LATEST ADDITIONS

Can I Have My Money Back?
GM Just Screwed Me! (And Not in a Way I Like)
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 09, 2012  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  20 comments
OK this feature is where I vent about things non-audio. The name refers to a Gerry Rafferty tune from the album of the same name. It's a fantastic record, and on the UK Translatlantic original, it sounds so too. The American Blue Thumb is not bad.

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Album Reviews
Thelonious Monk Plays Just For You
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 06, 2012  |  11 comments
You can tell me yours, but my first encounter with Thelonious Monk was the 1963 Columbia album Criss-Cross(CS 8838). I'd given up on rock'n'roll, which had become all Fabian and Frankie Avalon-ed out and new musical adventures of a more adult nature were in order for this high-schooler.

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Ask Mikey
Being a "Persistent Nutjob" Pays Off!
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 06, 2012  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  16 comments
Dear Mr Fremer, I curse you, Sir! You are the devil. Not only have you converted me to appreciate the many virtues of vinyl playback.... But you have also quite remarkably managed to make me question my own sanity!

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Album Reviews
Which "Wish You Were Here" Do You Want?
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 05, 2012  |  11 comments
It's a bit late in the day to write a review of the music on this album, which concerns itself mostly with how the music business chews up musicians with dreams and spits them out—not that Syd Barrett, the subject of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" was done in by the business.

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News
Gary "Baba Booey" Dell'Abate and Jon Hein Visited Today
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 05, 2012  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  7 comments
Howard Stern Show producer Gary Dell'Abate and Stern show staffer John Hein stopped by today with a video crew of eleven.
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Album Reviews
Nick Lowe Waxes Melancholic at 45 (RPM)—He's Considerably Older, Of Course
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 02, 2012  |  3 comments
NIck Lowe has aged more than gracefully—he's never been better melodically and especially lyrically. On his latest release, issued by Yep Roc on a "wide groove 45rpm" record, Lowe waxes both melancholic and bemused about a break up.
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Sweepstakes
VPI Traveler Turntable and Dynavector 20x2H Cartridge Combo From Music Direct Sweepstakes
Jon Iverson  |  Jul 01, 2012  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  733 comments
Register to win a VPI Traveler Turntable and Dynavector 20x2H Cartridge Combo From Music Direct (MSRP $2,150) we are giving away.

Analog Planet and Music Direct are proud to offer you a chance to win the brand-new turntable from VPI, The Traveler. This turntable is dedicated to the memory of VPI co-founder Sheila Weisfeld, and it’s an amazing American-made work-of-art. Combine this turntable with the great high-output moving-coil Dynavector 20x2H phono cartridge and you are in for such a treat. We dare to say that no digital front end can compete. But hey, we’re analog lovers!

[This sweepstakes is now closed.]

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Set-Up Tips
How to Use a USB Digital Microscope to set 92 Degree Stylus Rake Angle (SRA)
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 29, 2012  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  33 comments
The stylus rake angle is the angle the stylus’s “contact patch” makes to the record surface. If you have a relatively inexpensive cartridge with a spherical stylus you don’t have to worry about SRA because the contact area remains the same regardless of arm height. On the other hand, elliptical styli along with the more severe “line contact,” Shibata, Geiger, Ortofon and other long, narrow contact patch “cutting edge” (poor metaphor!) stylus profiles require careful SRA setting to perform as designed.

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Ask Mikey
Out With the Old in With the New?
Michael Fremer  |  Jun 29, 2012  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  3 comments
Dear Michael,

I grew up in the golden age of high-fi and began my hardware journey with a Fisher X202B amplifier, AR2a speakers, and an Empire 398 turntable followed by the addition of a McIntosh MR-67 tuner. Of course, I've been a subscriber to High Fidelity, Stereo Review, their successors, The Absolute Sound and Stereophile going back to the 60's.

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Album Reviews
Joni Mitchell’s Laurel Canyon Rediscovered
Randy Wells  |  Jun 28, 2012  |  6 comments
Joni Mitchell’s decision to stay in New York City instead of traveling 300 miles north to attend a three-day rock festival in August of 1969 was probably a good idea. If she had actually seen Woodstock for herself, she may not have created such an intense and idealized song by the same name.

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