Volume - II Issue - II March 25th, 1989 Network AAA U U DDDD IIIII OOO A A U U D D I O O AAAAA U U D D I O O A A U U D D I O O A A UUU DDDD IIIII OOO BBBB IIIII TTTTT SSS B B I T S BBBB I T SSS B B I T S BBBB IIIII T SSS & Audio Software Review (c) Copyright 1989 by Michael A. Murphy All original materials Copyright by the Author ======================================================================== Please send all suggestions/comments/requests concerning Network Audio Bits & Audio Software Review via E-Mail to: Michael A. Murphy - Anyone wishing to send U.S. Snail mail may write to: Network Audio Bits P.O. Box 328 Orono, Maine 04473 ======================================================================== CONTENTS Editorial Compact Disc Reviews 1) Big Circumstance - Bruce Cockburn 2) Undertown - Right As Rain 3) The Song Retains The Name - Various Artists 4) The Go Go Posse - Various Artists 5) First Flight - Craig Fraedrich 6) A Song From The East - David Starobin 7) Metropolis - Turtle Island String Quartet 8) Switchback - Scott Cossu Record Reviews 1) Go Man Go! - Kirk Kelly 2) Trespassing - Jennifer Trynin 3) How Do You Like It Here Now? - The Skels 4) Sonic Temple & Court Of Babylon - Brian Ritchie 5) Themes From Venus - Love Tractor 6) I81B4U - Gang Green 7) Otherside - Oliver Lake 8) Sarabanda - Martin Taylor 9) Inside The Kremlin - Ravi Shankar 10) The Right Choice Bits and Pieces - mini/capsule reviews of: 1) No Prisoners - The Fusionaires 2) Cafe Noir 3) Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth 4) Beauty and Sadness - The Smithereens 5) Uncle Mean - Thursday Group New and Upcoming Release Announcements Equipment Reviews * By Dave Holmes * 1) Threshold S/500 Stereo Power Amplifier ======================================================================== EDITORIAL Welcome to the thirteenth issue of Network AUDIO BITS & Software Review! I'd like to welcome Dave Holmes back to these pages. He has graced us with another of his (in)famous equipment reviews. This time, he goes straight to the high end with a piece of equipment most of us can only dream about owning, or mortgage our soul to do so. But, it's always nice to know how the other half can live, so Dave is gonna tell us. There are several other neat recordings that I've gotten recently. Unfortunately, I've reached my typing threshold for the moment, so I'm going to finish getting this together and send this out. This is now just about the size of the last two issues, so my space is relatively full, as well. Of course, with these other neat albums and CDs I have the incentive to get out the next issue a little more quickly so I can spread the word on some things that I would have liked to have gotten into this issue. Until next time... Should you wish to order an album from any of the smaller labels found within Network Audio Bits, please include with your order request a small note letting the company know that you learned of their product through reading Network Audio Bits. I have been in contact with several record companies in order to provide a variety of music for these 'pages', and I know these record companies will take the magazine and its readership much more seriously once they have an indication that word of their product is being spread and being heard. Thanks! ======================================================================== Big Circumstance If a Tree Falls Bruce Cockburn Shipwrecked At the Stable Door Producer: Jon Goldsmith T Gospel of Bondage Engineer: John Naslen R Don't Feel Your Touch Gold Castle D2-71320 A Tibetan Side of Town Released: 1989 C Understanding Nothing Total Time: 61:19 K Where the Death Squad Lives Source - CD S Radium Rain Pangs of Love The Gift Anything Can Happen Bruce Cockburn is an artist I have followed for several years now. Up until his 1984 album _Stealing Fire_ he was not well known in the U.S., though he has earned ten gold albums (out of 18) and ten Juno awards (Canada's equivalent to the Grammy). Bruce's American label, Gold Castle, is going all out to spread the word about _Big Circumstance_. They hope to bring Bruce's music to a wider American audience, giving Bruce and his music the attention and exposure that they deserve. Bruce is already a legendary figure in his native Canada and is widely known in Latin America and many European countries. Throughout his career Bruce has been a model of consistency. Though he has gone through several stylistic phases (folk, religious and rock - with touches of jazz and reggae) the heart of his music lies in his lyrics. There are very few songwriters who can match Bruce's consistency over the past 20 years. He has filled his last two studio albums (1984's _Stealing Fire_ and 1986's _World Of Wonders_) with material inspired by his travels around the world. _Big Circumstance_ continues in this vein. Bruce's songs thrust world issues to the fore. 'If A Tree Falls' (the first single released from the album) examines the world's increasing ecological crisis ("If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear?/Anybody hear the forest fall?"). 'Tibetan Side Of Town' draws from his travels in Nepal ("Everything moves like slow fluid in this atmosphere/thick as dreams/with sewage, incense, dust and fever and the/smoke of brick kilns/and cremations --"). 'Where The Death Squad Lives' focuses on what's happening in Central America. Lyrics like "They cut down people like they cut down trees --/chop off its head so it will stay on its knees --" illustrate the inhuman goings on and also make an oblique reference back to the opening track 'If A Tree Falls'. 'Radium Rain' was written while Bruce was performing in West Germany after the Chernobyl incident. The entire album (just over an hour on both LP and CD) is not completely taken up by songs that express a social or political outrage. 'Don't Feel Your Touch' expresses emotions a lot closer to home. As does the bittersweet 'Pangs Of Love'. The album closes with the subtly humorous 'Anything Can Happen', which blends a mild paranoia with slightly cheesy instrumentation and a softly twisted smile. With all this talk of lyrics I must mention that Cockburn is a virtuoso guitarist who knows when and where to use his instrument to a song's best advantage. His prowess on acoustic guitar can be heard on 'Shipwrecked At The Stable Door' and 'Don't Feel Your Touch'. I must mention the lyrics once again. The LP release contains a lyric sheet, but the compact disc booklet does not contain lyrics. I'm one who finds it very useful (for any release!) to have lyrics enclosed. I can only imagine that the exclusion of lyrics from the compact disc was some sort of oversight and not intentional. I mean - why include lyrics with the LP and not the CD? This doesn't detract from the excellence of the disc, but CD buyers will have a legitimate complaint, especially since the CD is significantly more expensive than an LP. Cockburn is an artist whose lyrics are worth seeing as well as hearing. If you're wondering how the CD and LP sound, the CD is a touch brighter and both are extremely clean and clear. There is no SPARS code available on the disc itself, so I don't know whether this is an analog or digital recording. ======================================================================== Undertown Rain Right As Rain A Girl Like Jesus Producers: Brendan O'Brien & T Highway Right As Rain R If the World Engineer: Brendan O'Brien A I Believe in You DB Records DB 90 C Our Town Released: 1988 K Undertow Total Time: 35:32 S Judson Choir Source - CD Understand Something Happened _Undertown_ is a disc that combines a variety of pop styles - a touch of country here and there, guitar pop and straight ahead rock 'n roll. The songs on this disc are consistently solid. One standout track is 'Our Town', which features a guest vocal by Anne Richmond Boston (Swimming Pool Q's). This cut, though definitely in Right As Rain's style, sounds enough like the Q's to make me want to throw one of their albums on when this disc finishes. The *sort of* title track, 'Undertow', is also a cut above the rest of the tunes. The band does have several links to the Q's. Their first EP was produced by the Q's J.E. Garnett who also sat in on bass. This CD was produced by Brendan O'Brien, who has produced the Swimming Pool Q's, the Cruzados, The Coolies and the Georgia Satellites. Right As Rain began 3-1/2 years ago when Rick Taylor and Bruce Threlkeld met as art students at a private college in Florida. They performed as a coffeehouse duo before moving to Texas and forming a trio. In March of 1985 they made the move to Atlanta. Rick met Johnny D. in a music store, the exchanged philosophies and demo tapes, and Right As Rain had gained a guitarist. If you like what's been coming out of the Athens, Georgia music scene, you'll probably like this disc as well. ======================================================================== The Song Retains The Name Various Artists Producers: John Baccigaluppi & each artist Engineer: John Baccigaluppi Mad Rover/ILA MR 8801-2 Released: 1988 Total Time: 41:04 Source - CD Tracks ------ Black Dog - The Royal Mixxers with KGIG & Konan Kelley Living Loving Maid - Rich Hardesty & the Del Reys Down By the Seaside - Robert Kuhlmann & Flying Boats Good Times, Bad Times - Dalai Lamas Four Sticks - Earwigs Immigrant Song - Headface In the Evening - Twice Shy No Quarter - I Love Ethyl What is and What Should Never Be - Helen Keller Plaid Houses of the Holy - Fool Killers Rock and Roll - Tent Poles This compilation of Sacramento, California bands (subtitled "11 Struggling you bands interpret some of LED ZEP's most bitchin' tunes") came about when John Baccigaluppi and two of the bands who record for his Mad Rover label were discussing cover versions of songs for an album. They joked about including a Zeppelin tune on an album because "that's what everyone wants." The joke went further as Baccigaluppi said "I want every artist on the label to cover a Zeppelin tune!" So, now we have this compilation to show for this bit of tomfoolery. However lighthearted this project was begun - and however irreverent these bands might seem, these groups treated the Zepplin tunes the way they would their own. This makes for an interesting blend of bands and tracks that are true to the original Zeppelin tunes while establishing their own identities within the song each band has picked to cover. The first two tracks are the strangest of the two with The Royal Mixxers, KGIG & Konan Kelly doing a metal/rap version of 'Black Dog' and Rich Hardesty and the Del Reys performing a rockabilly version of 'Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)'. This track is what Elvis would have sounded like if he'd covered a Led Zeppelin tune. Bitchin'! I wish I had the time and space to devote to telling you about each of these bands now. Each of these bands is sure to start making a name for themselves nationally now that this compilation has broken the ice and gotten the bands heard and generated interest. What started out as a joking suggestion has turned into a great promotional ploy for Mad Rover records and their bands! Each band is supposed to have an album in the works, so I'll be able to be a little more informative about each if and when I have copies of their albums. ======================================================================== The Go Go Posse Various Artists Producers: Square One Productions Engineer: Bill Mueller I Hear Ya! IHY1007CD Released: 1988 Total Time: 41:02 Source - CD (D?D) Tracks ------ Do it - Rare Essence That'll Work (2001) - Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers Beam Me Up, Scotty - D.C. Scorpio Who's Kickin' it - Little Benny & the Masters D.C. Don't Stand For Dodge City - The Go Go Posse Romance the Stone - D.C. Scorpio The King - Little Benny & the Masters Go, Ju Ju, Go - E.U. Hey Now - Rare Essence This compilation of Washington, DC Go Go music contains more to recommend it than most of the rap music that I've heard. The dance beat is driving and forceful and some of these groups actually play instruments instead of rapping in front of a DJ. Some notable cuts on this CD are D.C. Scorpio's 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' & 'Romance the Stone', and Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers 'That'll Work(2001)' that uses music from the 2001 theme and revs it up with a massive beat. Through reading about Go Go and the scene in DC one gets the impression that Go Go is not something that one can get the full impact of just by listening to a CD or watching a videocassette. Go Go is a happening. One must be present at this happening to fully experience what makes Go Go go. That groups like Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers have established their longevity, if only regionally (with some national following), bodes well for the future of Go Go. With the popularity of rap music at a peak, Go Go is getting more notice. It is also a more versatile form of music than rap. Eventually people are going to get tired of hearing the same old sampled stuff from the rappers and move on to something with a little more substance. Go Go is ready and waiting. But will it ever become the next big thing? Only time will tell, I guess. ======================================================================== First Flight First Flight Mirror Craig Fraedrich First Suite Producer: Craig Fraedrich T - Moments Past Engineer: Lon Ephraim R - Nevermore Creative Digital Products CDP5188 A Almond Eyes Released: 1988 C Nassus Total Time: 75:52 K Jillian Guiler Source - CD S Samsara Two For Pancho Recorded Direct to - Blue Digital two-track - Pancho Marie Not 2B Since receiving a copy of this CD I've seen mention of it in both Jazziz and Option magazines. 'Mention' is the right word, too. After hearing _First Flight_ I was very surprised that each magazine devoted so little space to this recording. This CD will not revolutionize jazz, but it is an excellent debut recording that draws from a variety of jazz roots to make a completely original recording. Craig Fraedrich establishes his trumpet's voice on the opening title track, clearly dominant when he plays. The rest of the quartet is allowed some space of its own towards the end of the track before Craig steps back in with his trumpet. 'Mirror', written by Brian Bennett and featuring his bass work, is a very mellow and reflective piece over the first three minutes. Fraedrich's trumpet kicks in at about the 3-1/2 minute mark and moves the tune from it's reflective beginnings to a swinging tempo. All of the tunes on _First Flight_ are original tunes written by the members of the quartet. Perhaps if they'd thrown in a couple of standards on this 75+ minute disc they'd have gotten a little more notice in Jazziz and Option. But with music that is this good, they shouldn't *need* to do covers just to get someone's attention. The only negative thing that I can say about this recording is that the quartet does play things a little bit safe throughout the disc. On a disc of this length there is the room and opportunity to stretch out and take a chance or two, but they don't often take advantage of this opportunity. But, this is also a debut recording (and a fine one!). Should they stay together as a quartet, they should only get better. The direct to digital recording is as clear and noise free as one could ask. This disc also has a quality of warmth that many digital recordings do not capture well. Digital technology has now been around enough that the people who record with it are becoming more comfortable with the format and the idiosyncracies of the format. _First Flight_ features Craig Fraedrich on trumpet and flugelhorn, Robert Fox on piano, Brian Bennett on bass and Alan Wonneberger on drums. If you are unable to find _First Flight_ in your area, it can be purchased from Northcountry Record Distributors, The Cadence Building, Redwood, NY 13679 (315-287-2852) or Creative Digital Products, P.O. Box 10731, Arlington, Virginia 22210. ======================================================================== A Song From The East David Starobin Etude in A minor Producer: David Starobin T Etude in D major Engineer: David Hancock R Souvenir de Russie Bridge BCD 9004 A Trio Released: 1987 C Hungarian Children's Songs Total Time: 46:22 K A Kis Csava Source - CD S I am Sitting on a Rock Digital Recording (DDD) Lullaby The music on _A Song From The East_ represents several lesser known 19th and 20th century Russian and Hungarian composers, with the exception of Fernando Sor's composition. It is difficult for me, from the point of view of being (primarily) a rock critic, to classify the music here. The easiest thing to do would be to generalize and say that the music here is mainly Hungarian and Russian folk music. On this disc, David Starobin sounds like he could take virtually any piece of music and make it sound beautiful. His virtuosity on guitar is augmented by his feel for the music. I can think of a few guitarists who have recorded works (covering several genres of music) that are equal to Starobin's _A Song From The East_, but none that are better. In addition to his playing, David Starobin keeps busy teaching and producing recordings for other artists on the Bridge label. He is also the owner of the Bridge label. He is joined on this recording by guitarist Oren Fader who has studied with Starobin for six years, Kim Kashkashian on viola who has soloed with orchestras in New York, London and Munich and has recently toured with violinists Gidon Kremer and Daniel Phillips and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Benjamin Hudson appears here on violin and has a recording on Bridge records of his own with pianist Garrick Ohlsson featuring the music of Charles Wuorinen. Susan Palma is soloist and principal flutist with a number of ensembles. She performs here on the piccolo. She has recorded for many labels and has recorded with David Starobin on Bridge BDG 2004 and BDG 2006. David Taylor has performed with, among others, Steve Reich, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and the Rolling Stones. He brings his wide ranging talents on bass-trombone to this recording. All analyzing and description aside, this is simply one of the best guitar recordings I've heard. ======================================================================== Metropolis Jaco Turtle Island String Quartet Jeannine Producer: Darol Anger & David T Naima Balakrishnan R Mr. Bumbles Engineer: Brian Walker A Four on the Floor Windham Hill WD-0114 C Sidewinder Released: 1989 K Sunny August Full of Moon Total Time: 45:04 S Ecaroh Source - CD (ADD) Julie-o Street Stuff The Turtle Island String Quartet are something of an acquired taste for me. I have never been a big fan of the violin family of instruments as primary or solo voices. This is probably due to having to listen to three younger sisters go through various stages of ability when they were learning to play the violin. The Turtle Island String Quartet, with their two Windham Hill Jazz recordings, have broken some new ground in the jazz world. They lay to rest the cliche that "strings can't swing". On _Metropolis_ the quartet (featuring Irene Sazer on viola & violin, Darol Anger on violin & low violin, Mark Summer on cello, and David Balakrishnan on violin) swings both collectively and individually on several of their own compositions and on tunes composed by Pat Metheny, John Coltrane and Horace Silver. What makes the Turtle Island String Quartet different from the fairly well known Kronos Quartet is their ability to improvise. The Kronos Quartet has done some very interesting things, but they've had to rely on outside help for improvisational solos. The Turtle Island String Quartet are primarily jazz musicians who've decided to express their muse through strings as opposed to the more conventional instruments of jazz. ======================================================================== Desert Lightning Switchback Country Faire Scott Cossu Switchback Producer: Scott Cossu, Van T Serpentine Wall Manakas & Dave Valentin R Infinite Circles Engineer: Mark Williams A Manhattan Underground Windham Hill WD-1081 C A Child's Eyes Released: 1989 K Stehekin Total Time: 59:57 S Last Snow Source - CD (AAD) Beyond the Looking Glass Atacama Sanctuary Deja Blues Aside from Michael Hedges work, this is the most intense recording I've heard yet on the regular Windham Hill label. This is the sort of music that I like the most in the new age genre and is the sort of music that can help to change the stereotype that new age music is all bland. Call the music here a fusion, if you will. But _Switchback_ is a combination of many elements, influences and ideas fused together to make something unique. So why is it that I haven't seen more written about Scott Cossu? Probably because the popular image of Windham Hill is that they are still a label that produces only solo acoustic music. They still do that, but Windham Hill has been expanding and diversifying for some time now. The excellent Windham Hill Jazz label is a good example of this expansion. _Switchback_ could almost have been released on Windham Hill Jazz. Scott Cossu (piano & synthesizers) has recorded solo, in small groups and with larger ensembles. On _Switchback_ he is joined by Van Manakas (acoustic & electric guitars), Lincoln Goines (fretless and fretted bass), Robert Ameen (drums), Rafael De Jesus (congas), Jim Brock (percussion), Eugene Friesen (cello), and Dave Valentin (flute). All of the above players lend a hand in giving this CD a very full and rich sound. All of the compositions here were written by Scott Cossu with the exception of 'Switchback', Manhattan Underground' and 'Serpentine Wall' which were written by Cossu and Van Manakas. This is Cossu's fifth album for Windham Hill. The label has also reissued one other Cossu album (_Still Moments_ - originally recorded for the Music Is Medicine label) on its Lost Lake Arts label. _Switchback_ definitely makes me want to delve into Windham Hill's older catalog to check out Cossu's other recordings. If you're not familiar with Scott Cossu, _Switchback_ is a good place to start. If you are familiar with him, then I shouldn't need to tell you that _Switchback_ is well worth your time to pick up. ======================================================================== Go Man Go! Go Man Go Kirk Kelly Talkin' Train Blues Producer: Brian Ritchie T Corporation Plow Engineer: Todd Rusch R Red Blues SST 223 A I Pity the Poor British Soldier Released: 1988 C Heroes of Tomorrow Total Time: 32:32 K Haul Away Joe Source - LP S Last Dance California Blues Marching Off to Gaul Never More Have you had Michelle Schocked's album in close proximity to your turntable, CD player or cassette deck recently? Yes? Good. Now go out (Go Man Go!) and pick up Kirk Kelly's album. Chances are that it will also spend a good deal of time being played. Kirk Kelly comes from the same scene, centered around New York's East Village and Lower East Side, that spawned Shocked, Cindy Lee Berryhill, and Roger Manning. Each of these artists has garnered a recent recording contract. Shocked's _Short Sharp Shocked_ was released on Polygram. Berryhill's _Who's Gonna Save The World_ came out on Rhino in late 1987. Kelly and Manning both were signed to SST. The early success of Suzanne Vega and the booming success of Tracy Chapman has helped to bring these artists and their music to national attention. These New Yorkers (actually, Berryhill is a transplanted Californian) have dubbed their music 'anti-folk' and their motto is 'Go Man Go'. _Go Man Go!_ is a gritty, political album which embodies the 'anti- folk' spirit. Kelly's voice fosters images of Bob Dylan, who would probably identify well with these anti-folkers were he starting out now instead of almost 30 years ago. Kelly's instrumentation (guitar & harmonica) adds to the Dylan-like image. But Kelly isn't Dylan and Dylan did begin his career almost 30 years ago. Kelly's attitude and lyricism come off really well on _Go Man Go!_. His lyrics, both subtle and obvious, are very political. He takes on democracy and its attitude and U.S. foreign policy in 'Red Blues' ("i don't wanna be no communist/those damn liberals get me really pissed"), the cold-heartedness of the banking and corporate world in 'Corporation Plow', and big business/government and useless, expensive things that no one ever wants to use in 'California Blues' ("if you need a job, there's lots of work to do/at rockwell, northrop, lockheed, hughes./building things nobody ever wants to use./don't try to explain it to me i'll only get confused./all i know is what i see on local t.v. news."). Kelly's unaccompanied vocal on his adaptation of the traditional 'Haul Away Joe' is stunning! Kelly's voice isn't sweet or particularly smooth, but it has a grittiness and character that makes his music and songs come alive. _Go Man Go!_ is an excellent debut album. His songs make a lot of sense and evoke some pretty strong emotions. With any luck this album will do as well as Michelle Shocked's. It should also stir up as much talk and controversy as her album. It wasn't until I started typing up this review that I really noticed that _Go Man Go!_ is only 32 minutes long. It seems so much longer when one is immersed in the music. It's too bad that Kelly's version of 'This Administration' was not included here. Cindy Lee Berryhill covered the tune on her album. It would have fit right in with the rest of these tunes, though with the (slight) change of administrations it would not have been quite so timely as when it was released on Berryhill's album. ======================================================================== Trespassing Jennifer Trynin Producers: Douglas Lichterman & T Undercover Jennifer Trynin R I Could Move Mountains Engineer: Bruce Smith A I Can't Do it Again Pathfinder PTF 8827 EP C Venus and Me Released: 1988 K Daddy's Happy Now Total Time: 14:32 S Source - EP It would be easy to dismiss Jennifer Trynin as another female folkish guitarist-singer-songwriter riding the current wave of popularity of that type of artist. However, you would be doing yourself and Jennifer a great disservice by dismissing her so easily. Jennifer's guitar playing reminds me of Michael Hedges, not so much in her technique or style, but with the force and passion she can display on songs like "I Can't Do It Again" and "Undercover". Jennifer acknowledges some of the roots of the folk-singer/songwriter on "Venus and Me" and "I Could Move Mountains", both of which would not be out of place on Joni Mitchell's _Court And Spark_ album. "Undercover" is the opening track on this EP and is a jazzy, funky tune that features a husky, smoky vocal from Jennifer and a horn section backing that compliments her expressive guitar. "I Could Move Mountains" follows in a more mellow, dreamy fashion with Jennifer's vocals - the smoke having left her voice - clear and soaring. "I Can't Do It Again" is a strong track that perfectly matches the passion of Jennifer's guitar to the passion of her voice. Side two of the EP opens with "Venus And Me", another soaring tune which rivals "I Can't Do It Again" as the best track on the EP though the two are very different in style. The EP closes with "Daddy's Happy Now". This is a very impressive debut recording from Jennifer Trynin. I only hope that she records a full length album in the near future. If you have trouble locating this EP in local stores it should be easy to have it ordered. If this isn't easy, then you can write to Pathfinder Records at 611 Broadway, Suite 726, New York, New York 10012, or feel free to phone them at (212) 995-8112, and ask to speak with Emma Terese. She's the executive vice president. ======================================================================== Misery Loves Company Romp, Romp, Romp How Do You Like It Here Now? Lunchbox The Skels Things That Disappear Producers: Joe Chinnici & T Wildflowers The Skels R The Foggy Dew Engineer: Joe Chinnici A Go Away Mystery Fez REC 1297 C Jesus is Coming Released: 1989 K Goodbye Total Time: N/A S Pterydactyl Source - LP Now That He's Gone Gotta See the Doctor Love Nest on the Lake Gimme a Smile The more I listen to this record the more I like it. This is a back to basics rock 'n roll album. There are all too few of these albums in this day and age of studio wizardry, drum machines and digital samplers. The only thing I can point to that I don't particularly like is the band's name. Actually, since I don't know anything about how the name came about, it is perhaps unfair to say that I don't like it. But the name 'The Skels' leaves me with a blank image upon seeing it or hearing it. Anyway, what's really important is not what's on the label, but what is on the vinyl. What's on the vinyl here are five guys who still believe that rock 'n roll can surge forward into the 1990's without make-up, corporate sponsorship, or song doctoring. The music here is mostly of the tail- kickin', bar rompin' variety with enough variation to hold one's interest through many spins of the record. Lead singer Sport doesn't have a 'classic' voice, but like so many rockers he shows that it's how you use what you've got that counts. This is evident from the opening track 'Misery Loves Company' and also on 'Romp, Romp, Romp' where Sport taunts the PMRC, singing "Have some more LSD and I'll turn up that hip-hop music and we'll romp, romp, romp until the president sends out the feds." The lyrics vary a bit for several genres of music, punk, heavy metal, etc. Finally, the Skels end the song with some Beach Boys style harmonizing. Two other songs that should generate some airplay and some interest in the Skels are their arrangement of the traditional Irish rebel song 'The Foggy Dew' and Sport's passionate 'Go Away'. Irish music is having some impact on the U.S. music scene and the Skels version of 'The Foggy Dew' is, as the band's bio says "a 500 megaton version." 'The Foggy Dew' is worth the price of admission and you get 13 other good songs to boot. 'Go Away' is a song where the band slows things down a bit, but the intensity level does not drop along with the pace. 'Go Away' is possibly the most intense song on the album. It's a tough choice, though, because there are several others that rival its intensity. The rest of the tracks range from out and out rockers ('Lunchbox', 'Now That He's Gone') to country ('Jesus is Coming') to the above mentioned tracks. Any college radio MD worth his salt will have this record within easy reach of the station's turntables. ======================================================================== Bells Sonic Temple & Court Of Babylon Sonic Temple and Court of Babylon Brian Ritchie Why Did You Lie to Me? Producer: Brian Ritchie T Sun Ra - Man From Outer Space Engineer: David Vartanian R America SST 202 A Christian For One Day Released: 1988 C A.D. Total Time: 35:56 K Mayerling (Let's Drink Some Wine) Source - LP S No Resistin' a Christian So it Goes Hasan I Sabbah Reach Out There are certainly similarities between this LP and a Violent Femmes album. That is, perhaps, unavoidable. But it is also very desirable. Brian Ritchie is the bassist for the Femmes. On this, his second SST solo effort, he gets to display his multi-instrumental talents. I could make a lot of comparisons between _Sonic Temple & Court Of Babylon_ and the Violent Femmes body of work, but what would be the point? This album stands on its own with its world (and otherworld!) influenced backing and its biting, (and at times) scathing lyrics. Ritchie takes on religion (in general) in "Christian For One Day" and (specifically - Swaggart & Bakker) in "No Resistin' a Christian", politics & government in "America" and unfaithfulness in "Why Did You Lie to Me?". Ritchie explores some psychedelic territory in "Sun Ra-- Man From Outer Space" and the title track. About his music, Ritchie says, "I acknowledge no musical boundaries. Too many modern musicians try to limit themselves by pigeonholing their music. With mine I'm trying to achieve total freedom of expression." Brian Ritchie manages to deliver a wide range of sounds on this LP. He plays guitar, bass, conch, jew's harp, recorder, sheisse 101, ocarina, zither and kalimba. John Kruth adds mandolin, flute, bass flute, harmonica, clarinet and sheng. Chris Loss plays drums, conga, marimba, xylophone, accordion, tambourine, zither, kalimba drums and melodica. Peter Balestrieri adds his baritone and alto sax (Peter can also be heard on Violent Femmes recent album _3_). Abdulhameed Alwan plays Arabic tabla and Tibetan bells & bowl. With all the unusual instrumentation here the music is tight and doesn't sound strange. That is, Ritchie's songs manage to capture your attention and shift your focus to the entire song. The music is natural and suited to the song. All of the varied instrumentation is not used gratuitously. This is a fine album from an innovative and inventive instrumentalist. Ritchie's lyrics are often stinging, often poignant and often humorous. The only thing that has kept this album from spending more time on my turntable recently is the excellent debut LP of SST labelmate Kirk Kelly, which arrived in the same package as _Sonic Temple & Court Of Babylon_. Ritchie's other solo album, _The Blend_, is also available on SST records. ======================================================================== Themes From Venus I Broke My Saw Love Tractor Themes From Venus Producer: Mitch Easter and T Crash Love Tractor R Satan's New Wave Soul Losers Engineer: Mitch Easter A Crystal World DB Records DB 92 C Venice Released: 1988 K Hey Mess Total Time: N/A S Nova Express Source - LP Fantasy Here Comes the Cops Love Tractor started out in 1980 as a band whose main purpose was to play at parties. With no P.A. system, they played all instrumentals. Their growing local popularity led to the recording of their 1982 debut LP on DB Records. Positive reaction to their debut led to 1983's _Around the Bend_ and an EP _Till the Cows Come Home_ in 1984. They signed with Big Time Records and released _This Ain't No Outerspaceship_ in 1986. Love Tractor have now come home to DB Records since Big Time 'went away' and have released _Themes From Venus_. Love Tractor are a band whose recorded material reflects a direction and growth that one doesn't see very often. Over their previous LPs and EP they have successfully incorporated vocals into their music while maintaining their unique instrumental sound. The songs on _Themes From Venus_ will take several listens to really sink in. But then, none of their recordings have been of the variety that you can "listen to them once and know all you need to know." Their wide variety of influences (jazz, rock, folk, funk, etc) cause the listener to hear something new each time you throw _Themes From Venus_ on the turntable. The one thing I would have liked to have with this LP is a lyric sheet. Without one, one must listen to the record a little more closely, but it would be nice to have their lyrics handy as well. ======================================================================== I81B4U Gang Green Producers: Daniel Rey & T Bartender Ross Humphrey R Lost Chapter Engineer: Drew Townson A Rent Roadracer RR 9500 C Put Her On Top Released: 1988 K Cum in U Total Time: 15:14 S Source - EP _I81B4U_ is Gang Green's answer to Van Halen's OU812. I could write a few paragraphs and tell you about the songs on _I81B4U_. But that would take too long - no, actually it would just be too slow. Gang Green are fast. Gang Green are quick. _I81B4U_ is speed-core at its beer-soaked best. Gang Green are about fun. Fun = Beer for Gang Green. Just check out the cover and back photos of _I81B4U_ and you'll be able to figure out where their allegiance lies brew-wise. Serious? Gang Green? Are you serious?!? Well, there's one almost serious tune on this EP. "Lost Chapter" is a comparison of life now to when the band were high school kids. The other songs? Well, "Bartender" is about, well, beer. Oh, you figured that one out for yourself, eh. Well, then I shouldn't have to tell you about "Put Her On Top" and "Cum in U" then. That leaves "Rent", which is about hating to pay rent. Well, who *does* like to pay rent!? These songs are loud and fast. They aren't too deep, but they are quite humorous. Most of all, they're fun! So, what are you still sitting there for? Go buy this EP, take it home, crank the stereo up LOUD and open up a budweiser. Let Gang Green take over. You'll be glad you did and so will Gang Green. ======================================================================== Otherside Oliver Lake Producer: Oliver Lake T Gano Club Engineers: Jim Anderson (quintet R Whitestone on side 1) & Brian Ales (big A Stand band on side 2) C Hymn For the Old Year Gramavision 18-8901-1 K Weave Song II Released: 1988 S Dedicated to Dolphy Total Time: 51:56 Source - LP _Otherside_ is one of the most interesting jazz releases (along with the Turtle Island String Quartet's _Metropolis_) to grace my turntable during these past couple of months. The opening cut, 'Gano Club', starts things off in a really swinging groove with Lake leading the piece on sax, giving way to the rest of the quintet about 3/4 through and then finishing up with some swinging sax grooves. 'Whitestone' is a laid back tune that allows each member of the quintet some room to roam. Anthony Peterson's guitar and Andrew Cyrille's drums are featured through most of the early part of 'Whitestone'. Pianist Geri Allen gets some solo time after a very smooth transition from the guitar lead to the piano lead. Halfway through the track Lake finally joins in and takes over the lead on sax. At this point, the whole quintet is involved, though the others are providing a backdrop for Lake to expand on. 'Stand' continues in the same vein as 'Whitestone', both tunes swinging lightly, subtly, while leaning towards "free jazz" expression. 'Hymn For the Old Year' opens with a quiet drum solo which is segued into an equally quiet piano solo. Bass and drums begin to back ever so subtly. Finally, once again, Lake lays his slow burning sax on top of this foundation. The whole, once achieved, makes for an enchanting ballad. Side two of _Otherside_ contains two arrangements of Eric Dolphy material which were arranged by Lake, who was commissioned by the Massachusetts Council on Arts and Humanities to arrange the compositions for big band. The two tunes are a little more adventurous and daring than the material on side one. At times it is a little hard to follow what's going on, as the band has a couple of points where Lake might have instructed them to "make a cacophony, but stay together." This may sound like a contradiction, but this is exactly what the band does. A little more than halfway into 'Weave Song II' the band gets really tight and swings as hard as it can swing. Over the last two minutes of the tune they alternate between lengthy portions of the hard swing and flashbacks to the tight cacophony. 'Dedicated to Dolphy', which closes the album, is an 18-1/2 minute piece that cannot be aptly described with mere words. Oliver Lake is one fourth of the World Saxophone Quartet. He's also involved with several other projects, among them the quirky reggae/funk/jazz amalgam Jump Up, performing with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and group improvisation with his "farthest out group" Blue Star. Lake has also been a pioneer in the contemporary jazz movement. He and several associates formed the Black Artist Group (BAG) in 1968 along lines similar to the Association for the Advancement for Creative Musicians (AACM) in Chicago. Lake has worked with such musicians as James "Blood" Ulmer, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins and Michael Gregory Jackson in addition to the projects mentioned above. ======================================================================== Sarabanda Mornin' Martin Taylor Call to Sarabanda Producers: David Hungate in T They Can't Take That Away From Me assoc. with Tim Yaquinto R Jenna Engineer: John Mills A Cherokee Ridge GAIA 13-9018-1 C Holiday For Two Released: 1989 K I Remember Clifford Total Time: 48:44 S Deja Vu Source - LP Don't Blame Me I Got Rhythm An Eilen Dhu (The Dark Island) Taylor is well known as Stephane Grapelli's guitarist. He as recorded "ten or so" albums with Grapelli and also has recorded six albums of his own on the European labels Wave, Concord and Hep. With Grapelli he has toured the world and been on the Tonight Show (twice). With his own group, Martin has toured Europe, Scandinavia, India, Australia, The South Pacific and South America. The Scotsman has been touring in Europe during early 1989 and will return to the U.S. in the spring. Taylor's GAIA debut opens with a tune that should be immediately familiar, but may take a moment to recall what it is. Without Al Jarreau's vocal, it took me a moment to realize that the tune was *that* "Mornin'". Though all of the tracks won't be as immediately familiar, Taylor's playing goes a long way to make them feel familiar - like an old friend, who's always dabbled with a guitar, makes you feel right at home. Unlike your old friend (unless *your* friend happens to be someone like Joe Satriani, Stanley Jordan, Eddie Van Halen, Richard Thompson, Barney Kessel, or... well, you get the picture) Martin Taylor knows his instrument from top to bottom and can do things with it that even some accomplished guitarists only dream about. Martin Taylor probably won't be the next great guitar hero, though. I wouldn't expect this record to sell many copies to the under 20 crowd. If you like good guitar albums, though, check _Sarabanda_ out. If George Benson had stayed within the jazz realm rather than crossing into the pop world, I'd like to think that this is what he might have sounded like. "Mornin'" and "Deja Vu" are recognizable popular tunes, but this is a jazz record, not pop disguised as jazz. Oh, by the way, there are no overdubs on this record. This is mentioned on the album jacket and in the press release (twice). It is worth mentioning here, as well, since many recordings these days have layers upon layers of overdubbed instruments. It's all to easy to say "That had to be overdubbed, nobody could play like that!" Well, on this record it *was* played like that! Check it out. ======================================================================== Inside The Kremlin Ravi Shankar T Prarambh Producer: Kurt Munkacsi R Shanti Mantra Engineer: Robert Bielecki A Three Ragas in "D" Minor Private Music 2044-4-P C Sandhya Raga Released: 1988 K Tarana Total Time: 68:21 S Bahu Rang Source - Cassette Shanti Mantra If you're a follower of world music, and more specifically Indian music, then you've probably already bought Ravi Shankar's _Inside the Kremlin_. If not, then _Inside the Kremlin_ is as good a place as any to begin checking out this type of music. I speak from experience (or lack of it!) since I have had only a limited amount of exposure to this area of music. I will certainly be seeking out more of it in the future. Shankar, who is nearly 70, says "I have been going to Soviet Russia since 1953 and the first three times I felt so claustrophobic, it was difficult to even breathe. The whole thing was like a regimented police state. But I saw a slight change in 1985: for the first time young boys and girls followed me all around. I was reminded of the early sixties in the States and Europe. Then, when I went there in '87, it was fantastic! It was just like reliving the sixties...without the drugs, of course. Now it's completely different. There's so much quest for spirituality. It's amazing!" This new feeling in and of Russia infuses this recording, performed with a Russian folk ensemble, the Moscow Choir, and a chamber orchestra. Music has been linked inextricably with politics for as long as it has been around. That music of this nature (recorded live on July 7th, 1988 at the Palace of Culture inside the Kremlin) can be made widely available is not only significant because of the music, but also because it serves to illustrate the change and evolution of the political climate of Russia. As a performer for the last 40 years, Ravi Shankar has played concerts on virtually every continent except Antarctica. As a composer he has written extensively for film and ballet in the United States, Canada, Europe and India. Perhaps his most widely known work is the film score for the movie _Ghandi_. ======================================================================== The Right Choice The Right Choice Shake Your Buns Producer: Wayne Douglas Jr. T Secret Wish Engineers: Keith Seppanen, R Torn Between Two Lovers William Brown III and A I Let You Slip Away Hill Swimmer. C Tired of Being Alone Motown MOT-6257 K B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Body) Released: 1989 S I Owe You One Total Time: 40:39 Am I Losing You Source - LP Who Keeps Coming Back (4 Your Love) 'Shake Your Buns' is a good choice for an opening track on this LP. The Right Choice will have you shaking them throughout most of this LP. This is definitely a dance oriented record, though the dance rhythms are toned down on a couple of cuts ('Secret Wish' & 'Torn Between Two Lovers') while still keeping the groove. 'Tired of Being Alone' was released as a single prior to the sale of Motown and has already spent almost 15 weeks on the charts, moving into the top twenty. The sale of Motown delayed the release of the album. Now those of you who've grooved to 'Tired of Being Alone' and wanted more can have more. 'Tired of Being Alone' is a modernized cover of the tune that was Al Green's biggest hit. This album is slickly produced and built for the dance floor. If there were one change I could make to it, I would make the backing beat even stronger. The beat, at times, seems to be just along for the ride instead of driving the tunes where they ought to go. ======================================================================== Bits and Pieces - Mini/Capsule reviews -------------------------------------- The Fusionaires (New Jersey) and Cafe Noir (Dallas, Texas) are two groups who have received a lot of good local press and are beginning to get some national recognition. The Fusionaires' _No Prisoners_ (1988 Headstrong Records HR003CD, Time - 38:37, released on CD and cassette only) is bold step towards removing the 'black eye' that fusion (the F- word!) as a whole has suffered in recent history. The Fusionaires have been together for three years and have put out _No Prisoners_ and an earlier EP on Headstrong Records, which the band started to record and release their music. They also have completed work on most of a third release that will be out later this year. _No Prisoners_ is a direct to two-track recording (no overdubs). Their new recording is a twenty four track project. From the opening track, 'Champale Jam', which starts out slowly and then builds momentum, this band cooks! The Fusionaires' music borders on some of the free jazz types of music that say, Sun Ra or Ornette Coleman have done, though they are not quite that 'far out'. As a unit, these guys (John McCracken - guitar/guitar synthesizer, Wilbo Wright - horizontal and vertical basses/vocals, and Simeon Cain - drums/percussion) work together extremely well and are joined on several cuts by special guest Jesse Andrus on soprano, alto and tenor saxophones. _No Prisoners_ is also a pretty good bargain at $9.98 for the CD and $7.98 for the cassette. To order or for more information, write to Headstrong Records, P.O. Box 3173, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. Add $1.50 per order for shipping and fondling. Cafe Noir (_Cafe Noir_ 1988 Gajo Records GR 1001, Time - 36:10) have gotten a lot of raves in the Dallas press and have begun to get some national exposure. And it's no small wonder. Their music envelopes the listener with sounds from various ethnic backgrounds. They combine elements of jazz, classical, Gypsy, Balkan and Middle Eastern music into a form that is unique and exciting. They perform both original material and their arrangements of traditional Gypsy music. The group and their record were recently featured in an interview with Robert Siegel on NPR's All Things Considered. Their album reached #1 on All Things Considered's top twenty in December of 1988. Cafe Noir are Gale Hess (violin, viola, clarinet), Kim Platko (guitar), Buddy Mohmed (bass) and Norbert Gerl (guitar, viola). I can only echo the sentiments of other critics and observers and tell you that the type of music Cafe Noir creates can only be called Cafe Noir music. There is no way to pigeonhole this quartet. Their album is distributed through Rounder Records and is also available by writing to them at Gajo Records, P.O. Box 140777, Dallas, Texas 75214, phone (214) 821-6540. Sonic Youth (_Daydream Nation_, 1988 Enigma 75403-1) have stepped a little bit closer to the mainstream of experimental rock music. Longtime fans of the band have been heard to say that the band is becoming commercial with this release. Well, I'd hardly call this album a commercial venture in the context of what is considered commercial today. _Daydream Nation_ is easily the most accessible Sonic Youth album to date. All the elements from their past are still there. The best way to describe their slightly altered sound is to envision a single-edged knife, slightly worn, that has had its other edge honed to make it an even more versatile instrument. This is what _Daydream Nation_ sounds like. The Smithereens have remixed and rereleased their early EP _Beauty and Sadness_ (1988 Enigma 73220-1, Time - 12:35). For those of us who have enjoyed their later releases (_Especially For You_ and _Green Thoughts_) the wide availability of this reissue is a good thing, indeed. The four cuts on this reissue have the trademark Smithereens sound. They are well-crafted pop songs that balance their 60's influences nicely with the sound(s) of the 80's. I have heard, but can't verify, that there were 5 tracks on the original release of _Beauty and Sadness_. If this is the case, I wonder why only 4 tracks appear here. Thursday Group (_Uncle Mean_ 1988 Pathfinder PTF 8807 LP, Time - 33:10) are another jazz quintet who cook, swing and percolate! The opening track 'Like White on Rice' cooks, just like boiling rice might. 'Uncle Mean' swings to the sax lead of Clayton Englar. The strong drumming of Tony Manno and Vinnie Johnson (both play drums on all cuts) is firm and forceful, pushing the group forward, without overpowering the others. 'Moroccan' starts with a worldly, percussive flavor. Englar's sax joins in, giving the piece a mystical feel as the percussion drives and becomes steadily more forceful. Midway through, the percussive force subsides enough to let the listener focus on the rest of the group. The other members of the group are Jim Kerwin on bass and Pathfinder label founder Douglas Lichterman on guitar and dumbek. ======================================================================== NEW RELEASES Newly released from Windham Hill -------------------------------- CDs (also available on cassette and LP) ------------------------------------- Tibet - Mark Isham (Windham Hill WD-1080) Windham Hill Sampler '89 - Various Artists (Windham Hill WD-1082) Newly released from Rhino -------------------------------- CDs (also available on cassette and LP) ------------------------------------- The Best of the Blues Project (Rhino R2 70165) Tin Star (Rhino R2 70843) Culture Killed The Native - Victory (Rhino R2 70844) Starrstruck: Ringo's Best, 1976-1983 - Ringo Starr (Rhino R2 70135) ======================================================================== Product Review: Threshold S/500 Stereo Power Amplifier Manufacturer's Specifications: Rated Output Power : 250 watts per channel. Both channels driven at no more than 0.1% distortion into 8 Ohms resistive or reactive impedance. Bandwidth Response : Halfpower (-3 dB) points at 7 Hz and 100 kHz. Slew Rate : 50 volts per microsecond Output Transistors : 20 transistors per channel. Transistors are ultra-high speed 200 volt 20 ampere rated power devices. Output Current : 12 amperes continuous, 100 peak amperes per channel. All continuous ratings are fuse governed. Power Supply : 1,000 watt toroidal transformer, 120,000 microFarads storage capacitance. Input Impedance : 75,000 Ohms. Output Impedance : Less than 0.1 Ohm 20 Hz through 20 kHz Gain Factor : +26.6 dB Noise : No greater than -100 Db, unweighted, referenced to rated output. Permissible Load : Operation is allowed into any load within limits imposed by power supply and rail fusing and/or thermal protection. Dimensions : 17 1/8" deep, 8 3/4" high, 19" wide. Weight : 78 1/2 pounds. Warranty : Limited ninety day warranty covering parts, labor and surface transport to and from the factory. Optional three year extended and transferable coverage is available at no cost through the return of the Extended Warranty Registration Card. Suggested Retail : $3995.00 Any of you out there who have been receiving Audio Bits from way back at the beginning will remember that I put in the occasional column on equipment reviews. Well now I'm in position to start writing again. Hopefully this will be well received by all you folks out in netland. I figured I'd make my return a noteworthy one by reviewing a true high end product. Needless to say this also entails a truly high end price. I am in a fortunate position where the manager of one of the local audio establishments is both a friend and fellow enthusiast so this should make for a good variety of product reviews in the future. I think it is important for the readers to know what components I employ in my reference system in order to be able to get a feel for sonic biases I have. Believe it or not every reviewer has them. I will not belabor the point of my room layout since it hasn't changed since the last time it was published. I assume that anybody that cares to know can get back issues from my venerable editor. At any rate, my system's analog front end is currently comprised of a Sota Sapphire series 2 turntable with Premier FT-3 tonearm and Monster Alpha Genesis 500 cartridge. The cd player is a Sonographe SD-1. I am using a PS Audio 4.5 preamp which is connected to a pair of Adcom GFA- 555 power amplifiers and one conrad-johnson MV-50 tube power amp. The speakers are Magneplaner MG-IIIa's. The Adcoms are wired in bridged mono and are driving the woofer panels of the Maggies. The MV-50 drives the midrange/tweeter elements. Now that the preliminaries are out of the way...on to the review. As you can probably imagine I didn't put up much of a fight when I was encouraged to take home Threshold's top of the line stereo power amplifier for an audition. The only review I have read of any Threshold product in recent memory has been the outrageously expensive SA/1's and their FET-10 preamp. Hopefully I will have the chance to review some of their "cheaper" offerings in the near future. Possibly the foremost characteristic that the S/500 imposes is it's sheer size. This is one very large, very heavy power amplifier. Needless to say the first thing I did before even switching it on was to remove the top cover and see just what you're getting for your $3995 hard earned bucks. The input connectors are gold plated with a multiple contact point inner conductor. This is supported in a machined teflon insulator. The construction quality of the circuit boards is truly amazing! All the circuit boards are military-grade, glass-epoxy with gold over copper over nickel plated traces. This is an amp that you really have to see to believe. The power transformer is huge as are the storage caps. The quality of the wiring and soldering is very impressive to say the least. It's nice to know that in this respect at least you are getting what you paid for. There are a large number of high end products that just are not built as well as the price tag would suggest. According to Threshold, all products are given a three day testing period at the factory. This consists of each amplifier being required to pass a dead short power test both before and after the three days of power "burn-in" consisting of self-oscillation into a two Ohm load. So now we know the construction quality is top notch, but how about the sound? Well to be quite honest I was expecting to hear some distinct differences in some areas. It has been my experience so far that most transistor power amplifiers differ substantially in sound quality over their tube counterparts. I'm not going to say that one is inherently better than the other. Suffice it to say that there are positive qualities in each design philosophy. In this respect I was not surprised at all by the results. Where I was surprised was in the vast difference I heard in comparing the sound of the Threshold to that of my Adcom's. From a realistic standpoint using one Adcom in bridged mono for each woofer panel of my MG-III's should be more than enough power. I will admit that the MG-III's are happiest when there is a lot of power in reserve but it certainly can't be denied that the Adcom's, in that configuration, are more that adequate from a pure power standpoint. Up to the point where I had substituted the Threshold into the system I would have considered them difficult to surpass in the function that they were performing. To put it mildly, the Threshold simply blew them away! I have never heard such deep bass and impact ever before on the MG-III's! This was something for which I was totally unprepared. Bass had a visceral quality to it that I haven't experienced since parting with my Spica/VMPS subwoofer combination. I never would have expected this much difference at that end of the musical spectrum. Transistor amps are well known for their control in the low bass regions but I really hadn't expected the Threshold to better the Adcom's by such a huge margin. Just the benefits in the low end are making me try and justify the cost for the sole purpose of driving the woofer panels. Personally I think somebody should have me committed for even entertaining such an idea, any takers? O.K. So now I've come to the conclusion that the bass performance of this amp is truly impressive. As anybody that's read any of my previous columns realizes, I don't put much emphasis on a component's ability to reproduce the lower frequencies. Although they are important, and probably even more so for a product at this price point, it is the factor that will have the least influence on me. To me the midrange especially, and the high frequencies take precedence. I can live with flabby bass, but n non-musical midrange or harsh treble are something I can't. So, how does the Threshold avail itself in these crucial areas of music reproduction? Very well indeed. I would have to say beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is the most neutral amplifier I have yet had the pleasure of listening to. It's a very striking difference from what I am accustomed to listening, notably the MV-50. The S/500 has extraordinary detail on every recording I listened too. It certainly helped in extracting a great deal of the room information and ambience that is typically missing with the cd player when compared with the turntable. Using a number of Suzanne Vega, Paul Simon, and various other recordings as references made for some very striking differences in midrange, high frequency, and overall perspective on the original performance. The S/500 adds a great wealth of detail to the music that I have realized was missing. There are subtle clues on a number of albums which hint at the room dimensions but which through my current system have always been a little blurred. The opening track to Suzanne Vega's Solitude Standing album is a noteworthy example. With the MV-50 you could hear the room boundaries but not distinctly. With the S/500 substituted they became quite readily apparent. The high frequencies were also more extended than I am usually accustomed, but they were also smooth, not edgy. This more so through the cd player than the turntable. The cartridge has a tendency to be a little bright on the high end with some recordings. This effect however is softened considerably by the MV-50. All this harps back on the differences I mentioned between tube and transistor gear. The MV-50 has a distinctly "closer" perspective on the recording than the Threshold. The c-j has a more of a row E feel to it as opposed to the S/500's row J for instance. There is also much greater detail extracted from the recordings with the S/500, almost too much. With the wrong equipment in the chain this could be a very unforgiving amplifier. The other main consideration is also the lack of good quality recordings. The great majority of recordings out there are either top or bottom heavy and could make for a not very enjoyable musical experience. I am by no means denigrating the amplifier for doing this. There are basically two camps, accuracy and musical and the two are not necessarily related. The image placement was very good in all dimensions, although as I alluded to earlier, it has a more laid back perspective than the MV-50. It was very easy to place all performers and instruments within the soundstage. I felt that the MV-50 however made it much easier to determine other factors such as mic placement and where the performers were situated in relation to the mics. For instance, it was easy to hear the singer moving around the microphone with the MV-50 whereas the S/500 did not give nearly the illusion of three dimensionality to the recordings. On very well done recordings the S/500 made voices come through more naturally than the MV-50. Unfortunately that only accounts for a very select few recordings I own. On those recordings however it was very pleasant to listen to. On what I would deem average recordings it made them sound less lifelike. This is also related to the more distant perspective. I happen to like the image that the MV-50 portrays in spite of the fact that it is undoubtedly changing the sound on the recording. It helps alleviate a lot of common problems in recordings today, but definitely results in a less accurate portrayal. Ten years ago I would have been more inclined to cling to the accuracy camp but have found that I have shifted more towards the musical over the past few years. In conclusion, I can honestly say that the Threshold S/500 is the most accurate amp I have ever heard to date. If you believe you should hear everything contained on a recording, be it vinyl or compact disc, this amp is probably for you. If however you are more interested in reproducing a musical experience in your listening room with the majority of recordings available you may wish to listen to alternatives. This is not to say you couldn't tailor a system around this amp, you could quite easily. When you start getting into the true high end components great care must be taken when putting together a system. It is imperative that you be allowed to "try before you buy" in order to make sure you can get the sound you are searching for. After listening to the S/500 I have reached the conclusion that there are things it does (or doesn't do) to the music that I wish the MV-50 were more capable of. During the listening sessions I also found some things that the MV-50 did that I preferred over the S/500. All this breaks down to the rule that we all should know by now, which is, everything is a trade off. The important thing is finding the tradeoff that you can most easily live with. For me the Threshold S/500 represents a tradeoff that I could both live with and learn to like. Anybody seriously considering an amplifier in this price range owes it to himself to at least give the Threshold a listen. Back to the old problem that everybody needs at least two systems (I hope nobody's wives are reading this), one for the left side of the brain and one for the right. Anybody interested in a pair of Adcom GFA-555's? The MG- III's could really use a new woofer panel amp...naaah, snap out of it! Till next time. DMH ========================================================================