Let’s take a step back to the early 1980s, to the birth of a record label that would become a titan of the music industry: Def Jam Recordings. As far as famous record labels go, this one is right up there. Foundation and Early Days Founded in 1983, by Rick Rubin along with Russell Simmons, … Read more
The Birth of a Music Revolution: The Founding of Motown Records Perhaps the best-known of all the famous record labels the world over, Berry Gordy Jr’s Moton Records is a true cultural phenomenon. Read on to find out just how this record label from the Motor City changed the world’s approach to the creation of … Read more
How Sam Phillips created Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee Before Sun Records, there was Sun Studios. Or rather there was the Memphis Recording Service. This was opened on January 3, 1950, by Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to musical performances, he recorded events such as weddings and funerals, selling the … Read more
Sound is an objective, measurable quantity. But it is also a quality and as such is much more subjective. Accordingly, the question “Do vinyl records sound better?” has as many answers as people to whom you could pose the question. A brief history of vinyl records Initially, records weren’t ‘vinyl’ at all. They were made … Read more
The Beatles. Four lads from Liverpool. Their impact on popular music cannot be overstated. They initially performed covers of R&B standards, but soon began to take music in directions which, at the time, were truly revolutionary. Here, I present a Beatles discography which lists their studio albums, as released in the UK and the USA, … Read more
In part, this article documents Elvis Presley’s decline towards death in August 1977. To be truthful, the contents of this section of the Elvis Presley discography are an assortment of inspired performances, well-intentioned but misguided filler, genuine garbage, and rehashed and over-dubbed fragments. *note that the LP track listings are those on the original American … Read more
For generations of vinyl devotees, the discussion has raged, what is better, mono or stereo? In this article, I am going to offer a discussion on the subject. In doing so, I hope to shed some light on the question, “what is the difference between mono and stereo?” Hopefully, you can then make your own … Read more
During the latter part of the sixties and into the beginning of the new decade, the Elvis Presley discography saw a sea change in his output. Of the seven LPs from Frankie and Johnny in March 1966 to Speedway in May 1968, six were insipid, soundtrack albums of ever-decreasing quality. Just one album, How Great … Read more
As with anything that has moving parts, your turntable will suffer from wear and tear. Accordingly, maintenance, from simple cleaning and oiling to replacing parts will be required periodically. Read on to find out my take on turntable maintenance. Preventative measures Your turntable doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Your house is a place of movement, … Read more
Continuing with Elvis’s LP discography, we move to the period 1961 to 1965. During it, he released a total of ten LPs. One was released in the Spring and the other in the Fall/Autumn. This chunk of the Elvis Presley discography starts with May 1961’s Something for Everyone. *note that the LP track listings are … Read more