Mark Smotroff

Review Explosion
After the LP Shopping Rush: A Record Store Day 2022 Roundup Odyssey
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 08, 2022  |  First Published: Dec 08, 2022  |  4 comments

Mark Smotroff was up bright and early on Record Store Day (a.k.a. RSD 2022) back on Black Friday, November 25 — and, spoiler alert, he was able to find most of the RSD Exclusive and RSD First LPs he wanted. Read on to find out what LPs he got, how they all sound, and where you might still be able to find any RSD 2022 goodies you want for your own collection. . .

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Review Explosion
RSD 2022 Roundup Special: Louis Armstrong, Vince Guaraldi, David Bowie, Bing Crosby, and Paul Kelly All Help Usher in the Holiday LP Spinning Season
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 25, 2022  |  First Published: Nov 25, 2022  |  15 comments

It’s Record Store Day, one of our absolute favorite times of the year! In addition to all the choice RSD 2022 selections we’re all hunting for out there today, we decided to put the AP spotlight on a number of new holiday LPs to get you ready for the season ahead. Read Mark Smotroff’s fine selection of five new and upcoming holiday vinyl options for your own turntable and/or anyone on your vinyl gift-giving list. . .

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Album Reviews
Bruce Springsteen’s 180g 2LP Curated Classic Soul Covers Album, Only The Strong Survive, Spins Proud and True Alongside the Artist’s Already Stellar Catalog
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 18, 2022  |  8 comments

The notion of Bruce Springsteen releasing a vintage soul and pop covers album this late in his stellar career is not all that surprising, really, if you’ve been following The Boss since the beginning like we have. But does the notion of Only The Strong Survive being a truly good and vital Springsteen album that stands proudly next to the rest of his storied catalog hold sway? Read Mark Smotroff’s review of the 180 2LP edition of Survive to find out if Survive has what it takes on wax. . .

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Album Reviews
Analogue Productions’ Truly Premium UHQR 200g 2LP QRP Pressing Of Steely Dan’s Can’t Buy A Thrill Reels Through the Layers to Reveal New Detail and Distinct Textures for a Super-Deluxe All-Analog Listening Experience
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 15, 2022  |  28 comments

Last week, we sung the praises of the new 180g 1LP Geffen/UMe edition of Steely Dan’s November 1972 debut album, Can’t Buy A Thrill. This week, we cue up Analogue Productions’ 200g 2LP UHQR edition of Thrill, and — spoiler alert! — it’s one of the best listening experiences you’ll have this year (or any other). Read on to find out all the pressing details why this 200g Thrill is one for the ages. . .

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Album Reviews
Steely Dan’s Grundman-Remastered Can’t Buy A Thrill 180g 1LP on Geffen/UMe Portends Good Things for Concurrent UHQR Release From Analogue Productions
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 11, 2022  |  5 comments

Steely Dan’s November 1972 debut release Can’t Buy A Thrill has often been overlooked in the wake of the band’s later, mega-impactful hit albums like September 1977’s Aja and November 1980’s Gaucho. But the reality is, the template for the Steely Dan sound was born in full flower on their first album, and is thus ground zero for understanding and appreciating the trajectory of the band. Read on to find out how just good this new 180g 1LP Geffen/UMe standard-edition reissue sounds in relation to a 1970s pressing, and how well it bodes for the concurrent UHQR 20g 1LP version from Analogue Productions we’ll be reviewing here next week. . .

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Album Reviews
Afro, Dizzy Gillespie’s Classic 1954 Afro-Cuban Jazz Bebop Hybrid Release, Finally Returns Via Clean-Sounding 180g 1LP RTI-Pressed VMP Reissue
Mark Smotroff  |  Nov 07, 2022  |  3 comments

Trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie collaborated with Cuban percussionist Chico O’Farrill on Afro, a fantastic Afro-Cuban hybrid-genre jazz album in 1954 that’s been out of print for ages — until now, that is. Afro has just been reissued in fine 180g 1LP form by Vinyl Me Please (VMP), and the results are quite exhilarating overall. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to find out why Afro belongs in your collection. . .

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Album Reviews
Monty Alexander’s The Montreux Years Showcases Master Jamaican Pianist in a Modern Light on a Compelling, Deluxe MQA-Mastered 180g 2LP Set
Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 28, 2022  |  2 comments

A fabulous new retrospective collection being released via BMG on November 4 that celebrates Jamaican-born jazz pianist Monty Alexander is the latest offering from the Montreux Jazz Festival archives. Called simply Monty Alexander: The Montreux Years, this 180g 2LP set is a fine addition to this important archival series, which curates the finest performances from the Swiss festival’s acclaimed, vast catalog of recordings between 1993 and 2016. Read on to see why Alexander’s Montreaux Years on vinyl deserves to be a part of your upcoming rotation. . .

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Album Reviews
New Stereo Mix of The Beatles’ Revolver in 180g 4LP/1EP Vinyl Box Set Reveals Many New Sonic Details, Plus 2LPs of Unreleased Outtakes to Sweeten the Pot. You Say You Want the Original Mono? You Get OG Mono Too. What’s Not to Love?
Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 21, 2022  |  18 comments

If you are considering buying the new 180g 4LP/1EP Super Deluxe Edition vinyl box set celebrating The Beatles’ landmark August 1966 album Revolver that’s set for release on October 28, then you’ve come to the right place. Read on to discover why this landmark Beatles box set is worth the coin for mono and stereo fans alike. . .

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Album Reviews
Second Volume in Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong Collaboration Trilogy, Ella And Louis Again, Mixes Fine Duets With Individual Showcase Moments on New 180g 2LP Masterpiece from Verve and Acoustic Sounds
Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 14, 2022  |  17 comments

Your decision as to whether you need the second volume in the 1950s trilogy of recorded collaborations between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — October 1957’s Ella And Louis Again — may depend on how much of a fan you are of the Great American Songbook and vocal jazz in general. Read on to see if this 180g 2LP offering from Verve and Acoustic Sounds whets the audiophile palate. . .

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Album Reviews
Outstanding Blue Note Tone Poet Series Reissues of John Coltrane’s Eternal Jazz Classic Blue Train in Separate 180g 1LP Mono and 180g 2LP Stereo Editions Beg the Question: Do You Get One or Both Versions?
Mark Smotroff  |  Oct 07, 2022  |  15 comments

John Coltrane’s landmark lone album for Blue Note Records, January 1958’s Blue Train, is an acknowledged jazz classic that has only grown in stature over the years. In fact, the album is so highly revered and so popular that demand for original 1950s pressings have escalated on the collector’s market, putting those editions essentially out of reach for most consumers. Fortunately, the good folks behind Blue Note’s Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue series have crafted not one but two releases to celebrate the 65th anniversary of this most beloved Trane album — namely, separate 180g 1LP mono and 180g 2LP stereo editions. This likely raises a slight dilemma for some of us as to which version of we should buy. Read on to find out if one, or both versions are worth obtaining. . .

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