Album Reviews

Johanna Martzy's Bach Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas Reissued by The Electric Recording Co.

Michael Fremer | May 08, 2013 | 15 comments

Through her early EMI recordings, among others, the late Hungarian violinist Johanna Martzy has achieved fame, notoriety and a cult following that escaped her during her lifetime.

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Album Reviews

Thom Chacon Delivers It Straight Up On Sophomore Effort Michael Fremer | Apr 25, 2013 | 3 comments

Singer/songwriter Thom Chacon delivers hardscrapple tales in a voice well-suited to the task that will immediately remind you of what's his name? Maybe John Prine, or John Mellencamp, or Steve Earle or Bruce or Guy Clark or?

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Album Reviews

Sinatra Swings Because He Can Michael Fremer | Apr 21, 2013 | 12 comments

Frank Sinatra recorded this album for Capitol in the summer of 1960—the same year he left the label and with a few hundred thousand dollars of his own money started Reprise Records. You can be sure plans for the new label were well underway during the production of this thirty three minutes and change long album.

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Album Reviews

Friday Music's "Rascal's Greatest Hits" Reissue: You'd Better Run! Michael Fremer | Apr 04, 2013 | 12 comments

Greatest Hits albums from the '60s are a crap shoot: how many were made from original tapes strung together to produce reels for lacquer cutting? A few but not most. Instead the originals (hopefully) were pulled and tape copies of the hits were made and those were strung together for the hits package.

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Album Reviews

Bryan Ferry's "The Jazz Age" Takes Familiar Repertoire To An Old Place Michael Fremer | Apr 02, 2013 | 4 comments

Note: The pressing issue I encountered with the copy I bought was corroborated by some readers but not all. The producer's QC copy was fine, so we exchanged copies. The replacement I was sent (autographed by Bryan Ferry, thank you!) sounded fine throughout.

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Album Reviews

Why Am I Reviewing a CD?????? Michael Fremer | Mar 09, 2013 | 7 comments

Why am I reviewing a CD???? The answer(s) are easy. Firstly, this loving tribute to Les Paul featuring longtime trio cohort Lou Pallo and others with whom Les played at Fat Tuesdays and the Iridium is musically fabulous assuming you like the timeless "old school" style.

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Album Reviews

"The Allman Brothers Band" Debut Half-Speed Mastered By Mobile Fidelity Michael Fremer | Feb 19, 2013 | 4 comments

A record label forensic specialist might be required to trace how The Allman Brothers Band ended up an Island/Def Jam property issued on Mercury Records, all now owned by Universal Music Group. The original was issued in 1969 on the ATCO division of Atlantic Records. Perhaps it had to do with the sale of the late Phil Walden's Capricorn imprint, through which the ATCO deal had been made.

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Album Reviews

Bill Evans Live Set Issued For First Time Michael Fremer | Aug 14, 2012 | 2 comments

Over the past few years, jazz fans have been treated to some astonishing, heretofore unreleased treasures. Unlike in the rock world, where such finds, along with “bonus tracks” usually tell you why they weren’t released in the first place (with Bob Dylan being a notable exception), these jazz releases have felt like un-mined diamonds, only occasionally in the rough.

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Album Reviews

Finally, "Music From Big Pink" on AAA Vinyl With BASS Michael Fremer | Jun 14, 2012 | 3 comments

Who begins a debut album with a dirge-like, mournful song taken at a heartbreakingly slow pace like Richard Manuel's "Tears of Rage?" The Band did on their debut album that didn't exactly hit the pop charts running.

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Album Reviews

Graceland At Twenty Five Michael Fremer | May 10, 2012 | 16 comments

Twenty five years later, it’s easy to forget that Graceland, the album many consider to be Paul Simon’s finest musical achievement, was mired in controversy because of the continuing disgraceland that was apartheid South Africa. Nelson Mandela was still jailed and protests erupted on college campuses and in the halls of government around the world.

Album Reviews

Blues Breakers: Another Sonic Viewpoint

Michael Fremer | Mar 29, 2012 | 1 comments

Randy Wells' recent review of this Sundazed reissue may have seemed thorough and matter-of-fact to most of you and judging by the emails, well appreciated, but the folks at Sundazed were anything but pleased, which kind of surprised me, though Wells did prefer the Audio Fidelity release so perhaps I should not have been surprised.

AAA Vinyl Album Reviews

"Tea For the Tillerman" Launches Quality Record Pressing Plant

Michael Fremer | Aug 01, 2011 | 0 comments

Poor misunderstood Steven Demetre Georgiou/Cat Stevens/Yusef Islam. Like Bob Marley or Barack Obama, he’s a “hybrid” and subject to misinterpretation and fear-mongering.

Album Reviews

Rolling Stones Box Sets: Deal or No Deal? Part II

Michael Fremer | Apr 01, 2011 | 2 comments

Still, some might find the new records too aggressive. I’m not in that group, but it sounds as if Mr. Grossinger mastered the original LPs, manipulating the tonal balance as he saw fit, whereas it sounds as if the GZ folks just took the files they were sent and cut. I’m just surmising that. It could be the ‘soft’ lacquer versus the ‘hard’ copper.

Album Reviews

While You're Waiting For Classic's Version, Check Out This One!

Michael Fremer | May 01, 2005 | 0 comments

Petra Haden, the very talented daughter of bassist Charlie Haden, and former member of That Dog has released an a cappella version of The Who Sells Out that is charming, entertaining, ingenious and loads of fun.

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