Check back for updates and if you’d like to attend the festival, there are still a few tickets available. We’ll be watching for you.

www.atpfestival.com

When the two opening acts (Imaad Wasif, The Dodos) were through, singer/guitarist Dan Bejar opened up the NP set with “Myriad Harbor”, well supported by Neko Case taking the female lead. The audience mobbed the stage and added enthusiastic background vocals to “Up In The Dark”, “Sing Me Spanish”, “Techno” and “Crash Years.” Fortunately for this evenings audience Case was able to make the show, as she was held up by her flight and unable to make Wedneday’s show.

The Vogue’s intimate setting, combined with the crowd’s reaction to Case’s presence made for a highly interactive evening. At one point when a half naked man on the balcony got carried away, Case nonchalantly commented, “…How is it that this man can bear his chest in public, but I cannot? …That ought to be for the beach only…” And then the band launched right back into song, unfazed.

Though the breaks during their set involved many topics of conversation, the New Pornographers performed the way they do best – with humor, theatrics and a safe choice of music – their fans favorite picks. And it didn’t hurt that they concluded with two lengthly encores of “Challengers” and “Testament to Youth in Verse.”

What hasn’t changed is Diaz-Reixa’s ability to craft songs that have it both ways. His summery tunes seem capable of igniting a tropical dance party as easily as they’re able to function as cutting-edge, laidback music designed for kicking back. And as infectious as the African, Caribbean, Brazilian, South Asian, and European blend of lightly swinging grooves and percussive effects on colorful songs such as “Soca Del Eclipse,” “Bombay,” and “FM Tan Sexy” may be, what’s equally intriguing is how Diaz-Reixa arrived at their creation and piece-by-piece assembly.

Seeking to recapture the sounds of Spanish pop he heard on the radio 25 years ago, El Guincho undertook a full-scale investigation into recording studios and engineers. He devoured biographies of top-name producers, yearning for insight into techniques as well as nuggets of inspiration. Hence, the lush, wide-open canvases of Pop Negro pay homage to sonic alchemists such as Tony Visconti, Nile Rogers, Quincy Jones, Marcus Miller, and Paco Trinidad, spilling over with dynamic instrumentation equally suited for small, sweaty clubs and gigantic outdoor festival settings. El Guincho doesn’t employ drums, for instance, to simply maintain a beat but provide atmosphere, echo, and texture. And while he still draws from many corners of the world map, the blends come off as if they inherently belong together, the calypso pulses effortlessly pairing with mainstream pop chants and celebratory Spanish-language gloss.

Think of the tropicalia-drenched Pop Negro as the equivalent of the Arcade Fire’s groundbreaking, interactive video for “We Used to Wait,” wherein new windows of sound appear amidst a larger framework, coming and going, much as if myriad radio wavelengths scrambled together simultaneously and all combined to yield a single exotic frequency.

A cool, refreshing, gleeful experience. All that’s missing is the rum and palm tree.

Full review to follow!

We have reviewed the amplifier and the headphone amplifier previously, with excellent results, so we look forward to bringing you a full review soon. Regardless of whether you need a great desktop system, or would like to power a pair of high-sensitivity floorstanders (they work great with our Zu Essence reference speakers!), Trends Audio is one of the best bargains in HiFi.

You can learn more at: http://www.TrendsAudio.com

Years of touring has made Porcupine Tree very accomplished in the live realm, producing a show the old fashioned way – working for every bit of it. And they have been rewarded with a very loyal, passionate fan base.

The quality of this recording is outstanding, succeeding at capturing the essence of the live feel. Very rich and full on, when the band let rip as on the opening track, “Fear of a Blank Planet” , it is an assault on the senses that takes me back to the two gigs I saw on this tour in London and Sydney. This hi-res recording takes you as close to a live Porcupine Tree experience as it is possible to get without actually being there.

While this recording is an excellent place to start if you are new to the band, with a setlist focusing mainly on their recent albums. They cover most of the Blank Planet album, as well as tracks from Deadwing, In Ansentia and the Nil Recurring EP. Legacy fans will appreciate that this recording is unique, containing the first live release of the track, “A Smart Kid.”

Finally, there is another good reason to own this recording as all profits from the release of this download go to the Teenage Cancer Trust so as well as a good listen, your money is going to a very good cause!

A Private Session With A&E’s Lynn Hoffman
By Jeff Dorgay

Budget Gear: Logitech’s Squeezebox Touch
By Rich Kent

Journeyman Audiophile: The Wadia Power DAC 151
By Jeff Dorgay

Old School Fix My Dual!
By Jerold O’Brien

Tone Style

Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame A Great Reason to Go North
By Bob Gendron
In Defense of 2.1 A great way to pair up a television to your 2ch. system

The Beer Snob Returns!

iPhone 4

Five Finger Footwear

The Dyson DC31 Mini Vac

Smart’s Electric Drive

Music

Live Music: The TONE Staff Covers The Scorpions, Wolf Parade and Lady GaGa

Current Releases:
Fresh Releases in the Pop/Rock World
By the TONE Staff

Audiophile Pressings
By Jeff Dorgay and Richard Colburn

Club Mix
Summertime Funk!
By Scott Tetzlaff

Recording of Special Merit
Mellencamp’s Latest, In Mono…
By Bob Gendron

Previews

The Sonus Faber Fenice

The Loricraft Record Cleaner

Reviews

The Audio Research DSi200
By Steve Guttenberg

The Goldring Legacy MC Cartridge
By Lawrence Devoe

Conrad Johnson’s TEA2 SE Phono Preamplifier
By Jacob Heilbrunn

The Shuguang 6CA7 “Treasure” Vacuum Tubes
By Jeff Dorgay

The Verity Finn Speakers
By Jerold O’Brien

The Simaudio MOON 300D and 750D DAC’s
By Jeff Dorgay

SLUMMIN’
Garage Sale Madness

There’s a lot of great content over there, so we encourage you to take a peek! Just click here.

Recently, Running Springs has made a series of upgrades to their line of power conditioners, the Duke, Jaco and Haley that encompass more than the carbon fiber face plates you see on the front. The squishy, sorbothane feet have also been replaced by new, carbon fiber feet and there are a couple of carbon fiber damping plates inside as well. But the biggest improvement comes from the addition of their new platinum foil capacitors. RSA designer Dan Babineau said, “These were all simple but effective changes that make a marked improvement.”

Definitely, a cost effective improvement

The cost increase over past models is about $500 on the Jaco and $400 on the Haley, and a direct comparison between the old models and new reveals the current spec units better in every way. The new models are not light years ahead of the old, but when listening side by side, the current version does present an even lower overall noise floor, with less AC grunge getting through and less resulting grain in the overall presentation. In essence, the new versions take you closer to the performance of the Dmitri and Maxim.

Current RSA customers that need to have the latest, greatest version do not need to sell their current product. The factory offers an upgrade for the earlier models; the Haley can be updated for $350 and the Jaco $500. These are factory direct upgrades (to keep the cost reasonable) and you will need to contact RSA to get a return authorization. This upgrade is not restricted to the original owner, even if yours was purchased used, the price is the same.

The best part of the upgrade is that the unit once upgraded, will not only receive a full factory check up, but an additional 3-year warranty. It’s like buying a certified pre owned used car.

Conclusion

Running Springs continues to raise the bar in power line conditioning and their latest upgrade renews their commitment to their customer base as well. Highly recommended.

Manufacturers Information

www.runningspringsaudio.com

MSRP: Haley ($1,899 – $3,499) Jaco ($3,599 – $4,599) depending on configuration

You can learn more about this charitable event and the concert schedule here.

All spirited debate aside, two of the top choices seem to be the Rega P5 and the VPI Scout. While I must admit my bias goes more towards the Rega than the Scout (I’ve never been a VPI fan, though I’ve owned a few), I’ve even tried the highly modded Technics SL-1200 with good results and currently have a vintage Denon direct-drive table sitting on top of one of my equipment racks that’s spinning records rather nicely, so I’d like to think I’m not too closed minded.

However, the $1,500 price point is probably the hottest part of the turntable spectrum, because it represents a healthy jump up from a strictly budget turntable; by the time you add a decent phono cartridge in the $500 – $1,500 range and a similarly priced phono preamplifier, you’ve invested a substantial amount of change to support your vinyl habit. But you will get a huge jump in performance from the budget LP spinners as well. For many, this is the sweet spot where many will stay and for good reason.

I submit a new guest to the party – the Clearaudio Concept. Priced at $1,400 without cartridge, the Concept brings a lot of Clearaudio’s engineering excellence to the table at a price that most audiophiles can afford. To sweeten the pot, Clearaudio dealers are offering a package price when you purchase the table with the Concept MM cartridge for an additional $100, or step up to the Concept MC for $2,000. These are the only two cartridges that ship from the factory preinstalled, however your friendly neighborhood Clearaudio dealer is offering a 20% discount on any Clearaudio cartridge purchased with the table.

As the Clearaudio Maestro Wood MM cartridge was already in my reference fleet of cartridges, it made perfect sense to investigate here rather than with the bottom of Clearaudio’s cartridge range. For those unfamiliar, the Maestro Wood is Clearaudio’s top moving magnet cartridge that has an MSRP of $1,000. Definitely at the top of the price range for an MM cartridge, but remember, you won’t need to have a Moving Coil preamplifier or other step-up device, so the Maestro is indeed a bargain.

Speed is easily switched between 33, 45 and 78 r.p.m. with the selector switch on the left side of the table. While you will probably want a different cartridge to accommodate your 78 collection, the Concept could easily be pressed into service as a “78 only” table at minimal cost, if you have a large collection. Definitely another plus.

Top shelf construction

The Concept is a belt drive table, featuring a DC motor that is powered by a wall wart power supply. The platter is made of the same “POM” material that is used on their Innovation tables, albeit not as thick as the Innovation platter. The tonearm looks stunningly familiar to the Schroeder arms that also use a magnetic bearing in the place of a traditional bearing. This is the debut for a new series of magnetic bearing tonearms that will begin to be featured on some of their other turntables in 2011. If this is the entry level model, I can’t wait to listen to the models further up the range.

If you buy the Concept with one of the cartridge options, it will arrive with the cartridge installed and optimized at the factory, so all you will need to do is install the counterweight and set the tracking force. Be sure to hold the tonearm with one hand while installing the threaded counterweight, as it fits very snugly and could damage the arm otherwise.

The factory VTA and anti-skate settings worked perfectly for the Maestro, and setting tracking force was a snap with the Clearaudio Weight Watcher scale. A quick check of the speed with Clearaudio’s Speed Light confirmed that everything was perfect. This is another table, like the Rega’s that will have you spinning records in about 10 minutes.

The sound

The Concept has a very neutral overall sound, with a weight and openness that I’ve yet to experience at this price point. I’ve used the Maestro Wood on a number of different tables at various price points and it is one of my favorite MM carts, offering a high level of detail and punch, without being harsh.

Listening to Madeleine Peyroux’ latest release, Bare Bones on MoFi, you’ll notice that this record, like her others have somewhat of a loose, natural, whumpy, almost underdamped sound in the lower registers. Where the Scout tends to overdamp the bass and the P3 doesn’t have quite as much bass there, the Concept comes through with enough weight to reproduce this accurately. I was as impressed with the quantity as well as the quality and definition of bass that this table was able to extract from the grooves.

It’s rare that a table at this price point has enough low-level detail to really define the hall characteristics of the recording, but again the Concept passed with flying colors. Extended listening to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall on Classic Records, or Cream’s 2005 Royal Albert Hall performance opened up a level of three-dimensional sound that I didn’t expect.

During a moment of temporary madness, the Maestro was swapped out for Clearaudio’s $5,500 DaVinci MC cartridge, a master of detail retrieval. Granted, the small but mighty Concept did not offer as big a presentation as it did when mounted to the Clearaudio Innovation we reviewed a while back, but it wasn’t bad. If you are a real vinyl fanatic, I don’t think this table would be out of it’s league with your favorite cartridge in the $1,000 – $2,000 range if you care to take it that far, so this is definitely a component you won’t easily outgrow.

Extra credit

For those of you in the audience that can’t resist the urge to tweak your gear, here’s an easy upgrade for the Concept, take it off the grid! After the first peek at that inexpensive wall wart, I suspected that there was room for improvement with this table. A quick trip to Radio Shack confirmed my findings; making a custom cable for my Red Wine Audio Black Lightning power supply and running the Concept on pure DC made a marked upgrade to the sound.

Not quite convinced to drop another $700? Grab a pair of MN-918 6V lantern batteries from Batteries Plus (http://tinyurl.com/2a6tncx) and wire them in series for 12VDC. The middle post of the plug going to the table should be positive, which you can easily verify with a voltmeter. If you don’t have a voltmeter, you’ll know it’s wrong if the table spins backwards, so don’t put a stylus down on the record until you confirm the direction.

The first track played for comparison was “Day Dream” from Allen Toussaint’s The Bright Mississippi. Immediately after switching from AC to battery, the music comes alive with more texture and low-level resolution. Toussaint’s’ piano went from being constrained inside the space of the speakers to being about two feet beyond the speaker boundaries, with the other instruments having a better delineated space. I had similar luck with solo vocals and any other recordings having a lot of low level, airy passages. If you find yourself wanting to take the Concept to 11, this is an easy, no fuss upgrade. While you’re at it, pick up Clearaudio’s Concept clamp; this too wrings a bit more performance out of the table, especially with slightly warped records and is only an additional $100.

Conclusion

Whether you power the Clearaudio Concept with the standard issue power supply or take it a step forward with pure DC power, I feel this table is the new benchmark in its price class. It combines simple setup with stunning good looks and performance to match. We are happy to award the Clearaudio Concept one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2010.

Manufacturer’s Information

www.clearaudio.de
www.musicalsurroundings.com (US distribution)

Peripherals

Preamplifier: McIntosh C500
Power Amplifier: McIntosh MC1.2kw monoblocks
Speakers: B&W 805D with JLAudio Gotham subwoofer
Cable: Cardas Clear

While available as an iTunes download since December, the album will be available on LP this Saturday in honor of Record Store Day, for $24.

TONE: How long was the Dark Side project in the making?

WC: As we were finishing Embryonic, the iTunes management wanted some exclusive bonus tracks for the iTunes store, and quite frankly, we didn’t have any. I posed the question of us doing Dark Side of the Moon because I knew my nephew’s band (the White Dwarfs) was very familiar with it and I knew it could be really fun. Ten minutes later, the Apple guys were happy with the idea and we were off.

TONE: Were there any snags in the production? Did you hit a point where you felt that perhaps you had too much of a mountain to climb?

WC: When we got together in the studio, it all fell together relatively quickly and was pretty painless. It was the same thing with Peaches; she raps a lot but she’s a crazy singer. Her vocal to “Great Gig in the Sky” was fantastic – that’s a tough one for anyone to pull off.

TONE: Who decided to have Henry Rollins do the voiceovers? Are you guys big Rollins fans, or did you just decide at lunch that he was the man?

WC: We already knew Henry and we all agreed he would be perfect if his schedule would permit. When we ran it past him, he responded almost instantly. It was all done remotely. We sent him the music and he sent back the tracks we needed, along with plenty of alternates to choose from. Henry is a great guy to work with.

TONE: It was very cool that you took such a creative perspective on Dark Side by making it such a different piece of music. It’s good to see that you just didn’t go Dream Theater on it.

WC: (laughs) Well, we wanted to make sure it had our stamp on it.

TONE: Having recently finished Embryonic, was it grueling to put out another record two months later? Was it tough to keep two very different streams of creativity straight in your brain?

WC: Actually, Embryonic was released in a relatively short time for us—only about three-to-four months. By the end of the record, we had been going in a certain direction with the things we learned from the Embryonic sessions, so the new direction with Dark Side was a fairly easy transition.

TONE: The current tour shows dates from March to June here in the US. Are you guys taking some time off now?

WC: We have more things to announce, but we can’t chat about that right now. When I talked to someone about the idea of doing Bonaroo this year, it was on the Internet in 30 minutes and pretty much all around the world instantly. So we are definitely on the roster, but I’m hesitant to let anything out right now, as I know it will be on Facebook in about 8 minutes.

TONE: Will the Lips play Dark Side anywhere else besides at Bonaroo? Speaking of that fest, Steve Martin is going to be playing banjo there. Will you guys invite him up onstage to collaborate? That would be trippy!

WC: Now that’s a great idea. Let’s formally announce right here that we will try to get Steve Martin to perform a song with us at Bonaroo. And we will be performing DSOM in its entirety at Bonaroo. If you get a chance, listen to Steve Martin’s autobiography, which he narrates on iTunes. It’s very interesting and lends a lot of depth to his personality. We listened to it on a long road trip recently and it was much more engaging than Obama’s autobiography.

TONE: How has Dark Side been received? Has it added to or distracted from the material on Embryonic, seeing that both records were released so closely together?

WC: Good question. So far, our fans seem to be enjoying both records equally. It’s always our hope that you can enjoy the spectrum of what we do. I’m glad people still love and talk about Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, but I always hope they will enjoy the latest work as well.

TONE: Was Steven Colbert a pretty cool cat when you recently played his show? Is he a big Flaming Lips fan?

WC: Playing the “Colbert Report” was great. Steven is an outstanding host and a really hard-working guy. He’s there before you are, making sure everything is in its place, etc. A lot of the guys on his staff are big fans too, so it was a great experience.

TONE: Do you get tired of people referring to you as a psychedelic band? I always like to think of the Flaming Lips as a highly complex band.

WC: I look at the psychedelic label as just the ability to be a little more creative with what we do, not sticking to a particular song structure or music structure. I’m 49 years old, so my interpretation of psych is perhaps a little different than some of our fans in their 20s who don’t have the same perspective on the Grateful Dead or punk rock. But it’s still more of a creative way to look at things.

TONE: You made a comment a while back, saying, “Hovering above complete failure gives you a lot of creative freedom.” I’d hope you guys are doing a bit better than that these days.

WC: In order for us to live our dream of making music, touring, and the like, you have to have a certain level of organization and discipline to make it all work. We have to keep everyone fed, so they can keep making music.

Photo, courtesy J.Michelle Martin-Coyne

Clearaudio dealers have been offering a package price on select Clearaudio cartridges bundled with the table.  As I just happened to have a Clearaudio Maestro Wood moving magnet cartridge sitting on the shelf, it was the perfect match for the table. (I believe you can buy the two as a set for $2,200)

The full review will be up on the Gear section of our website shortly, but I think the Concept is the new heavyweight champ in the $1,500 turntable range.  Stay tuned for more info…

This performance kept the strong melodic backbone of the recordings, but the way the drummer and bassist kept their lockstep rhythmic foundation was reminiscent of  a precision fusion band more than a traditional jazz trio.  Whether they were performing some of the original  material off the latest album or covering Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good”, the band held the audiences rapt attention.  They stretched out quite a bit but never let go of the tension created between the melody and the attack. The crescendos  “The Two Of You” and a few others felt like a sonic wave crashing off the walls of the club.  As a relief from that tension, Benevento played a few tunes on his toy piano, replete with comical stage antics while still being pummeled by the rhythm section.

Marco Benevento is a joy to see live.  He has an amazing ability to compose songs that have memorable melodies that translate well to a forceful, if slightly unorthodox fashion on stage.

Bob Dylan’s “What Good am I” is the first track, with Jones singing over a pounding bass drum with a delicacy that might surprise fans used to his high octane crooning.  You have to wait long though, the second track, “Lord Help The Poor and Needy” features the signature pipes at full volume, with a healthy dose of twangy guitar from producer Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon) cranked up to the same level, could be the most kick ass track on the record.

But it’s all good.  No, it’s all great.  Recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, this disc is full of texture from start to finish, much like Johnny Cash’s first in the American Recordings series. The recording is fantastic, with such a big soundstage that Jones big voice envelopes the room. So far, there are no plans for a vinyl or high resolution digital release, but this record begs for it. The delicacy on “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” is reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s “Delia.”

The ease by which Tom Jones is able to switch gears from album to album is a testament to his musical diversity and his ability to continue to attract top notch musicians and production talent proves his greatness.  The only thing he hasn’t done is a metal album.  Who knows what might happen if he and Rob Halford run into each other in a pub?

The new N3 not only has 3.5 watts per channel, as opposed to the 2.5 watts per channel of the S1, it uses a very different circuit.  Now, it features a more classic tube lineup, using a 12AX7 as a driver and a matched pair of Sovtek EL84’s as output tubes.  The single volume control remains on the front panel, but turning the amplifier around back, you will notice that there are now 4, 6 and 8 ohm taps for speaker outputs.  This is very handy to optimize the amplifier to your speakers.  Again, with 3.5 watts per channel, you don’t want to lose power on speaker mismatch.  If you are a budding audiophile and aren’t familiar with this concept, try all three taps to see which one provides the most effortless sound with your speakers, that’s the one to go with.

Currently, the only place in the US to purchase the MiniWatt N3 is from ALO Audio, (www.aloaudio.com)  which just happens to be in my hometown of Portland, Oregon.  Non US shoppers can purchase directly from MiniWatt’s online shop. (www.miniwatt.com.hk) After some initial listening, Ken and I discussed the merits of the new amplifier over a couple of most excellent chili dogs at Zach’s Shack, which is right across the street from his storefront.  If you are anywhere near Portland, I highly suggest a short drive to pick one up in person and grab lunch at Zach’s while you are at it.  There’s a lot of great record stores here in Portland…

Setup

The N3, like it’s predecessor is a snap to set up.  As long as matched output tubes are used, the bias does not need to be futzed with, though the manual does not specify how to adjust bias if you have an unmatched set of tubes. For now, I suggest just buying a matched pair when the time comes.  MiniWatt claims up to five years on the output tubes and up to ten years on the driver.  You’ll probably make a change in your system before that!

Most of the review took place with my Zu Essence speakers that feature a sensitivity of 98db. While the N3 will drive less efficient speakers, I’d really make a high sensitivity speaker my first choice with a few watts per channel if you want serious volume.  With a speaker like the Zu’s or perhaps a pair of vintage Klipsch speakers, you can really rock out with 3.5 watts per channel.

Fortunately, the N3 does not use an external power supply, but features an internal switching power supply that can be reset to any voltage in the world.  This is good for two reasons:  you won’t lose or confuse yet another wall wart and you can use a real power cord (which is not included with the N3).  I used a Shunyata Venom ($125) with excellent results and felt it kept within the budget ethos of the amplifier.   The rest of the reference system was rounded out with Zu Libtec speaker cables, and a Rega Apollo CD player.

Big Sound

While I’d like to rave about the extra watt, the N3 is really more about quality.  Comparing the two amplifiers side by side, you immediately notice the extra body and three dimensionality of the Mini Watt’s latest offering.  The easiest comparison will be your favorite solo vocals;  listening to some of my favorites from Johnny Cash and Anya Garbarek, the new amplifier sounds as if I moved my speakers a few more feet apart instantly.  Once the amplifier had about 100 hours on the clock, it improved a bit, with acoustic instruments having slightly more body.

Small tube amplifiers lend themselves to acoustic instruments and the N3 is no exception. Digging out some Michael Hedges tracks, this amplifier does a great job at capturing Hedges plucky, dynamic style and while having enough headroom with the Zu’s to make the presentation convincing.

Probably the only area that the N3 falls down somewhat is deep bass.  This is probably due to the compact power supply more than anything, because the circuit design is sound. If you’re thinking that a 3.5 watt amp can’t have bass grunt, the 2 watt per channel Decware Zen has it in abundance, but is almost $800.  Horsepower costs money.  For most people the N3 will be fantastic.  When playing some of my favorite club tracks or heavy rock favorites, I noticed that the Zu’s didn’t quite lock into the room as much as they have with other amplifiers, but 95% of the time I didn’t notice.

If you don’t have a pair of Zu’s or some other single driver high efficiency speaker, the N3 excels at being part of a great desktop system.  Used in conjunction with the iMac on my desktop and a pair of their N2 full range speakers ($799), the MiniWatt system offered up a huge share of fun.  Thanks to it’s single driver design, the N2 doesn’t waste any precious power in a crossover network and allows the maximum amount of midrange detail to come through.

Conclusion

MiniWatt has hit another home run with the N3.  They still make the S1 for those on a super tight budget, but if you’ve got the extra $150 in your wallet, I highly suggest stepping up to the N3.  If there’s a better sounding tube amplifier on the market at this price point, I haven’t heard it yet!

Every bit as warm and friendly in person as she appears on VH-1 Classics or Private Sessions, Lynn shared quite a few insights on her career, handling rock stars and what she’s listening to today.  Watch for the full interview in issue #31, due out around August 17.

In the meantime, check out her show on A&E this Sunday morning (9 a.m. EST./8 Central), when she hosts Gene Simmons from KISS and Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels.  Here’s a clip that will give you an idea of what’s in store:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaT_3W66I2A

The highly unimaginative title lets you know what’s in store.  For those that have no idea what I’m talking about, Symphonicities is a collection of selected hits from his Police and solo periods, laid over the top (and I’m being way more polite than I want to be here) of various orchestral music.  While the liner notes mention that the albums “most blinding moment” is the opening track, “Next to You”  I think abortion would be a better word.  The liner notes also go on to say that “daring is one of Stings essential artistic gifts” and that he’s created “some of the most compelling popular music of the last half century.”

As my father likes to say, “Who writes this shit?”  When I called the guy at my local record store who smirked at me while buying this CD to complain (while I was driving back to my office), he said, “Sir, let me remind you of our no return policy” and laughed hysterically as he hung up the phone. Yeah, it’s that bad.

Listening through this torturous disc all the way through to make sure I didn’t miss a creative nugget, just got worse.  The only remotely un-hateful track is the quasi-bossa nova rendition of “Roxanne”, which pales in comparison to Todd Rundgren’s excellent Todd With a Twist. (A Bossa Nova compilation of TR’s favorite songs)  Sting just never seems to line up with the orchestra or his accompanying vocalists.  Again, I’m reminded of Spinal Tap, when the boys are trying to sing “Heartbreak Hotel” at Elvis’ grave and Derek says, “well, you have to be in the same key…”

I guess the bright side of the story is that classical musicians all over the world are short on work, so I applaud Sting for giving any of these fine musicians some extra paying work this year, recession and all.  And Abbey Road Studios (where most of this was recorded) is certainly in a cash flow crunch as well, so I’m sure this helped their bottom line for a month or two.  The classical musicians did a first rate job and the sound quality of the disc is very good; it’s a shame DG just didn’t release this sans-Sting as a classical release.

If we gave out an award for the worst record of the 21st Century so far, Symphonicities would get my vote. Ironically, though Sting claims to be quite the enviromentalist, I’m guessing most of these polycarbonate discs will end up in a landfill site somewhere, provided people can avoid the temptation to throw them out the window.

The Big Four: Metal Giants Together at last
By Bob Gendron

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: They Got Mojo Risin
By Ben Fong-Torres

Budget Gear: Mordaunt Short Aviano 6
By Mark Marcantonio

Old School The JBL-L100 Century
By Jeff Dorgay

Behind the Scenes With Metal Photographer Mark Latham
By Bob Gendron

Tone Style

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7

Mighty Light and Mighty Light HD

The ZDock for your iPod

Skooba Design’s Cable Stable DLX

The Magna Cart Flatform Truck

Altec Lansing IMT 320

KISS Picture discs

Music

Live Music: The TONE Staff Covers Tom Petty, Jeff Beck, Crash Test Dummies and more…

Current Releases:
Fresh Releases in the Pop/Rock World
By the TONE Staff

Audiophile Pressings
New Releases from MoFi and Music Matters Jazz
By Jeff Dorgay and Richard Colburn

Alternative Divas
Give Patricia Barber a rest!
By Jeff Dorgay

Time Flies…1994…2009
The Oasis box set
By Bob Gendron

Sony’s Legacy Setlist Series
By Bob Gendron

Downloads
Some new high res files from Reprise and HD Tracks
By Jeff Dorgay

Previews

NuVision Lucidium Television

ARC’s REF Phono 2

Reviews

Headphone Planet: Decware Headphone Amp and New Phones From Phiaton
By Jerold O’Brien

First Review! The Magnepan 1.7
By  Steve Guttenberg

The AudioQuest LeoPard Tonearm Cable
By Jeff Dorgay

PS Audio’s Perfect Wave Transport and DAC
By Lawrence Devoe

The EAT KT-88 Vacuum Tubes
By Jeff Dorgay

The Verity Finn Speakers
By Jeff Dorgay

The Keith Monks Ruby Record Cleaning Machine
By Jeff Dorgay

SLUMMIN’
Sex Pistols

Full review in TONEAudio #30, out shortly!

Definitely a master of focus.

Three songs into the set, the master is starting to have a great time…

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers exploded onto the Marcus Ampitheather’s main stage and had the crowd up in arms.  Music Editor Bob Gendron covers the show fully in issue 30 of TONEAudio, but here are a few extra photos for you.  After a brief reschedule, the Heartbreakers’ tour is in full force for the rest of the year, so if you are a fan, grab some tickets, you won’t be disappointed.

Both Petty and Mike Campbell had a great time changing guitars frequently….

And, what rock show would be complete without the double neck?

We’ll continue to expand this section going forward.  Any suggestions, just drop us an email…

Rega Elicit Integrated Amplifier

$2,995 in Black or Silver  (MM phono board, $145 addl., MC phono board $175 addl.)
www.rega.co.uk
www.soundorg.com (US)

The second product in Rega’s new line of premium components, (the Ios being the first) the Elicit amplifier is a compact powerhouse.  With the same size form factor as the Ios above, the only thing that gives it away are the nicely machined holes in the top of the cabinet where the heatsinks are located.

Like all Rega products, the Elicit has a quietly understated look until you power it up.  That’s when the magic begins, with its 80 watts per channel able to drive almost any speakers that you would want to pair it up with.  The MC phono board is amazingly good for the money and the perfect addition for the casual vinyl listener, but the fanatic will want the Ios.

Rega Ios Phono Stage

$3,195 in Black or Silver
www.rega.co.uk
www.soundorg.com (US)

I’ve always felt the Rega P9 could be the final turntable for all but the last 2% of Analog Fanatics, and I also feel that way about their Ios phono stage.  Every one of my analog fanatic friends flipped when I told them the Ios was $5,000.  They went mad when I told them it was really only $3195!

The Ios is musical, quiet and dynamic.  Being solid-state, you just turn it on and forget it.  With all of the gain and loading adjustments on the front panel, it is incredibly easy to use.  The only shortcoming is that it just has one input, but you can’t have everything in a world class phono preamplifier at this price point, so I’m happy Rega spent all the money on the circuitry.

TW Acustic Raven Two Turntable/SME iV.VI Tonearm

$7500, SME Arm $3995

Should you only need one arm, you can purchase the Raven One for $6500, but if you are a serious vinyl lover, I highly suggest the dual arm configuration.  That way you can easily run a second arm/cartridge combination for whatever suits your fancy; perhaps an arm with mono cartridge, or one MC and one MM, it’s a snap with the Raven.

The Raven also offers state of the art sound at a very reasonable pricepoint, with a huge helping of “money no object sound” for $7500.  It’s easy to set up and works well with all the major arms.  While the combination I list here is with the SME iV.Vi, I also had excellent luck with the Graham, Rega RB1000 and Tri-Planar.

You will have to spend well into the five figure range to have the ability to extract more sound from your records than the Raven Two.

Dynavector P75 mkII  Phono Preamplifier

$750 (less 12VDC power supply)
www.dynavector.com

Another great thing in a small package, the P75mkII is a great budget phono stage that plays way out of its league.  Extremely quiet, it features MM and MC settings along with variable loading and Dynavector’s patented “Phono Enhancing” circuit for low output MC cartridges that does not require loading adjustments.

The compact size is also a plus if space is at a premium.  Of course the P75 sounds great with Dynavector cartridges, but did a great job with every cartridge we tried it with, from the Lyra Olympos all the way to the Shure M97.  You might keep this one a lot longer than you think, while upgrading the rest of your analog front end.

Channel Islands VDA-2 DAC

$599, VAC-1 Power Supply $179 addl.
www.ciaudio.com

If you want amazing digital playback on a shoestring, the Channel Islands VDA-2 is the ticket.  It’s only drawback is that it does not have a USB input.  But, if you just need to make an existing transport or the Wadia i170 sound fab, ignore this mighty mite at your peril.

Harbeth Compact 7ES-3  Speakers

$3499 (basic finish, other finishes optional)
www.harbeth.co.uk

Forget most of your pre-conceived notions about the classic British sound.  The latest version of the Compact 7 still has that wonderful midrange that Harbeth is famous for, but with extension on both ends of the frequency spectrum and the ability to play much louder than you would ever expect a speaker of this size capable.

If I could only pick one pair of speakers under $10k that I had to live with for the rest of my life, the Compact 7ES-3 would be my choice.  (keep in mind I haven’t heard the new Harbeth Monitor 30.1!)  The key here is balance, the Compact 7ES-3 does a better job of balancing all the aspects of good speaker design than most at any price.

Aperion Bravus 8D Subwoofer

$499
www.aperionaudio.com

While so many people keep producing bigger subwoofers all the time, the new Bravus 8D is the bottom of Aperion’s line, offering a pair of aluminum-coned 8-inch woofers, 250 watt amplifier and parametric EQ in a very compact package.  It even comes with a remote so you can adjust the subwoofer level from your listening chair!

If you are looking for an excellent match for your favorite mini monitors, or are building a HT system of modest size but do not want to sacrifice quality, put this one at the top of your list.

Mystere ia11 Integrated Amplifier

$1999
www.mystere-usa.com

This was a tough call.  The Mystere ia21 offers a bit more power, but the ia11 was an amazingly good sounding integrated amplifier in a compact (but very heavy) package, that offered up old school looks with 21’st  century tube sound.  the ia11 uses a pair of EL34 tubes per channel to offer up 40 watts of tubey goodness.

We hooked these up to a very wide range of speakers and were very impressed.  Build quality and finish are top shelf, giving this one high pride of ownership along with the sound quality.  If you want to dip your foot in the pool of vacuum tubes and have modest power requirements, put this one at the top of your list.

Furutech AG-12 Phono Cable

$425
www.furutech.com

In a world full of highly priced cable, here’s something that delivers the goods at a price that still leaves some money in your wallet to buy records.  There are some more expensive options out there, but I’m perfectly happy with the AG-12.  This one is my personal reference and favorite.

AV123 EL525T Speakers

$699 per pair
www.av123.com

AV123 is known for value and quality, so this award probably isn’t a huge surprise.  These slim towers look great, sound great and are very room friendly.  AV123 offers free shipping, so you can have these in your home in no time.  Match em up with that Rotel receiver above and your favorite $500 CD player for a great $2,000 system!

The Rotel RX-1052 Reciever

$899
www.rotel.com

Whether you are building a second system or brand new to the audiophile game, I can’t recommend a better anchor for your system than the Rotel RX-1052.  It is well built, offers tremendous flexibility (built in MM phono, AM/FM tuner, headphone amplifier and tone controls) and a 100 watt per channel power amplifier.

The Rotel sounds great and takes up very little rack/shelf space, so it’s easy to integrate into your life as well.  Rotel has kept the concept of the receiver alive and has done so with an example that outperforms the classics at a bargain price.

The MartinLogan CLX/Descent i Speaker System

$29,000 (basic finish with two Descent i subwoofers)
www.marinlogan.com

You might think it’s a little wacky to give a $29,000 speaker system an award for value, but it’s relative.  Considering MartinLogan’s reputation for engineering, build quality and customer service, this is a speaker that stands up to others costing three times as much.  To me that represents huge value.  If you have the room and the system to support it, the CLX/Descent i combo is definitely a destination that you may never want to leave.

Jim Smith – Get Better Sound

$44.50 softcover, $64.50 hardcover
www.getbettersound.com

If you never listen to anything else we tell you, buy this book!  Get Better Sound gives you thirty-plus years of setup knowledge in one place.

Manley Massive Passive Equalizer- Mastering version

$6000
www.manleylabs.com

Laugh all you want about using an equalizer in a high end system, but let’s face it, there are so many records and CD’s out there with less than stellar sound, the Massive Passive will set you free if you take the time to learn its intricacies.  There’s still no substitute for over compression, but a lot of things can still be improved by the Massive Passive’s scalpel like ability to boost and cut selective frequencies.

A great tool for the music lover and obsessive audiophile, to use it is to love it.

AudioEngine W2  Wireless iPod Adaptor

$169
www.audioengineusa.com

Want to turn your iPod or iPhone into a hand held, wireless music system?  Look no further than the AudioEngine W2.  No software to load, no switches to configure and best of all no messy cables!  Well, ok there is one cable from the wireless receiver to a spare input in your system, that’s it.

Plug the reciever into the wall and your system, plug the W2 into the bottom of your iPod or iPhone and you are ready to roll.  Using Apple’s Cover Flow mode on an iPod Touch or iPhone feels like you have a baby Sooloos in the palm of your hands.

The AudioEngine W2 is the ultimate portable music machine and the most HiFi fun you can have for $169

Mobile Fidelity, Frank Sinatra’s Nice n’ Easy LP and CD

$29.99 CD, $29.99 LP
www.mofi.com

This was a tough call, because there’s been so much great vinyl released this year.  Though I’m not even a Frank Sinatra fan, this record really grabbed me with its clarity and realism.  The guys at MoFi did such a great job on this record, it’s one of those rare treats that you can enjoy, no matter what level of system you own.

On a modest system, it will make your gear sound better than you ever thought it could, and on a stellar system, Frank will be standing six feet in front of you.

Running Springs Dmitri Line Conditioner

$3,995 without power cord
www.runningspringsaudio.com

In a perfect world, a power line conditioner allows your components to deliver all they are capable of with no interference from the AC mains or other things connected elsewhere down the line; no more, no less. The Dmitri is as good as it gets.

Naim Superline phono stage with SuperCap 2 power supply

$8900 (combined)
www.naim-audio.com

A power supply that costs twice as much as the component it powers?  Naim has always stressed the importance of power supply and this is their ultimate phono achievement. You can get into the Superline phono stage with either their Flatcap 2x ($1100) or the HiCap2 ($1900) but the SuperCap2 ($5950) is what rockets the Naim phono stage into the stratosphere.

Their top power supply gives you unrestricted dynamics, massive soundstage and a huge helping of legendary Naim PRaT. With a huge install base of Naim lovers, you can start small and as your vinyl obsession grows just trade up to a bigger power supply.  Intelligent design from start to finish. Just keep your Snaics, Snaxos and Bundys in order.

Spiral Groove SG-2 Turntable /Tri Planar mk. VII Tonearm

$19,999 (combined)
www.spiral-groove.com
www.triplanar.com

Sure, $20k is big dollars for a turntable and arm, but in todays world of $100k tables this one will satisfy like nothing else I’ve yet experienced.  If you have 100 thousand dollars to dump into today’s troubled economy, I salute you.  But if musical reality is your goal, you’ll be hard to do better than the SG-2 (or it’s big brother the SG-1) The SG-2 is elegantly understated, functional and extremely easy to set up.  A perfect mix for analog bliss in my book.

Wadia170i  iPod Dock

$379
www.wadia.com
A longtime innovator in the world of digital sound, Wadia had the foresight and the engineering chops to create the 170i.  When used with a world class DAC and uncompressed files, it transforms the humble iPod into a serious compact music server by giving us unrestricted access to the iPods digital bitstream; a feat not yet accomplished elsewhere.

But that’s not the point.  What makes this product insanely great is that it gives you a chance to turn your kids on to what high end sound can be.  Put one of these on top of your equipment rack and let your kids and their friends enjoy your system.  It’s the best way I can think of to seed the next generation of audiophiles.

Meridian 808.2 and DSP7200  CD Player/Active Loudspeakers

$51,990
www.meridian-audio.com

This pair offers everything that we find near and dear to our hearts at TONE.  This stunning pair from Meridian looks fantastic, sounds fantastic and can be set up in about ten minutes.  Once done, you sit back and dig the music, without fiddling with anything else.  If you want to free yourself from audiophile nervosa permanently, this will set you free.

Pricing has not yet been announced, but we are expecting it to be somewhere in the $2800 – $4000 range.

Watch for a full review as soon as we can get our hands on one!

The Rolling Stones: The Exile Super Deluxe Edition
By Bob Gendron

The Journeyman Audiophile: PrimaLuna ProLogue 1: Still Bitchin’
By Jeff Dorgay

Budget Gear: The Shunyata Hydra 2
By Jeff Dorgay

Old School Cassettes are still pretty cool
By Jeff Dorgay

Music Mastering The Art of the Transfer
By Steve Guttenberg

Tone Style

The B&W Zeppelin Mini

Nike’s Zoom Kobe V Shoes

Leica’s V-Lux 20

New Merch from Club Devo

The Flip MinioHD Video Recorder

Lexar’s Fastest Memory and Reader

Star Wars Cookie Cutters

Music

Live Music: The TONE Staff Covers Peter Gabriel, Ratt, Shelby Lynne, The Decemberists, Jonsi, Tegan and Sara and more…

Current Releases:
Fresh Releases in the Pop/Rock World
By the TONE Staff

Audiophile Pressings
The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Yes and more.
By Jeff Dorgay

Jazz and Blues
By Richard Colburn

NEW! HD Downloads: Reviews and interviews with Peter Frampton and Gwyneth Herbert
By Jaan Uhelszki and Jeff Dorgay

Previews

Simaudio Moon 750 CD player/DAC

Naim HDX Music Server

The Squeezebox Touch

Reviews

Headphone Planet: Earbuds or Earduds?
By Bailey S. Barnard

Clearaudio Innovation Turntable and TT-2 Tonearm
By Jeff Dorgay

The Hegel H100 Integrated Amplifier and CDP2A CD Player
By By Jeff Dorgay

The J-Corder RS-1500
By Jeff Dorgay

The Electrocompaniet EMP-1M
By Jeff Dorgay

COVER: Naim’s UnitiQute
By Jeff Dorgay

The Dynaudio C4 Confidence Speakers
By Jeff Dorgay

The ZVOX 575 Soundbar
By Mark Marcantonio

SLUMMIN’
Sheet Music

Mastered from the original tapes and experienced on both vinyl and digital via Universal’s Super Deluxe reissue, the album has never sounded so vital, loose, transparent, present, or alive. And none of the trademark dirt, rawness, and swagger have been sacrificed. Casual fans that don’t want to shell out $179 (list) for the gorgeous box can enjoy the peerless record on either remastered CD (complete with a bonus disc) or standalone LP. Those that spend the extra money get both formats, a book, and a 30-minute DVD with snippets from the Cocksucker Blues, Ladies and Gentlemen…The Rolling Stones, and Stones In Exile documentaries. The footage of the Stones creating and milling about guitarist Keith Richards’ French mansion in Nellcote is invaluable; it’s too bad we’re not given more. Ditto the live footage from the 1972 tour. For the price, listeners deserve all of the treasures that can be unearthed.

A 64-page hardcover book gets it right. Outstanding period photos function as windows into the sessions and the infamous vibes and parties that surrounded the Stones’ 1971 summer in exile in Southern France; the visual reproduction quality is excellent. Current recollections from the Stones are mixed in with older statements to supply perspective. Anthony DeCurtis’ short essay brings the album’s situational context (the Stones fled England due to unpaid taxes stemming from poor management) into focus, as well as the unique manner in which it was recorded—via a mobile truck parked out front the mansion’s basement that, akin to Woodstock’s Big Pink, served as the unlikely albeit character-rich setting for some of the most legendary sounds ever put on tape.

However, anyone expecting to learn about the mysteries and myths that have long pervaded Exile on Main Street are bound to be slightly dismayed. Richards and company’s vague allusions to the non-stop parties that occurred on the mansion’s third floor, the liquor- and drug-fueled environments, the all-night performance sessions, and the impromptu mix-and-match lineups that saw Richards occasionally sit in on bass and horn players Bobby Keys and Jim Price play random instruments serve only to deepen the intrigue. What exactly happened? How, in the midst of such chaos, did the songs get written? How did Richards’ preference for spontaneous activity jibe with singer Mick Jagger’s structured demeanor? Did “Tumbling Dice” arrive as quickly as “Happy” (penned and recorded in just a few hours) or “Ventilator Blues,” the latter developed on the spot as a reaction to the basement’s suffocating humidity, inferior ventilation, and jungle-level heat? To paraphrase a hanger-on who recalls the sessions on the DVD: How in the hell did the Stones and their friends operate in such conditions and, quite simply, get it all done?

The ten previously unreleased bonus tracks (not available on LP) don’t provide any definitive answers. Nonetheless, the songs are fantastic, easily topping anything the Stones have released in decades—not a huge surprise. The sleazy “Good Time Women” (a precursor to “Tumbling Dice”), ragged “I’m Not Signifying,” soulful “Plundered My Soul,” and vehement kiss-off “So Divine (Aladdin’s Story)” join alternate takes of “Soul Survivor” and “Loving Cup” as mandatory fare. As does the beautiful, forlorn piano ballad “Follow the River.” Yet, most of these tracks come with an historical asterisk. Rather than present them in as-is condition, Jagger elected to overdub vocals on a majority of songs, and in spots, added guitar, percussion, and harmonica. The results are strong but not genuinely representative of the Exile recording.
At every juncture, it seems the Stones willfully suppress anything that would shed too much light on the process. The absence of plentiful bonus material—scour the bootleg market to get an idea of just how much is available, especially given that the tapes were said to be continually rolling—fuels the notion that the group is intent on keeping many secrets despite the fact that such revelations would boost Exile’s status, lore, and enjoyment. Unfortunately, unlike lavish box sets such as The Stooges’ Complete Funhouse Sessions that allow music lovers to literally trace songs’ development and origins, the Exile on Main Street reissue teases when it comes to breadth and scope.
Does the lack of more meaningful knowledge matter? Or, does it actually enhance the original music so expertly arrayed across four sides of vinyl? If anything, the reissue makes stronger any case for arguing Exile on Main Street as the penultimate rock n’ roll album. And why not, given that it’s a decidedly British take filtered through a thick, rootsy American lens. Never again did the Stones draw so extensively from the American South—or dig down so deep.

Organized so that songs are cohesively bunched together according to style—uninhibited boogie, dusty country, haunting blues, and redemptive gospel, all of which are tethered to early rock n’ roll and spirited soul foundations—the album is a roundhouse of swinging rhythms, off-the-cuff arrangements, ghostly atmospherics, and communal grit. As DeCurtis observes in his liner notes, every song is firmly connected to the one that proceeds and follows it; skipping ahead to a certain track on the record robs the music of some of its impeccable allure.

Thematically, much has always been made of the Stones’ ability to move beyond the 60s’ hippie dreaminess and into an edgier, seamier territory that nonetheless doesn’t close the doors to salvation. The transition isn’t only due to the era (and the band’s direct involvement at Altamont), but the tax problems that forced the band to relocate and the sticky confines in which the music was recorded.

And it’s this murky, dark, dank sense of place that Universal’s multimedia reissue excels at producing, as the remastered sonics reveal just how much grime, sweat, and dampness cling to the grooves. The full-time availability of a horn section—a benefit of the living quarters and haphazard work schedules—is reflected in its appearance on a bulk of the album. Jagger’s vocals are kept low in the mix (which, thankfully, wasn’t touched on the remaster), putting him on equal footing with music that’s more about feel than punch, dynamics, or pop appeal. Rock, and the Stones, would never be the same again.
Maybe one day the full story will be told and heard. Until then, Exile on Main Street: Super Deluxe Edition gets us a little closer to that dirty Nellcote basement but no nearer to the conversations, exchanges, and festivities that took place during that long, hot summer.

Pub. Note: We’d like to thank Josh Bizar at Music Direct for getting us copies of this release a few days before street date, so that we could get this review out in a timely fashion…

We are launching some new record reviews over the next week, so stay tuned. And we have an interview with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips as well.

Now get your butt over to your favorite record store on Saturday and show some support!

Seriously. Frampton Comes Alive was one of the most ubiquitous rock records of the late 70’s, raising the bar for live album quality. Everyone had it in their record collection, and for good reason – it was a great snapshot of Frampton’s tour along with killer sonics. Even though his next record, I’m in You would eventually go platinum, it didn’t have the essence that made Frampton Comes Alive great.

Frampton continued to tour and make records, though he never matched the success of Frampton Comes Alive. (Frampton Comes Alive II, released in 1995 features a great track selection, yet has probably only sold a few thousand copies to date) He started to regain notoriety with his 2006 release, Fingerprints, winning a Grammy in the process with an album full of instrumentals.

24 years on a wild rollercoaster have seasoned Frampton. While his guitar playing has lost none of his trademark intensity, the focus of his lyrics has matured tremendously. Years ago, he sang, “I don’t care if they cut my hair, all I wanna be is by your side.” Now he thanks Winston Churchill for bringing his father home from the war in the title track and on “I’m Due a You” he laments a crashed hard drive derailing his creative process. Lyrically, this is by far the heaviest album Frampton has done.

Frampton’s guitar playing has never been better and more diverse, no doubt from years of endless touring. He’s lost none of the fire live, and it translates well on this record, offering a good balance of spirited soloing and textured acoustic playing. Always the consummate rock guitarist, Frampton makes it a point to list every guitar used on each track in the album credits.

The album has come full circle from a production standpoint as well. The co-producer and engineer Chris Kimsey was also the engineer on Frampton’s first solo record in 1972, Wind of Change. Recorded at Frampton’s home studio in Cincinnati, there’s an interesting roster of guests. Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) plays the Hammond organ on the opening track, Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron handles most of the drumming duties and the Funk Brothers make an appearance on Frampton’s tribute to Motown, “Invisible Man.”

The most interesting guest on the record, however is Frampton’s son Julian, who takes the lead vocal on the third track, “Road to the Sun.” The younger Frampton asserts his individuality, offering a gritty rendition to the track. To his credit, he is not a carbon copy of Dad’s voice.

Side three of the album (Track 7 for CD listeners) is Frampton’s take on the Wall Street crisis, “Suite Liberte”, beginning with an instrumental reminiscent of the Fingerprints album, ending with the vocal track “Restraint.”

The last side has three straight ahead rock tunes that are closer to Frampton’s past work in pace and feel. The sound quality is first rate; the CD was mastered by Bob Ludwig and the LP by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The LP version is outstanding, taking up two slabs of vinyl, with plenty of room for dynamic grooves. It’s always nice to see this much care taken with any recording.

Peter Frampton has grown a lot as a man, as songwriter and a guitarist. Thank You, Mr. Churchill is quite possibly Frampton’s best record.

The Stooges: Raw Power Just Won’t Quit
By Bob Gendron

The Journeyman Audiophile: The Octave V-40SE Amplifier: Refinement and Finesse
By Jeff Dorgay

Budget Gear: The DecWare Zen: Two of the Best Watts You’ll Ever Buy
By Jeff Dorgay

Time Warp: A Story of Cars, Cops and Slayer’s Decade of Aggression Live
By Bob Gendron

Tone Style

Ducati All Stars: Rockin the Roxy

The TONE Beer Snob: What You Should be Drinking

Apple’s iPad is the Future of…

The Steinway Lyngdorf System

The Quadraspire Q4EVO: A High Performance Rack That Won’t Break The Bank

More Goodies From Fred

Music

Live Music: The TONEStaff Covers John Mayer, Xiu Xiu and Kasey Anderson.

Current Releases:
Fresh Releases in the Pop/Rock World
By the TONE Staff

Audiophile Pressings
Jimi Hendrix, Humble Pie, Grant Green and more.
By Richard Colburn

The Music of Blaxploitation Cinema
By Anne Farnsworth

Previews

PS Audio’s Perfect Wave Transport and DAC

Acoustic Signature’s Analog One Turntable

Verity Audio’s Finn Speakers

Reviews

The Music Hall DAC25.2
By Marc Marcantonio

The Fosgometer
By Jeff Dorgay

The Meridian/Sooloos Control 10
By By Jeff Dorgay

Mark& Daniel’s Maximus Diamond+
By Mark Marcantonio

The PMC Fact 8 and Factory Tour
By Jeff Dorgay

The Manley Jumbo Shrimp Preamplifier
By Todd Sageser

The ZYX Omega X Cartridge
By Jeff Dorgay

SLUMMIN’
The Original iPod