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Album Reviews
Neil Young Live at the Cellar Door Gets You As Close to Neil As You're Likely to Get
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 18, 2014  |  10 comments
Recorded during a six show stint at tiny Cellar Door, a circa 100 seat Washington D.C. basement club November 30th through December 2nd, 1970, this 13 song collection recorded by the great Henry Lewy (thanked in the credits even though he passed away in 2006) presents Neil Young as intimately and as powerfully as you'll hear him on record.

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Can I Have My Money Back?
Sony Launched SACD Fifteen Years Ago Aiming "Small"
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 18, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  10 comments
Originally written for Stereophile and handed in September, 1999 I recently found this story in a "dusty file" on my computer and thought it worth sharing.—Ed

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Record Cleaning Machine Reviews
"Service Bulletin" For Audio Deske Owners
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 17, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  21 comments
An analog planet reader emailed to say his Audio Deske ultrasonic cleaning machine has ruined some of his collectible records and not because of ultrasonics.

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Features
Amoeba Music, Hollywood: Take the Short Walking Tour
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 16, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  27 comments
Permission granted to take a short walk through parts of Amoeba Music in Hollywood with the GoPro camera on my head.
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News
Neil Young's Upcoming Record Store Day 4 LP Box Set Produced From Master Tapes AAA (Now Delayed Until November)
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 15, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  32 comments
Neil Young's previously announced 4 LP box set due to arrive on Record Store Day, April 19th will definitely be issued AAA from the original master tapes.
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News
Getting the Lowdown on Blue Note's Vinyl Reissue Series
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 11, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  16 comments
Upon landing at LAX I got in the rental car and drove directly to Capitol Records where I met up with the great Al Schmitt. Al took a short time away from a mixing session to give me a tour of famed Studios A and B where Frank, Nat, Judy, Dean and so many others recorded some of the greatest records ever.
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News
Wendy Carlos's TRON Soundtrack Coming As Double 180g Vinyl LP From Audio Fidelity
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 11, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  10 comments
Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity Records today inked the deal with The Walt Disney Corporation to release Wendy Carlos's groundbreaking original soundtrack to the 1982 Disney feature "TRON".

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News
Stop the Nonsense! Bob Ludwig On The True Numbers Behind Beck's Morning Phase Album
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 10, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  94 comments
Here's Bob Ludwig's statement regarding the engineering and mastering of Beck's new album Morning Phase:

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Album Reviews
Beck's Morning Phase Awakes Gently Then Puts You in A Dreamy State (Now With Embedded Video)
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 08, 2014  |  13 comments
The opening wash of gorgeously recorded massed strings might just paralyze you. "Who arranged those? " you might say to yourself but before you could scour the liner notes you hear familiar Sea Change-like guitar strums and you melt.

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Turntable Reviews
U-Turn’s Remarkable $179 Orbit Turntable is A Crosley Killer!
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 06, 2014  |  First Published: Dec 31, 1969  |  56 comments
Investors in U-Turn’s Kickstarter-funded Orbit turntable get more than their money’s worth in this remarkably well-designed record player manufactured in Woburn, Massachusetts.

One can only imagine why the principles chose the name U-turn™, but I’d like to think it means a reversal of direction from the low resolution MP3 digital hell into which a generation or two has been led, back to high resolution vinyl heaven.

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