home

The Vinyl Press

  • Features
  • Records
  • Cleaning – Care
  • Editorials
  • Compendia
  • Ephemera
  • Phono
  • About
You are here: Home / Archives for In Brief

Vertigo Swirl-Summary of Articles on TheVinylPress.com

May 23, 2015 by Bill Hart

As more material is published to this site,[1] I thought it would help readers to have ready access-with links- to those pieces that are part of the series of related articles on Vertigo Swirl. Thus:  

Filed Under: Compendia, In Brief

Buying Used Records-A Primer

April 1, 2015 by Bill Hart

My interview with Robert Croydon of EIL-Esprit, a well-known UK record dealer inspired me to create a set of tips for buying used records. Some of this is common sense, basic knowledge to anybody who collects, so please accept this as nothing more than “blithering insights into the obvious” if you are already an experienced buyer of used vinyl. Consider The Source: Are you buying from a dealer or an individual? The level of knowledge among record sellers varies widely, regardless of whether they are established dealers, individuals trying to unload vinyl that they accumulated or... Read More

Filed Under: Features, In Brief

From the Vault-a Chat with EIL, a Top Rare Record Dealer in the UK

March 29, 2015 by Bill Hart

I recently got the chance to talk with Robert Croydon, one of the founders of EIL-Esprit, a well known UK-based purveyor of rare records, memorabilia and older vinyl pressings that, while not necessarily “rare,” are often hard to come by in pristine condition. I thought readers might appreciate the insights of a long-established dealer:       Q: You’ve been in business since 1987- that seems to coincide with the death of vinyl as a mainstream audio medium. Can you tell us a little about how the business started? And what was the core inventory at the outset?   I... Read More

Filed Under: Features, In Brief

Cleaning Vinyl Records- My Personal Odyssey

March 20, 2015 by Bill Hart

  My current approach to record cleaning grew from the casual use of a basic vacuum record cleaning machine (a VPI) to more studied efforts to improve the sound quality of older vinyl records that suffered from various forms of contamination. See Record Cleaning- An Introduction.  I was cognizant of basic “good practices,” including those described by the U.S. Library of Congress website, which is a reasonable starting place, see Cleaning and Archival Standards of Care. But, in many ways, my more recent experience went beyond these basic practices. An Oversimplified History of... Read More

Filed Under: Cleaning - Care, In Brief

Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove

March 19, 2015 by Bill Hart

Doug Sahm is one of those unheralded musicians whose public recognition is generally based on a few old pop hits, but whose range of talent mixed Beatle-esque tunefulness with Tex-Mex sensibility. He was a child when he played with Hank Williams, Sr. and did the rhythm and blues circuit in the 1950’s.  As the Sir Douglas Quintet, he joined the British Invasion to chart with “She’s About a Mover,” with a band that was more south of the border than Liverpool and later, struck again with the hit “Mendocino.” You’ve probably heard these songs at some point in your life, but Sahm... Read More

Filed Under: Ephemera, In Brief

Exploring Island Records (Pink Label and Pink Rim)

February 4, 2015 by Bill Hart

Island Records in the late 60’s had an incredibly rich catalog, musically, along with amazing sonics. We will be getting some in-depth insights into the early days of the label and exploring some of the many wonderful records that appeared during the the golden (pink label) era.  Stay tuned! ... Read More

Filed Under: In Brief

Hellfire: The Jerry Lee Lewis Story, (Tosches, Nick)

February 3, 2015 by Bill Hart

There is a great endorsement that appears on the back cover of one of Ben McIntyre’s books about WWII; it reads, simply, “The best book ever written.” This book, by Nick Tosches, may actually come close. Written in a schizophrenic style which alternates between a straight narrative and the hellfire and brimstone voice of religious guilt and condemnation, Jerry Lee Lewis is reconstructed in this book as one of the first great rock and roll stars- screaming drunk, waving a handgun, at the front gates of Graceland, yelling for Elvis to come out; one-upping Chuck Berry, who... Read More

Filed Under: Ephemera, In Brief

Cleaning and Archival Standards of Care

February 3, 2015 by Bill Hart 4 Comments

  My visit to the Audiovisual Conservation facilities of the U.S. Library of Congress was prompted by a desire to learn about the steps a first class archival facility uses to preserve and store recorded media, in particular, vinyl records. There is a wealth of products available to the consumer for record care and cleaning, but very little concrete information about the processes or their effectiveness, apart from what is supplied by the various product manufacturers; most of what I learned was based on personal experience, experimenting with different cleaning methods, machines and... Read More

Filed Under: Cleaning - Care, In Brief

The Turning Point (Piermont, New York)

February 2, 2015 by Bill Hart

  This place is a throwback in time and musical history. Located about 30 miles north of Manhattan, in the quaint and quirky village of Piermont, the club has been a draw for musicians old and new, for decades. Hubert Sumlin played here, as did Junior Wells (with Buddy Guy), along with Dave Mason, Janis Ian and Arlo Guthrie. The list of serious players that have graced the stage in just the last couple years includes David Lindley, Jim Messina, Terry Reid, Johnny Winter and James Hunter. I’ve discovered talent here that was new to me: Alexis P. Sutter, an unbelievable gospel... Read More

Filed Under: Ephemera, In Brief

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6

In Brief:

Milt Ward Virgo Reissue Coming from Frederiksberg

Although I don't have all the details yet, I have learned that Frederiksberg Records, a small, eclectic label from New York, is in the process of reissuing the hard to find (and even harder to pay for) jazz obscurity, Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum. You can find out more by keeping tabs on Frederiksberg's Bandcamp page, https://frederiksbergrecords.bandcamp.com   I'm told there is a bootleg out there so be careful. Frederiksberg is doing this project with the participation of the family of Milt Ward, which is to be applauded. Hopefully, this will give more access to a great jazz record at a reasonable price. The Roots album reissue from Frederiksberg (which is sold out on vinyl on the Frederiksberg Records bandcamp site) still appears to be available through some online retailers as a pre-order, so that's another one to jump on now if you can find it-- the original is extremely pricey and … [Read More...]

Clem Snide- Forever Just Beyond

Clem Snide- Forever Just Beyond With a name derived from a character in the same literary work as the band name so famously identified with the Walter Becker-Donald Fagen duo, Clem Snide has an extensive discography, typically cataloged as “alt country.” This latest release is the work of one of its founding members, Eef Barzelay, who was responsible for much of the songwriting and singing. According to his bio, Barzelay suffered some serious bumps in the road during the last decade, including a failing marriage and financial ruin. At the same time, he learned that Scott Avett was a fan and they found inspiration in each other, leading to this album- a collaboration of artistry where Avett and Barzelay share some writing credits and Avett produces. The result is a fresh, upbeat set of tunes that are appealing in their simplicity and refreshing in their sincerity. The band is first tier … [Read More...]

Muriel Grossmann- Reverence

Muriel Grossmann- Reverence Muriel Grossmann continues her quest for musical ascension on Reverence, which was released on vinyl in early December, 2019 on the RR Gems label as a 2 LP set. The compositions are Grossmann’s, and the band is much the same as the group of seasoned musicians with whom she has worked for some time (and detailed in the review of her Golden Rule), but for one notable exception: the addition of a keyboard player who brings that rich, woody Hammond B-3 sound to a series of compositions devoted to Africa. In some ways, Ms. Grossmann’s exploration of the roots of jazz deliberately eschews any superficial attempt to make African music. Instead, she draws inspiration from its influences, which are wide ranging and deep—you can hear rhythm and blues sounds mixed with more traditional African instrumentation and polyrhythms and come away with something that is both … [Read More...]

Stylus Life- StylusTimer

Stylus Life- StylusTimer Stylus life is a recurring question in audio discussions. Some serious attention was devoted to the subject here, in Mike Bodell’s “The Finish Line for Your Phono Stylus.” That article examined the issue from a number of perspectives, including early studies, claims by cartridge manufacturers and real-life experiences by users. It also generated a long, interesting thread on the Steve Hoffman forum that is worthwhile to read. The Hoffman thread also generated an experiment by Ray Parkhurst who documented the wear of a new stylus under certain controlled conditions, which included a microscopic examination of the stylus at various time intervals over long hours of repeated play. See https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-finish-line-for-your-phono-cartridge-stylus-wear-by-mike-bodell.842572/#post-21292730.   Whether you lean toward more optimistic … [Read More...]

Incoming! (More Interesting Records)

Incoming! (More Interesting Records)  An "interesting record" to me offers something unexpected, whether it is a fresh take on a recognized genre, or something that opens a new way of experiencing instruments in combination. It does not have to be "strange" or challenging to listen to; in fact, I'm a sucker for a good melodic hook and enjoy technical prowess as much as anybody, but there has got to be something "more"-- an intangible that differentiates the record from the millions of others to which we all have access.   As mentioned in a recent editorial, a lot of records come in and not all get written up. It’s not an editorial decision or any reflection of the music or sonics; I only have so much time, and I tend not to write short blurbs, but longer (some may say ‘too long’) reviews. My “incoming” piles continue to grow as I publish. This series of short capsules is meant to … [Read More...]

Terms of Use ·  Copyright © 2020 The Vinyl Press.com ·  Privacy Policy
A service of Flying Reptile Media Group ·  Contact


Register | Login to Comment | Comments FAQ

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in