Michael Fremer

The international "Making Vinyl Detroit 2017 Symposium—or whatever you want to call it—was successful beyond most people's highest expectations for the first of a kind event that saw in attendance representatives from many of the world's major record pressing plants (GZ Media, Optimal, MPO, URP, QRP, RTI, Rainbo).

After brief opening ceremonies at "Making Vinyl" event in Detroit October 1st and 2nd, co-founder/organizer Larry Jaffee introduced Record Store Day founder Michael Kurtz who moderated a fascinating panel intended to explain "why and how nearly 750,000 records were sold last April 21st in the U.S." and more interestingly how these releases were chosen, manufactured and distributed.

This is great news! On December 27th Motown/UMe will release 5 mono Motown albums cut by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180 gram vinyl and packaged in deluxe Stoughton tip-on jackets. The titles are: The Miracles' You've Really Got A Hold On Me (1963), The Temptations' (1965), The Four Tops' Reach Out (1967), Diana Ross & The Supremes' Reflections (1968), And The Marvelettes' Sophisticated Soul (1968).

Startling when first released in 1968, The Band's debut continues to evoke mystery, grandeur and an abundance of musical depth that few rock records achieved then or now.

Books have probably been written about the album and certainly have been about the outfit known as The Band, the members of which though mostly unknown to buyers lured by a Bob Dylan cover (literally and musically), were touring and recording veterans—not that experience alone can explain what the group achieved here.