Vinyl Reports

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Mike Mettler  |  Jun 03, 2026

On any particular night, King Crimson founder/guitar iconoclast Robert Fripp’s penchant for playing music always leaned toward quote, “new whenever it is performed.” That M.O. was most definitely in place for the seven-man band’s four-night run at what was then called the Best Buy Theater in the heart of midtown Manhattan between September 18-21, 2014. A most aptly named 200g 2LP set on black vinyl, 2014 NYC (coming out on July 10, 2026), celebrates some of the best performances of that storied run. AP editor Mike Mettler — our resident KC fanatic who attended three of those four shows — shares all the details. . .

Mark Smotroff, Mike Mettler  |  Sep 12, 2025

The ongoing impact and popularity of Led Zeppelin’s February 1975 epic 2LP set Physical Graffiti is undeniable. In celebration of that album’s 50th anniversary, the mighty Zep have deemed today, September 12, 2025, as the day to reissue a deluxe remastered 3LP edition of that all-important core album in addition to a separate, companion four-song Live EP, the latter of which houses a quartet of songs that have never been released officially on vinyl until now. Read Mark Smotroff and Mike Mettler’s combo review of both the Physical Graffiti 3LP and Live EP releases to see why they belong in your Zep-centric vinyl collection ASAP. . .

Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 02, 2026

Since we ended 2025 with a review of one of the two best-selling jazz albums in history, it is only appropriate — and remarkably timely! — that we begin 2026 by reviewing a most important 180g 2LP update of the other album of such esteemed, 5x-platinum-selling lineage: Miles Davis’ August 1959 Columbia landmark, Kind of Blue. The offering of a new, definitive audiophile version of Kind of Blue from Analogue Productions — one that is based on the much-sought-after speed-corrected edition originally issued by Classic Records in 1995 — is certainly big news, so read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if this new Kind of Blue release is worthy of getting in your hands and onto your turntable ASAP. . .

Mike Mettler  |  May 13, 2026

I’m sure most of us can recall the first time we heard the golden throat of Rochester, New York’s finest, Lou Gramm, sing a song that has now long since embedded into our collective consciousness — and it most likely came from his time as the frontman for Foreigner. AP editor Mike Mettler talks with Gramm about his newly released solo album Released, the art and science of sequencing album sides, and which Foreigner song he feels sounds best on vinyl, and why. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Aug 20, 2025

Bioscope is a thrilling ambient prog collaboration between Steve Rothery, co-founder of and guitarist for Britain’s perennial prog stalwarts Marillion, and Thorsten Quaeschning, musical director of German ambient pioneers Tangerine Dream — and their debut 2LP set Gentō comes out via earMUSIC this upcoming Friday, August 22, 2025. In the Q&A portion of this post, AP editor Mike Mettler and Rothery discuss the overall sonic goals for Bioscope, his appreciation of half-speed mastering and film soundtracks, and which Marillion LPs the guitar maestro suggests the AP faithful and newbies alike should spin on their turntables to get a sense of their musical intentions and inclinations. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Apr 29, 2026

Fortune, fame, mirror vain. If you automatically know the next lines are “Gone insane / But the memory remains,” then the next upcoming mondo Metallica box set is clearly for you. Read on to see AP editor Mike Mettler outline what you can expect from the Bay Area band’s ReLoad Remastered 5LP/15CD/4DVD limited edition deluxe box set that will be released on June 26, 2026 (and, yes, there will also be a standalone 180 2LP reissue of the core album as well). . .

Mark Smotroff, Mike Mettler  |  Mar 13, 2026

Miles Davis would have been 100 years old this year, and in celebration of that most momentous centennial milestone, Columbia/Legacy have returned one of the most requested, pivotal, and iconic live performances in the artist’s storied career to the marketplace: The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965, a 10LP box set reissued on January 30, 2026. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this historically important collection deserves both its reputation and its rightful place in your collection. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Jun 24, 2026

The days grow short, the nights are gone — but Stampede lives on to spin another day. That’s our way of saying that we are very much looking forward to Mobile Fidelity continuing their most excellent Original Master Recording series revisitations of The Doobie Brothers Warner Bros. catalog with their upcoming 180g 45rpm 2LP edition April 1975’s Stampede. AP editor Mike Mettler corrals all the details. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Oct 15, 2025

Is it love, or lies? Well, when it comes to the sound and content of Linda Ronstadt’s rightly hailed September 1975 opus Prisoner in Disguise, it is very much of the love variety. In celebration of this important mid-’70s LP’s 50th anniversary, Mobile Fidelity has just seen fit to reissue it as a 180g 2LP 45rpm edition, remastered from the original master tapes. AP editor Mike Mettler reports on its overall spin-worthiness, and he also includes firsthand comments from interviews he conducted with Ronstadt and one of her key collaborators on the album — the late, great JD Souther. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Dec 17, 2025

Mobile Fidelity have been on quite a tear of late. Besides their consistent slate of Original Master Recordings (OMRs), they’ve also been making a mark with their Ultradisc One-Step releases — most especially with the ongoing UD1S 180g 45rpm 2LP OMR Van Halen reissue series. Read AP Editor Mike Mettler’s combo review of all five UD1S VH OMR LPs, as well as his exclusive interview about how they came to be with MoFi President Jim Davis and MoFi mastering engineers Rob LoVerde and Shawn R. Britton. . .

Mark Smotroff, Mike Mettler  |  May 08, 2026

In the wake of the success of Michael, the recent biopic that focuses on Michael Jackson’s extraordinary musical career, we here at AP wanted to recommend his best work on vinyl. Thankfully, Mobile Fidelity has a trio of audiophile-level MJ releases all worthy of our needle-drop attention. Read on to see Mark Smotroff’s review of the MoFi One-Step versions of Off the Wall and Thriller, while AP editor Mike Mettler tackles the Original Master Recording version of Dangerous (and offers his thoughts on the other two MoFi MJ releases in his footnotes). . .

Mike Mettler  |  Oct 22, 2025

Sometimes, we just wanna drop the needle on a good ol’ — or good new, for that matter — rock opera. Clearly, producer/guitarist/maestro-at-arms Daniel Cervantes must have gotten inside our head, for he and his SoCal classic/roots rock band, Mrs. Henry, have recently gone all-in on the concept with a truly sprawling 38-song, six side opus of epic proportions on Blind Owl Records that’s been earnestly dubbed Keep On Rising. Read on to learn more about the all-analog wonders of the 180g 3LP Keep On Rising box set, and delve into AP editor Mike Mettler’s interview with Cervantes about how it all came together. . .

Mark Smotroff  |  May 22, 2026

Today, we’re delving into two new versions of The Beach Boys’ seminal May 1966 masterpiece, Pet Sounds, which has been released in two separate high-grade vinyl editions in celebration of its 60th anniversary: a) Capitol/UMe’s Vinylphyle series 2LP mono/stereo set, and b) Interscope/Capitol’s ultra-premium Definitive Sound Series (DSS) One Step edition. Read Mark Smotroff’s in-depth review of both editions to see how and why they’ve each met our own exacting standards, and how a long-lost 1972 master put one of them over the top. . .

Mark Smotroff  |  Jun 12, 2026

Continuing the sexy, soulful long-form song-cycle format of its predecessors while embracing fresh funky flavors of the day, Marvin Gaye’s 1976 LP I Want You has gone on to become quite revered over the years. And now, Tamla/UMe is feting I Want You with a 50th anniversary Vinylphyle 180g 1LP edition alongside a separate 180g 2LP rarities edition titled, naturally, I Want You 2. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if both releases are essential adds to your collection. . .

Mark Smotroff, Mike Mettler  |  Dec 12, 2025

The Velvet Underground & Nico LP released on Verve in March 1967 — featuring hypnotic model-turned-chanteuse Nico along with guitarist/vocalist Lou Reed, violist/bassist John Cale, rhythm guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer/percussionist Mo Tucker — is arguably one of the most influential recordings in rock & roll history. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if Republic/UMe’s new all-analog 180g Vinylphyle edition of this important, historical LP is able to corral the beauty inherent in its intersection of delicacy and distortion to a degree worthy of repeat spins. . .

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