LATEST ADDITIONS

As the boundaries between audio, video, and information technologies continue to blur, so will the corporate boundaries between <A HREF="http://www.sel.sony.com">Sony Electronics</A>' audio, video, and information-technology divisions. Last week, Sony announced the creation of a new organization that the company says integrates its A/V and IT companies into one overall "Consumer Electronics Group," or "CEG." Sony adds that the new structure combines the company's Consumer Products Marketing Group and its Personal Network Solutions Company into one organization. Fujio Nishida was named president of CEG; the new organization will become effective April 1.

Last week, the <A HREF="http://www.emplive.com">Experience Music Project</A>, described as an "interactive museum devoted to creativity and innovation in American popular music," announced that it will open its doors to the public on Friday, June 23, 2000, in Seattle, Washington, with a multi-day celebration featuring events in and around the museum, and live performances by a wide variety of musicians. EMP said it expects more than a million visitors during the course of its first year.

One of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers is making a move into digital audio. <A HREF="http://www.ti.com/">Texas Instruments</A> announced March 16 that it has acquired Toccata Technology ApS, a small, privately held company based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Toccata is "one of the leading developers of digital audio amplifier technology and board solutions," according to a TI press release, and will become part of TI's Digital Speakers Business Unit, continuing to operate from Denmark.

<B>GUY CLARK: <I>Cold Dog Soup</I></B><BR> Sugar Hill Sug-CD-1063 (CD). 1999. Chris Latham, prod., eng.; Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson, Darrell Scott, prods. AAD. TT: 40:44<BR> Performance <B>*****</B><BR> Sonics <B>****?</B>

Some of us started with "On Top of Spaghetti" and ended up listening to Bart

In his essay "<A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com//asweseeit/208/">Let's Face the Music and Dance</A>," John Marks, founder of John Marks Records, asks: "Does high-end audio have a future?" Of course it does, he says. But will it be one worth the price? Marks writes, "for most of its potential consumers, high-end audio is now a matter of sharply diminishing economic returns. A large incremental expenditure guarantees only a relatively modest, even marginal improvement in sound quality." How to forge ahead anyway? Marks offers his advice to our "dysfunctional" audio family.

Last week, <A HREF="http://www.capitolrecords.com/">Capitol Records</A> announced that it will release expanded DVD and VHS editions of <I>Endless Harmony: The Beach Boys Story</I>. The documentary, produced by Stephanie Bennett and directed by Alan Boyd, made its US television debut on VH1 in 1998. A soundtrack CD of <I>Endless Harmony</I>, originally released to coincide with the VH1 airing, is also available.