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Editor: Recent examination of the returned speakers indicates that the Orpheus 808s reviewed by John Atkinson in the June 1988 issue were not set up according to manufacturers' instructions—that is, the bases were not attached to the speakers.

I also received from Stereophile the bases for speakers #808112AB, which were stolen from John Atkinson's home. Why weren't these bases taken along with the speakers they were supposed to have been attached to? Inspection of these bases reveals no thread marks on the bottom, and the bag…

My favorite formulation was laid down by music critic John Swenson in March 2021 in a My Back Pages essay. He called them death-row discs: These are the records that, at the end of your life, you'd want—you'd…

Procol Harum: Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Procol Harum, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Leonard, cond.; Da Camera Singers
Chrysalis CHR1004 (UK LP). 1972. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFCD 788 (CD) 2007. Gary Brooker, orchs.; Chris Thomas, prod.; Wally Heider, Ray Thompson, Tom Scott, Ken Caillat, Biff Dawe, engs.

The end of the 1960s was a Golden Age for British "progressive" rock bands. Following the demise of Cream in 1968, those that had the biggest effect on this budding audiophile were King Crimson, The Nice,…

Various: Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
Music On Vinyl MOVLP1000 (4 LPs). 1993/2014. Jeff Kramer, Kevin Wall, Don DeVito, Jeff Rosen, prods.; David Hewitt, eng.

How many times have we seen the phrase "All-Star Cast" in ads for some performance? More than I can count. How many times does the live performance live up to that promise? None—until I heard this recording. The all-star cast includes Eric Clapton, Neil Young, George Harrison—and, of course, Bob Dylan. The list goes on, and everyone—as individuals and in ensemble—…

John Coltrane: Expression
John Coltrane, tenor saxophone, flute; Pharoah Sanders, flute, piccolo, tambourine; Alice Coltrane, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Rashied Ali, drums
Impulse! MVCI-23023, AS-9120 (CD). 1967/1991. John Coltrane, Bob Thiele, prods.; Rudy Van Gelder, eng.

In 2021, the release of a live recording of A Love Supreme cast attention once again on John Coltrane's legacy. Thumbnail histories posit that he delved into more cacophonous music from there, but his final (much over-looked) studio session tells a different story.…

The Sons Of Champlin: Loosen Up Naturally
Capitol SWBB-200 (2 LPs). 1969. Bruce Walford, David Schallock, prods.; Leo de Gar Kulka, eng.

Released as a two-LP set by Capitol in 1969, this is the cornerstone album from the Bay Area psychedelic music revolution that many listeners today are unfamiliar with. The Sons were a large band that included a jazzy horn section. Anchored by his red-hot Hammond B3 organ playing, writer Bill Champlin delivered his lyrics with a soulful voice unequaled by any white boy at the time. Utopian ideals mixed with wry…

Ferdinand Ries: Chamber Music: Octet Op.128, Sextet Op.142, String Trio Woo 70.2
Franz Ensemble with Jonathan Wegloop, horn; Emily Hoile, harp
MDG Scene MDG 903 2136-6 (SACD). 2019. Werner Dabringhaus, Reimund Grimm, prods.; Werner Dabringhaus, Tonmeister.

Ferdinand Ries was Beethoven's student and the pianist at the premiere of his Third piano concerto (although they later parted ways). Ries's music is skillful, and it clearly shows Beethoven's influence, even if it falls short of his genius. He does however offer a stylish charm,…

What I'm most excited about, though, is the resurgence of recorded music.

It has been almost a quarter-century since the Internet almost took down the…

I was never a big fan of the sound of this Gold CD, finding it a bit dry and sterile. But now its tonal balance seemed to have inched into more verdant territory. It wasn't warm per se—in comparison, the…