Have mercy! Rhino High Fidelity (a.k.a. Rhino Hi-Fi) does it again with today’s special box set release — namely, ZZ Top’s From The Top: 1971-1976, a limited-edition vinyl reissue collection containing the first five LPs from that little ol’ band from Texas — ZZ Top’s First Album (1971), Rio Grande Mud (1972), Tres Hombres (1973), Fandango! (1975), and Tejas (1976). Read on to learn about the source materials, the SRP, and where you can get From the Top exclusively. . .
When it comes to vinyl, we’re all about passion — and we here at AP absolutely love the passion that fuels the French boutique label, distributor, and online record store, Diggers Factory. Check out Shanon McKellar’s sneak peek videoclip as she previews some of the Diggers Factory releases she plans to review. . .
John Mayall, the undisputed father of the British blues movement, passed away at age 90 in California on July 22, 2024. Mayall emerged in the heyday of the ’60s blues-rock scene in Britain, and over the ensuing years, he shepherded the ace guitar-slinging likes of Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor. In an updated and expanded interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Mayall discussed why he preferred to cut his tracks in as few takes as possible, what specific factor he based his sequencing choices on, and how his 1966 Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton LP truly opened up a new avenue of recording. . .
I’m sure most of us use some kind of record clamp to stabilize the vinyl we’re spinning, whether old or new. Lately, I’ve felt like updating mine, so I’ve been looking at a number of clamps across the SRP spectrum from the readily affordable up to the ogle-worthy budget busters. Somewhere between those two SRP poles is one such clamp that recently caught my eye — namely, the striking model shown here, the Titanic Audio Newton record clamp. Read on to clamp down on all the Newton’s specs and features. . .
Some high-end turntables are truly works of art and masterful engineering combined, worth admiring in full regardless of the price point of entry. Such is the case with the latest from ace designer Dietrich Brakemeier — namely, the Acoustical Systems Astellar turntable. Read on to see all the specs and features of AS and Brakemeier’s wholly impressive Astellar table. . .
The crux of the biscuit is this — in proper celebration of 50 years of Frank Zappa’s March 1974 solo LP Apostrophe (’), a newly expanded 50th anniversary edition will be released on September 13, 2024, via Zappa Records/UMe in a variety of formats, including 180g 2LP+7-inch and 180g 1 LP color vinyl editions. Read on to see what the bonus material includes and what the color vinyl choices entail, in addition to what you can expect with the wider release of the RSD 2024 180g 2LP Frank Zappa for President collection on July 19. . .
We always seem to enjoy whatever gear E.A.T. — short for European Audio Team — has ready to serve us, and we’ve just learned that the Vienna-based company’s New York-based distribution partner, VANA Ltd., is officially bringing their formidable Fortissimo S turntable across the Pond. Read on to see what’s what with the features and specs for the Fortissimo S table. . .
The tape revival continues ever onward. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at a new tape-related offering from portable-gear manufacturer FiiO — namely, their CP13 transparent portable cassette player. Read on to see what the CP13 has to offer. . .
Bill Payne is a glue guy — as in, the co-founding keyboardist of Little Feat is the connective tissue that sweetens the musical pot of everything he touches, something that’s in full effect on Little Feat’s new 145g studio LP, Sam’s Place. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Payne discussed how Sam’s Place came together so instinctively, what some of his favorite vintage Little Feat tracks are on vinyl and why, and how the band mixes complexity and beauty together to create such a signature sound. . .
Ever want to build your own turntable, piece by piece? Well, Pro-Ject is letting you do just that with their new Xtension 9 Evolution table. Read on to see just how you can do it by customizing key turntable elements such as tonearm, cartridge, phono preamp, power supply, cabling, and finish, as you see fit. . .