Mike Mettler

News
Exclusive Premiere: How Clare Fischer Utilized the Yamaha EX-42 Synthesizer on Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood’s 1972 Classic Nancy & Lee Again, Now Available in a First-Time 1LP Remastered Reissue From Light in the Attic
Mike Mettler  |  May 17, 2023  |  First Published: May 17, 2023  |  8 comments

Archival label Light in the Attic (LITA) is behind the first official LP reissue of Nancy & Lee Again, the acclaimed 1972 sophomore collaborative album from Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, which was remastered for this release using the original analog tapes. In an AP exclusive video premiere, we go inside keyboard wizard Clare Fischer’s innovative deployment of the Yamaha EX-42 synthesizer on this truly classic album. . .

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Analog Gear News
High End Munich 2023 Preview: Goldring E4 Moving Magnet Cartridge
Mike Mettler  |  May 16, 2023  |  First Published: May 16, 2023  |  5 comments

With High End Munich 2023 right around the corner, we’re already getting word about some of the cool new analog gear debuting at the show. One such item that’s caught our eye is Goldring’s new E4 moving magnet cartridge. Read on to see what you can expect to get with the flagship E4 MMC. . .

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Analog Gear News
Metaxas & Sins Papillon Reel-to-Reel Tape Player
Mike Mettler  |  May 15, 2023  |  First Published: May 15, 2023  |  36 comments

Reel-to-reel tape players have been making quite the comeback of late, something we’re indeed excited to see for such a vaunted analog format. Relative to that, we’re even more pleased to note how the well-respected Metaxas & Sins brand name is making its new North American-distribution deal with Reel Sound Distribution known via a fine array of high-end gear, including the flagship model known as the Papillon reel-to-reel player. Read on to learn more about how the stunning Papillon operates in the modern age. . .

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News
On This Week’s Episode of Vinyl Obsession, Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s & Country Vocalist Brantley Gilbert Select Their Top 5 LPs
Mike Mettler  |  May 14, 2023  |  First Published: May 14, 2023  |  3 comments

Who's making their Top 5 picks on this week's episode of AXS TV's Vinyl Obsession? Glad you asked. This Sunday evening, May 14, Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's and country vocalist Brantley Gilbert bring us along during their respective shopping trips at Grimey's in Nashville as they both search for their Top 5 LPs. Read on to get a pair of AP-exclusive sneak previews of tonight's ep. . .

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Interviews
Ian Hunter May No Longer Be a Young Dude, But He Proves How Hard He Can Still Rock on Vinyl With a Little Help From His Friends on a Killer New Solo LP, Defiance Part 1
Mike Mettler  |  May 11, 2023  |  First Published: May 11, 2023  |  1 comments

Ian Hunter is a survivor. Not only that, but the veteran British vocalist of Mott the Hoople fame and a lengthy and fruitful solo career shows no signs of slowing down at age 83. The keen evidence laid out before us are the ten balls-out rockers populating his latest solo album, Defiance Part 1, released via Blue Cat/Sun Records on April 21 on black vinyl. In a recent Zoom audio interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Hunter discusses what he means by recording his music “back to front,” why Mott the Hoople’s version of “All the Young Dudes” endures to this day, and how Jerry Lee Lewis first got his juices a-goin’ to become a killer performer and recording artist. Don’t be shy — read on to get fully bitten by the Hunter mystique on vinyl. . .

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Analog Gear News
Plinius Koru Phono Preamp
Mike Mettler  |  May 09, 2023  |  First Published: May 09, 2023  |  14 comments

When we saw some cool Plinius gear in the system utilized for a Kuzma demo at AXPONA 2023, it reminded us that we needed to see what’s been going on with the vaunted New Zealand-born company of late — and thus, here we are with our eye firmly planted on the Plinius Koru phono preamp. Read on to get all the Koru spec details. . .

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News
On This Week's Vinyl Obsession, Ajay Popoff of Lit & Vocalist Chris Kirkpatrick Choose Their Top 5 LPs
Mike Mettler  |  May 06, 2023  |  First Published: May 06, 2023  |  4 comments

Who's making their picks on this week's episode of AXS TV's Vinyl Obsession? Glad you asked. This upcoming Sunday, May 7, Ajay Popoff of Lit and 'NSYNC vocalist Chris Kirkpatrick bring us along during their respective shopping trips at Grimey's in Nashville as they each seek out their Top 5 LPs. Read on to get an AP-exclusive sneak preview of that ep. . .

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Interviews
Steve Howe Explores the Science Behind Having His Short-Lived 1960s Band Tomorrow Reimagined on Vinyl Today, Plus He Unveils Some Other Topographic Revelations From the World of Yes
Mike Mettler  |  May 04, 2023  |  First Published: May 04, 2023  |  2 comments

It’s never too late to reclaim your legacy on vinyl. British guitar icon Steve Howe knows this concept quite well, in fact, and it’s the main impetus for what you see here —namely, the full revamping of his pre-Yes 1960s band Tomorrow’s debut February 1968 LP, now duly recast and retitled Permanent Dream, which was released in its new, 140g 1LP form by Spirit of Unicorn Music/Parlophone on April 28. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Howe discusses his “psychedelicized” impetus for revamping the original Tomorrow album, why the Permanent Dream tracklisting needed to be both revised and resequenced, and why the song that takes up the entirety of Side 1 of Yes’ iconic December 1973 double LP Tales From Topographic Oceans is actually shorter than it was intended to be. Read on to found out how Howe decided to bring Tomorrow into the vinyl world of today. . .

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News
On This Week's Vinyl Obsession, Charles Kelley of Lady A & Country Singer RaeLynn Each Pick Their Top 5 LPs
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 28, 2023  |  First Published: Apr 28, 2023  |  2 comments

Who's on this week's episode of AXS TV's Vinyl Obsession? Glad you asked. This upcoming Sunday, April 30, Charles Kelley of Lady A and country singer RaeLynn take us along during their respective shopping trips at Grimey's in Nashville as they each seek out their Top 5 LPs. Read on to get an AP-exclusive sneak preview of that show. . .

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Interviews
Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson Tells the Spiritual Tale of The Band’s New Album RökFlöte, and Further Decrees the Importance of Letting Things Breathe on Vinyl
Mike Mettler  |  Apr 26, 2023  |  First Published: Apr 26, 2023  |  7 comments

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson has been on a deeply entrenched spiritual quest of late. On Tull’s latest and 23rd studio album overall, RökFlöte, which was released on vinyl via InsideOut Music on April 21, he addresses the tenets of Norse paganism. In a recent Zoom interview with AP editor Mike Mettler, Jethro Tull’s once and future leader discusses the inner workings of RökFlöte, when he finally felt like Jethro Tull had gotten the right mix of their music on vinyl, and how the act of breathing is vitally important when it comes to both his singing and his flute playing. Read on to glean all of Ian Anderson’s earthly vinyl proclivities. . .

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