Doors became one of the first rock bands to play New York City's Madison Square Garden. When they returned in 1970, Densmore says they chose to play the Felt Forum, a smaller venue at the Garden. "It was more intimate, and you could feel the audience more," he says. "There was more interaction, and the acoustics were much better, because it was designed for music."
Manzarek hails these shows as a return to the group's early days, when they used to play a small Los Angeles club called the London Fog. "I mean, talk about going back to basics. We used to do four sets a night at the London Fog, and we only had a small block of songs written up to that time. So we would do other people's material. And in New York, it was like the same thing. We've got four shows to play here, two sets tonight, two sets tomorrow night. Let's play whatever we want! Let's just go!"
And go they did. Along with a mix of then-unheard new songs and old covers, the band also tapped into its 1967, self-titled debut, peppering the set lists with signature songs such as "Break On Through (To The Other Side)," "Soul Kitchen," "The End," and "Light My Fire," The Doors' first #1 hit.
For the final show of the Felt Forum stand, the band was joined onstage by two guests ? The Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian (who played harmonica on the studio version of "Roadhouse Blues") and drummer Dallas Taylor, who'd played on Crosby, Stills & Nash's debut. Sebastian sat in for "Rock Me" and was joined by Taylor for "Going To N.Y. Blues" and "Maggie M'Gill."
Fans will be blown away by the crisp sound found on LIVE IN NEW YORK. All four shows were mixed and mastered by the band's longtime engineer, Bruce Botnick, who recorded a number of shows from The Doors' 1970 tour on multi-track tape for the Absolutely Live album. While most of the music contained on LIVE IN NEW YORK is unreleased, a few songs (and portions of songs) surfaced in 1970 on Absolutely Live and in 1997 on The Doors Box Set.
Sadly, these shows represent The Doors' final New York City performances with Morrison, who passed away July 3, 1971.
Rhino released 180-gram vinyl versions of all six Doors studio albums on September 15. Previously available only in 2007's The Doors Vinyl Box, original stereo mixes of The Doors, Strange Days, Waiting For The Sun, The Soft Parade, Morrison Hotel, and L.A. Woman will now be available individually at all vinyl retail outlets for a suggested list price of $24.98 each.
You can buy your Doors 180 Gram reissues by following this link:
Disc 1 January 17, 1970 (First Show) 1. Start Of Show 2. "Roadhouse Blues" 3. "Ship Of Fools"* 4. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" 5. Tuning 6. "Peace Frog" 7. "Blue Sunday" 8. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" 9. "Back Door Man"* 10. "Love Hides"* 11. "Five To One"* 12. Tuning/Breather 13. "Who Do You Love" 14. "Little Red Rooster" 15. "Money" 16. Tuning 17. "Light My Fire"* 18. More, More, More 19. "Soul Kitchen"* 20. End Of Show
Disc 2 January 17, 1970 (Second Show) 1. Start Show 2 2. Jim "How Ya Doing?" 3. "Roadhouse Blues" 4. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)"* 5. "Ship Of Fools" 6. "Crawling King Snake" 7. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" 8. "Back Door Man"* 9. "Five To One" 10. Pretty Neat, Pretty Good 11. "Build Me A Woman" 12. Tuning/Breather 13. "Who Do You Love"* 14. Tuning/Breather 15. "Wild Child"* 16. Cheering/Tuning 17. "When The Music's Over"
Disc 3 January 17, 1970 (Second Show) continued 1. Tuning/Breather 2. "Light My Fire"* 3. Hey, Mr. Light Man! 4. "Soul Kitchen"* 5. Jim's Fish Joke 6. "The End" 7. End Of Show
Disc 4 January 18, 1970 (Third Show) 1. Start Show 3 2. "Roadhouse Blues"* 3. "Ship Of Fools"* 4. "Break On Through (To The Other Side)"* 5. Tuning/Breather 6. "Universal Mind"* 7. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" ? False Start* 8. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"* 9. "Back Door Man"* 10. "Five To One" 11. Tuning/Breather 12. "Moonlight Drive" 13. "Who Do You Love"* 14. Calling Out For Songs 15. "Money"* 16. Tuning/Breather 17. "Light My Fire" 18. More, More More 19. "When The Music's Over"* 20. Good Night ? End Show
Disc 5 January 18, 1970 (Fourth Show) 1. Start Show 4 2. "Roadhouse Blues"* 3. "Peace Frog"* 4. "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)"* 5. "Back Door Man" 6. "Five To One" 7. We Have A Special Treat 8. "Celebration Of The Lizard" 9. Alright Let's Boogie 10. "Build Me A Woman" 11. "When The Music's Over"* 12. More, More, More
Disc 6 January 18, 1970 (Fourth Show) continued 1. "Soul Kitchen"* 2. For Fear Of Getting Too Patriotic 3. Petition The Lord With Prayer 4. "Light My Fire" 5. Only When The Moon Comes Out 6. "Close To You" 7. The Encore Begins 8. "Rock Me"* 9. What To Do Next? 10. "Going To N.Y. Blues"* 11. Tuning/Breather 12. "Maggie M'Gill"* 13. Tuning/Breather 14. "Gloria"*/End Of Show
*Previously unreleased
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Slash of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver fame, has announced the European release of his debut solo album. The album, entitled 'Slash', will be put out by Roadrunner Records in the spring of 2010.
In keeping with the trend of innovative album releases, 'Slash' will take the form of a 'deluxe fan pack'. The album will be bundled together with a collectible edition of Classic Rock magazine dedicated to Slash's career.
Slash will release a teaser CD of two tracks in Japan on November 11, 2009. The CD will contain the single, 'Sahara', which features singer Koshi Inaba of the Japanese hard rock duo B'Z. The second track will be a version of the GN'R classic, 'Paradise City', which features Cypress Hill and Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Should be interesting.
According to Slash, "the record is in its mixing stage and the mixes to this point sound great. We have recorded 18 songs, with one more I want to track. The record is still slated for a February/March release".
As you might imagine, the personnel Slash used is and all-star cast. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails, GN'R, etc.) handles drum duties, while professional bass-ace Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction, The Panic Channel, etc., etc.) holds down the low end. Guest singers include: Ozzy Osbourne, M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold), and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave). Other notable contributors include: former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler, Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea, and Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl. The producer of the CD is Eric Valentine (Queens Of The Stone Age, Smash Mouth).
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Stopping Sublime Abuse
A Los Angeles judge has shut down an effort by former members of the ska-punk band Sublime to perform under the name.
The preliminary injunction was issued Tuesday in a trademark lawsuit brought by the estate of frontman Bradley Nowell, who died of a drug overdose in 1996.
Surviving band members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh have continued to perform. For years they played as the Long Beach Dub Allstars, but recently they revived the Sublime moniker when they recruited newcomer Rome Ramirez as lead vocalist.
"Prior to his untimely passing, both Bud and Eric acknowledged that Brad Nowell was the sole owner of the name Sublime," the Nowell family posted on the band's MySpace page. "It was Brad's expressed intention that no one use the name Sublime in any group that did not include him, and Brad even registered the trademark 'Sublime' under his own name."
Now Judge Howard Matz has agreed with the family, issuing the injunction citing the estate's likelihood of prevailing on its trademark claim. Matz asked the estate's attorneys to draw up a written injunction for him to sign.
Good, it's not Sublime without Brad Nowell.
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Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon & Julian Lennon Release Give Peace a Chance 40th Anniversary Single
Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Julian Lennon have partnered with EMI Music and Sony/ATV Music Publishing to release a 40th anniversary digital single of the Plastic Ono Band's historic recording of Give Peace a Chance. Proceeds from the sales go to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). The single became available today on iTunes and will be offered through the end of the year.
Ono commented, "I am thrilled that so many in the music business are readily supporting Give Peace a Chance on its 40th anniversary. It is indeed a time when we are all getting more aware of the necessity of doing something to achieve world peace, no matter how small. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel deeply that we are all one, regardless of where we stand."
The song was written during John and Yoko's March 1969 "Bed-In" after Lennon told a reporter "All we are saying is give peace a chance" in response to being asked what they were doing. The recording was made using a 4-track recorder on June 1, 1969 in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Those that joined in and sang on the chorus included Tommy Smothers, Timothy Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K, and Al Capp.
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USB Drive of Beatles Music Available
Though you can play Beatles songs on Rock Band and enjoy the band?s epic catalog on remastered CDs, you still can?t legally buy the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo on the iTunes store or other digital shops ? yet. In a move that may represent Apple Corps. softening its traditionally inflexible view of selling the Fab Four?s music digitally, the company and EMI Music will release a limited-edition USB drive featuring the entire Beatles in Stereo remastered set as 320 Kbps MP3s on December 8th. All 14 albums and 13 ?mini-documentaries? will be included on the 16GB USB drive, which will be shaped like the iconic Apple logo with ?The Beatles? written on it. Only 30,000 of these USBs will be produced; onsale information is available at the Beatles Website. www.thebeatles.com
Following the 9.9.09 debut of the digitally re-mastered catalogue on CD, Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music are pleased to announce the worldwide release of a limited edition Beatles Stereo USB on December 8th.
This unique, apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the re-mastered audio for The Bealtes' 14 stereo titles, as well as all of the re-mastered CDs' visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK art, rare photos and expanded liner notes. A specially designed Flash interface has been installed, and the 16GB USB's audio and visual contents will be provided in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps formats, fully compatible with PC and Mac.
In addition, EMI is going after a digital-music Website called BlueBeat.com for offering up the Beatles catalog as a digital download without permission. According to Variety, a copyright-infringement lawsuit was filed yesterday by EMI, which controls the digital rights of the Beatles music through an agreement with Apple Corps.
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Jack White´s Third Man Records to Release Carl Sagan Remix "A Glorious Dawn" on Vinyl
Third Man Records have announced the upcoming 7-inch vinyl release of ?A Glorious Dawn,? an Auto-Tuned remix of Carl Sagan?s dialogue from his ?Cosmos? television series; the remix, which features Stephen Hawking, first gained notoriety after composer John Boswell uploaded it to YouTube earlier this fall.
?The release is timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Sagan?s birth,? Third Man?s news bulletin says. ?Also happening that day is a reception in United States? Congress with speeches by senators, NASA officials and assorted scientists, all hosted by the Planetary Society, which was co-founded by Sagan.?
Ben Blackwell, White, and the rest of Third Man?s musical A-Team aren?t finished yet: A limited edition ?Cosmos Colored Vinyl? version will be sold at their Nashville headquarters and randomly included with mail orders of the record. As the ?A Glorious Dawn? 7-inch will not have a B-side, an etching on the flipside will be a replica of the Voyager Golden Record, which was launched into space in 1977.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Be Sure To Buy All Your Music Here, at SoundStageDirect.com!
Lots of great music this week including reissues from the Band, David Bowie, Nirvana, the Beach Boys, Devo and Neutral Milk Hotel (2 Lps on 180 gram vinyl). Also new music from Carrie Underwood, Curtis Harvey, Jay-Z, Morrissey and Shwayze (among others). Also a 5-LP vinyl box set from the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Green Day's American Idiot (2-LP vinyl) a 4-CD box set from Guided By Voices, the Foo Fighters Greatest Hits, Weezer's Raditude (2-CD edition), Mariah Carey CD boxed set, the Bee Gees 2-CD & DVD set, Slayer - World Painted Blood (CD & DVD deluxe edition) and the Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!remastered 3-LP 3-CD DVD deluxe box set. And if your can't wait for Christmas music, we have Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm Singing Songs Of Christmas (remastered)!
Acid Mothers Temple - Are We Experimental? (2-LP vinyl) A-Ha - Shadowside Amerie - In Love & War Andrea Bocelli - My Christmas Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Have Yourself A Meaty Little Christmas Arrington de Dionyso - Malaikat Dan Singa (vinyl) Band - Cahoots (vinyl reissue) Band - Stage Fright (vinyl reissue) Bat For Lashes - Two Suns (CD+DVD special edition) Beach Boys - Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (vinyl reissue) Beach Boys - Today! (vinyl reissue) Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth (vinyl) Bee Gees - Ultimate Bee Gees (2-CD) (2-CD & DVD) Beyonce - Above and Beyonce: Video Collection & Dance Mixes Brian Setzer Orchestra - Songs From Lonely Avenue (5-LP vinyl box set) Brilliant Colors - Introducing (vinyl) Carla Bley - Carla's Christmas Carols Carrie Underwood - Play On CFCF - Continent (vinyl) Citay - Remixes (vinyl) Cold Cave - Love Comes Close (reissue) (vinyl) Curtis Harvey - Box of Stones David Bazan - ?Happy Xmas (War is Over)? b/w ?Say it Isn?t Greensleeves (A Chance at Christmas)? 7? David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (2LP-reissue) David Bowie - Diamond Dogs (2LP-eissue) David Bowie - Space Oddity- Deluxe Edition (reissue) David Bowie - Young Americans (reissue) Devo - Q- Are We Not Men? A- We Are Devo! (remastered with bonus tracks) (yellow vinyl) Devo - Q- Freedom of Choice (remastered with bonus tracks) (red vinyl) Dixie Bee-Liners - Susanville DOA - Kings of Punk, Hockey & Beer Efterklang & Danish Chamber Orchestra?Performing Parades (CD+DVD) Etienne Jaumet - Night Music (vinyl) Faust - Faust IV (vinyl) Felix - You Are The One I Pick Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters Greatest Hits Girls in Trouble - Girls in Trouble Green Day - American Idiot (2-LP vinyl) Guided By Voices - Suitcase 3- Up We Go Now (4-CD box set) Half-Handed Cloud - Cut Me Down and Count My Rings Helen Money - In Tune Holopaw - Oh Glory. Oh, Wilderness Ikonika - Smuck 12? Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind JJ Grey & Mofro - The Choice Cuts (vinyl) John K. Samson - City Route 85 Jookabox - Dead Zone Boys (vinyl) Joy Electric - Favorites at Play Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young (vinyl) Kate Earl - Kate Earl Kathy Griffin - Suckin It for the Holidays King Khan & BBQ Show - Invisible Girl (vinyl) Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence (vinyl) Laarks - An Exaltation of Laarks Little Dragon - Machine Dreams (vinyl) Lymbyc Systym - Shutter Release Mariah Carey - Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2-LP & CD box set) Mary Onettes - Islands Max Richter - Memoryhouse (reissue) Melanie Fiona - The Bridge Melt Banana - Melt Banana Lite Live Ver 0.0 Melvins - Nude with Boots (vinyl) Mesh - Perfect Solution Michael and the Mumbles - Michael and the Mumbles (vinyl) Molina & Johnson - Molina & Johnson Morrissey - Swords Múm - Sing Along to Songs You Don?t Know Naam - Naam (vinyl) Nesey Gallons - Eyes & Eyes & Eyes Ago Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (180g vinyl reissue) Neutral Milk Hotel - On Avery Island (180g vinyl reissue)
Nirvana - Bleach (remastered with bonus tracks) (2-LP vinyl deluxe edition) Nirvana - Live at Reading (CD & DVD) Nirvana - Nevermind (vinyl reissue)
Ola Podrida - Belly of the Lion On Fillmore - Extended Vacation (vinyl) Pastels/Tenniscoats - Two Sunsets (vinyl) Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm - Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm Singing Songs Of Christmas (remastered) Propagandhi - Potemkin City Limits (vinyl) REO Speedwagon - Not So Silent Night Residents - Ten Little Piggies Residents - The Ughs! RJD2 - Dead Ringer (vinyl) Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert (remastered 3-CD & DVD box set) (3-LP 3-CD DVD deluxe box set) Ryan Leslie - Transition Say Anything - Say Anything Serena Ryder - Is It O.K. Shwayze - Let It Beat Slayer - World Painted Blood (CD & DVD deluxe edition) (vinyl) Sleep Whale - Houseboat State Radio - Let It Go (vinyl) Stephen Curtis Chapman - Beauty Will Rise Straight No Chaser - Christmas Cheers Stricken City - Songs About People Subeena - ?Solidify? 12? Sunn o))) - Monoliths and Dimensions (vinyl) Syntaks - Jlajali Systems Officer - Underslept Taylor Hollingsworth - Life With a Slow Ear (vinyl) The Almost - Monster Monster The Swimmers - People Are Soft Themselves - Crownsdown (vinyl) U2 - The Unforgettable Fire (remastered vinyl) Useless Eaters - Sucked In 7? Vagina Panther - Vagina Panther Various Artists - Fantastic Mr. Fox (soundtrack) Various Artists ? Glee-The Music, Volume 1 (soundtrack) Various Artists - Goner Fest 4 Various Artists - Light On the South Side (2-LP & book box set) Various Artists - NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack, Vol. 2 (soundtrack) Various Artists - The Village - A Celebration of the Music of Greenwich Village Vitalic - Flashmob Wale - Attention Deficit Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse (vinyl) Weezer - Raditude (2-CD edition) (vinyl) Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (vinyl)
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
"Caliente Music" Catalogue Represents First Release from New Division
Woodland Hills, CA , November 02, 2009 | SHOOT Publicity Wire | --- Renowned music library company Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd., has launched a new, Latin Music Division, and, concurrently, that division's first release, the "Caliente Music" catalogue. The announcements were made today by Opher Yisraeli, founder, Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd.
Comprised of beautifully recorded and authentic Salsa, Cuban, Reggaeton, Latin, Hip Hop, Cocktail Latin Jazz, Merengue, Latin Pop, Rock En Espaniol and other genres, the music featured within the new "Caliente" catalogue was recorded by top notch, live musicians, based in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Miami, and the Dominican Republic. Some recent talent signed to create music for the "Caliente" catalogue include the world renowned, Puerto Rican band "Plena Libre," "Moises Gonzales" from Cuba, and the hard edge Reggaeton of "Mr. Dominican." The music featured on "Caliente" can be delivered to clients of Songs To Your Eyes on CD, searchable DVDs, or via hard drive.
Songs To Your Eyes is making the "Caliente Music" catalogue available for use within television shows, feature films, film trailers (both-in theater and on TV), TV promos, and within other multi-media outlets. Initial placements from the "Caliente Music" catalogue will be heard in the "Desperate Housewives, Season 5" DVD trailer (for client ABC/Buena Vista), within a TV promo for "Handy Manny" (for client Disney Television), within the television series "Burn Notice" (on behalf of client USA Networks), and within the theatrical film trailer promoting "Family Wedding" (for client Searchlight Pictures), among others.
Regarding the launch of his company's new division and the release of the "Caliente" catalogue, Yisraeli said, "This initial, 14-volume collection of music was specifically compiled with film and TV placements in mind. I noticed that no authentic, hi-quality, Latin catalogue was currently being offered by other music libraries. We catalogued the music on 'Caliente' in a way that will help editors and music supervisors find what they need fast, by tagging the music with key words that describe what the various offerings sound like. The catalogue is available on our website, and can be searched by entering 'Genre,' 'Instrumentation,' 'Moods,' and 'Tempos.' We hope all of our clients will grab a margarita and join our party. Ay Caramba!"
ABOUT SONGS TO YOUR EYES, LTD. Founded by Opher Yisraeli in 2004, Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd., specializes in Music Licensing, Sound Design, and Custom Score. The company offers a deep and diverse music catalogue, showcasing bands, indie labels, composers, orchestras, song writers, music producers, and sound designers from around the globe. The company's clients include the world's leading creators and producers of television shows, motion picture advertising, films, advertising campaigns, videogames and multimedia presentations.
The various catalogs offered by Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd., are vast and varied, with tens of thousands of compositions that can be previewed online. As a "one-stop-shop," the company ensures an easy licensing process. Music from the company's catalog has been featured in productions worldwide, with placements including those within projects on behalf of such major clients as Sony Pictures, Lion's Gate, Twentieth Century Fox, FX, Fox Sports, Discovery Channel, HGTV, ABC, NBC, CBS, MTV, CMT Network, and E! Entertainment Television, among others.
Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd., is a rapidly growing music library, representing the work of over 250 composers, producers and recording artists. The company, which releases an estimated 50-60 new titles per year, also provides a range of services that include an exclusive music catalogue for licensing, advanced music search capabilities, consulting, and custom scoring services, to ensure that its clients find the right piece of music for their productions. Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd., is one of the fastest growing music companies in the world.
Songs To Your Eyes, Ltd., contact information is phone: (323) 988-9725, Email: info@songstoyoureyes.com and Web: www.songstoyoureyes.com
Contact Info Media: Dan Harary Asbury Communications PR Beverly Hills, CA 310/859-1831 Contact via email
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Album Features Intimate Solo Acoustic Performances of All Tracks from Young`s 1992 Album Harvest Moon
Neil Young Declared MusiCares 2010 Person of the Year
BURBANK, Calif.--(Business Wire)--As part of its ongoing Archives Performance Series with legendary singer-songwriter Neil Young, Reprise Records will release Dreamin` Man Live `92, on December 8, 2009, on CD, while the vinyl pressing will be released on January 12, 2010. The album is a complete live performance of Young`s album Harvest Moon drawn from various solo acoustic shows he performed in 1992 before the actual release of the Harvest studio recording, which makes this performance even more unique.
Dreamin` Man Live `92 revisits Harvest Moon 17 years after its release by pulling together a series of intimate solo acoustic performances Young did at the time. The album was produced by Young and John Hanlon and recorded and mixed by Tim Mulligan.
The track-listing for Dreamin` Man Live `92 is as follows:
"Dreamin` Man"
"Such A Woman"
"One Of These Days"
"Harvest Moon"
"You And Me"
"Hank To Hendrix"
"Unknown Legend"
"Old King"
"Natural Beauty"
"War Of Man"
In other news, Neil Young has been declared MusiCares "Person of the Year" for 2010. Neil Young is known almost as well for his charity and philanthropy work as he is for his music. The Farm Aid co-founder who also raises millions of dollars annually for physically and mentally impaired children via Bridge School Concerts will be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year for 2010.
"Neil has set a standard of artistic integrity and iconoclastic creativity for more than four decades, and his achievements have been matched by his unwavering humanitarianism," Neil Portnow, president/CEO of the Recording Academy and the MusiCares Foundation said in a statement.
Young will receive the award at a reception in LA on January 29th, right before the Grammy Awards. Proceeds from the annual GRAMMY Week gala dinner and concert honoring Young will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn to in times of financial, medical and personal need.
About MusiCares: MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.
Dreamin` Man Live `92 is the latest release in the line of new as well as Archive-related recordings that includes his studio album Fork in the Roadin April, the eight-CD Archives Volume 1 1963-1972series, and CD reissues of the first four of Young`s classic solo albums, 1969`s Neil Young and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, 1970`s After the Gold Rush, and 1972`s Harvest.
For more on Neil Young and the ongoing Archives series, please visit www.neilyoung.com.
Warner Bros. Records Rick Gershon, 818-953-3473 Publicity rick.gershon@wbr.com
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
Downloaders Spend MORE On Music Than Those Who Obey
People who illegally download music spend more on official releases than anyone else, according to a new survey. The study, published today by think-tank Demos, found those who admit to file sharing spent an average £77 a year on singles and albums ? £33 more than those who claim never to have wrongly accessed music for free.
Researcher Peter Bradwell said the findings should force companies and politicians to ?wake up to the changing nature? of the music industry as the Government plans to disconnect illegal downloaders from the internet in a ?three strikes and you?re out? rule.
An estimated seven million UK users download files illegally every year, which will cost the industry £200million in 2009, according to trade association, the British Phonographic Industry. Artists Lily Allen and James Blunt recently voiced support for the Government plans, while Latin pop star Shakira claims illegal file sharing brings her closer to her fans.
?Politicians and music companies need to wake up to the changing nature of music consumption and embrace the demand for new business models that offer lower prices and easier access to music.?
A 1,008 people aged between 18 and 50 were quizzed last month for the survey.
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Some Fans Upset With Bon Jovi Ticket Prices
Bon Jovi has evidently ticked off a few fans in England. There have been numerous negative comments about ticket prices for the O2 Arena shows in London. Tickets start at about $74 for general admission and run up to $327; however, the super premium tickets have a price tag of $2,100.
Some fans are calling for a boycott of the show but it doesn't seem to be taking as the first five shows sold out in hours.
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Beyonce Set To Release Live CD/DVD From Las Vegas Concert, Plans Thanksgiving TV Special
Megastar Beyonce has spent the better part of 2009 touring the all over on her hugely successful I Am?World tour. Those who didn?t get a chance to see her when she dropped by their cities will now have the chance to see what the show was all about when Beyonce releases her brand new live CD and DVD, I Am?Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas.
Taped August 2nd during a four-show stint in Las Vegas, the CD/DVD will feature Beyonce performing her many hits including her chart toppers Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable and the iconic Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). She?ll also take a stroll down memory lane with a medley of songs made famous with her former group, Destiny?s Child.
The set will be released on November 23rd, facing competition with big named acts like Rihanna and Adam Lambert, both releasing new full length albums the same day. Beyonce will surely receive a healthy sales boost during release week when she takes part in a Thanksgiving special November 26th. The hour-long special will air 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
We love our music. Some prefer the historic audio medium of vinyl records; some enjoy the digital music that surrounds us everyday. No matter what medium you prefer, if you have a collection it is very important to document it. Not only for insurance purposes, but to also keep track of exactly what you have or may be looking for.
There are many software applications available today that claim to be the best for cataloging and documenting a record collection, some may even use an Excel spreadsheet. But, I have found the ultimate application, one that is very user friendly and accomplishes the difficult task of cataloging a record collection.
I recently spoke with Matt Trush, who operates the website http://analogapartment.com. Analog Apartment is a place for people who love collecting and experiencing their music on vinyl and is a site that is designed to help you mange your record collection. Now you can keep track of what you have and what you want in a simple, elegant web application.
Let?s learn more about the program and how it can help you:
What made you design the program, had you tried others on the market?
I just wanted something that was simpler, cleaner and more personal than keeping a list in a spreadsheet. I have seen and tried several other programs but most of them seemed to have more features than I needed and looked more like a business application.
What kind of computer background do you have?
My grandfather introduced me to computers and programming when I was 9 and I've been hooked on building products ever since. When I went to university, I initially majored in Computer Science but switched to the MIS / Business after a late night battle with code. Overall, I wanted to design products and experiences much more than I wanted code.
Tibi Ballai, a good friend of mine and the other half of Analog Apartment, is the real genius behind the technology. I design the front-end experience in Flex and he makes it work.
I signed up for the product and fell in love with it in a matter of minutes. I didn?t really see any directions ? yet it is put together so well, there are really none needed, just click a few buttons and then you can see what you can do with it. Was this purposely done, can you elaborate on the design functions and ideas behind them?
That's the goal of any product we design. Great products have a way of walking you through the product and keeping it as intuitive as possible. We wanted to keep everything simple and clean - more like a personalized collection kiosk than a spreadsheet or database.
The grading system that you incorporated into the program, is this the standard Goldmine system? Do you have any plans to change that?
It is and yes, we do have plans to make the interface more flexible to the different types of information people want to collect about their records. Some people want to track catalog numbers, genres, labels, sizes, condition, and value whereas others just want the basics.
The fields we have in there today are there because they help capture what is unique about your particular copy.
You have a column for ?purchased at? and the date purchased, why as a collector do you think this is important?
For some it's important and for others it's not. I used to be really good at remembering where I got my records. As my collection grew, I wanted to keep track of where and when I got my records to give me an idea of how my collection has evolved and what places helped me get there.
It is so easy to navigate around the program with the + and = signs, any plans to incorporate new buttons or functions?
Absolutely, but we never want to add features just for the sake of saying we have them. Our goal is to enhance the collecting experience and not weigh people down with a clunky piece of software.
We recently launched wishlists, album cover art view, and a filter feature so you can easily find records based on the information you've entered. Next, we'll be looking to add features that allow you to share your collections and wishlists with others.
I love the notes section, will you incorporate and vinyl cover art into the program? Regarding the notes section, what can that be used for?
Personally, I use the notes section to keep track of favorite tracks, lyrics, and information about my experiences with the album and artist.
It is also great for capturing information about an album where we do not have a dedicated field. With the new filter feature, one can locate records based on anything that is entered in notes. It's really flexible.
With respect to cover art, we will look to expand this functionality down the line. Right now, we just wanted to make it easy for people to add an image to associate with an album.
We just launched some updates to our record collecting app, my.analogapartment.com.
In this update, we focused on making it easy to keep track of the records you have AND the records you want. We even added a handy print feature so you can take your wishlist with you to the local stores, record fairs, and garage/stoop sales.
Is there any way to take the data that I enter and copy it to another program like Excel or Word? (A copy and paste feature?)
Right now, we don't have a feature to pull the data into Excel or Word but I have received requests to do this. We will probably build it into the program. If anyone wants an Excel or Word file with their collection information in it, they can shoot me an email and I'll be happy to export their data from the database.
The flipside, we also want people to be able to upload a list of albums into Analog Apartment. For people that already keep track of their collection in Excel or another program, we don't want them to have to enter each album individually. Just like exporting, we're happy to import a collection from a spreadsheet into My Analog Apartment on behalf of the user.
Right now, the program is available as a free download. You will be amazed at just how easy it is to document and catalog your record collection using this simple software. It was developed by record collectors- for record collectors and is the best one available on the market today and I highly recommend stopping by and giving it a try. You won?t be disappointed.
Author Robert Benson writes about rock/pop music and vinyl record collecting. He also serves as a contributor to SoundStageDirect, LLC at www.soundstagedirect.com. Mr. Benson also operates www.collectingvinylrecords.com, where you can download a FREE copy of his ebook entitled "The Fascinating Hobby Of Vinyl Record Collecting."
The Beatles' back catalogue will be reissued on vinyl, says Jeff Jones, Chief Executive of Apple Corps.
Speaking exclusively to MOJO, Jones revealed that work on the next stage of the Beatles Remastered campaign is currently underway:
"We're working on them now," said Jones, "I don't have a release date. To put a release date next to them forces us into a situation where we're releasing something that might not be ready. "
The vinyl remasters will follow this year's stunning Mono and Stereo CD reissues, with the engineers at Abbey Road and Apple already hard at work:
"They are incredibly complicated in terms of getting the masters right and getting the packages right," added Jones. "How do you assemble them? How do you put them in a box? How much do they cost? We want to make sure we're doing it right and that people get real value from it."
Recordheads - you may officially begin salivating now. The Beatles vinyl remasters are on the way. No wait...Beatles vinyl remasters BOXSETS are on the way!
ALBUM REVIEW: 
ALBUM REVIEW: 
