Book Review: Make More Noise! Sonics

Sidebar: Sonics

How does Make More Noise sound? It sounds like it should sound, or as near as it could come without ticks and pops.

This music ranges from the late analog era through the early CD era—from five years before the first commercial CDs were released, in 1982, to five years after. Some tracks sound good; a few aren't very good at all. It's all pretty flat and in-your-face. You wouldn't mistake any of it for perfectionist audio.

This is primitive music, in the best sense, much of it made and recorded with a DIY aesthetic. It's not supposed to sound polished, and it doesn't. Even if it was possible to improve the sound, you wouldn't want to, since that would violate the spirit of the music. A good audio system can do more than produce lifelike sound. It can help us hear into a recording—to hear it for what it is—no matter what it sounds like.—Jim Austin

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COMMENTS
hb72's picture

I must say i really appreciate that Stereophile discusses this kind of music which is so energetic & youthful, and full of purpose & heft. :)

TNtransplant's picture

Wow, very pleasantly surprised to see this reviewed in Stereophile. I haven't been buying CD's but this was a "must have" for me. Don't have many singles these days but still treasure my fluorescent X-Ray Spex 'The Day the World Turned Day-Glo' 45. Brought back fond memories of seeing the Au Pairs live (but do you really think most website readers heard of them???)

Also very appropriate this is under "books" as accompanying material does a fine job contextualizing the music.

Guessing Siouxsie missing due to licensing restrictions but a more obvious omission is Delta 5's "You"; and if Pauline Murray is represented by Penetration and solo might have wished the compilers had squeezed in a Poly Styrene track.

Otherwise agree, five stars. Now hoping to hear a Stereophile reviewer use this to audition systems when audio shows resume.

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