September 13th, 2022
And You’ll Never Hear Surf Music Again: Jimi Hendrix On Record From the archives: Jimi Hendrix's discography... on vinyl! By: Michael Fremer(This feature originally appeared as a cover story in Issue 5/6, Winter 1995/96.)Contrary to prevailing opinion circa 1967, Jimi Hendrix did not arrive from outer space. He was from Seattle, which probably had a greater effect on his music than if he had come from another planet. For those of us old enough to remember hearing Are You Experienced? when it was first issued in America, summer of 1967, Hendrix was some Black English cat who’d taken psychedelia from the... Read More
Comments: 0September 13th, 2022
A Conversation With Jimi Hendrix Biographer John McDermott From the archives: Michael Fremer talks with John McDermott about the state of the Hendrix vault By: Michael Fremer(This feature originally appeared in Issue 5/6, Winter 1995/96.)In my interview with Eddie Kramer, I asked many questions regarding the mastering particulars of the first four records. He was unable to provide the answers, referring me instead to John McDermott, author (with Billy Cox and Eddie Kramer) of Jimi Hendrix Sessions and Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight, two indispensable books for any Hendrix fan—and without which this issue’s cover story would have... Read More
Comments: 0September 13th, 2022
Palace Music's 'Viva Last Blues' From the archives: Will Oldham's third record as Palace Music By: Michael Fremer(This review originally appeared in Issue 7, Spring 1996.)The question is, how far are you willing to climb to reach a pure source? Do you want the water as it exits from a fissure in the rocks? Or is a filtered five gallon bottle delivered to your back door good enough for you?Which are you more comfortable with? PJ Harvey? Or Alanis Morissette? Fresh or packaged? What you’ll get here is drawn straight from the pure stream of Will Oldham’s cosmic ether. Oldham is a... Read More
Comments: 0September 12th, 2022
Welcome To Tracking Angle! A New Site With a Decades Long History By: Tracking AngleYou’ve arrived at a new website, but one with a rich, more than quarter century-long history of music reviews and feature stories, both in-print and online.The Tracking Angle published its premier issue in January 1995 as a digest-sized, stapled, two-color, sound-conscious music magazine edited by Michael Fremer. It quickly became a full-color, glossy, perfect bound, full-sized magazine featuring an impressive roster of music reviewers and feature writers.16 issues... Read More
Comments: 13September 12th, 2022
5 Inexpensive Phono Preamplifiers We Like Priced From $99 to $1500 By: Michael FremerPriced from $99 to $1500, these 5 phono preamplifiers offer fine build quality and sound to match. Equally important: they are from stable companies that will exist when in the future you might need customer support. Of course, there are many others worth noting but we want to avoid a laundry list here. Meanwhile, as in “Miracle on 34th Street”, where Macy’s Santa sent people to Gimbel’s, please visit my “former endeavor” and scroll through the phono preamp reviews.... Read More
Comments: 3September 12th, 2022
Lost Song From Silver Jews' Magnificent American Water I Discover a Classic & Obscure 'Porky Prime Cut'! By: Joshua SmithWith disbelief I deciphered the writing in the dead wax: A Porky Prime Cut it read, not etched in some old Led Zeppelin or Mountain record from the '70s, but on this circa '98 seven-inch from the Silver Jews, the recording project of late poet and songwriter David Berman. Porky Prime Cut!, I thought to myself, that means George Peckham, the legendary mastering engineer whose work for Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, T. Rex, and others is brain-bendingly... Read More
Comments: 0September 12th, 2022
U-Turn Debuts New Theory Turntable New turntable features molded magnesium one piece tapered armtube By: Michael FremerWoburn, MA September 2022—U-Turn just announced the new Orbit Theory turntable, which the company describes as its “…next generation turntable, engineered for uncompromising playback."The new turntable includes the “easily adjustable” OA3 Pro tonearm featuring a tapered one-piece molded magnesium armtube fitted with Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge. An upgraded gimbal bearing with both shaft and housing machined from stainless steel allows for what U-Turn says is... Read More
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"This project is dedicated to the memories of all the other voices no longer traversing our earthbound radio airwaves...we will sing your songs often, with great pride..."
So begin the liner notes to this west Texas-bred folk singer's fifteenth album, and sequel to 1993's highly regarded "OtherVoices/Other Rooms" (Elektra 61464-2), though this new disc betters it with greater diversity of style (solo-duet-chorus), song, and performers as well as sheer beauty of production.
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