The first time that I heard Boris Blank’s “Resonance” album streaming I thought of how the sonic quality, as well as the music itself, was so impressive. I knew then that I needed a physical copy of this ambient gem. 🎵The CD 💿 showed up shortly thereafter. The silver disc sounded so much better than it’s streaming counterpart. It has become one of my favorites during my audio gear reviews. Later, Resonance became available on vinyl. I bought that too. 🙂
So, I thought I’d share some of my favorite, well recorded albums on CD. Thanks for reading.Great sounding CDs. The music is good too...
Acoustic Alchemy - arcanum
Acoustic Alchemy - AART
Ackerman, Oster, Eaton - Brothers
Barry Gibb - In The Now
Boris Blank and Malia - Convergence
Boris Blank - Electrified
Boris Blank - Resonance
Craven Faults - Erratics & Unconformities
David Crosby - For Free
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Gilmour - On An Island
Flim & the BBs - Tunnel
Henry Mancini - Pure Gold (Steve Hoffman approved)
Jeff Lorber Fusion - Space-Time
Larry Carlton - Alone/But Never Alone
Larry Carlton - On Solid Ground
Larry Carlton - Deep Into It
Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth
Lyle Mays - Eberhard
Ottmar Lieber + Luna Negra - Euphoria
Pat Metheny - Side Eye NYC
Robert Rich, Steve Roach - Strada
Stan Getz - Getz/Gilberto
Stereophile Magazine's - Tight Lines
Yello - Toy
Yello - Touch
Yello - Point
I received an email from my local independent record store. They are running a free shipping sale on all of their past and present RSD releases. So of course I had to go shopping. From Harold Budd, an ambient selection, and from master conductor Ennico Morricone will be a soundtrack recording. Both from Record Store Day 2021 is Budd's 'I Know This Much Is True' and Morricone's 'The Blue Eyed Bandit'.
Once received and listened in their entirety I'll post reviews here.
Fun stuff. Thanks for reading!
The Apt/Holman Apticon
June 6–7, 2026 Sign up at https://www.apticon.org/
The inaugural event featuring the technology of Apt Corporation, Cambridge, MA 1977 – 1982.
This includes the Apt/Holman Preamplifier and the Apt 1 Power Amplifier.
Among those interested will be restoration technicians, analogue audio design engineers, and people involved in the history and development of analogue audio circuits. A certain amount of knowledge is pre-supposed like the fundamentals of transistor circuit design. (See 1 , 2 below)
Apt’s improvements will be covered in this seminar, such as techniques Apt used for lowering distortion, noise, and RFI susceptibility.
The most famous part of this design is the Holman Phono Preamp introduced first at Advent Corporation and improved upon in the Apt/Holman Preamp, that takes its name principally from the phono stage. Both the Apt preamp and power amp include many design features that were advanced for their time representing Tom’s experience with a wide range of products he’d owned, such that both the preamp and power amp were designed to overcome their limitations.
There will be talks on the preamp, power amp, and ancillary products, panels of technicians on restoring and even improving on the original design, sources for components, and a clinic for products brought to the seminar. While these segments are planned they are not guaranteed.
The venue is in Burbank, CA, center of the post-production world in film sound and with many audio companies, and a short distance within southern California for others. Burbank airport is close, and the host hotel is offering a discount.
Join us for this unique opportunity to discuss some of vintage audio’s most respected products with their principal designer. These insights into sound audio practice are alive and well 45 years after their introduction, and with some TLC the Apts can meet or surpass the original extensive specifications.
Attendees with receive urls for the talks, complete service manuals, etc., after the event.
Sign up soon as this event is expected to sell out.
1 https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp_2.html
2 https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/common-collector-amplifier.html
*There is also a link on the Steve Hoffman Audio forum regarding this event at https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/apticon-featuring-abt-corporation-77-82-technology-summit.1244262/
The Lord has Risen!
Even though I was a Bob Weir fan, I've never been able to get into the Grateful Dead. But, I have a new way to check them out (thank you to Rhino Records) by listening to some live Dead. I received an email announcement from Rhino this morning along with A Beginner's Guide To Grateful Dead Live so, let's give it a shot! https://www.dead.net/beginners-guide?eml=2026March27/7059569/6134371&etsubid=338815507
Now playing, New Order’s 2021 ‘Be A Rebel’ single with 13 BAR versions.
I’m thinking my favorite version is #4’s bernard’s renegade instrumental mix.
But wait, #5 starts out with a bang with Bernard joining in on vocals but alas I sense some musical compression going on. Will need further listening…
Which remix is your choice for ‘best’ to you and your ears?
The one that started it all for me. Released in January of 2021 by Hania Rani, 'S2' was the first of her recordings that I discovered. Check out her downloadable music on Bandcamp. Hania can be streamed and she also has some vinyl and CD albums available on Amazon.
https://haniarani.bandcamp.com/
Motion II from jazz “supergroup” Out Of/Into. Immanuel Wilkins, alto sax; Joel Ross, vibraphone & marimba; Gerald Layton, piano; Matt Brewer, bass; and Kendrick Scott on drums.
Free jazz thar’s not over-done. Well recorded on Blue Note and available on LP and CD.
Every physical media music fan needs a similarly minded friend to share with. Sharing makes our hobby more meaninful and enjoyable. The subject of this post's 'friend' happens to live in the digital domain, in one's pocket, purse or backpack and organizes your vinyl and CD collection for you. A music buddy of sorts. Enter the Music Buddy app. I discovered Music Buddy in the Apple App Store Edit: I previously wrote there was no Music Buddy Android App in the Google Play Store. I was wrong...there is. Sorry, Android fans). This free App promised to organize my CD/LP library with the additional benefit of taking my visual library with me each time I visit the record store or shop online. Even box sets are welcome here. No more "do I have this title on CD?" stress.
Once you've downloaded the App simply scan the barcode using your iPhone or iPad's camera. If an album has no barcode you have other options such as searching for it online, by UPC//EAN-13 number or manually entering the data. Choose whether or not to scan a single item or multiples. The 'Scan Multiple Barcodes' is especially useful if you have a fairly large physical music collection and are just beginning your Music Buddy relationship.
If your music buddy is unable to locate the album online choose the manual entry feature. This process takes more time but it ensures a higher level of library accuracy. The ability to take a photo with your device of the unfound title is a nice touch.
Under the My Albums screen you can view your entire CD/LP collection. This screen gives you information data such as the number of titles (as you can read I have 412 so far...), favorites, tags, even those gems that you've loaned out! Music filters include by Series, Artist, Genre, Performers and Release Year. Let's say you want to know all of the albums in your collection that guitarist Lee Ritenour played on.
I just discovered that you can even scan cassettes and identify them as such!
Once you've downloaded the App you can add up to fifty titles for free. There is no cost for the App itself. Try it. If you like the App's functionality and your library of compact discs and records exceeds fifty you can, for a one-time $9.99 purchase, add more with no limit (at the time of this blog post).
The next time you are music shopping and you see that album that you just must have, check with your Music Buddy first to be sure you don't already own it.
*I make no commission nor do I receive any reimbursement or advertising for this article.
Thank you for reading Hear More Music,
Doug
p.s. If I'd had Music Buddy I wouldn't now own two copies each of Kacey Musgrave's 'Starcrossed' or Amy Grant's 'Unguarded'! LOL.
The high-end audio AXPONA Expo will be held April 10-12, 2026 at the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg (a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. It's a fantastic show and the largest of it's type in North America. Check out information and purchase your tickets at https://axpona.com/