Mark Smotroff

Album ReviewsFeaturesVinyl Reports
Fare Thee Well to Bob Weir: A Celebration of a Life Well Lived on the Bus, and Most Especially on Vinyl, With the Grateful Dead and Beyond
Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 16, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 16, 2026  |  comments

In a moment that truly signifies the end of an era, the passing of 1960s psychedelic music legend, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir at age 78 on January 10, 2026, has certainly shook the souls of fans all around the world. It’s such a tremendous loss, and we here at AP can’t help but continue to be awe-inspired by his incredible career and joyously rich musical output. To properly fete the man’s accomplishments, we tasked our resident Deadhead Mark Smotroff to reflect on Weir’s life and times, in addition to recommending some choice Weir-centric listening moments on vinyl — both studio recordings and live performances — for fans old and new to seek out and enjoy. . .

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Album ReviewsVinyl Reports
Rhino’s High Fidelity Series Continues to Deliver Much Sonic Satisfaction With New 180g Edition of Devo’s Groundbreaking 1978 Debut LP, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 09, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 09, 2026  |  comments

In August 1978, Akron, Ohio’s groundbreaking conceptual art rock band Devo released their Warner Bros. debut, which boldly posed the compelling Island of Lost Souls-inspired title: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Read Mark Smotroff’s review of the newly remastered Rhino High Fidelity Series 180g 1LP version of Are We Not Men? to see how well it stacks up against its previous vinyl editions. . .

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Listening to Analogue Productions’ Speed-Corrected 180g 2LP Edition of Miles Davis’ 1959 Benchmark Kind of Blue Is a Great Way to Start the New Year
Mark Smotroff  |  Jan 02, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 02, 2026  |  comments

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. . .

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The 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR Edition of Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas Is An Absolute Joy to Spin Any Time of the Year
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 26, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 26, 2025  |  comments

In the 60 years since its initial release in 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas has become not only a family tradition, but also something of a musical heirloom that gets passed on through the generations, thanks to its universally appealing TV special and — of course — its gorgeous, perfect soundtrack LP by Vince Guaraldi. As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, A Charlie Brown Christmas just received a wonderful new 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR update from Analogue Productions, and its aural rewards can easily be enjoyed throughout the year. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why the new UHQR edition of A Charlie Brown Christmas is well worth getting now for 365-day enjoyment purposes. . .

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Album ReviewsFeaturesNew Wax WednesdayVinyl Reports
AnalogPlanet’s Top New LPs of 2025
Mike Mettler,  |  Dec 24, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 24, 2025  |  comments

Welcome to Part 2 of our annual, year-end Best LPs extravaganza! As we noted at the outset of Part 1 yesterday (December 23), it’s never been easy paring down our favorite LPs to the final selections for these best-of listings, but we do feel we’ve done our measured best after sifting through the multiple hundreds of LPs we spun throughout the course of 2025 in order to represent the top-tier of what we’ve heard on vinyl this year. In the aforementioned Part 1, we — and by “we,” we mean a) Mike Mettler, our ever-faithful AP editor, and b) our chief LP reviewer, Mark Smotroff — covered our Top 10 favorite archival/reissues LPs. And now, read Part 2 to see what our Top 10 new LPs of the year are. . .

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AnalogPlanet’s Top Archival LPs of 2025
Mike Mettler,  |  Dec 23, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 23, 2025  |  comments

Oh, where did the time go. . .? It’s been yet another year of acquiring, archiving, cleaning, spinning, and listening to LP after LP, and box set after box set — and sometimes, even some EPs and 45s got into that mix as well! Naturally, before the big mid-week holiday festivities take over our front-of-mindsets, we here at AP feel it’s the exact right time to determine the best of what we’ve heard on vinyl during the past 12 months — and we’ll be covering our favorites of the year in two installments. Between the two of us — i.e., 1) Mike Mettler, your intrepid AP editor, and 2) chief LP reviewer, Mark Smotroff — we have listened to multiple-hundreds’ worth of albums on vinyl in 2025 apiece, so check out Part 1 to see what our 10-plus favorite archival reissue LPs of the year are. . .

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Album ReviewsVinyl Reports
Inaugural Definitive Sound Series 180g 2LP One-Step Offerings From A Perfect Circle and Dr. Dre Both Bode Most Definitively Well for the Future of DSS
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 19, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 19, 2025  |  comments

The two albums we’re reviewing today are exciting prospects for us here at AP, because they also happen to be the first two offerings from Interscope/Capitol’s new Definitive Sound Series (a.k.a. DSS). DSS releases partake in the vaunted One-Step process, and this new series’ initial offerings couldn’t be more different. Said inaugural DSS releases are 180g 2LP One-Steps for a) alt-rock supergroup A Perfect Circle’s smash-hit May 2000 debut Mer de Noms, and b) ex-N.W.A rapper/producer Dr. Dre’s mega-platinum debut solo release, December 1992’s The Chronic. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why both of these DSS entries bode quite well for what’s to come in this exciting, ongoing series. . .

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New Vinylphyle Series 180g 1LP All-Analog Reissue of The Velvet Underground & Nico’s Highly Influential 1967 Debut Album Shows the Inherent Beauty of How Distortion and Clarity Can Inevitably Intersect Quite Pleasurably on the Same Record
Mark Smotroff,  |  Dec 12, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 12, 2025  |  comments

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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Album ReviewsVinyl Reports
The 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe 180g 5LP/1BD Box Set Celebrating The Rolling Stones’ Underrated 1976 Black and Blue LP Shows Why This Midperiod Album Deserves More Acclaim and Appreciation
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 05, 2025  |  First Published: Dec 05, 2025  |  comments

A new super deluxe edition box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Rolling Stones’ April 1976 LP Black and Blue offers good reason to reconsider an album that often gets overlooked in this legendary, influential British rock band’s rich catalog. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why this new 180g 5LP/1BD box set — which includes a new stereo remix of the core album by Steven Wilson, one LP of outtakes and studio jams, and 3LPs live from Earls Court in 1976 — deserves your full attention. . .

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Rhino’s High Fidelity Series AAA 180g 1LP Edition of The Monkees’ Hit 1967 Album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Sounds Considerably Better Than the Original Vinyl, Thanks to a Significant Production Decision
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 22, 2025  |  First Published: Nov 22, 2025  |  comments

Fans of The Monkees will be pleased to learn that a new release from Rhino’s esteemed High Fidelity reissue series shows how they took significant steps to deliver a significant update of the band’s November 1967 smash hit album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see why the new 180g 1LP Hi-Fi edition of Pisces trounces all previous editions. . .

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