The age of downloadable digital music is showing signs of maturing. Territory that was explored by hobbyists, pirates, and startup companies eager to stake their claims will soon yield to the irresistible force of multinational conglomerates.
Jonathan Scull has seen the future of audiophile proselytizing and aches to spread the word. In <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/217/">"Fine Tunes" #18</A>, J-10 shares the new tweak-audio mantra, and more.
<B>JONI MITCHELL: <I>Both Sides Now</I></B><BR> Joni Mitchell, vocals; Wayne Shorter, soprano & tenor sax; Mark Isham, trumpet; Herbie Hancock, piano; Chuck Berghofer, bass; Peter Erskine, drums; Vince Mendoza, arr., cond.<BR>Reprise 47620-2 (HDCD). 2000. Larry Klein, Joni Mitchell, prods.; Geoff Foster, Ben Georgiades, engs. ADD? TT: 51:35<BR> Performance <B>****?</B><BR> Sonics <B>****?</B>
With multichannel DVD-Audio and SACD promised and the increasing pressure to add high-quality 5.1 audio to video systems, has the number of channels in your listening room increased?
In an "increasingly complicated and competitive media environment," public broadcasting intends to be there. So declared the <A HREF="http://www.cpb.org/">Corporation for Public Broadcasting</A> on March 30, when it announced an almost $2 million investment in projects for <A HREF="http://www.npr.org/">National Public Radio</A> and Public Interactive. CPB has long held the intellectual high ground in broadcasting, and its new investments are intended to continue that tradition. The goal of the program is to create "new content and services which will broaden the public square of ideas and civic discourse," according to a corporate press release.
Last week, <A HREF="http://www.jbl.com/">JBL Consumer Products</A> (a unit of the <A HREF="www.harman.com">Harman Consumer Systems Group</A>) and Korea's L.G. Electronics (manufacturers of Gold Star and L.G. Electronics brand products) announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance to jointly develop and market a "broad range of new consumer electronics products." The companies say that the partnership "builds upon the respective strengths of both manufacturers" and will enable both companies to expand their offerings into areas outside their traditional product categories.
Thirty-five years after their heyday, the Beatles remain one of the preeminent phenomena of the modern age. More than 400 books have been written about them, both as a group and as individuals.
Audiophiles and classical music lovers often risk falling into a repertorial rut. The classical standards are constantly being rerecorded—often to the point of needless repetition. How many versions of Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony or Ravel's <I>Bolero</I> do you really need? Rather than fill up your shelves with recordings of the same tired compositions, I suggest you look into some of these more obscure pieces—all of them perfect for playing on the first day of April. Below, a list of fresh "basics" that any good audiophile should own:
Next to join the online ATRAC parade, <A HREF="http://www.music.warnerbros.com/">Warner Music Group</A> announced last week that it has agreed to license the ATRAC3 audio compression technology from <A HREF="http://www.sony.co.jp/">Sony</A>, for use in the electronic distribution of music. Warner says it expects to launch its electronic distribution business during the second half of 2000, using ATRAC3 on a non-exclusive basis.
For <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//finetunes/214/">"Fine Tunes" #17</A>, Jonathan Scull presents readers with the ultimate bachelor-pad mod for speaker stands: shiny black trash bags. More important, Scull investigates why we even try these things in the first place.