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Nobody's Fool

Last night in a torrential rain storm, I trucked northward along the Hudson to Tarrytown, NY. A half hour's ride across the Tappan Zee bridge and we were in Piermont, NY at a club called the Turning Point.

There, along with 30 other folks, I saw Dan Penn and the Hacienda Brothers. Both were incredibly smokin'. I've been humming tunes from both all day.

Penn, of course, is one of the leading members of the whole Muscle Shoals scene that revolved around Fame Studios in the 60's. He was there when Atlantic Records Jerry Wexler brought Aretha Franklin and others down to give them the…

In the Name of the Father

"I see you finally got your hair cut," says JA.

"Yup. Hallelujah," I reply.

"What did Kelli have to say about that?"

"Kelli did it."

"Holy metaphorical castration."

Q: Bi-Wiring?

Fact: I don't even want to know what bi-wiring is.

Opinion: The term itself — bi-wiring — sounds exhausting and extraneous and tedious.

Question: Does this make me an evil, good for nothing, ne'er-do-well of a Stereophile assistant editor?

The Architecture of a Tuesday Afternoon

JA often compliments me on how easily words flow from my fingertips to the screen.

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All the talk of porn and bacterial infections that've lately been going around the office...

No, that's not right. I mean to say: All the talk of porn and bacterial infections that's lately been going around the office...

Oh, I've been working on the structure of that sentence for far too long. Choose your own syntax and accompanying import. All the talk of porn and bacterial infections has left me with the heebie-jeebies. And downright itchy.

I wish I could tell you all…

Turnstiles

The PATH train arrives at its 33rd Street stop. The doors slide open. People slither out. Treading up the crowded platform, we are made to pass through stainless-steel turnstiles. I hate touching skin to steel, preferring to push the mechanism over with the forward motion of my legs. Almost as though the turnstiles aren't there.

But I can't truly ignore them. Today, as I passed, I thought the obvious: "Like a herd of cattle." Immediately after, I thought the slightly-less-obvious: "Like grains of sand through a sieve."

And finally out into the muggy, muggy air.

…

Design for All

I was done with shopping. Inside my red cart: lamp and shade, extension cord and powerstrip, four soft white 60W light bulbs, two ice trays. I'd held strong against my urges to purchase a blender, whole wheat pasta, an oak filing cabinet, cotton underwear, a ceramic Japanese dragon, and a Pirates of the Caribbean DVD. However, on my way to the register, my attention was taken by an aisle of stereo components.

Here, in Target of all places, was a very fine and attractive display for setting up a hi-end stereo system. In smooth, hip font — though perhaps just a little bit scruffy and with…

Nuances

It would have been a very sad story. Having diligently packed the Ayre units and sent them off to lofty Boulder, I was left with empty space. I considered bringing the old Magnavox down from the closet. Luckily, I'd done a bad job of returning the Musical Fidelity A3.5 integrated amp and CD player. Reuniting them with the DeVore gibbon 3 loudspeakers was enlightening.

My system sounded better than I remembered. Better, in fact, than ever.

Alright. I immediately noticed a big difference in the overall presentation of things. I'd say that the Ayre gear created a sound that was…