In case you’re still wondering if the vinyl resurgence is a “bubble” or a temporary uptick, you’d best disabuse yourself of that thought. Despite the Apollo/Transco fire and other roadblocks like the record distribution debacle that had last year’s “Making Vinyl Hollywood” attendees in a near panic, record sales (and turntable sales) continue to soar—and best of all, a new, young and sophisticated clientele insists upon quality even as demand for novelty colored and splattered vinyl also grows. We welcome them all (even picture disc buyers).
(Review Explosion is a recurring AnalogPlanet feature covering recent releases for which we either don’t have sufficient time to fully explore, or that are not worthy of it. Curated by AnalogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui, Review Explosion focuses on the previous few months’ new releases.)
“You are committing audio reviewer suicide” friends insisted when towards the end of 2018 I told them I was going to review some inexpensive Hearing Aids. Guess what? All of the comments under the review were positive and my reviewer creds are intact. Plus, my now 91 year old mother-in-law can now hear much better since I’d really bought them for her benefit.
(Review Explosion is a recurring AnalogPlanet feature covering recent releases for which we either don’t have sufficient time to fully explore, or that are not worthy of it. Curated by AnalogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui, this is the second RSD2020-centric Review Explosion, the first of which is found here.)
Last weekend, the second 2020 RSD Drop occurred in physical stores and on some online outlets. I didn’t find any titles terribly important to me, so here I am still reviewing records from the initial August RSD Drop. Onward we go…
(Vinyl Reports is an AnalogPlanet feature aiming to create a definitive guide to vinyl LPs. Here, we talk about sound quality, LP packaging, music, and the overarching vinyl experience.)
As I reached my home the other day after an early morning run a neighbor pulled over in his car and asked how I was doing. I said, “great, under the Covid-19 circumstances”. Noting my Biden/Harris lawn sign he said “The Democrats have been taken over by the progressives. Doesn’t that bother you?” I said “No, I’m fairly progressive myself. The GOP has been taken over by Trump, who isn’t sure he’ll hand over the reins of power if he loses the election, doesn’t that bother you?”
Few things are more annoying to record lovers living in a home (particularly an older one) with a floor that flexes and causes records to skip as you attempt to carefully move around the room. The first thought is to buy a sturdier, more massive equipment stand but that doesn't work!
Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab's 2002 comeback album Specialist In All Styles makes its vinyl debut 18 years after its original release and 50 years after the group's founding. The album was the group's first release since 1982's Pirates Choice said to be a "holy grail" recording for fans of African music.
In this, the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday, Yarlung Records offers a recording worthy of the master, a delectation from the Janaki String Trio that was originally recorded in 2006 in Zipper Hall. The sonics are as inviting as the playing.
The Super Deluxe Box Set version of Tom Petty's Wildflowers and all the Rest Just arrived! It's not due out until mid October but AnalogPlanet got a world exclusive on it so here's the unboxing!