Every day is an opportunity to learn something. Even when there are days when we feel like we’re wading through molasses, we can still expand our knowledge, even if it’s just learning how to get better at wading through molasses. Being obsessed with all things audio, and lacking a degree in engineering or acoustics, I’ve spent a lifetime learning from others and by exploring, experimenting and doing stuff.
One aspect of this is putting together each issue’s “Audio Anthropology” column. In the process, I look through old audio and electronics textbooks and find information I didn’t know before. It’s a reminder that if we want to expand our horizons in audio, or music, or anything, the journey is never-ending. Yogi Berra noted, “life is a learning experience, only if you learn.” Keep an open mind and open ears. Because of scheduling conflicts (in other words, there aren’t enough hours in a day for everyone concerned), the conclusion of our interview with Walter Schofield of Krell will run in the next issue.
In this issue: Wayne Robins has a must-read review of Bruce Springsteen’s new album, Letter to You. Larry Schenbeck considers musical prize winners. Dan Schwartz tells what he’s been up to. WL Woodward has a review of the upcoming Zappa movie. J.I. Agnew gives perspective on the Loudness War. Tom Gibbs looks at new releases and reissues from Japandroids, the Replacements, Blue Note and Khatia Buniatishvili. Roy Hall visits distilleries in Scotland and Alón Sagee journeys to Mongolia. Rich Isaacs turns us onto 10 more great guitar solos.
John Seetoo contributes Part One of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) virtual Fall 2020 show. Steven Bryan Bieler considers Glenn Danzig covering Elvis. Don Lindich interviews Tom Hannaher of ZVOX Audio, a company with an individual approach to sound and hearing, and I ponder hearing loss and the need for high-end audio. Jay Jay French gets to the soul of guitar tone. Anne E. Johnson has two shining articles on Earth, Wind & Fire and the Judge, bassist Milt Hinton. Ken Sander goes on the road with British prog-rock band Renaissance. Adrian Wu asks: truth or dare? Ray Chelstowski collects cassettes and James Whitworth's character worries about them. Finally, in Audio Anthropology we have twice the fun and our Parting Shot finds B. Jan Montana under an Arizona sky.
