Interviews

AnalogPlanet Editor Michael Fremer Interviewed

Michael Fremer | Mar 20, 2019

The day before he received the L.A. & Orange County Audio Society's Founder's Award in early December of 2018, AnalogPlanet Editor Michael Fremer sat down for a lengthy interview with film maker Ben Williams (who remained off-camera). Williams calls it a "guest monologue".

In this edited series of occasionally hilarious excerpts Fremer discusses his '90s era national publicity tours on behalf of TDK promoting vinyl records including a nerve wracking appearance on The Today Show sitting between Bryant Gumbel and Deborah Norville, and a later tour during the "laser disc days" explaining home theater and surround sound to a mostly unfamiliar audience.

While the TDK tours were intended to show people how to transfer vinyl to cassettes and later to CDs, Fremer used the radio and television appearances to promote vinyl records at a time when it seemed the format was doomed.

Fremer also describes the unusual health threatening circumstances under which he resigned from The Absolute Sound magazine and later joined Stereophile, where he's been senior contributing editor for the past 24 years.

You are guaranteed to laugh more than a few times and to perhaps at least once, barf.

COMMENTS

Hemorrhoids

Submitted by Elubow on Wed, 2019-03-20 13:11

Michael is an excellent storyteller but somehow I think my life would have been complete without hearing that poignant reminiscence. Having experienced a similar problem myself many years ago, I can readily empathize but I confess it never caused me quit my job. I also never had any compelling interest to share it with anyone. What relation this has to vinyl, I’m not sure, but Pfizer might be interested in using this in one of their ads for Preparation H!

Must be one of those “subjective” things scientists don’t get

Submitted by Eskisi on Wed, 2019-03-20 15:55

Mayo clinic does not list stress from delayed checks as a likely cause of hemorrhoids:

“Causes

The veins around your anus tend to stretch under pressure and may bulge or swell. Swollen veins (hemorrhoids) can develop from increased pressure in the lower rectum due to:

Straining during bowel movements
Sitting for long periods of time on the toilet
Chronic diarrhea or constipation
Obesity
Pregnancy
Anal intercourse
Low-fiber diet

Hemorrhoids are more likely with aging because the tissues that support the veins in your rectum and anus can weaken and stretch.”

Never Had Another One

Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2019-03-22 11:48

After relieving the stress, so whatever. You'll also find "scientific" proof that CDs are superior to records.

thanks for being real

Submitted by Drummer on Wed, 2019-03-20 19:11

A regular installment of you talking about whatever is on your mind would be wonderful

A Beautiful Story, Movingly Told

Submitted by GeeLP on Wed, 2019-03-20 21:30

This was hilarious. But the tears didn't start coming until you talked about the post-proctologist-presentation. Thank goodness John Atkinson gave you what you wanted.

Submitted by Jenn on Thu, 2019-03-21 00:40

Well done, Michael! I'd LOVE to hear some HP stories. My first go around in this hobby, he was a mysterious, almost mythical creature. No one not connected to the biz ever saw him. Then in his last year(s), there were photos of him at LAOCAS (for which I couldn't get down there), etc. Must have been an interesting guy.