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Album Reviews
Tommy Arrives Again On Vinyl From Universal
Michael Fremer  |  Apr 03, 2014  |  47 comments
Given a choice of great mastering and pressing or packaging true to the original, which would you choose? Yes, I know, why not produce a definitive reissue that offers great mastering and pressing and the original triple gatefold jacket and the original limited edition booklet? But clearly that wasn't in the cards for whoever was in charge in order to bring this project to market within budget so it could be sold at a particular price point, which in this case is $39.00 for the double LP set.

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News
Italian Speaker Manufacturer Sonus Faber Breaks the Mold Celebrating Its 30th Anniversary
Michael Fremer  |  Apr 01, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  25 comments
Worldwide distributors, key retailers, representatives of Fine Sounds Group-associated companies McIntosh and Audio Research as well members of the audio press gathered at Sonus Faber’s Vicenza Italy factory March 26th throu the 29th to celebrate in grand Italian style the speaker company’s 30th anniversary.

The celebration’s focal point was the all new X3ma loudspeaker, which was developed over the past year and a half by Sonus Faber’s design team using as its inspiration the original 1991 Extrema, a legendary stand mounted design that extracted maximum and at the time seemingly impossibly performance from a two-way loudspeaker.

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Features
Do Blue Note's 75th Anniversary Vinyl Reissues Honor the Label's Rich History?
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 31, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  40 comments
The first four 75th anniversary Blue Note vinyl reissues arrived the other day. The fifth, Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch, has been delayed.

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News
Communication Breakdown! Led Zep Catalog Cut From Digital?
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 31, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  99 comments
The press release says "remastered from the original analog tapes by Jimmy Page and pressed at Pallas" but of course we know that Page did not cut the lacquers. Not a problem. But when it says "remastered from the original analog tapes" does that mean "to digital" for CD and LP reissue? Or does that mean the lacquers were cut from the original analog tapes?

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Interviews
Tour Bernie Grundman Mastering and Hear Bernie on the High Resolution Blue Note Transfers
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 25, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  47 comments
While in Los Angeles recently I had visited Chris Bellman and Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman mastering.
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Album Reviews
Still Crazy After All These Years Is the Simon Album RSD Reissue To Buy
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 23, 2014  |  24 comments
Last Record Store Day Sony/Legacy reissued three Paul Simon albums: his eponymous solo debut (not counting 1965's U.K.-issued Paul Simon Songbook), There Goes Rhymin' Simon and this record. While all three are musically fine, if you're thinking of buying just one, my vote goes for this one.

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News
VPI Demos Nomad Headphone-Centric Turntable at SoundstageDirect.com Headquarters
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 23, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  3 comments
VPI demoed its new Nomad headphone-based turntable last Saturday, March 22nd at the Doylestown, PA headquarters of online vendor Soundstagedirect.com. On hand were the Soundstagedirect folks of course, including company numero uno Seth Franks as well as VPI president Matt Weisfeld and a crew too humorous to mention. Members of the press and public were also in attendance.

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News
ECM Has Issued This Month Seven Classic Titles on Vinyl Cut From Analog Master Tapes
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 21, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  15 comments
ECM recently announced the reissue on 180g vinyl of seven adventurous titles from the label's vast catalog.

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Interviews
Blue Note President Don Was Talks About His Blue Note Vinyl Reissue Project
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 19, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  31 comments
On Wednesday March 12th Blue Note President Don Was sat down with me to talk about the Blue Note vinyl reissues he's producing for the label.
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Album Reviews
Bags & Trane: The Odd Couple That Swings Well Together
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 18, 2014  |  4 comments
True Coltrane wasn't yet producing "sheets of sound"—limiting himself maybe to just "pillowcases of sound", but he was still hot to Milt Jackson's cool so this was an interesting experiment—one that succeeded beautifully.

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