AAA Vinyl

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Michael Fremer  |  Dec 16, 2019  |  22 comments
When first released in America in 1978 Dire Straits’ debut was an immediate sensation, though cautious record labels at first rejected signing the group until Warner Brothers bit. The original Vertigo release hit the U.K. earlier. Eventually, propelled by the catchy single “Sultans of Swing”, the album was Top Ten throughout Europe and much of the world.

Michael Fremer  |  Nov 23, 2016  |  44 comments
Sir Simon Rattle conducts Brahms: The Berlin Philharmonic performs the four Brahms symphonies conducted by Rattle and recorded live at the Berlin Philharmonie direct to disc September, 2014 using a One-Point microphone set-up.

Michael Fremer  |  Aug 05, 2020  |  25 comments
(Review Explosion is usually a recurring AnalogPlanet feature covering recent releases for which we either don’t have sufficient time to fully explore, or that are not worthy of it. Normally curated by AnalogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui, this particular Review Explosion has been hijacked by AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer and covers in capsule form Direct-to-Disc releases).

Michael Fremer  |  Jul 18, 2017  |  2 comments
España is Chasing the Dragon's latest and most ambitious Direct-to-Disc record. It's difficult enough to record Direct-to-Disc a string ensemble, or a big band or a big band with vocalist, all of which the label has done successfully managed.

Mark Smotroff  |  Feb 09, 2024  |  5 comments

In February 1977, Elektra released Marquee Moon, the debut LP by New York’s groundbreaking art rock group Television — but finding a good-sounding vinyl copy of such an acclaimed album has historically been a bit of a challenge. But now, the new AAA 180g 1LP Rhino High Fidelity (RHF) edition of Marquee Moon may have just changed that distinction forever. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if this RHF edition finally helps Marquee Moon achieve the untethered, uncompromised, and uncompressed all-analog glory it so richly deserves. . .

Malachi Lui  |  May 01, 2022  |  94 comments
There’s plenty already said about the musical content of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 classic What’s Going On so I’ll avoid redundancy and just say that its scope—from the sociopolitically-minded lyrics to the carefully assembled song cycle structure and luscious musical arrangements—pushed the boundaries of what a Motown release could be, and truly stands the test of time. It’s an endlessly relevant record (decide yourself if that says more about the album’s excellence or society’s failures), and also one of the most exhaustively reissued: in the past 20 years, we’ve seen Universal’s 30th anniversary 2CD featuring the original Detroit mix, more alternate mixes, and a Kennedy Center live recording from 1972; Mobile Fidelity’s SACD and 33rpm single LP releases; UMG’s 40th anniversary “super deluxe” edition adding further session material and alternate versions; quite a few run-of-the-mill digitally-sourced vinyl reissues of the core album, done at United for the US and GZ for Europe; an Abbey Road half-speed 4LP mirroring the 2001 2CD; and MoFi’s 45rpm double LP UltraDisc One Step cut from tape. That’s not including the “Vinyl Lovers” Russian reissues of dubious legal origin cut and pressed at GZ, the 192kHz/24bit hi-res download, a Blu-ray Audio release (remember that format?), and the Japanese SACDs, CDs, and MQA-UHQCDs featuring a flat transfer of the original master tapes (yes, really!).
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 25, 2017  |  48 comments
Here's a vinyl transcription at 96/24 of "Rocks Off" from an original Artisan mastered copy of Exile on Main Street. After the band finished their overdubs in Los Angeles they ran the tape over to Artisan for vinyl mastering. This is the version to own.

Michael Fremer  |  Nov 10, 2021  |  4 comments
If Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas is a melancholic look back at childhood Christmas viewed through the eyes of the Peanuts gang, Duke Pearson's 1969 Blue Note release Merry Ole Soul is the Christmas record you'll want to play at a hip holiday cocktail party.

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 18, 2020  |  14 comments
The Electric Recording Company announced yesterday it was preparing its reissue of Shostakovich's Symphony No.13:Babi Yar with André Previn conducting the LSO/Dimiter Petkov bass, with the London Symphony Chorus.Words by Yevtushenko

Michael Fremer  |  Jun 12, 2020  |  41 comments
The Electric Recording Company (ERC) just announced it is now accepting pre-orders for its limited to 300 copies edition "True Mono" reissue of Love's iconic album Forever Changes. HOWEVER DUE TO A MISCOMMUNICATION, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT IS A DISCRETE MONO MIX. IT IS NOT!.

Michael Fremer  |  Sep 09, 2020  |  29 comments
ERC just announced a limited to 150 copies edition of one of the British Columbia Records label's most "sonically spectacular" releases, Ravel's Complete Orchestral Works with André Cluytens conducting Société de Concerts du Conservatiore (ERC061) in performances said to be commensurate with the sonics.

Michael Fremer  |  Jan 06, 2022  |  36 comments
The Electric Recording Company announced today it will be releasing John Coltrane's ground breaking 1959 Atlantic album Giant Steps cut from the original Atlantic master tape using a mono cutter head on its 1965 all tube Lyrec cutting system.

Michael Fremer  |  Sep 10, 2018  |  16 comments
It's difficult to believe that British born cellist Jacqueline Du Pré was but 20 years old on August 19th, 1965 when she delivered this recorded performance in famed Kingsway Hall with Sir John Barbirolli conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

Michael Fremer  |  Aug 09, 2017  |  16 comments
A heavenly pairing of Bacharach's suburban pop melodic intent and Costello's insightful lyrics that well-capture the required Bacharach late afternoon bedroom melodrama produced this 1998 gem of a soap operatic collaboration.

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