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Album Reviews
Months After Its Release Tyler, the Creator Changes IGOR
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 28, 2019  |  19 comments
Another IGOR review??? Yes.

My initial plan was to follow the original 3500-word review with a later update on the vinyl edition’s sound quality, but plans change. I got a bit of exclusive information from Jack White about “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?”, which I reported on, but even more happened with this LP. As advance copies of IGOR’s CD edition circulated, word spread that Tyler quietly dropped a physical-only (vinyl, CD, and cassette) “bonus track” entitled “BOYFRIEND.”

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Album Reviews
Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 Vols. 1&2   For the First Time!
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 26, 2019  |  6 comments
This extraordinary blues festival staged on an athletic field at the University of Michigan, Friday through Sunday August 1-3 in-between the moon landing and Woodstock, was almost lost to time—except to the 10,000 or so mostly white high school and college kids lucky enough to have the good fortune (and taste) to attend.

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Album Reviews
Jack Oblivian & The Dream Killers' Garage Rock Album Lost Weekend Gets The Adrenalin Pumping!
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 23, 2019  |  21 comments
Memphis based "garage rocker" Jack (Yarber) Oblivian, formerly with Johnny Vomit & the Dry Heaves among other groups, recently released this adrenalin charge on Black&Wyatt Records and someone (I don't know who) sent it my way thinking I might like it even though the sound is, let's say "primitive" (no top, not much bottom, just some stuff in the middle) in a good way (some recorded to 4 track M.C.I.) but all of it purposefully squashed in a way that sort of reminded me of Don Van Vliet ("Sweet Thang"), but maybe that's because in some ways the performances did too, though it's far more punk-rocky and less bluesy.

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News
David Bowie VH1 Storytellers Limited Edition 2 LP Set Drops October 11th
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 21, 2019  |  18 comments
David Bowie's 1999 VH1 Storytellers appearance before invited guests in an intimate setting and recorded August 23, 1999 at The Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom was first issued on CD/DVD and as a download 10 years later. Now, 20 years later Parlophone will release the most complete version will be released on a limited edition 2-LP set October 11th.

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News
Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Edition Heard on a Real Stereo System!
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 20, 2019  |  18 comments
The misaligned stars leading to yesterday's Dolby screening room software malfunction (you know the story), aligned today. I was on 58th and 3rd at Innovative Audio to spin vinyl and Guy Hayden was just finishing up today's three Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Edition demos (which went off without a glitch).

Hayden emailed asking if there was a chance I could return to the screening room on 58th and 6th Avenue for a proper stereo mix listen. He didn't know I was right down the block! Unfortunately time was too tight for me to get up there, listen and return to Innovative for the 5:30PM event start time so Hayden generously offered to bring the set to Innovative so I could listen on a proper hi-fi system, which seemed like the ideal way to listen to any version of Abbey Road.

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News
Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Edition First Listen!
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 19, 2019  |  31 comments
This morning at mid-town Manhattan's Dolby Theater (1350 6th Avenue) I got a chance to hear excerpts from Giles Martin's new 50th Anniversary Abbey Road remix in the small, 24 seat screening room filled with invited press, SiriusXM Beatles channel people, others, and members of Ringo Starr's band who were in New York, having played there the previous evening.

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Playback Accessory Reviews
Mind-Pop Revolution's Presslift Record Stabilizer/Tonearm Lifter
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 18, 2019  |  18 comments
Mind-Pop Revolution's Presslift is a complex, approximately 1.6 pound machined brass record stabilizer that is also designed to act as an end of side tone arm lift.

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Features
AnalogPlanet in Switzerland Visits HiFiction (Thales TTs, arms, EMT cartridges)
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 17, 2019  |  4 comments
Turbenthal, Switzerland based HiFiction precision-manufactures Thales tangential tracking pivoted pick up arms, battery powered turntables and most recently acquired and now manufactures in-house EMT phono cartridges and a new MC step up transformer.

This was designer Micha Huber's original tangential pivoted arm design, Fremer described in his review as looking like "a tonearm balanced on the end of a seal's nose. (Photo: Michael Fremer)

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AAA VinylAlbum Reviews
Dexter Gordon’s Clubhouse Blue Note Tone Poet Reissue Is, As Usual, Great
Malachi Lui  |  Aug 14, 2019  |  61 comments
Dexter Gordon led the Clubhouse session May 27,1965 with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Barry Harris on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Two days later Gordon recorded Gettin’ Around, trading Freddie Hubbard for Bobby Hutcherson on vibes but otherwise maintaining the same lineup. However, until 1979 the former didn’t see the light of day. What happened?

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Sweepstakes
Woodstock 50th Anniversary "Peace of Stage" and 5 Vinyl LP Back To The Garden Sweepstakes
Jon Iverson  |  Aug 12, 2019  |  226 comments
Register to win one of five actual pieces of the original 1969 Woodstock stage (Value $99.00 ea) or a Back To The Garden - 50th Anniversary Collection 5 Vinyl LP set (Value $124.98) we are giving away.

According to the companies:

"Peace Pendant: Always have a piece of Woodstock magic around your neck and close to your heart, with this Peace Pendant, that is encased with a piece of the original and authenticated stage from the 1969 Woodstock Festival.

Acrylic Frame: Ideal for display and connecting with the festival magic, this touchable piece of the original 1969 Woodstock stage is surrounded by rainbow colors with the concert dates and location, Peace of Stage logo, and a tamper-proof hologram certifying its authenticity.

Woodstock 50 – Back To The Garden - 50th Anniversary Collection features 42 of the finest performances recorded at the legendary festival, on 5 vinyl LPs."

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

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