Audiophile Music

World News

Can Turntables Springboard Young Audiophiles?

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

Go back ten, maybe fifteen years and analog LP sales were vapor thin among young, non-audiophiles. Streaming lossy, compressed music on handheld devices had totally taken over that marketplace – which still pretty much exists today. Whereas when I was a teenager, all I had were records and a radio. Teenagers and twenty somethings of today have multiple streaming and playback options. Why would they be interested in an LP?

Something funny, however, happened on the way to the party. Vinyl began to enjoy a resurrection – and it is still going on, dramatically so. My question is why?

To be honest, analog never fell totally from popularity amongst audiophiles. How many audiophiles with magnificent tube and solid-state systems have been enjoying LPs for decades? No, analog was not abandoned by audiophiles and we alone are not responsible for its resurgence as a viable musical medium. What is then?

I was recently in one of the very few places in Charlotte to buy LPs. This merchant sells both new and used. I was surprised to see how many young people there were flipping through the record racks. One of them said to a friend, “look, check this out!” He was holding up a Sonny Rollins LP. Really, traditional Jazz? For a 20 something?

Frankly speaking, I don’t see the totality of LP resurgence coming from seasoned audiophiles suddenly eager to make a switch from digital. But it is impossible to deny that LPs are selling better than in probably three decades. And yes, I also realize LP sales today do not rise to the level of digital sales. That is hardly the point.

When you look at the demographics of who is buying LPs, it is not exclusively 60 something year old audiophiles with 80’s era tube systems – although the 55-year-old and up demographic do command a sizable percentage of vinyl buyers. Surprisingly, young people of a wide and disparate age group also comprise a sizable percentage of buyers. And the music to which they are listening may not exclusively be the rap and hip hop inspired sounds so prevalent with teenagers today. What gives?

Is analog that cool? My guess is yes, it absolutely is that cool.

Let’s assume for a minute that it is suddenly cool for a young person to be buying an LP in a genre rarely before heard or thought about. They go to a record store and buy a used Sonny Rollins LP for $5.00 and take it home to play on their Crosley turntable. Not what I’d call an audiophile setup in the truest sense. But really, who cares?

What is the possibility of some of these young people actually wondering if the sound they experience from their little Crosley could possibly be improved? Maybe they look to upgrade that Crosley turntable to something a little nicer. Think that is a possibility? I certainly do.

Of course, it is an obvious statement of fact there will be many young listeners who could care less about improved sonics. They only want the “cool” factor. Be like their friends. That certainly stands to conclusive reason. What happens when those that do want something better decide to move forward? How will they know what to do? Or where to go? How can audiophiles help them decide what is best for their needs?

One place to start is with turntables aimed at the youth market. Realistically, most 25-year-old buyers will not desire nor can they afford an expensive audio system. A wise place to start is with a turntable aimed at playing an LP in one self-contained unit. An entry level turntable with a cartridge, phonostage, maybe a headphone amp or connections for an external amp which can power speakers and a nice, budget minded system awaits. Fortunately, there are several such products available today.

Needless to say, this same sort of system may be currently found in the digital domain. But if we proceed on the basis that less than 30-year-old buyers see LPs as being “cool,” then it makes sense to avail them with an inexpensive means to exercise the analog option and the “coolness” factor. Most such buyers have been streaming digital for their entire lives so that basically becomes commensurately commonplace.

There are those who routinely claim our hobby is getting older. Maybe it is. Many audio shows, when last we had one, have mostly older men in attendance. Most of the young kids who did attend came with their Dad. Which is fine – many of today’s audiophiles learned the hobby from their Dad.

We as a, what, business segment, hobby, however we may best be termed, should make efforts to accommodate young audiophiles. We will never win them all, obviously, but if we can convert some, we may be able to create the next generation of music lover interested in something better than an iPhone.

If using an entry level turntable and accommodating whatever “cool” factor may exist is one roadmap to making that happen, then fine, let’s go! I have had several of my neighbors and their teenaged children come over to hear my system. When I see the look on the faces of these young men and women, I am reminded why all audiophiles love the hobby. Its really very simple, we want to be amazed. We want to be “wowed.” We want that unseen, emotional connection to music a magnificent audio system can render.

Maybe a used LP and an inexpensive turntable is precisely the beginning of a process aimed at making that introduction happen. Maybe the presumption of “cool” will entice young music lovers to wonder if there is perhaps something better. If so, then that is absolutely fine. Our hobby needs an accommodating, enticing way to make these types of conversions.

If a used LP and an entry level turntable is the way to do so, that is, in my view, a wonderful way to get the ball rolling. Or spinning, whatever the case may be.

World News

Now That It Is Digital, Should You Toss Your OG Vinyl?

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

Some of us long term, old school vinyl collectors are often aware of a phenomenon that happens in the marketplace for hard to find out-of-print titles. Seemingly — and this may just be a coincidence even though it seems to happen regularly for me — once a rare record is re-issued in the new format, many times those hard to find originals will suddenly begin to appear out in the wilds of record collecting. And by “wilds” I mean record stores, thrift shops, garage sales and if you live in a big city sometimes people just put a box on the street of stuff they want to get rid of…

I understand this. Some people don’t want to — or can no longer — hold onto some things they’ve been carrying around for ages… records from their parents’ collections which they don’t particularly like. Or perhaps they are simply older music fans who are scaling back their lives.

That said, lets consider the scenario if you are a person who likes a particular album and you see that it’s been reissued by a company such as Omnivore Recordings or perhaps Craft Recordings. Should you get rid of your original?

Just last year Omnivore put out a curious batch of CDs titles on the obscure late 1950s / early ‘60s label Coed Records. I’ll be honest, I did not review the CDs because most of the music didn’t appeal to me and I generally will only review recordings that I like – – I have a little time and patience for negativity these days and if I personally don’t like something I’d rather not give it any coverage then post something awkwardly negative.

However, there was one album that I enjoyed which I held onto for a possible review moment like this: a hits collection by a group called The Crests featuring a fellow named Johnny Mastro (aka Johnny Maestro). Some of you might know he was the voice of ‘60s hit makers The Brooklyn Bridge (with their big smash hit recording of Jimmy Webb’s “The Worst That Could Happen” among many others).

Last week while I was scouring around in the bargain bin at Amoeba Records Music, I found an original pressing of this album on vinyl — The Best of The Crests — something I’ve never actually seen before anywhere out of the wilds of record collecting. It is still a pretty rare record with only nine copies listed on Discogs with prices ranging up to over $200.

Now, don’t get all excited about those prices because as any serious collector will tell you the “asking” price is only as good as the digital space it’s printed on. You still have to find a customer first to pay that much and that may take a long time, if it happens at all.

So there-in lies the rub of record collecting. If you want an original edition, you might have to pay some coin unless you are like me and willing to wait and scour around through endless stacks of records until you find a bargain like I did, or you just buy a brand new shiny all digital CD selling for $15-$30.

So, what do you do if you are the owner of said rare album and would like to get the spiffy new edition? Do you just purge your scratchy old version and toss all those memories attached to it? Or do you keep it and get the new one too?

Personally, if I like an album a lot I will hold onto my original pressings for posterity and for the ability to hear that original sound as it exists on vinyl. But I will also likely buy it on CD so that I could hear the latest mastering or even remixing. Having a CD version of a favorite album is handy for mobile use if you still have a car CD player or for ripping to your computer for use on your mobile devices. Some of these titles can be fairly obscure so you may not necessarily find them all out there on the streaming services or at least the specific versions you want to hear.

I also still like making my own compilations and playlists at times so having them on disc is convenient for being able to rip tracks I want to put in my “mixtape,” If you will

So you’re probably wondering now how this new Omnivore CD of The Best Of The Crests album sounds in comparison to original LP? Well, I expected it to sound somewhat different as I was not sure of the tape source used for the new reissue. My original LP was probably a compilation reel made from first generation sources back in 1959 or so before the magnetic tape had deteriorated much.

The new CD which was mastered by Grammy award-winning audio engineer Michael Graves and happily the CD sounds quite good in comparison to the old LP. I was actually anticipating that the LP would sound significantly better but both recordings are quite bright to begin with so there is definitely some common DNA happening here. Of course, the CD is crisp and clean without surface noise and the inevitable tell-tale reminders of a well loved album from the past — ticks and pops and surface noise from being played over and over on inexpensive teenage record players of the day.

So in this case, the CD is a fairly good representation of the old LP version.

This isn’t always the case. I can’t tell you how many times a friend has approached me, upset, saying: “I got this new box set by so-and-so and it doesn’t sound like my original record!”

I asked a mastering engineer friend about this phenomenon once when I was playing some old Buddy Holly singles on my then new mono cartridge. What I was hearing was phenomenal, a presence that was not on any later LPs or CD versions I had heard of those classic tracks. He replied, non at all surprised, explaining that those unique mixes reside and are preserved exclusively in those 45s because of the way those recordings were prepared and mastered. The 45 RPM single was king back then as far as sales of pop and rock recordings went, so much love and care went into making them sound as good as possible, so the music would jump out of a three inch car radio speaker or portable radio. They sound quite stunning.

So what do you do? Do you purge your original records or get the new one or keep both? Most times, when I have a recording that I love deeply, I will in fact hold onto my originals even when getting a new copy. I’m OK with having multiple views – – if you will – – of a favorite recording. In fact I like it.

This underscores part of the appeal of getting some of those fancy box sets that you see me reviewing such as the recent John Lennon Plastic Ono Band 50th anniversary set which not only adds a new stereo remix but also surround sound and even stripped back raw takes of the songs. Regardless, I will be holding onto my original pressing even though I really like the new remix because I want to be able to hear that original version from time to time. There is still still a certain vibe in those original grooves!

If your old record is really scratched up or dirty, don’t fret — you can usually clean those things up. I have my own process for washing records but if you don’t want to hassle with that there are many record stores these days which have ultrasonic cleaners to clean your records for a small fee. I know of at least two stores right here in San Francisco that provide this service: The Originals Vinyl Records Store and Tunnel Records.

So you should by this new Crest CD if you like the group even if if you really love your original album.

Yes. But hold on to your original if you have a history with it.

One of Paul Simon’s most poignant songs, “Old Friends,” ends with a take-away thought which has stuck with me most of my life: “preserve your memories, they’re all that’s left you.”

And I’ll bet you have a lot of memories stored up in those album covers if you stop and look at them periodically. Your record collection in that way is indeed a part of your life journey… Think about it next time you consider getting rid of your old albums or CDs… you might just want to keep them around a bit longer….

World News

Tomita In Quadrophonic: Surround Sound Was Made For This Music

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

Back in the 1970s when I was a teenager just getting into music I remember hearing some recordings by Japanese synthesizer wizard, composer and arranger Isao Tomita and being simultaneously impressed and underwhelmed. The latter I attribute to my having been getting deeply into progressive rock and Frank Zappa in particular. I was already dipping my toes into the classical universe of artists who influenced Zappa such as Edgar Varese and Igor Stravinsky

The first Tomita album I eventually picked up out of curiosity — this was before the days of being able to preview an album streamed on the Interwebs, folks… and this music wasn’t played on any radio stations I listened to — was indeed his interpretation of one of Stravinsky’s masterworks, The Firebird Suite.

I love that piece of music and while it was on the surface impressive that he was able to perform the work, Tomita’s version left me kind of cold for some reason and I was never sure why. Wendy Carlos had already done some magical things combining classical music with synthesizers (her legendary Switched On Bach recordings). And groups like Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP) were taking synthesizers to wild extremes for the times, both incorporating touchstones of classical in their work. Yes legendarily opened its concerts with an excerpt from The Firebird and ELP even had even recorded an entire live album of a rock interpretation of Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition. Renaissance brilliantly reinterpreted Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade for a new generation to discover.

So, while classical music was in the air for many of us back around this time, perhaps my expectations for a sizzling listening experience went beyond the scope of my teenage stereo system…

Fast forward and today I’m listening to a wonderful SACD from the Dutton-Vocalion label which contains the original 1970s quadrophonic mixes of Tomita’s Firebird and all I can think about are the phrases: “missed opportunity” and “ahead of his time.”

The missed opportunity is that Tomita should have been touring with bands like Yes and ELP. Apparently, Tomita performed live with a quadrophonic sound system which must have been a wonder to see and hear! Groups like Pink Floyd had performed in quad even in the early 1970s. Note, there are recordings from Tomita’s live quad shows (click here and here for a BBC transcription in Stereo which was apparently broadcast in quadrophonic sound back in the day, his first performance in England according to the website).

Original Japanese LP cover art for Tomita’s Firebird

The ahead of his time part is that quadrophonic sound as a commercial medium back in the 70s simply wasn’t ready for prime time. Quad LPs and tapes were often available but getting those systems to work properly was apparently easier said than done. There were Quad broadcasts but you had to have one of the then new Quadrophonic receivers to be able to hear them. Not many had them yet, alas.

So, hearing Tomita’s original quad mixes of The Firebird today has been a revelation. This music which once left me cold now engages and excites me!

As an arranger, clearly he was in his sweet spot mixing for multi-channel, creating a wonderfully immersive mix which is not hung up on — and doesn’t pretend to try to — re-create a live soundstage. All his work was painstakingly programmed and performed. And here on The Firebird Suite he takes advantages of the otherworldly peaks and valleys in Stravinsky’s score and applies it to the design of the mix. The impact is wonderful.

It’s a little hard to describe this, especially if you don’t know this particular piece of music. Try to imagine in general a dramatic classical work or a movie soundtrack where the violins and cellos, horns and woodwinds that were percolating and soaring in those big epic sequences in monaural or stereo now swirled around, over and through you. That may give you an idea of what parts of this fine quadrophonic mix is like (especially when you sit in the “sweet spot” of your home theater or surround sound system listening area — that perfect zone for the listener to be seated in order to best appreciate a surround mix).

The other interesting thing about this fine version of Tomita’s Firebird is that when I compared the two channel Stereo mix on the hybrid SACD to a pristine conventional Stereo LP, they sound very much the same. This is a good thing and it seems to be a conscious effort on the part of the SACD’s producers as I have noticed this on several others of their releases which I have reviewed recently. They don’t try to modernize or brighten the recordings, so it feels true to the original.

Now if only there was some way to bring out more of these fun Tomita Quadrophonic mixes to broader audience (ie. less expensive and more easily accessible, especially here in the United States), that would be a useful and wonderful occurrence.

Perhaps with more impactful packaging (the liner notes here reproduce those from 1976 release and reveal nothing really about the four channel mixes) and a new push from domestic United States labels (Sony Classical owns this particular work apparently, even though it was originally on the RCA Records label), then there might be some stronger hope of bringing Tomita’s music to life again for new audiences to discover.

Tomita’s music is ripe for rediscovery.

World News

Island Records’ Vinyl Series Volume One Delivers Hits & Perspective

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

To many of you who are fairly deep into music, Island Records is a label that brought you music by Bob Marley & The Wailers, U2 and Traffic. But before that, Island was formed by Chris Blackwell with a specific intent. This is celebrated on a new series of vinyl compilations which aim to tell the label’s story and put it in some context.

And perspective is exactly what Mr. Blackwell offers us in the liner notes to The Vinyl Series Volume One:

”When I moved Island Records’ base from Kingston to London in 1962, all I wanted to do at first was just release the really great music that was coming out of Jamaica,” writes Blackwell in the collection’s liner notes. “But then I got caught up in all the music that I was hearing in London, much of it from America. Clearly, the culture was moving in a new direction and I wanted Island Records to mirror that shift and be in this new world.”

There have been plenty of other collections of Island Records catalog, but the appeal of this one is in its focus and conciseness

In this tight and punchy 14 song set you get seminal tracks from Desmond Dekker (“Israelites”) to Millie Small’s groundbreaking ska-pop hit “My Boy Lollipop.” Within the span of two LP sides the listener travels remarkably from early reggae sides by Toots & The Maytals to mod soul rockers by The Spencer Davis Group (featuring a young Steve Winwood on organ and vocals).

Given that Island was ultimately based in the UK, the label brought out influential American titles overseas, thus you also get to hear classics like like “Mockingbird” by Charlie and Inez Foxx and “Harlem Shuffle” by Bob and Earl.

Somehow, it all works well together. As I said, context is everything, folks.

The pressing of The Vinyl Series Volume Oneis thick (probably 180-gram), dark, quiet and well centered. Do remember that these are early 1960s tracks, many of which sound like original singles mixes which is a great thing — just don’t go into this expecting some high end audiophile experience! This album is all about the songs and the changing face of music at that fertile point in time. That said, this album does sound quite good and consistent from track to track.

Detailed liner notes by noted author and longtime Island Records chronicler Chis Salewicz are rounded out by Blackwell’s own perspectives.

Future volumes of The Vinyl Series will explore Island’s role in the folk, hard rock, singer-songwriter, glam, and progressive movements. And, of course, the music of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff that shaped the sound of reggae will be touched on.

The Vinyl Series a cool and handy album series. If you have been looking to learn more about the music of the 60s and how certain pieces of that puzzle came together, The Vinyl Series Volume One may be just the ticket you are seeking.

World News

Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band, 50th Anniversary Live Session Blu-ray

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

In 1970 John Lennon released an album called Plastic Ono Band which was quite shocking to most fans of The Beatles’ music; noted for its brutal honesty and raw stripped back presentation, it went on to become a classic which many regard as Lennon’s finest work.

This album has recently been celebrated in brand new 50th Anniversary stereo and surround sound remixes which I reported on last week. In case you missed those reviews, please click on these numbers ( 1, 2, 3 ) to jump to the whole three part series. If you are not familiar with the album or the boxed set (which comes out later this week), reading those reviews will provide useful perspective to understand and appreciate another album recorded during those same sessions.

Simultaneous with the release of Lennon’s album, his wife and life partner Yoko Ono also issued her first solo record under the same title. Both albums, however, couldn’t be more different and that is the focus for the review today, looking into Yoko’s brilliant, futuristic and ultimately timeless recording. Included on the second Blu-ray Disc in the deluxe edition boxed set of Plastic Ono Band are the complete live tracking sessions featuring Ono backed by a power trio comprised of Lennon’s electric guitar and feedback with rock solid rhythmic support from drummer Ringo Starr and their close friend Klaus Voorman on bass. These recordings are quite incredible and incredible sounding — presented in 192 kHz, 24-bit fidelity — all offering fascinating insight into how her first album was created.

These recordings — and her subsequent albums — were extremely influential on artists as diverse as The B-52s, Lene Lovich, Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips and many others.

There are some very insightful comments about these live recording sessions included in the Plastic Ono Band 50th Anniversary boxed set from people involved with making the album including Yoko, John Lennon, Klaus Voorman as well as engineers John Leckie and Phil McDonald. These personal notes shine important light on the album, its intent and creation better than I could so rather than edit them I’ll just share these with you complete and unedited:

Yoko: “When John was recording, I was mostly in the control room and John was making his music and sometimes he had to fool around a bit just to get inspired. He just kept on jamming and then suddenly I realized it was just really beautiful jamming, he’d started something very unusual with the guitar. I was listening to what they were doing and I just couldn’t help it. I thought, ‘well, I just have to join them. This is great!’”

Klaus: “We knew Yoko was gonna do her album. We didn’t know how it was actually going to work or what she was going to do. We heard a few tracks she did and I found that very interesting. There was some great horn player, I think it was Ornette Coleman. She had some great musicians and three jazz players, really really good. So we tried to do the same thing and John was open to it.”

Yoko: “The kind of improvisation that I was doing by myself only had to do with my body rhythm, when you just totally rely on your body and let your body take you to wherever the body wants to go, it seems like all the strange things come out. I’m letting my body do it and that startles me too. It’s almost like the Primal Therapy thing and like the Japanese kind of vocal, or the operatic vocal, all the moaning and groaning and screaming, all kinds of things that I experienced in my life came out.”

Phil McDonald: “I think what people didn’t realize was the fact that she sang as in Japanese, which some classical Japanese singers sing, and this screaming that she did was actually part of her culture. To us, it sounded like screaming but to her it was a musical note. To get this ultimate scream, it could take a while to produce. They weren’t ordinary screams, they were yells, demonstrative. They were calculated, and I don’t know how the heck she did it.”

Lennon: “I’m a cinema verité guitarist and you have to break down your barriers to be able to hear what I’m playing. There’s a point on the first song where the guitar comes in and even Yoko thought it was her voice. It became like a dialogue rather than a monologue and I like that, stimulating each other. And that happened in the drumming and bass too, they get like that too. And it’s very interesting that you don’t know who is really inspiring who, it just goes on like that.”

Over the course of the live jam session recordings we indeed hear the framework for what became Yoko Ono’s Plastic Ono Band album emerging and it’s a wonderful journey.

Ringo and Voorman drive the rocking-yet-sympathetic rhythm section, giving Lennon the freedom to generate various noises and feedback created with his guitar, often in a kind of duet with Yoko’s vocal improvisations.

Where all this gets especially interesting is when you go back and listen to the final album and you can understand better how it was crafted. Listening to the live sessions sandwiched between reference spins of the final album, you realize Yoko had a quite clear vision for the kind of recording she wanted to deliver. Lennon, Ringo and Klaus Voorman laid down an array of throbbing proto-punk-ish blues rock jams which Yoko took to another level with her inspired vocal treatments.

According to the Plastic Ono Band boxed set liner notes: ”Yoko edited, manipulated, sped-up, slowed down and augmented her chosen improvisations, adding sound effects and delays to create her album Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band.” I recently bought a nice reissue of Yoko’s Plastic Ono Band album and while the vinyl sounds great — and the final mix terrific — these live sessions are almost rawer and richer if that is possible. Ultimately, however, I do like the final album better as the impact of Ono’s production is important. For example, cutting suddenly from heavy jams into the sound of subway trains churning at approximately the same tempo creates quite an image of the power of the band.

The innovative tape loop of George Harrison’s sitar playing at the start of “Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City” is a haunting introduction to the portions of the jam which were used. Consider that today we hear digitally generated loops every day on most pop recordings and near every Tik Tok video I’ve seen. Yoko and John were working with them in a purely analog manner 50-plus years ago! I love the bird sounds at the end of that song which feel like the same ones used at the introduction of the original version of Lennon’s “Across The Universe” (the 1968 version prepared for a 1969 LP benefitting the World Wildlife Fund, No One’s Gonna Change Our World)

Another favorite is the very Captain Beefheart-esque “Don’t Worry, Kyoko” (which adds Eric Clapton to the line up). I can’t emphasize this enough just what a great rock improvisors Ringo and Klaus were together. There are also three previously unreleased improvisations on the Blu-ray Disc which were not included in the final album: “Life,” “Omae No Okaa Wa” and “I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky.”

There is a lot to experience here and I am still working my way through it. So, when you get the Plastic Ono Band boxed set, do take some time to immerse yourself in Yoko’s world. And then, if you don’t already have her album, do get it to fully appreciate her vision. It is a rewarding journey.

World News

Sweet New Indie Soul EPs By James Holvay, Grey & The Hit Me Band

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

Have you heard the new hit track by a new super group called Silk Sonic, pairing Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak, “Leave The Door Open?” It’s a great tune that brings the sound of vintage mid-1970s soul grooves to a new generation — think The Stylistics and The Delfonics and perhaps The Dells and even a bit of Gladys Knight for some quick touch stone references.

This isn’t quite a “new” trend in that there have been a lot of great groups performing in recent times, mining these classic sounds anew in the 21st Century — from the late great Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley (both, RIP) on to the many fine talents I was recently turned onto via the Colemine Records label such as Thee Sinseers, Ben Pirani, The Resonaires, Kendra Morris and many others.

If you missed my review of Colemine’s fantastic Brighter Days Ahead compilation which I reviewed in February, please click here to read it.

In this light, two recent independent extended play (aka “EP”) CD releases with vintage roots are particularly timely. While they are individually brief listening nuggets, together you could create two sides of a fine LP.

SWEET SOUL SONG

My eyes perked up when I saw the press release come through about a new EP by the fellow who wrote the first big hits for Chicago’s influential mid-60s rock band, The Buckinghams. “Kind Of A Drag” was written by James Holvay who also co-wrote the band’s follow on major label Top 10 smashes “Don’t You Care,”“Hey Baby” and “Susan.”

Those songs kickstarted that band’s legacy and led to successful careers for other horn-infused rock bands, both with a sound fine tuned by producer James William Guercio, including Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears. Holvay began his career with a bit of Beatlemania wave-riding joy (which I happen to own!) called “Beatle Time” by The Livers (seriously folks, click here to hear it!).

Happily, Mr. Holvay’s new CD EP — called Sweet Soul Song— is exactly what it presents itself as and the results are terrific. With a rich raspy voice that falls somewhere between Dan Penn and Curtis Mayfield, the songs here mine classic 60s soul styles (“Working On It”) and some 70s vibe from native Chicago (via The Chi-Lites) on “Still The Fool” — the latter is my favorite on the album, replete with orchestral strings. Holvay even pulls of the incredibly difficult task of creating a good song that reminisces about a bygone era without being cringe-inducing (“Sweet Soul Song”). “Love Has Found A Way” swings like a lost Jackson Five groove that might have been a hit had they recorded it in 1971 or 72.

This EP has a nice vintage sound to it so it could easily be spun in a DJ set with other classic tracks. If you want to sample some of the tracks you can find them up on Tidal (click here).

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE CONTINENTAL CLUB

I received this EP from a musician friend who has some terrific roots in 60s and 70s soul. Back in the day, Michael “Grey Boy” Edell had a band in Florida in the ‘60s called The Miami Soul Review which often opened for Frank Williams and The Rocketeers, a popular group to which this EP pays tribute. Across five in-the-pocket grooves, his new ensemble — Grey And The Hit Me Band — recreate the vibe of his days playing with the creme of Miami’s best at the Continental Club.

Edell has quite a background having served in backup bands for no less than Etta James, The Staple Singers, Sam & Dave, James Carr, Tyrone Davis and many others. His original band has opened for no less than James Brown (with whom he became friends along the way), Ike & Tina Turner, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and even the Amazing Kreskin! His 1971 sides as the Human Race are sweet latin-tinged soul grooves commanding some coin on Discogs these days and even getting reissued by The Numero Group several years back (many copies ending up in the UK not surprisingly, prime sampling material used by DJ Shadow and others).

Given this great history, its no surprise that Saturday Night At The Continental Club serves up a tasty five song menu of swinging modern retro soul grooves.

The songwriting is solid, the performances Ike-and-Tina-Turner-tight and the vocals exemplary. Grey himself has a great range that sounds like what might have happened had Smokey Robinson let loose like Godfather of Soul (“Do Right Man,” “I Feel My Love Coming Down” and the fun EP closer “Soul Stuff”). Opening track “Good Thing” kicks off the James Brown-meets-Joe Tex essence with a vocal by Jerome Harris.

If you want to compare how Grey And The Hit Me Band nailed the feel for this fine tribute, check out some of the originals up on YouTube (click on the titles here for “Good Thing” and “Soul Stuff”). You can also find their new EP streaming on Tidal (click here) and Qobuz (click here).

There are indeed some grand new classic soul sounds happening these days, for sure!

Be sure to check some of these tracks posted below…

World News

John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band 50th Anniversary Boxed Set, Part 3: The Outtakes, The Alternates & Other Things

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

My deep dive into the 50th Anniversary super deluxe boxed set celebrating John Lennon’s landmark solo album Plastic Ono Band concludes today exploring some of the outtakes, alternates, and other fascinating bonuses on this rich collection. In case you missed Part II on the new Surround Sound mix, please click here. And for Part I on the Stereo remix, click here.

Plastic Ono Band presents multiple visions for the album. Each CD — also included on the Blu-ray Disc — gives you 14 tracks, corresponding album tracks plus period singles in various states of being. New “ultimate” mixes of studio out-takes are offered as well as new mixes/remasters of demos and new mixes of the “elements.”

You get “raw” studio mixes including the outtakes (different outtakes!). And then the “evolution” mixes are mini audio documentaries of each track’s birthing process. There are the jam sessions! And, on the Blu-ray you get all the live sessions the band did with Yoko Ono (which became the core for what became her first solo album, also titled Plastic Ono Band).

The CDs generally sound excellent but if you want to hear the fullest versions, listen on the Blu-ray Discs which are presented at 192 kHz and 24 bit resolution in Stereo. The vinyl LP version of Plastic Ono Band also sounds excellent but only offers you one series of the outtakes (more on that in a bit).

There is so much here I really can’t get to it all in this already-too-long review series, so I’ll try to be as complete as I can (without going to a fourth review!)

OUTTAKES ’n ALTERNATES

All of these tracks sound amazing and offer incredible fly-on-the-wall insights into the process John Lennon went through creating Plastic Ono Band. The remarkable thing is that for all these years many of us thought that Plastic Ono Band was this stripped down raw affair which couldn’t possibly have been as intense a production as, say, The Beatles’ Abbey Road or Sgt. Pepper.

But when you look at the number of takes Lennon did of some of these songs you realize he went through quite a process to get to that final sound. He went through nearly 100 takes of “Mother” to get to the final version that opens the album!

It takes a lot of work and skill to create something seemingly this simple.

My favorite outtakes thus far include the heavily overdubbed 23rd take of “Isolation” with multiple vocal takes all at once. Take 6 of “Love” is a simple acoustic guitar demo, like he is playing it on a back porch. Take 2 of “Look At Me” is innocent and folksy. Take 27 of “God” is amazing with its somewhat different introduction and vocal style. Take 1 of “Cold Turkey” mesmerizes.

On the Two LP vinyl version of Plastic Ono Band you get a second disc featuring the “Raw” studio mix outtakes as found on the Blu-ray disc (different than the CD). The LP sounds great if you like that format and is a nice complement to the super high resolution Blu-ray version.

THE DEMOS

On Disc 6 of the CDs (again, also on the Blu-ray) you get a full set of John’s earliest cassette demos. These “are what they are” sound quality wise, but are an essential part of the journey. Some highlights include the early take of “Mother” played by John on guitar on a heavily vibrato-laden electric guitar. The piano and vocal demo of “Isolation” is a tear jerker as is the similarly produced “Remember.”

“Look At Me” sounds like it was recorded over a telephone line and is wonderful as the essence of the song is all there even at this early stage. “God” is probably the most radical departure, strummed early on as a somewhat fast folk song on a guitar.

Essential listening, no doubt.

ELEMENTS MIXES

Stripping each song down to its most basic essence, these are a fascinating study in the power of isolating performance details

“Mother” is especially haunting, stunning and beautiful presenting Lennon’s vocal take in its entirety without any backing. It is especially harrowing to feel the emotion in his voice toward the end, alone on the high wire without a net.

“Hold On” is beautiful just as a solo electric guitar and vocal mix. “I Found Out” is an alternate vision of the song with funky congas changing up the vibe. Lennon breaks into some rock ’n roll oldies during the ensuing jam session — this would have been an amazing song for Lennon to play live!

The “Jews Harp” boinging in the background behind “Remember” is a fascinating timekeeper, establishing a bouncing beat reminiscent of McCartney’s bridge section on The Beatles’ “A Day In The Life.” The extra resolution on the Blu-ray Disc version is important here as the harp is more audible their than on the CD — at roughly four times the resolution of a CD, this is an easy to comprehend example of what the 192 kHz, 24 bit version delivers.

The elements take of “God” places Lennon’s voice in an enormous echo chamber! His vocal approach is completely different, almost like a quiet church prayer vs. the soul-torching take that ended up on the final take.

“Cold Turkey” without vocals is tremendous. Listen for the ring of Ringo’s snare drum and bits of sweet feedback chiming from the guitars. Ringo’s kick drum and Klaus’ bass are way up in the mix, making it very powerful on the low end. This sounds especially great on the Blu-ray Disc.

THE RAW MIXES

These versions may actually rock a bit more than the regular album given they are unencumbered by any real production beyond how the microphones were set up. Each song is mixed raw without effects, tape delays or reverbs. In someways, these raw mixes are more pure John Lennon without the relative vagueness of Phil Spector’s aesthetics.

Lennon could have put out Plastic Ono Band like this back in the day and it would have perhaps shocked even more. When you hear his throat-tearing vocals on “Mother” you realize that most of the sound of Plastic Ono Band was nailed down before Spector added his final touches. “Remember” is remarkable as it rocks madly stripped naked to its core.

THE JAMS

Disc 6 features fun outtake jams from the session with John and the band letting loose working through some rock ’n roll oldies. Included are “Johnny B. Goode” and “Ain’t That A Shame.” They break out a track the early pre-fame Beatles used to do live called “Glad All Over” (there are BBC recordings of them doing this, with George singing). And there are neat oddities like “Lost John” and The Weavers’ traditional folk classic “Goodnight Irene.” We even get treated to an early acoustic guitar version of a song that ended up on the Imagine album, “I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier,” which sounds more like the Grateful Dead than an ex-Beatle!

THE EVOLUTION MIXES

As in the prior Imagine boxed set, here in this new Plastic Ono Band collection we get a series of fascinating audio-only quasi documentaries. Here the producers take you through the formation of each track leading up to the final take. Its fun hearing John working out “Hold On,” even getting a little playful along the way. “Isolation” with the organ at the start of the song is a fascinating church-like variant.

It is also wonderful to hear John interacting with Yoko from the mixing booth on these recordings. Along the way she offers great input to what Lennon was trying to accomplish and clearly has solid working knowledge of the studio process even that early on in their relationship.

Speaking of Yoko, there is a fascinating bonus Blu-ray Disc in the set which I am still exploring featuring her complete live sessions with the band. These tracks became the basis for her first solo album, also titled Plastic Ono Band and featuring a similar cover design to Lennon’s release here. Once I get deeper into this I plan to write a follow on review as I also recently picked up one of the nice vinyl reissues of her album on vinyl issued on the Secretly Canadian label. More on that soon…

THE BOOK

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 100-plus page hardcover book included in the set. This is essential reading as it goes into remarkable micro-detail on all the facets of the set as well as insights into what was going on in John & Yoko’s universe at the time.

Included is fascinating information on the genesis of the Plastic Ono Band name as a group, what it meant and how it was brought out to the world at the time — finally, we get some understanding of the cover image on the “Give Peace A Chance” single!

The pictures alone are a fantastic treat, everything from original tape box shots to period pix of John and the band members. Klaus Voormann even contributed drawings he’d made from the sessions (Beatle fans know he drew the iconic cover for The Beatles’ Revolver album).

You also get a wonderful “War Is Over (If You Want It) poster and postcards featuring art from Lennon’s early singles from this period.

So… wow! Plastic Ono Band is 50 years old and sounds more vital than ever. And now we have this fantastic periscope into Lennon’s artistic creative process which will no doubt be important to music scholars and Beatle-philes for ages to come.

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John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band 50th Anniversary Boxed Set, Part 2: The Surround Sound Mix

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

Welcome to the second part of my exploration of the fine new 50th Anniversary super deluxe boxed set celebrating John Lennon’s landmark album, Plastic Ono Band. If you missed Part I of this review series, please click here to jump to it as it explores the brand new Stereo remix.

The new Surround Sound mix of Plastic Ono Band offers revelations one might not expect from such a simple series of recordings. Its all in the details, yet I realize that the logic may not make sense to some of you who are intimate with the recording.

If you stop to consider, this is an opportunity to get a bit more inside the heart and soul of the raw sound Lennon created for the album.

The challenge of course is how to create a more immersive feel without deconstructing its essence — the core of the album is effectively a power trio of drums, bass and either guitar or piano, with occasional organ or piano doubling at points. The 5.1 mixes create a subtle sense of the recording studios where the album was made, without getting extreme.

Some insights from engineer Paul Hicks on how all the new remixes were considered and prepared (in a very high resolution audio format) will be helpful here:

“With the Imagine album, there was a lot of matching effects and arrangements. With John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band it was all so much simpler and sparser. In fact there was more time spent cleaning up the audio rather than replicating effects. One of the big reasons for going to 192- 24 rather than 96-24 was how sparse it all is, the clarity, how much of the room and how much detail you can hear – in some cases you can literally hear a pin drop, and that’s part of what makes you feel so ‘present’ in the moment. Like restoring an old master painting, all that painstaking clean-up work will be invisible to most ears, but on a good system, the level of sonic upgrade is really incredible and immensely rewarding.”

In the lovely hardcover book that comes with the set, engineer Sam Gannon created wonderful sound “maps” showing the approximate placement of particular track elements within the three dimensional surround music field. These are perhaps a bit too honest for their own good as it might make someone think there is nothing going on in the rear surround channels at times — but there is in the form of that aforementioned studio ambiance! However, these maps do emphasize the focus for the recording and where more discrete sounds are roughly located in the three dimensional sound field.

Wisely, the producers of this new remix opted to keep the focus fairly tight in order to keep true to the original intent and feel of the album, allowing subtle levels of immersion when the opportunity arose naturally

When you play “Working Class Hero,” don’t expect a lot of immersion because the guitar and vocal are wed close together since Lennon was probably playing and singing it in real time. Any ambient flavor of the room it was recorded in would fill out the surround channels.

Again, an important goal here was to be as true to the original album as possible, so it would not make sense to put John’s piano in one corner and Klaus Voorman’s bass in another (like an early Quadrophonic mix). That might have been interesting for a moment but it would not have the same feel as the original album. So instead, the focus here is the core Stereo mix but with moments where everything fills out more depending on the track.

My favorites — not surprisingly — are indeed the tracks which tend to wrap around the listener more, such as “Isolation,” especially when the organ comes in from the back.

Some of the most immersive moments on the Blu-ray Disc in the Plastic Ono Band were not even on the original album at all, but on the singles issued around that period. So “Give Peace A Chance” envelops the listener with backing vocals and hand claps.

“Instant Karma” sounds bigger still with not only the full band but multiple pianos (played by George Harrison, Alan White and Klaus Voorman) beefing up the sound in co-producer Phil Spector’s classic layered “wall of sound” style recording technique.

“Cold Turkey is no doubt the most aggressive mix here as the guitar solo sort of floats about you gently in time with the music. It is an appropriately trippy moment that feels right without being gimmicky. See the sound map (to the right) and look for the diamond shape to better understand the motion trajectory of the sound, with you — the listener — the dot in the so-called “sweet spot” in the center.

All in all I really like the surround mixes of Plastic Ono Band and it will definitely be my choice for when I want to listen to the album in high resolution digital form. It doesn’t replace the vinyl or the Stereo mix (for those of you who tend to think in “either/or” terms). but it does provide a wonderfully expanded view of what the album can be, and that is a good thing indeed.

Tune in again here tomorrow on Audiophile Review where I’ll explore the bonus goodies in the set including Demos, Jams and much more.

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John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band 50th Anniversary Boxed Set, Part I: The Stereo Remix On Vinyl & Blu-ray Disc

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Mark Smotroff

Before I even opened the package, the first thing I noticed about the new 50th Anniversary edition of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band is that the cover image looked clearer, like a layer of haze has been removed.

This theme continues inside as much sonic blur has been removed from the recordings, leaving the music and Lennon’s vocals to shine on center stage.

For those of you who don’t know, Plastic Ono Band was the first true solo album Lennon issued after leaving The Beatles. It was a watershed moment of brutal honesty, powerful lyricism and dynamic musicality.

A bookend of a sort to Paul McCartney’s very different first solo release, both albums were the polar opposite of what The Beatles were about. The sound is mostly stripped back to raw vocals, guitars , piano, bass and drums. Here, Lennon puts his heart on the table and the song titles reveal much about what to expect: “Working Class Hero,” “God,” “Isolation,” “My Mummy’s Dead” and “Love.”

For the 50th Anniversary deluxe edition of Plastic Ono Band, executive producer Yoko Ono Lennon followed the path employed on the recent Gimme Some Truth and Imagine – The Ultimate Collection sets. The set features new mixes which are faithful and respectful to the originals, yet are sonically clearer with attention to improve the clarity of John’s vocals.

In case you missed it, you can read my multi-part review of Gimme Some Truth by clicking here for the Stereo, here for the Surround Sound mix and here for the other bonus goodies. For Imagine – The Ultimate Collection, I also reviewed the Stereo and Surround mixes as well as Bonus tracks.

Plastic Ono Band has been fully remixed by Paul Hicks at Abbey Road Studios under Yoko’s supervision. Working from high-definition 192 kHz, 24-bit transfers of the original first-generation multitrack recordings, the result is quite remarkable and at times stunning. Given the seeming simplicity of the original recordings, much new detail is revealed.

I like this new Stereo mix of Plastic Ono Band a whole lot as it is more direct and yet still feels right. Listening to the new LP edition, the first thing I noticed was that the church bells at the start of “Mother” are clearer.

“Hold On” is one of my favorites of the set sounding richer with Klaus Voorman’s bass prominent in the mix. Listen for the beautiful decay on Ringo’s final cymbal crash there. John’s amplifier skronk on “I Found Out” is more ripping than ever. “Isolation” sound so fantastic now, with Voorman’s bass resonating in lock step with Ringo’s strong kick drum, providing an even more solid foundation for John’s piano. When John sings “I… I… I … soo… layyyyy tion” before leading into the dramatic double tracked bridge, the impact is more haunting than ever.

“Remember” sounds amazing, with Klaus, Ringo and John connected instrumentally as one on the verses. It may be my favorite among the new remixes (more on that in a bit)

There are some badass guitar parts on “Well Well Well” that are much more audible now. Notably, listen for the sort of Pete Townshend-esque / Jimi Hendrix-like rips which Lennon plays intermittently throughout the song (which were buried further down in the mix previously). Lennon’s primal screams here have never sounded more… well… primal!

Billy Preston’s gospel-tinged piano on “God,” sounds woodier and more open than I’ve ever heard. Even “My Mummy’s Dead” sounds less boxy.

My only issue with the vinyl pressing was that there was some paper dust on the discs (in the inner-sleeve) causing some surface noise along the way. After I gave the album a washing however it sounded fine, the noise floor of the vinyl basically disappearing. I had a similar problem with early pressings of Paul McCartney’s New album when it was first released some years back but this new occurrence was nowhere near as bad; hopefully my copy is just a one-off issue. Otherwise, the thick black 180-gram vinyl is dark, quiet and well centered.

The Stereo mix on the Blu-ray Disc version of Plastic Ono Band in 192 kHz, 24-bit fidelity is a wonder in its own right. It offers much of the same vibe as the vinyl but is a bit more open sounding.

I suspect this may be because there was no need for additional compression as there is no vinyl disc mastering stage (which helps to keep your stylus from flying off the grooves). It is a bit brighter sounding of course but not in an off putting way. It feels very natural, actually.

Tracks like “Hold On” have an incredible presence even more than the vinyl. The crack of Ringo’s rimshots on the verses is more distinct. I noticed a nice rhythm he gets going there that isn’t quite as apparent on the LP version (listen for the rimshot followed by two ticks on the high hat which create that buoyant pulse making the song fly).

On “Isolation” you can hear Ringo’s snare resonate more while the tom toms sound huge, enhanced by that classic way in which only Ringo can play them. The cymbal crashes on the bridge are more present with a lovely decay.

As good as it sounds on the Blu-ray version, I do think I prefer the way “Remember” sounds on the vinyl edition. Either way, the drums and bass are rich and round supporting Lennon’s incredibly natural sounding piano.

Listen for the slap echo on Ringo’s kick drum and how it interacts with Klaus Voorman’s bass thump on “Well Well Well”— it makes the heartbeat-like rhythm pulse. Again, Lennon’s ripping power chords stand out beautifully in this new mix.

Interestingly, “God” sounds a bit different on the Blu-ray version than the vinyl version. Purely speculating, I wonder if it is the effect of the compression applied in vinyl disc mastering, especially given that the track is nearly the last on the album. John’s falsetto vocal toward the end, where he sings “I was the Walrus, but now I’m John” sends a shudder down the spine.

All in all this new Stereo mix of Plastic Ono Band is very enjoyable and a lovely complement to the original. I think it is an important release which allows fans of the recording to hear it in a new light. And for first-time listeners, it presents the music even more directly, in a timeless flavor beyond the slightly echo laden, dated mix by original co-producer Phil Spector.

In Part Two of my listening report on the new 50th Anniversary edition of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band I’ll explore the 5.1 surround sound remixes. Much more Lennon joy to come. Stay tuned.

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Do Looks Matter as Much as Sonics?

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Paul Wilson

When I first saw the KEF Blade on the cover of The Absolute Sound, I almost started laughing. “What is this crazy looking thing” I asked myself. I so completely dismissed it from any new speaker system consideration that even reading the review was a waste of my time.

A year or so later I happened to walk into the KEF room at RMAF. The ever affable Johann Coorg, Brand Manager for KEF, was talking about the merits of this new speaker system. To say I was disinterested would be very accurate. I didn’t even care about this speaker system; I was never going to buy a pair so why have any concern about what they can do? Why am I wasting my time in this room?

About eight months later I owed a pair.

What happened to me that day at an audio show was transformational. I was at the show because I wanted to narrow down my choices for a new speaker system. The KEF Blade was not on my short list. Why? Because of how they looked. I did pretty much the same thing I do with food. If it doesn’t look appetizing, it will taste bad. If it doesn’t look good, it will sound bad. Narrowminded thinking, I’ll admit.

I was so captivated by the sound of the Blade that day in Denver I spent the rest of the audio show holding it as a benchmark against the other contenders on my list. None of those contenders really measured up. After the show, I visited a dealer to hear them again and ultimately bought a pair. Perhaps most strange, their look was suddenly “cool.” I even gave serious consideration to a bright orange color. How such a total transformational viewpoint occurred still mystifies me.

This underscores a part of our audio choices, does it not? Our obvious first choice is how something sounds. I have always felt each of us has an intrinsic mechanism telling us when something sounds pleasing, accurate, dynamic, like live music, or any other requirement we may have. We are all looking for that certain sound. Asked to describe this mythical sound and we very likely cannot. However, we will know when we hear it played.

When considering how much an audio system can easily cost, do we not also want attractiveness as a feature and benefit? Who among us audiophiles do not think those iconic blue meters on almost everything McIntosh is way cool? It is so easy to imagine being in a magnificent audio room, lights down low, music at 85 dB, favorite beverage in hand, and not only listening, but also looking at that soft blue glow in the semi darkness. I know of what I speak as I’ve owned McIntosh gear in the past. It can almost be hypnotic.

Who among us audiophiles would pay thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars for something friends and contemporaries would ask “where’d you get that ugly thing?” Not a question I ever want to field.

Where then, do we draw the line between what we think looks attractive, what we think everyone else will see as good looking, and what offers sonic captivation? Do we forego any pretense of visual acuity in favor of sonic acuity? Or do we need both?

Speakers are perhaps the one component with “different” looking designs. Well, let’s be honest. Sometimes they just look flat out weird. Horn speakers can be particularly out there in gaga land when it comes to how they look. There is another factor at work here, however.

Is it not also likely the shape of the cabinet aims to improve sonics? That is exactly the case with the Blade. It was designed that way on purpose, and that purpose being meeting certain sonic goals. Looks were not the overriding objective, how it sounded was. One was an engineered means to the other.

If we like the way something sounds, particularly a speaker system, can we get past the fact it looks crazy or just flat out ugly? When we listen in low light, something I am certain each of us has done at some time or another, do we see music or that crazy looking speaker? Or amp? Or whatever?

Face it, we have to temper our viewpoints with a certain disconnect of the visual from the auditory. I fell in love with the KEF Blade because I heard it, not because I saw it. Had I not heard it, I seriously doubt I would have ever owned a pair. Auditory, not visual.

Still, the fact remains, many of us need the speaker, component, or whatever the case may be to look as good as it sounds. Manufacturers try to accommodate our wishes when they can. Sonics will always win out. But looks also matter. Such is the reason we have things with nice soft blue lights, beautiful woods, and visual splendor intended to make anyone who looks it go “wow.”

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Yes, that’s a well-worn phrase. In audiophile parlance, it means primarily how it sounds, but to a certain extent, also how it looks. Where the line is drawn between the two is an individualistic, debatable choice we all must make. We may view sonics as our purchase choice barometer. Visuals may enter into the picture as well. In the end, I suspect sonics win. It seems inevitably likely we will have as a continuing design feature the different, the outlander, the obscure when it comes to how something looks. How it sounds, ah, that’s the thing. We really can’t get past sonics.

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