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Album ReviewsNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
Terry Brown on the 2025 Mixes He Did for Rush’s Grace Under Pressure 180g 5LP/1BD Box Set That Make Its Cold War-Era Music Come Alive in New and Refreshing Ways
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 08, 2026

Rush’s tenth studio LP on Mercury, April 1984’s Grace Under Pressure, chronicled how the vaunted Canadian trio were able to shift creative gears mid-decade and construct eight technology-driven tracks that confront fear, rue containment, and question conformity. To properly celebrate this important album, UMe/Mercury and Anthem recently released a newly expanded 5LP/1BD Super Deluxe Edition of Grace Under Pressure (a.k.a. GUP40) on March 13, 2026. Read AP editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth box set review that also includes an all-new exclusive interview with longtime Rush production wizard Terry Brown — who remixed the original album and the live material exclusively for this box set — to see why his work may forever change the way you hear this Cold War-era music. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNews
Tiny Rolling Stones Singles Roll Out for Record Store Day on April 18
Tom Fine  |  Apr 08, 2026

On Record Store Day — April 18, 2026 — Crosley will release a Rolling Stones-themed version of its RSD3 Mini Turntable, which plays 3in records made in Japan. Our esteemed Stereophile colleague Tom Fine gives us an exclusive preview of what to expect when you drop its tiny needle. . .

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Turntable Reviews
Fluance RT82 Turntable
Ken Micallef  |  Apr 06, 2026

Whenever we talk to newbies about turntables, the Canadian brand Fluance inevitably comes up. Founded in 1999 by Deepak Jain in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Fluance has carved out a smart niche for the uninitiated — i.e., those who simply want an affordable, no-fuss entry into vinyl enjoyment. Fluance take analog playback seriously, as witnessed by their latest offering, the RT82 Reference High Fidelity Vinyl turntable. Read Ken Micallef’s review to see if the RT82 punches above its weight class. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsVinyl Reports
One-Step DSS AAA Pressing of Chronic Town and Murmur, Two Truly Seminal Early R.E.M. Releases Featured Together in a 180g 2LP Set, Simply Astounds
Mark Smotroff,  |  Apr 03, 2026

Athens, Georgia’s legendary indie rock band R.E.M.’s back-to-back initial releases on I.R.S. — August 1982’s five-song Chronic Town EP, and April 1983’s full-length album debut Murmur — are now featured together in a Definitive Sound Series (DSS) One-Step 180g 2LP set from Interscope/Capitol. Read Mark Smotroff’s review — and AP editor Mike Mettler’s extensive footnotes — to see if this double release is well worth the DSS investment. . .

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Analog Gear NewsFeatures
The Turntables of Montréal Audiofest 2026
Mike Mettler,  |  Apr 01, 2026  |  First Published: Apr 02, 2026

Live from Montréal Audiofest 2026, Ken Micallef shows us turntables galore from the likes of Rega, Michell, Yuki, Stable 33.33, Thorens, Yamaha, Pure Fidelity, The Wand, J.Sikora, Takumi, and many more. . .

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FeaturesNew Wax Wednesday
Lirpa Labs L-Pop Liquid-Etched LP: Yet Another Mind-Blowing AnalogPlanet Exclusive!!!
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 01, 2026

You can run, but you can’t hide from the good doctor’s latest LP infestation incarnation.

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Analog Gear News
Denon DP-500BT Turntable
Julie Mullins  |  Mar 31, 2026

The trend of semi-automatic turntables with Bluetooth capabilities continues in full force. The latest such entrant to appear on our radar comes from Denon: namely, the Denon DP-500BT turntable. Read on to see more about the specs and features of the DP-500BT. . .

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AAA VinylAlbum ReviewsVinyl Reports
50th Anniversary AAA 180g 2LP Expanded Edition of Bongo Fury, Frank Zappa / Beefheart / Mothers’ 1975 Collaborative Live Album, Greatly Expands Its Underrated Aural Palette
Mark Smotroff,  |  Mar 27, 2026

The October 1975 live album bearing the compelling title of Bongo Fury that features Frank Zappa and legendary/visionary composer Captain Beefheart holds a special place in both artists’ catalogs as their only official live collaboration recording. A new expanded 180g 2LP set of Bongo Fury — which is officially credited to Zappa / Beefheart / Mothers — was released a week ago by Zappa/UMe on March 20, 2026, and it not only celebrates the 50th Anniversary of this sometimes-overlooked album of joyfully swaggering blues-centric madness but offers incredible new insights into the music and improvements to its overall sound. Read Mark Smotroff’s review (and AP editor Mike Mettler’s extensive footnotes) to see if Bongo Fury 50 will provide the proper hard-core vinyl ecstasy we’re all seeking. . .

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AAA VinylALBUM RELEASE NEWSNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
The Beach Boys Will Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Their Seminal 1966 Pet Sounds Album With Multiple Vinyl Editions Including AAA 180g 2LP Vinylphyle and 180g 1LP DSS Configurations on May 15
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 25, 2026

Wouldn’t it be nice if The Beach Boys were to somehow celebrate the upcoming 60th anniversary of one of the most important album releases of the 20th century, May 1966’s Pet Sounds? Oh, wait — they will be doing just that with a few different analog-oriented, vinyl-centric releases to come via Capitol/UMe on May 15, 2026. Read AP editor Mike Mettler’s report to see which LP version of Pet Sounds 60 you should get (or simply get all of them, just like he will). . .

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Analog Gear News
Pro-Ject VC-E mini Record Cleaning Machine
Mike Mettler  |  Mar 24, 2026

Space, the final frontier — or rather, it’s that sometimes frustrating frontier we all have to face whenever we’re considering adding any kind of new gear into our listening space. Austrian manufacturer Pro-Ject understand this dilemma, so they’ve just added what they’ve deemed to be an “ultra-compact” model into their accessories lineup — a unit that has been duly dubbed the VC-E mini record cleaning machine (a.k.a. RCM). Read on to see all the features and specs of the new VC-E mini RCM. . .

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