Copper


We All Belong...

Issue 163Opening Salvo

Thanks, mom. For everything. “La, la la la, la la la, la la la,Sing a simple song,We all belong,Only to Time…” – Jim Dawson, “City Song/Simple Song" (click below to...

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Octave Records Debuts Audiophile Masters, Volum...

Issue 163

Octave Records has expanded its series of reference-quality music-sampler discs with the release of Audiophile Masters, Volume VI. The new compilation offers an eclectic selection of music by a diverse...

Rallying With Lemons, Part One

Issue 163Featured

I’ve liked cars back since my days as a youngster and have been involved in various activities most of us perform with our cars – commuting, road trips, maintenance, detailing,...

Around the World In 80 Lathes, Part 13

Issue 163Revolutions Per Minute

Previous installments discussed various design approaches to record lathe cutter heads. In terms of sound, floating record lathe cutter heads actually are at a disadvantage. The floating of the cutter...

Shelby Lynne: An American Original, Part One

Issue 163Deep Dive

The tale of actress Kim Novak is one of Hollywood’s greatest walk-away stories. As a rising “blonde bombshell” starlet, she epitomized intelligent women who possessed an underlying sadness but could...

The Muffs’ Ronnie Barnett: Really Really Happy ...

Issue 163Disciples of Sound

You probably know the Muffs from their 1995 cover of the song “Kids in America,” originally done by Kim Wilde in 1982. It added a bit of roar to the Clueless soundtrack,...

How AXPONA Got Its Groove Back, Part Two

Issue 163Frankly Speaking

Part One of this report appeared in Issue 162. To recap my usual caveats: it was impossible to cover everything even in three days. I never make definitive judgments about sound...

Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 15

Issue 163Natural Born Kessler

Producing what one considers to be revelations from what is the “bloody obvious,” as the British would say, is a waste of anybody’s time. What could I possibly tell Copper’s audience of...

Ambient Music

Issue 163Audio Anthropology

The Luxman L3 integrated amplifier, sporting one of the coolest logos of all time. Howard Kneller paid $395 for it at New York’s Harvey Electronics in the 1970s, quite a...

Pristine Classical: Preserving Priceless Histor...

Issue 163The Copper Interview

In Issue 162, we profiled Pristine Classical, a company dedicated to improving the sound of historic classical music recordings, many of which were recorded using primitive equipment under less-than-ideal conditions. However, during...

Customer Relationship Management: Give it Some ...

Issue 163Featured

Almost 20 years ago, my family and I took over a guitar shop business. It was a fantastic opportunity and represented some of the most rewarding, fun and enjoyable experiences...

Public Access TV, Part Two: Ken Gets Pranked

Issue 163True-Life Rock Tales

As time progressed, I added two more public access television shows to my resume. (See my previous article, “Public Access TV: A Perfect Soapbox” in Issue 160.) My newest show, Speak Out launched in...

Octave Records Releases The Audiophile Referenc...

Issue 163Octave Pitch

PS Audio’s Octave Records has released two more titles on vinyl LPs: The Audiophile Reference Disc, created to help listeners get the best out of their stereo systems by providing reference-quality music and test...

Across the Great Divide

Issue 163Parting Shot

Monarch Pass, near the United States Continental Divide, Colorado.

Live Versus Recorded Music

Issue 163Featured

I went to a rock concert a couple of weeks ago. This was only my second such show since the pandemic began (not counting a few bar gigs involving local...

Cathal Coughlan: From Microdisney to Telefís, A...

Issue 163Idle Chatter

Acclaimed Irish singer-songwriter Cathal Coughlan, formerly of Irish rock bands Microdisney, The Fatima Mansions, and others, is always progressing, with an eye on setting trends, not following them. If ever-interesting,...

The Big Bang Theory

Issue 163The Mindful Melophile

As I’ve mentioned before in this column, when I was very young and first started listening to music I was initially fascinated by “big” music – stereo recordings of large...

The Everly Brothers: In and Out of Harmony

Issue 163Off the Charts

With their boyish good looks, energetic and hummable tunes, and perfectly-matched voices, the Everly Brothers enraptured the American public and the world. While they were at it, they turned the...

James Reese Europe: Jazz Rhythm in Army Boots

Issue 163Trading Eights

There are great bandleaders, great composers, and great organizers, inventors, and advocates. And then there was James Reese Europe (1881 – 1919), who excelled in every one of those endeavors....

Gazing Back Into the Abyss

Issue 163Featured

This past May 2 marked the ninth anniversary of thrash metal guitarist Jeff Hanneman’s (1964 – 2013) passing at age 49. He was a founding member of Slayer, which formed...

Pilgrimage to Sturgis, Part 21

Issue 163New Vistas

There’s something about a garage that makes guys feel comfortable. Perhaps, deep down in our primordial brains, it reminds us of the protection and safety of caves. All the light...