Faces at the BBC, Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970–1973
Rhino R2726026 603497827824 (8 CDs/1 Blu-ray). 2024. Rob Caiger, prod.; Nick Robbins, Dave Corbett, engs.
Performance *****
Sonics ***½

The record business was awash in money and power. Vinyl LPs were still five bucks, and while the pressings could be suspect, the music-buying public still snapped them up en masse. Even in that world of gatefolds, inserts, and textured covers, Faces' Ooh La La remains an impressive sleight of hand. Made up of remnants from two other bands—The Small Faces and The Jeff Beck Group—the band's five colorful louts could have been musical world-beaters, but in the end were more interested in having a good time.

One of the showpiece rooms at Capital Audiofest 2024 was the Matterhorn Audio Group demo in Plaza 1, which is essentially a small ballroom. The rarefied systems shown were up to the task of filling the spacious room with beautiful music.

True Source Audio Distributors debuted the massive G.I.P. Laboratory 4165 field coil horn-loaded loudspeakers at CAF, featuring the Japanese company’s replicas of the original Western Electric 4165 driver. The 70lb G.I.P. 4165 Radiata pine cabinets filled nearly half of the small Hilton room. G.I.P.’s TW 38 tweeter sat atop the large cabinets.

Bruckner: Symphony No.4 "Romantic", Anima Eterna Brugge/Pablo Heras-Casado; Brahms: Concertos for Piano and Orchestra Nos.1 & 2; Works for Solo Piano Opp.116–119, Igor Levit, piano; Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann, cond.; Dvorák: Symphonies Nos.7–9; Nature, Life, And Love, Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov; The Kurt Weill Album: Symphonies Nos.1&2; The Seven Deadly Sins, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz, cond.; Katharine Mehrling, vocals.

Will Kimbrough: For the Life of Me; Goat Girl: Below the Waste; Deep Purple: =1; Wand: Vertigo.

Fidelis Distribution’s Walter Swanbon plays the long game. Like other legacy manufacturers—think Audio Note, Tannoy, Audio Research—Swanbon’s equipment offerings are classics: some in waiting, some long established as leaders.

Giovanni Guidi: A New Day; Jordina Millà/Barry Guy: Live In Munich; Neta Raanan: Unforeseen Blossom; Misha Tsiganov: Painter of Dreams.

Compared to past years, Fidelity Imports and its stable of brands kept a lower profile at this year’s Capital Audiofest. It shared rooms with local dealer, The Listening Room (“Audio Systems of Distinction” since 1978), showing equipment I have become familiar with both from afar and up close, as in my recent review of the Michell TecnoDec at Analog Planet, and soon, the Union Research S6 integrated amplifier for Stereophile.

Register to win a pair of Monitor Audio Studio 89 loudspeakers (MSRP $2,499) Stereophile is giving away.

Small, compact and visually unique, Monitor Audio's Studio 89 is an uncompromising loudspeaker capable of filling large rooms with pristine sound. It benefits from a host of cutting-edge Monitor Audio innovations and is born of the same Transparent Design Philosophy as the statement Hyphn.