Thanksgiving has come and gone in the US (and Brazil and elsewhere) and it was perhaps the strangest any of us have ever experienced – or maybe the most meaningful. Though all of us have had moments of deep despair in 2020, it’s not trite to note that there are also many reasons to be thankful and appreciate what we have all the more. I believe the human spirit is indomitable.
In this issue: Jay Jay French remembers John Lennon on the 40th anniversary of his passing. Ken Sander finishes his road trip with Split Enz. J.I. Agnew launches a two-part series that takes a close look at vertical tracking angle and stylus rake angle. Larry Schenbeck listens to naughty and nice holiday music. Wayne Robins reviews Oasis’ remastered 25th anniversary reissue of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? John Seetoo concludes his AES Show Fall 2020 report and pays a virtual visit to Nashville’s Blackbird Studio. Adrian Wu begins a series on testing in audio. Steven Bryan Bieler battles LPs.
I interview Steve Guttenberg, YouTube’s “The Audiophiliac.” Dan Schwartz has bad and good audio news. Alón Sagee concludes his visit to Mongolia. Rich Isaacs offers Part One of a 1970s interview series with Genesis. Tom Gibbs reviews new releases and reissues from Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd and The War on Drugs. Ray Chelstowski looks at the history of rock T-shirts. Anne E. Johnson gives insight into British folk legend Joan Armatrading and piano jazz great Mary Lou Williams. Peter Xeni’s audiophile gets off to a shaky start. The issue concludes with James Whitworth’s exasperated listener, vintage holiday LPs and kit-building, and a concert hall visit.
