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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
John Lee Hooker Conjures Acoustic Fire on AAA Acoustic Sounds-Curated 60th Anniversary 180g 1LP Reissue of Burning Hell Via Craft Recordings
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 28, 2024  |  7 comments

Original pressings of it from 1964 are scarce, as it was initially issued primarily in the UK. What’s a vinyl-loving fan of acoustic blues on a budget to do? Fortunately, Craft Recordings has come to the rescue, seeing fit to reissue John Lee Hooker’s legendary 1964 Riverside Records LP, Burning Hell as part of their new Bluesville series. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if this AAA edition of Burning Hell should be fired up or your turntable sooner than later. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWS
Pat Metheny’s Debut Album, 1976’s Bright Size Life, Sees ECM Luminessence Series 180g 1LP Reissue on August 2
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 27, 2024  |  11 comments

The future is so bright, we gotta cue up some Pat Metheny vinyl, STAT. Well, ECM must have gotten wind of our wishes, for the renowned label has just announced it will reissue Metheny’s groundbreaking debut LP, March 1976’s Bright Size Life, on 180g vinyl on August 2, 2024, as part of their rightly vaunted Luminessence Series. Read to see more details about this highly anticipated reissue. . .

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Analog Gear News
Wrensilva Record Console Collection
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 25, 2024  |  15 comments

Continuing with this week’s retro-gear vibe, we now turn to Wrensilva, a San Diego-based company who are debuting two new entries into their Record Console Collection — the M1 and The Standard. Read on to see all the specs and features, plus what three hand-curated Blue Note LPs come with each console. . .

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Phono Preamp Reviews
Can Aurorasound’s VIDA MkII Phono Preamp Prioritize Clarity and Detail While Also Achieving Precise Imaging and Neutral Tonal Balance?
Ken Micallef  |  Jun 24, 2024  |  3 comments

The veneer wrap of products from the Japanese manufacturer Aurorasound greatly resembles that of a 1975 Lafayette integrated amp — but that’s certainly no reason to discount this fabulous machine of theirs we see here before us today, the MkII phono preamp. Read on to see how well the Aurorasound VIDA MkII fared when our ace reviewer Ken Micallef cued up a number of his favorite LPs in order to hear just what it could do. . .

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Album Reviews
Grateful Dead’s Long-Underrated 1974 LP From The Mars Hotel Is Now Occupied With Vibrant, Fuller Sounds on Its Newly Remastered 180g 1LP 50th Anniversary Edition
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 21, 2024  |  5 comments

Grateful Dead’s self-released June 1974 LP From The Mars Hotel often polarizes fans, with some considering it an all-time classic while others (sadly) overlook it. We here at AP feel Mars Hotel warrants reconsideration as an ultimate equal in the now-classic trilogy of “indie” Dead studio albums from the 1973-75 time period. Lucky for us, this underrated album has been officially reissued by the Dead and Rhino in newly remastered 180g 1LP form today, June 21, 2024. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this new edition of From The Mars Hotel belongs in your collection. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNews
The Tragically Hip’s 1989 Debut Album Up to Here Gets Deluxe Commemorative 180g 4LP/1BD Box Set Treatment on November 8, and “Nothing” on It Was Mastered From a Digital Source
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 20, 2024  |  5 comments

You gotta do what you feel is real, and The Tragically Hip continue doing just that with the upcoming 180g 4LP/1BD box set commemorating the 35th anniversary of their September 1989 debut album, Up to Here. An expansive collection featuring scores of unreleased tracks, demos, and live material, The Hip’s Up to Here box is set for release via UMe on November 8, 2024. Read on to see what the Up to Here extras are, and glean all the nitty-gritties about the box set’s wholly analog source material. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2024
High End Munich 2024 Postscript, Part 2: Great New Gear Options From Benny Audio, Supatrac, Levin Design, Vertere, EAT, Vinyl Acoustic Laboratories, Acoustic Signature, AMG, and Nagra
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 18, 2024  |  10 comments

We’re officially wrapping up our Munich 2024 coverage today with the second installment of Julie Mullins’ show report postscript. Read on to see what she found out firsthand about cool new gear from the likes of Benny Audio, Supatrac, Levin Design, Vertere, EAT, Vinyl Acoustic Laboratories, Acoustic Signature, AMG, and Nagra. . .

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Analog Gear NewsMunich 2024
High End Munich 2024 Postscript, Part 1: New Gear From Wilson Benesch, Rui Borges, Kronos Audio, Dual, and Silence
Julie Mullins  |  Jun 17, 2024  |  6 comments

We still have some more to say about what we saw and heard at Munich 2024. Read on to see the first of two postscript show reports from Julie Mullins, who fills us on cool new gear from the likes of Wilson Benesch, Rui Borges, Kronos Audio, Dual, and Silence. . .

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Album ReviewsBeatles
First Official 180g 2LP Release of One Hand Clapping, the Well-Loved and Oft-Bootlegged 1974 Live-in-Studio Recordings by Paul McCartney & Wings, Deserves Much Applause
Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 14, 2024  |  5 comments

It’s been heavily bootlegged over the years, and yet Paul McCartney & Wings’ One Hand Clapping is still something of a holy grail among fans. These 1974 live-in-the-studio recordings find the group firing on all cylinders — and then some. Finally, this vital Macca music has been officially released today, June 14, 2024, by MPL/Capitol/UMe as both a 180g 2LP set and a web-exclusive edition that also includes a bonus six-track 45. Read on to see why Mark Smotroff feels One Hand Clapping offers some of the most rocking Macca & Wings music on vinyl to date. . .

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ALBUM RELEASE NEWSNews
Deluxe Edition of Talking Heads’ Seminal Stop Making Sense Returns in 2LP Black Vinyl and 2LP Crystal-Clear Vinyl Options on July 26
Mike Mettler  |  Jun 12, 2024  |  6 comments

Thankfully, Sense is being made once again — quite literally. What I mean by that is, the expanded soundtrack of Talking Heads’ seminal 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense will be re-released in a pair of 2LP editions by Sire/Rhino on July 26, 2024. Read on to see what tracks comprise the expanded SMS cut, what the two color-vinyl options are, and where you can pre-order your copy (or copies), post-haste. . .

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