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Album Reviews
Ape House Reissues Excellent New Limited Edition 200g 2LP Version of XTC’s Classic 1978 Sophomore Album Go 2 on LP1, With Rare Companion Go+ Dub Remixes EP on LP2
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 23, 2023

For the first time in many decades, XTC’s October 1978 sophomore album Go 2 is available again on vinyl, this time as a limited-edition 200g 2LP set via Ape House that includes the ever-elusive companion Go+ EP of dub remixes on its own disc. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this new, expanded edition of Go 2 is worth both the time and listening investment. . .

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Interviews
Drummer Stewart Copeland Explains How He Maximizes the Dynamic Range on His New Police Deranged for Orchestra LP, and Why Its Most Primal Elements Sound Best on Vinyl
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 22, 2023

Stewart Copeland has always followed the beat of his own drum — or, rather, he’s always been the consummate rhythmatist who’s unwaveringly laid down his own style of drumming perpetually in service of the song at hand. And now, the sonic fruit of his latest twisted muse, if you will, has manifested itself in a solo project somewhat cheekily dubbed Police Deranged for Orchestra, consisting of ten classic and deep-cut Police tracks rearranged — or “deranged,” in Copeland’s titular parlance — as released in its 1LP form by Shelter/BMG this Friday, June 23. During a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Copeland discusses how he opened up the dynamic range with all the Derangements he came up with for this album, how he shepherded the “perfect” snare, and just how meticulous he got when he wrote out the entire Deranged score for each orchestra member to follow. . .

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Analog Gear News
The Wand 14-5 Turntable & Dark-Light Tonearm
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 21, 2023

Here’s another cool turntable and tonearm combo that caught our collective eye of late: namely, The Wand 14-5 turntable — which follows in the considerable wake of the New Zealand company’s deservedly vaunted 14-4 ’table — and The Wand Dark-Light tonearm, which follows their original, notable, and standard-named Tonearm. Both new products were shown at High End Munich 2023 back in May, and they will subsequently travel across the Pond to be shown at the upcoming Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, which is being held June 23-25. Read on to learn why the 14-5 is likely to be a worthy successor to the 14-4 as well as why the Dark-Light is a formidable follow-up to The Wand Tonearm accordingly. . .

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Analog Gear News
Klaudio Magnezar Turntable
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 20, 2023

Just ahead of an official upcoming trade show unveiling, Klaudio has duly seen fit to let us know they plan on displaying their new Magnezar turntable at the Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, which is being held June 23-25. Read on to learn more about the Magnezar and its many specs and features accordingly. . .

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Album Reviews
Alice Cooper’s Ascension to Rock Royalty Is Duly Documented With Rhino’s Great-Sounding and Beautifully Packaged 180g 3LP Expanded 50th Anniversary Editions for Two Top-Shelf Early-’70s Albums, Killer and School’s Out
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 16, 2023
Alice Cooper ascended to rock royalty with the raw punch and power of a pair of impactful back-to-back albums, November 1971’s Killer and June 1972’s School’s Out. Realizing that just reissuing the original LPs in simply remastered form was not going to be quite enough to properly celebrate the golden anniversaries of these two landmark records, the Warner/Rhino braintrust have seen fit to include a bounty of bonus materials on both 180g 3LP collections including live recordings, alternate takes, demos, and single mixes. Read Mark Smotroff’s combo review of a pair of now-expanded seminal Alice Cooper albums made better with their respective 50th anniversary vinyl editions. . .

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Short Cuts
Review Explosion, Short Cuts Edition: Three Fine RSD 2023 Exclusive LP Releases From Hal Blaine, Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, and Prefab Sprout
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 15, 2023

Our latest Review Explosion Short Cuts extravaganza focuses on three prime, and quite diverse, Record Store Day 2023 releases — namely, an LP’s worth of Wrecking Crew drummer Hal Blaine’s late-’60s psychedelic explorations, a live 2LP release from the ever-brilliant funky-quirky Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, and a solo 1LP Prefab Sprout production from Paddy McAloon, the main driver of one of England’s greatly underrated pop outfits. Read on to get Mark Smotroff’s take on a trio of fine RSD 2023 releases you are going to want to track down for your own listening enjoyment, forthwith. . .

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Analog Gear News
MC PRO Phono Preamp by Michael Fidler and Classic Audio
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 14, 2023

A few months back, we reported on the availability of Michael Fidler and Classic Audio’s latest and greatest PRO Series offering, the MM PRO phono preamp. But now, Fidler and company have duly brought forth the MC PRO phono preamp equivalent. Read on to see how the MC PRO rates in terms of your own phono-stage necessities. . .

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Analog Gear News
Metaxas & Sins Perambulator Turntable and Combobulator Tonearm
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 12, 2023

A few weeks ago, we reported that Metaxas & Sins’ flagship Papillon reel-to-reel tape player was finally seeing proper North American availability, thanks to a new deal with Reel Sound Distribution. Relatively speaking, we would most certainly be quite remiss if we didn’t amend that story with a closer look at two other top-tier Metaxas & Sins products that are also now seeing North American distribution debuts — namely, the Perambulator turntable and the Combobulator tonearm — and thus, that time is now. Read on to learn more about how mind-blowing both the Perambulator and Combobulator truly are. . .

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Album Reviews
Albert King’s All-Time Classic Stax Records Debut LP Born Under A Bad Sign Is as Good as the Blues Can Get on Vinyl, Thanks to a New All-Analog 180g Reissue From Craft Recordings
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 08, 2023

How can an album that has been included in numerous greatest albums of all time lists made by an artist inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame remain so elusive that its original pressings are still in high demand? Luckily, Craft Recordings has made that point somewhat moot by releasing an all-analog 180g reissue of Albert King’s seminal August 1967 LP Born Under A Bad Sign. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this new Craft edition is an absolutely essential addition to your blues LP listening collection. . .

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Interviews
Remembering George Winston: Our Lost Interview With the Pioneering Acoustic Folk Pianist Eternally Ready for Celebrating All Seasons on Vinyl
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 07, 2023

After a decade-long battle with cancer, pioneering pianist/instrumentalist extraordinaire George Winston sadly passed at age 73 on June 4, 2023. For his part, Winston begat an instrumental artform initially known as “folk piano,” best exemplified by seasonally flavored LPs like 1980’s Autumn, 1982’s December, and 1982’s Winter Into Spring. In a previously unpublished interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Winston discusses how he first came up with that folk piano playing style, how The Doors became one of his major influences in addition to his favorite New Orleans jazz players, and the key differences between what his left and right hands were charged with doing on the piano. . .

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