LATEST ADDITIONS

A freelance reviewer's workload is erratic. On the odd occasion one might have a few moments' respite, while at other times the coincidence of multiple deadlines for copy results in several weeks of panic. As I write this missive I have just completed one such overload period covering so much equipment that I thought that it would be worthwhile to look back and take stock at the audio in the past decade (footnote 1).

When it comes to video, most audiophiles are insufferable snobs. These normally reasonable people, who are among the first to admit that great sound in a motion picture theater makes a great film much more enjoyable, nonetheless. scoff at the very idea of augmenting their own sound with images, or of trying to create the kind of audio-visual experience in their home that they routinely enjoy at the cinema. Doing that involves video, which they equate with TV, which they equate with LCD (footnote 1) dross. This is unfortunate, because visuals can enhance good sound, and good sound can do wonders for non-TV video programs like Hollywood motion pictures.

<B>DEBBIE HARRY: <I>Def, Dumb and Blonde</I></B><BR>
Sire/Red Eye/Reprise 9 25938-1 (LP), -2 (CD). George Tutko, Mike O'Hara, engs.; Mike Chapman, prod. AAA/AAD. TT: 63:57

For Christmas, I received the new vinyl reissue of Nirvana’s seminal 1991 album, <i>Nevermind</i>. This beautiful thing, mastered by acclaimed engineer, <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/news/102207bernie/index.html">Bernie Grundman</a>, and pressed at <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/features/408rti/index.html">RTI</a&gt; on extremely quiet 180gm vinyl, is brought to us by <a href="http://www.originalrecordingsgroup.com/index.htm">Original Recordings Group</a>. Thank god for them.

Today I received my first package from <a href="http://www.freewebs.com/scotchtapes/">Scotch Tapes</a>! Inside the cardboard-reinforced padded envelope were five cassettes and three 7-inch EPs:

Back when there was still something called the "classical music industry," one of Stereophile's favorite small labels was John Marks Records, masterminded by the magazine's "The Fifth Element" columnist, John Marks. In fact, it was his recordings that first brought John to the magazine's attention. JMR had a phenomenal run of releases, among them Arturo Delmoni and Meg Bachman Vas's Songs My Mother Taught Me, Nathaniel Rosen's cycle of J.S. Bach's Suites for Solo Cello, Delmoni and Rosen's Music for a Glass Bead Game, and the three Rejoice recordings of Christmas music for string quartet (also featuring Delmoni and Rosen). That's a pretty solid run for a label that released fewer than 20 recordings.

<I>Stereophile</I> is happy to start off another year, only one issue behind our published schedule. For most magazine subscribers, this would seem a confession of weakness; underground aficionados will, however, know what I'm talking about. We did in fact publish eight issues last year, but the first one happened to be Volume 6, Number 6 (the last issue in that volume), so that puts us still one behind. Ambitiously, I predict we'll get out nine (count them, <I>9</I>) issues in 1985 and catch up with our schedule.