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:

Entering the World of the Vertigo Swirl

A Conversation with Olav Wyper- Creator of the Vertigo Swirl Records

Patto- “Hold Your Fire” Vertigo Swirl

Gracious! -self titled Vertigo Swirl

Affinity- self titled Vertigo Swirl

Patto- self titled Vertigo Swirl

May Blitz- self titled Vertigo Swirl

Cressida- self titled Vertigo Swirl

A Sidebar: Black Sabbath on Vertigo

This series is not intended to be an exhaustive study of the label, but to provide readers with a fair overview of the label, its origins and the breadth of the original “Swirl” catalog. Some references for further reading can be found in the Olav Wyper interview. This does not mean that no further reviews or content on the label will be published here; to the contrary, I continue to explore the label and various pressings. For example, at the Austin Record Fair 2015, I found a very nice German “Spaceship” copy of May Blitz in great condition, for a fraction of the price of the early UK pressing. If it proves to be comparable in sound to the original pressing (or not), I will publish a short piece about that.

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[1] As material on the homepage of TheVinylPress.com is replaced with newer articles, the previously published pieces can be accessed through the “Category” sections, e.g. “Features,” “Records” or the like which appear directly below the masthead on the homepage. These “Category” sections serve as an archive.

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...]

More on Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum

More on Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum Courtesy of Bill Pierce, the former Chair of Woodwinds at Berklee. Pierce worked with Milt Ward in the late ‘60s, including a stint as part of the horn section for Stevie Wonder. Pierce figures prominently on the album, Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum; I have added his recollections to the feature article. (Scroll down to the bottom of the article). My thanks to Bill Pierce, whose band, the Ralph Peterson Messenger Legacy, is currently active and touring. … [Read More...]