Thirty years ago this month, I was playing bass guitar at a "gentlemen's club" in London's Charing Cross Road. Our trio provided second-rate music for third-rate strippers and fourth-rate comics to an audience drinking fifth-rate wine at first-rate prices, six days a week from 9pm to 3am, with two 30-minute breaks. The money was okay, and the work hadn't sounded too arduous when I'd responded to the classified ad in Melody Maker (now, sadly, defunct). But, as I was to find out, only one…
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The keyboard player looked at his watch. It was midnight. "Time for my break," he said. My heart sank.
I Can't Give Everything Away is the sixth and last of the Bowie box sets that survey specific periods in the artist's career. The first was Five Years 1969–1973, released in September 2015. That was followed by Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976), A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982), Loving the Alien (1983–1988), Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001), and finally the new set. Together, the six sets are an impressive testament to a musical giant—a heavyweight tribute figuratively and literally. You could use this last installment to pump up your biceps.
I Can't Give Everything Away is named after…
Her life became a whirlwind. Taking the train in from Brooklyn to Manhattan to pitch songs and experience the East Village scene, she landed a song-publishing deal at age 14. In 1968, at 18, after a chance meeting in an elevator, a legendary songwriter/record producer was interested in assisting her in making her debut album. Released on Atlantic Records in 1969, Lotti Golden's Motor-Cycle was wildly experimental and ahead of its time. Seemingly poised for success, the album and her career suddenly vanished.
Often described as "Motown meets the Velvet Underground," Motor-Cycle, which has…
For the past few months, I've been getting ready to move. Those of you who've looked for an apartment in New York City know that it may be the single most dismal thing about living here. Imagine spending months online, looking at "digitally staged" photos of dark, cramped, cheaply renovated apartments where you can hardly believe anyone would consent to live, all offered at prices that, elsewhere, can get you a Greek Revival manse with four acres of rolled lawns. To wade through these listings is also to partake of some of the most godawful words in the English language, all designed to make…
One of my foundational memories of becoming an audiophile was waiting to listen to a pair of speakers at Sound by Singer in Manhattan. Perhaps a more apt verb is loitering, because I was in my mid-20s and always felt on the verge of being thrown out. The store was patronized mainly by affluent-looking men in suits, and from time to time I'd see Jonathan Scull, the famous Stereophile reviewer, sweep into the place and step into a listening room as though it were his den. That afternoon, a salesman was demonstrating a pair of inexpensive speakers for a middle-aged customer who'd shown up before…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Advance Paris X-CD9 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. I first used the Pierre Verany Digital Test CD to check the X-CD9's error correction. It played the tracks with gaps in the data spiral up to 2.4mm in length without any problems, though there were audible glitches when the gap was longer than that or when there were two 2.4mm gaps in succession. The Compact Disc Red Book standard requires only that a player cope with gaps of up to 0.2mm. The Advance player's error correction is one of the best that I have encountered.
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Eriks Esenvalds: The Doors of Heaven
The First Tears, Rivers of Light, A Drop in the Ocean, Passion and Resurrection
Dr. Ethan Sperry, Portland State Chamber Choir; various instrumentalists
Naxos 8.579008 (CD). 2017. Erick Lichte, prod.; John Atkinson, Doug Tourtelot, engs. DDD. TT: 58:52
Performance ****
Sonics *****
The First Tears, Rivers of Light, A Drop in the Ocean, Passion and Resurrection
Dr. Ethan Sperry, Portland State Chamber Choir; various instrumentalists
Naxos 8.579008 (CD). 2017. Erick Lichte, prod.; John Atkinson, Doug Tourtelot, engs. DDD. TT: 58:52
Performance ****
Sonics *****
Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds has been making quite a name for himself in choral music. He teeters gingerly between consonance and dissonance, and varies intimate whisperings, the strength of forces—sometimes a solo soprano over the chorus; sometimes a…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: J.Sikora Standard Max Supreme turntable with KV9 tonearm and Aidas MC Tru Stone Gold Web cartridge. Thorens TD 124 turntable with Korf TA-SF9R tonearm/HS-A02 Ceramic Headshell and Kuzma CAR-30 MC cartridge.
Digital sources: Tascam CD-200iL CD player, Denafrips Ares II, HoloAudio May DACs.
Preamplifiers: Sugden LA4, Rogue RP7 (line). Tavish Audio Design Adagio, Manley Chinook (phono).
Power amplifiers: Air Tight ATM-1 2024 Edition, Doshi Evolution Stereo, Rogue Audio Stereo 100; Elekit TU-8000 (monoblocks).
Integrated…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: CD player with tube buffer stage, Wolfson WM8762 DAC, remote. Digital outputs: RCA (75 ohm), optical (TosLink). Analog outputs: one pair single-ended (RCA), one pair balanced (XLR). Maximum output level: (RCA) 2V, (XLR) 3.9V. Output impedance: 470 ohms, balanced and single-ended. Distortion: 0.008%. S/N ratio: 103dB. Crosstalk: –101dB.
Dimensions: 2.87" (73mm) H × 16.9" (431mm) W × 10.2" (260mm) D. Weight: 9lb (4.1kg).
Finish: Black powder coat.
Serial number of unit reviewed: FO23C0296AX06141. Designed in France, manufactured in China.…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Two-channel, discrete-resistor R-2R ladder DAC with FPGA. Users may choose between oversampling and nonoversampling modes. Digital inputs: USB, S/PDIF over RCA, TosLink, I2S over HDMI. Supports PCM up to 786kHz and DSD up to DSD256. Output: balanced (XLR) only.
Dimensions: 1.6" (40mm) × 6.6" (168mm) × 3.8" (98mm). Weight: 1.5lb (0.7kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 20WF08ZZ28SU. Designed in Singapore, built in China.
Price: $994, shipping and tax included. ($1049 as of January 1 2026.) Sold direct. Warranty: Two years with product…