LATEST ADDITIONS

<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

With Analogue Productions’ new 45 rpm vinyl pressing of Oliver Nelson’s <I>The Blue and the Abstract Truth</I>, we finally have a reissue of this great album that’s worth buying.

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.

With the year almost over, perhaps you have an audiophile thought you'd like to get off your chest. Well, here's your chance: Tell us anything you'd like to say to other audiophiles.

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’m a little late with this, but if you’re still in holiday spirits, can’t stand to hear Paul McCartney’s ditty or Mel Torme’s jingle one more time, and cringe, thoroughly bummed out, at Bob Dylan’s piss-brew of raspy cheer, take a listen to Charlie Parker’s take of “White Christmas.”

The British speaker manufacturer PMC Ltd. has built a professional client list seemingly as extensive as its almost mind-numbingly broad line of speakers. The <I>i</I> series alone includes 12 models, one of which is the DB1<I>i</I> ($1929/pair).