The Bronx - VI (2021)

 Are The Bronx the best band working in the US (or world) today? I'm not sure if they are the best, but one definitely has to add them into the discussion. 

Few bands can continually release albums that one thinks is their best, and then they follow it up with something equally as good as the predecessor. The Bronx accomplish this not by regurgitating the same material over and over, but continually mining from the same inspirations, and continually evolving their sound, and tweaking it each time, creating riffs that outshine the previous. All the while they are being propelled forward by the brilliant Matt Caughthran. I, personally, can't think of another vocalist who can scream as harsh as he can, yet still shine through that scream with an infectious melody that nestles itself into your brain. 

On top of all this, we have to pay attention to the lively and intense drumming. I was a little worried about the loss of original drummer Jorma Vik, but The Bronx have continued to prove that they know how important the drums have been to their sound. We aren't talking about groundbreaking drumming, but rather drumming that hits with fills at the perfect spots, while being incredibly flashy and tasty, and exactly what is needed. The drumming makes its presence, but never tries to over shadow anything else. 

Songs like "White Shadow" and "Superbloom" are classic Bronx style tracks. While a song like "Watering the Well" gives us just a straight-up good time rock and roll tune. The Bronx never forgets they are here to rock the hell out of the room, and they do this almost non-stop.

They do step out a little bit with the song "Mexican Summer," almost to remind us of the bands alter-ego, Mariachi El Bronx. But we follow up this track with "New Lows" that quickly throws up back to The Bronx that we bought the album by. 

"Breaking News" made me suddenly realize how much Matt can sound like Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, early Black Flag) at times. The song itself is pretty much straight forward hardcore, so this leads to his voice and that similarity very easy to make and connect. 

"Jack of All Trades" is the type of thing that The Bronx do so well. A perfect mix of punk, new wave of British Heavy Metal, 70s hard rock, everything all mashed into one track. The riff is almost "Green Manalishi," but I am betting they first heard the Corrosion of Conformity version, then the Judas Priest, then eventually moved to Fleetwood Mac (yes, that was my original listening order, so what). 

The final song, "Participation Trophy," isn't quite the punch I would hope them to end on, but the songwriting and riffing and switching is incredibly cool. I'm thinking this was the ending choice because they wanted to show off the writing and the killer groove. We aren't ending with a bang, but rather a "Yeah, watch what we can do here, and where we might be heading!"

As I said, are they the best current band? Not sure, but they deserve to be in the argument, and they definitely are one of the best current bands, and without a doubt one of the most consistent. 

Edit: Yes, I stepped away from the other albums that were recently purchased. A favorite record store announced that they are shutting down business, and they are having a massive sale. So, I had to run up there and grab a few things I was hoping they still had. This is one of those purchases. 

New family members for the weekend of 2/20/2022

Are there many things better than cheap records? Finding great music for a few bucks here and there? Seriously, does it get much better than that?

Oh, sure, I guess if you don't collect records or music, then it probably isn't so great. Heck, at that point it is probably a pretty good waste of money, no matter how little you spend. I guess if you prefer gumballs, and that is your ideal purchase for a weekend, then $2.00 on a dusty piece of vinyl you might never listen to is a pretty big waste. 

Nonetheless, for those of you who do like music, $2.00 of a great find it a wonderful way to spend your money.

So, in the spirit of celebrating cheap finds, why not take a little look at the wonderful finds from this past weekend?

The Nice - Elegy (1971)

I like Emerson Lake and Palmer, but that is as far as it goes. One of those bands that were always just shy of being great, in my opinion. Musicianship they are second to none. Brilliant as players, and that really can't be argued. Their songs, however, always fell just a little short. More flash than substance. 

The Nice is Keith Emerson's band before he joined ELP. I have never really given them much of a try, so I decided to finally step into it with this. I believe I have seen some people prefer The Nice. 

Was it worth the hefty price tag of $3.99? Stay tuned to find out! I do love that Hipgnosis cover, so that is a win there.

Caravan - Caravan and The New Symphonia (1974)

It's Caravan. It's a live Caravan album. I don't walk away from that. This was the most expensive item. Paid $10 for this one. I don't usually balk at buying Caravan, regardless of the price. It is usually a pretty rare day that one finds certain albums by them, so if you like them, grab them. I already know what to expect, so I know my money is safe with the material. One of the few prog bands that even in their "bad" years managed to turn out quality material.

King Crimson - U.S.A. (1975)

Similar to the Caravan. Live Crimson. I don't know as if Crimson are capable of turning out garbage. Even if the material isn't to your liking, the quality of everything under the hood is there.

You know, they're kind of like another ELP for me, though. I like Crimson. I don't love them. I like them. But, Crimson has more that I like than ELP. This covers some pretty great material, even at only 6 songs. I have the cassette. But, having the cassette only means I haven't listened to it in 30 years or so. 30 years???

Jukka Tolonen - Crossection (1975)

No idea. Looks Prog. It is on the Janus label, which means it is Prog. Reading up on the guy on Prog Archives it almost sounds like he is legendary, but even the band that spawned him is totally unknown to me, and they only have a few albums out. No, I don't remember their name, and I am not super interested in searching them out right now. In a couple of days when I listen to this thing I will comment on that stuff then. 

I did check out a little of the band he came from (again, don't know the name off hand and I don't speak the language, so it totally didn't stick), and they are pretty fantastic. 

Pretty Things - Savage Eye (1975)

This is a band I have been interested in for a few years, but never grabbed anything by for some reason. In fact, I haven't even really checked them out on a stream. I think I was always holding off until I got something by them. I believe they are a band that straddled almost every genre there is, but never fell into just one of them. Si, I grabbed it and am looking forward to this one. For some reason I kind of lump them mentally with Golden Earring. 

So, these will all be spun over the week and I will write about them all as I get to them. I also grabbed a couple more today for only $0.50 a piece. Trevor Rabin's debut and the 80's damaged Renaissance album Time-Line, which features Ian Mosely from Marillion on drums! 

Stay tuned for the excitement!!!

Various Artists - Mystic Radio Presents Covers (1985)

I'll be honest, in 1985 or 1986 I would have loved this thing. I never owned this one back in the day, and I acquired it from my friend Colleen. I decided it needed a safe home, so I bought it off of her. Back in the day, I would have loved it. 

Today?

Oof. There is some decent stuff on here. Scared Straight's "Born to be Wild" works well enough. The two covers of "Cherry Bomb" and "Born to Lose" are also worthy covers. 

Some tracks like "Super Freak" (Membranes) and "Tight Pants (El Nirvana) are not great but they are still pretty fun. The musicianship is pretty good, and it is just the lack of production that hurts these two, and with a little guidance, they probably could have pulled them off. 

Slaughterhouse Five does a pretty killer version of "O Baby" by the mighty Status Quo. This one will get future listens. Great driving energy, and I would bet even Quo might have enjoyed this. Granted, there is that typical drum fill, probably stolen from Scott of Agent Orange. 

But, then there is stuff like the absolutely horrific cover of "Back In The Saddle" by Sado Nation. Seriously, this is exactly what people who hate punk hate about punk. Absolute shit production, worse musicianship, and vocals that are nails on a chalkboard.

The version of "Taking Care of Business" is brilliant in its over-the-top early/mid-80s punk mentality of "speed over everything else." It definitely got a big smile out of me. I know 16 year old me would have been calling for this one from the pit. Up to this point, this one is my favorite on the album. One of those great punk bands that hide their true skill, but are insanely tight and tear the place apart.

I am not a fan of "Sunshine of Your Love," but Party Doll does a pretty cool cover. Nice drumming for sure! I can only imagine this one killed live. Great early Goth. 

Hats off to V.O.A. for a decent turn on "Suffragette City." I expect some Bowie fans would hate this, but these guys find a groove in the song that I really haven't heard exploited before, and it really swings. Best way to describe it there, it swings. 

So far, yeah, side two is a damn fine batch of songs. 

Oh, next is Government Issue, so we know this will be solid. Then after that is No FX. 

Hmmm, "Wild Blood" by Government isn't really working for me. Not bad, but the song itself is just OK. 

How will No FX fair with "Iron Man," a song I am not a huge fan of? Well, they seem to be sticking pretty faithful. Even trying to hit the guitar tone, it seems. The drumming and vocals are pretty rough. I'll pass on this one. It gains a little steam as it goes, but not a whole lot. It is just making the wait for the next song that much worse.

Next up, however, is the very reason I grabbed this thing. 

The Flower Leperds hand in their cover of "Jumping Jack Flash." I have their version on their LP, but since this is about 5 years prior, I am hoping it is a different version. The version on their LP is one of the single greatest covers ever recorded. Total attitude and fitting in perfect with the original song. 

Yeah, still incredible amounts of "bad ass" for this version! Best song on this damn record. Pure punk meets trash bliss! Nice split channels for the guitars, and Marc Olson sounds wonderful. Jeff Wolfe is his typical cool ass self. 

Plainwrap wins the album!!! Their cover of "It's A Small World" is absolutely brilliant! Absolutely brilliant in all regards! The drummer kills on this song!

So, yeah, a bit of a mixed bag. Only one absolutely horrid piece of music, the rest goes between good to almost great, with the Flower Leperds being the Flower Leperds. 

Agent Orange - When You Least Expect It . . . (1983)

"O.K. so Scott learned a new fancy drum fill and is determined to show us all that damn fill."

The whole band had to be thinking that during the recording of "Its Up To Me and You," because Scott plays the hell out of that one fill. It is a great song, and the fill is lovely the first time, but Neil Peart needed to have a chat with Scott about overkilling a fill. 

When I think of Agent Orange I think of skaters, Flipside magazine, and my continually goofing them up with The Effigies, for some reason. I think I had a comp. cassette back in the day that had both Agent Effigies on it, back to back, and I just always goofed them up. 

Their cover of "Somebody To Love" is pretty great, no doubt about that. I am betting most people who bought this were buying it for that cover. But, I did check out the live album they did, with the live cover of this. The live version is actually better, and a little more intense on the vocal. This is still a fantastic version, and a great example of what was so great about the punk scene of this era. When you saw that a band in the scene was doing a cover, you knew it was going to be pretty solid. The punks in the 80s knew how to stay true, but also how to totally make a song their own. 

In case you were wondering, Agent Orange does an admirable job of moving the music from their area (surf and psychedelic) and mixing it in with the 80s punk scene of the California area. There are also only four songs here, so there isn't a whole lot to say about it as far as depth. In fact, one song is a cover, two are instrumentals, and the first song is the lone original with vocals, but it has Scott and that damned drum fill. But, that is a good song, and the cover is killer.

They're from Placentia, California. Folks who are from California, is that in Orange County?

Thanks to Colleen for the tunes!

Black Flag - Everything Went Black (1982)

Black Flag, one of those bands I always had seriously mixed emotions about, but also a band that my own guitar playing was compared to more than once. That last fact always irked me, as they were definitely never an influence, but somehow I came across sounding like Ginn. 

I should probably restate all of that. I was never a fan of Black Flag, until I found The First Four Years, which is all of the pre-Henry Rollins material. With that I got to hear the Keith Morris material, and that stuff I was a big fan of for sure. The band had a different approach at that point, a little more straight-forward and a little less of the noise style that guitarist Ginn would eventually create. 

The song "Nervous Breakdown" (which is not on this release I am currently listening to) became one of the only cover songs I would attempt with a band. We had the verses down pretty good, but the chorus bit was a mess. I wonder if doing that one song would eventually influence more of my playing? 

I haven't made an effort to listen to Flag in years. My cassette deck hasn't been set-up for a few years. I am planning to get a new deck sooner than later, but it has to match the rest of my gear, and be a toerable price. So, listening to this and hearing these songs again after many years, Morris is still my favorite of the Flag vocalists. Chavo (Ron Reyes) and Dez point the direction to Rollins. Is it safe (or foolish) to say that when Rollins joined the band Ginn told him to do what Chavo and Dez were doing?

I have always liked Flag, I think my issue was I always felt they were overrated, and Rollins always bugged me. It didn't help that I went to see Dag Nasty when they opened for The Rollins Band at the Cubby Bear in Chicago one night. This was the first round of the Rollins Band. At this time they were a slow, prodding, horrible experiment gone horribly wrong. I remember the entire audience deciding to sit down, with some actually lying down on the floor. My memory one song was more or less one chord, slowly played, for about 20 minutes, all while Henry stood on stage yelling about something. 

I remember being excited to see Rollins. He had kind of been out for a little time, I think. I know it was the first proper chance I had of seeing the legend that was Henry Rollins. It was a pretty massive letdown and kind of helped to ruin all of my thoughts of Rollins, and turned him into a joke for me. So much so that when he came back with a revamped Rollins Band, to massive critical praise, I still just rolled my eyes and laughed at the guy. 

"Louie, Louie" just came on . . . crap . . . I just realized it was the Flag version that made me learn how to play the song and start doing it with a band . . . maybe I was a bigger fan than I thought I was .

My Greg Ginn comparisons would eventually fade once I stopped trying to create the ultimate punk band, something I never even got close to doing.

"Damaged II" is still such a killer song. That one I seriously love a whole bunch. It's that part when it kicks in, that bit is so great and helps cover up the "start-stop" main verses. 

So, yeah, Flag is still cool. Still overrated, in my opinion, but cool stuff. Keith Morris era is still my favorite, and I still will take the Circle Jerks over Flag. 

Off! VS Black Flag? That's a tough call. I think I have a little problem with Off! in that Morris is kind of doing a post-Morris Flag. They have more in common with Chavo/Dez/Rollins sounding Flag than they do Morris era Flag. Yes?

Thanks to Colleen for the tunes!

AC/DC - '74 Jailbreak (1984)

 

So, there was once this band called AC/DC. They were either Satanists or bi-sexuals who were popular in the 70s and early 80s. Some people thought that might have some longevity, but they eventually disappeared from the face of the earth and were never heard from again. Shame. They might have amounted to something had they just had a fair shot. 

I was talking with a friend the other day. Well, texting with a friend. I rarely actually talk to friends anymore. But, we were chatting about AC/DC, and both of us are lifelong fans, who just never collected all their stuff for one reason or another. My problem was I became one of those punks who took his "punkness" extremely seriously. I didn't like anything that wasn't under the "punk" banner for a few years there. My poor copy of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap met with the unruly defacing perpetrated by an ignorant and arrogant twit who was wearing my skin and clothes at the time. I also eventually sold off my copy of Back In Black to buy some other record. I would like to get in my Wayback Machine to see what it was I bought. Was I an idiot, or was it a worthy purchase?

Just a few years after such idiotic actions occurred, I eventually started grabbing their material again. I eventually realized AC/DC encompassed more of the punk attitude than almost every punk act combined. The kings of not giving a fuck about what anybody thought of them.

This one, however, never came my way. It came out between two of their "less than loved" releases (Flick of the Switch and Fly on the Wall), and while it was Bon Scott era, it isn't really ideal Bon Scott material. While "Jailbreak" and "Soul Stripper" are pretty good (with "'74" being a little more that pretty good), the others aren't "must hear" tracks. I don't know the exact reasons it was released, but I can only guess it was an attempt at trying to keep people interested in the band after the mediocre showing of Flick of the Switch, which is a fine album, but did nothing for the public. But it is odd that they rolled out Bon Scott era, which almost seems foolish. Was it to prove Johnson superior? To remind people how great Scott was? To show how far they had come in song writing and production? We can say that for anybody who says "AC/DC only does one type of song" might be interested in checking this out. "Jailbreak" is pretty much what one expects out of AC/DC, but the other tunes are a fairly varied bunch, with the cover of "Baby, Please Don't Go" being, while Blues and obviously in their wheelhouse, a rather different sounding tune for them. Angus in particular is not soloing exactly as we expect Angus to solo. There are a few runs he does that are not typical.

Most AC/DC fans have this, and I'm not saying anything new. But, well, there ya go.

Also, yeah, the name makes no damn sense.

Thanks, again, to Colleen for the tunes.

Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust, Inc. (1981)

 

I'll be honest, I didn't listen to this one much back in the day. I had the cassette, and it was the least listened to of the Kennedys material. I did have them all, but this one just never clicked for me. 

To be fair, it is probably the most "punk" and "hardcore" of them all. Pretty much a full speed ahead assault on the senses. But, it lacks the hooks of the rest of their material. For me it does, at least. 

I also have to say, this one really is a great example of what I was talking about in the Frankenchrist post, in regards to the sound quality. Granted, I am spinning a very old pressing of the record, and it has been loved, but it is still without a doubt a rough recording. Purchasing this on a 2000 gram, limited edition slab of wax that was overseen by Jello himself is kind of pointless. A remix might be an interesting concept, but it would also ruin the charm of the album. Obviously made for nothing, and it benefits from that in regards to what this stuff is supposed to be. 

You know, when I think about it, that is kind of the problem with a lot of punk these days. Or, with what passes for punk to the masses. It is too produced, too polished. It lacks the heart of the immediacy of something like this. This is really what punk was supposed to be about. 

Dammit. I think I talked myself into liking this one a whole lot more all of a sudden. I'm going to start it over again. I'll be back. 

Yeah, it might be my favorite of theirs after this listen. This is why I fell in love with Punk back around 1983 - 1984. 

Thanks to Colleen for the tunes. 

Format change . . . yes again . . . shut-up.

 I know, I made this threat before. A big change, and a bunch of new posts. Well, this time I mean it. There will be most posts coming in the future, and it is basically going to happen because of my change in formats. 

One of the biggest issues I always had was how to attack a review exactly. Does one talk about the songs? Talk about the influences and who the band sounds like? Should I take the time to address every single song? How about the musicianship? Do I pay the most attention to the playing, the writing, the A&R department and if their creation and/or suggestions are really working for the band?

I finally decided the answer is both "yes" and "no." But not for every record.  

From now on, all I am going to do is write about whatever I feel like writing about. Some records will make me want to write about them, and what I write about is basically going to be stream of consciousness type of stuff. Somedays I will be technical, other times I am just going to sit and reminisce about the days of yore. Other times I will analyze every single song, other times I might not mention a single song title. I might also spend the whole time going on and on about the individual musicians.

Who knows? I sure don't.

Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist (1985)

 Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist (1985)

So many things to say about this album. We can talk about the band and what they meant (mean) to the U.S. hardcore and punk scene. We can talk about the figure known as Jello Biafra. We can talk about how wrong people are when they talk about punk being a talentless form of music, and completey missing the intricacy that does exist in music such as what DK did. We can also talk about petty bickering and how money can ruin great things too. 

We can obviously also talk about censorship and banned albums and images. 

Yes, this is the album that took Dead Kennedys from being one of the most important underground bands, to actually being a household name that even grandparents knew about (and were horrified by the name). All thanks to a poster of a bunch of willies painted by a man best known for creating an alien that gave people the willies. 

I remember the controversy quite well. Of course, I was one of those punks who was already a fan of the band. I can't remember if I bought the cassette before or after the controversy, but I know my thought process was at some point "yeah, I don't need that poster," completely oblivious to the future collectability of the album. Seriously, nobody ever thought about the "future value" of this stuff. Most of us were made fun of for liking this "garbage." Who would have think that this stuff would some day be the most sought after form of music on the planet?

At the time, I liked the album. But, my cassette was good enough. I grabbed cassettes mainly due to the ease of transport and car use. Plus, they were much easier to get out of the record stores with nobody noticing. 

This copy here is a re-homed copy. It belonged to an old friend from high school who is clearing out parts of her collection. So, it only made sense to keep it in a part of the friend group. If she ever needs to visit, she knows where to find it for visitations. I

This copy is lacking the liner notes and aforementioned poster. The record looks like a punk album that came out in the 80s. I question any punk releases from the era that are in mint condition. We were punks, it wasn't about being anal with our records. I took care of them, but all my records and cassettes definitely looked like they were used. 

Listening to it again, after many years without listening, I am actually very much enjoying this one. It isn't as blazing as Fresh Fruit, but the songs are definitely infective little creatures, with some killer hooks and grooves.

"Jock-O-Rama" is making me realize I think I stole the concept for a song I wrote way back in the day. I guess I forgot about that little bit. Good thing I never made it. Pretty sure Mr. Biafra would have been knocking at my door.

As I sit here listening to this, I am also struck by the old thought I always had when people spoke about "great sound quality" with CDs and whatnot. I was one who always said "Pfft, I am listening to music recorded in basements for budgets of pennies." Basically stating that what I was listening to really didn't require the finest sound systems and high-end equipment, or the best of the recorded formats. The bands didn't rely on expensive production budgets or the highest of quality instruments. Hell, some bands recorded using borrowed instruments. 

I now to have a pretty good quality system. But, I can also say that the static and slight issues of the age of the records is adding to the listening experience. This isn't meant as a knock of the music. In fact, to the contrary, this is a case of the music is "salt of the earth," it is real, it is raw. High sheen and polish just won't work for this. 

Good stuff here. A classic album that I am actually enjoying a whole lot more now than I did in 1985 when I first bought the dang thing. 

Thanks to Colleen for the tunes.

Upgrades to the System

The blog has been on a bit of a vacation for a while now. There have been a few reasons for this. Part of the reason was my own procrastination and time. Then there was my working on a masters program for my job, family issues, and the the realities of the amount of time eaten up by my job in the new world of remote learning for my students. 

The other issue that started to get in my way of the growing desire and addiction that comes with building a new system. 

 I've always been known to be a bit of an opinionated person, and at times possibly snobbish about certain things in life. The opinionated is obvious, as I have been reviewing movies and music for 20+ years now, and even started my own fanzine because I thought my opinion mattered and people actually gave a toss about it. 

As for the snobbish side, that has always come down to music and movie preference, BBQ and popcorn. Now, I disagree about my snobbishness about music. People accuse me of this, but the only people I give a hard time about with their musical choices are those people who would understand the fun ribbing, and I welcome people giving me crap about mine. But, I rarely am serious when I give people a hard time about music. But, if you ask my opinion about something, I will tell you what I think and I will not sugarcoat it. 

Oddly enough, one area I have never been snobbish about is the sound quality of my music system. Now, this is not to say I have always accepted a terribly sound, but I have never gone for the audiophile mindset. I have also always questioned the veracity of the audiophile. Could there REALLY be such a huge difference between the nice sounding system (garbage according to audiophiles) I was using, and the insanely expensive systems these other people were using? How on earth could there really be such a large difference in sound?

So, as I have been moving on with my life I have decided to go ahead and start building a better system and find out for myself. I started with just a turntable I was given for free, a pre-amp, an old 90s Pioneer component receiver, and the Pioneer speakers from that same system. All of this garbage, according to the audiophiles. I read comments such as "I wouldn't take that stuff from a rummage sale if they paid ME to take it." I was also turned down from the few places I tried trading my equipment in to. There must be something to all of this! 

The first step was getting hold of a better receiver. So, my wife's aunt was getting rid of her old Pioneer SX-535. Maybe not top of the line, but from an era where the focus was on turntables and not 5.1 surround sound for your movies (as was pointed out to be recently). While the sound wasn't as loud, it did have a better sound. There was more clarity and it had a warmer sound.

Next was the turntable. I grabbed the Audio Technica LP120, the black version. Maybe not the top of the line, but one that gets a ton of respect and is an obvious "HEY! I'm going to start caring about what I am playing my records on!!!" statement. Even with this table, however, there are improvements to be made. I will get to those later.

I eventually upgraded the speakers to a set of ADS L780 speakers. I did my research on those, and had decided I was going to go the ADS route. I liked everything I read about them, and those had good word of mouth and would work well with my system. Plus, the guy I bought them from gave me a deal that I was super happy with, and ADS are his favorite speakers. Plus, he topped it off with the deal that once I am ready to upgrade again, he will buy them back at the price he sold them to me for. This fact would eventually become a moot point.

With those speakers I started to believe there was a difference. The sound was better. How? I think the separation was better, and the clarity was ridiculous. I ran the speakers A-B with the old Pioneer speakers. Flipping back and firth between the two. Acoustic guitars jumped out in the mix that were buried by the electrics on certain recordings, vocals were more forward, snare drums had more "crack" to them.

While enjoying my new speakers, I was suddenly facing the next step in the process, as the tone arm/stylus went flying across a brand new record as the needle blew out. Yes, suddenly I was faced with the fact that now I would have to buy a new needle/stylus/cartridge. It was time to do a bunch of research. 

Ortofon is the name you you hear and read the most. It seems that is where everybody goes right away. But, I decided to do a little more research and find the cartridge that would benefit my system the best. The more I read, the more I learned that high quality cartridges are NOT recommended for every system, and in some cases it could go against the system you have running. So, pairing up the proper cartridge is a crucial move. 

I eventually decided to go with the Audio-Technica VM540ML. It got amazing reviews and in many cases was considered superior to the Ortofon of equal price, and often times compared to be more in competition with the higher priced Ortofon. As I researched, I found many cases where there are many choices for the consumer. As with many things, there is no clear cut "best" product. There is a sea of worthy options. Research what people are saying each one excels in, and pair it with what type of music you like to listen to. The one I got has a reputation for string middle levels, which paired well with the ADS speakers I am running. This became the focus on the system. 

Before I knew it, I was suddenly leaving the shop with a Cary tube amp. How that was happening, I had no idea. My wife wasn't too crazy to see me suddenly walking through the front door with a bunch of glass objects exposed to everything, and then a $3000 price tag also exposed. 

This one, luckily, had issues and had to go back. But, the seed was planted to start trying out new receivers. 

I started where I think most everybody starts, Marantz. You read about them enough, hear about them enough, and they look cool as hell. But, they also cost a ton. 

The owner of one of my main record shops, who also sells equipment and which is where I got my speakers from, is a huge Sansui fan. With a little coaxing from him, I suddenly found myself bringing home a Sansui AU-717. I started to research what I had, and saw that it excels in bringing out a tube-like warmth with amazing mids. Well, this seemed like everything I could want! My system was more or less based around the mids, so let's keep this train rolling!

The 717 did have a few issues. There was a constant crackle, and Sansui's are known for a glue that breaks down and corrodes the inner electronics. Plus, any older piece usually needs new capacitors. Work was needed, but I could tell that I liked the unit. I had a vacation coming up, so I brought the unit back to the shop for a complete reworking of the insides, and when I got back into town I would give it another run through and see if it was going to be a keeper. But, before I dropped it off, I did do a quick "back to back" with my Pioneer receiver to see how much better it was. The Sansui was obviously louder, but it also carried a better soundstage and gave a better separation to the instruments. Everything was clearer and better spaced out(?). I knew there that I was definitely interested in the piece.

As I left out of town I decided it was also time to take care of another issue. The Audio-Technica LP-120 turntable has a pre-amp in the unit. While this is a nice feature for the person who just wants to hear the music on an affordable budget, it has never been used in my system. Quick research in the beginning told me to turn off the pre-amp and use a separate pre-amp (which I did at first) or buy a proper receiver or amp. Further research also told me that the pre-amp, even turned off on the turntable, gets in the way of sound quality. Many people have taken the time to by-pass the pre-amp, or even remove it from the unit. I asked my daughter's boyfriend (an electrical engineer), if he could by-pass the pre-amp while I was gone. He agreed to the task.

By the time I got back I had the turntable bypass done, the Sansui re-capped and cleaned up, and I had also taken my ADS speakers in for a work over as there was an oddity happening. Now the system was ready to rock!!!

I brought everything home and got ready to go. Threw it all together, and I can honestly say, some of the music I played sounded amazing. The whole "audiophile" mentality started to make sense. Some of what I played had never sounded better. Eloy's "Dawn" album had a clarity that was just amazing. Some albums were brilliant. I decided I wanted the Sansui. So, I went back to pay. When there a deal was struck. Not only did I leave with the Sansui AU-717, but for the cost of one of my guitars, the shop owner also threw in the matching tuner, the TU-717.

So, I was done! Right? 

Well . . . not quite. 

As I said, some of the music I played sounded mind-blowing. But, there was a slight problem. Some of what I played lacked a decent bottom end. Remember, the system was built all around perfect mids. Also, as I bought the amp, I also picked up a couple used Eloy albums that had been dropped off, one of which was their "Power and the Passion" album, and the bass on that thing almost killed the speakers.

I knew I wasn't finished. I had one more step for the time being. I needed a speaker to handle the bass. But, I didn't want to lose the clarity of the mids and highs that I had going on here. There was only one possibly solution. 

The ADS L-780 speakers I am running have a couple of "brother" ("sister"?) speakers. The L-710 and the L-810 speakers. The 710s are considered pretty much a perfect speaker, totally well rounded. The 810 is extremely similar, but many people complain that the speaker has too much low end. Too much bass. 

Considering my issue was coming down to a lack of bass, I became fairly interested in the 810. Plus, my shop-owner (Bill, his name is Bill, by the way) considered the 810 his favorite speaker. From everything I was reading and hearing about them, they became the ones I was after. 

After a short hunt, I found them for a pretty good price, and then proceeded to make an offer $100 less than they were on sale for. The seller took the money, and I got the speakers a week later. 

I hooked them up, and I prepared to be blown away by the amazing sound that was going to come through my speakers and change my music listening life forever!

What came out of my speakers was . . . well . . . fairly underwhelming. It sounded . . . O.K.? But, yeah, it was ALL bass. I had very weak mids, and almost no highs. High-hats were absent, acoustic guitars vanished. nothing was there if it was mid to higher range. 

I started researching. Everything I read spoke about how clear the highs and mids were. How beautiful everything sounded with the 810s. Even people who complained about the low bass even commented on how great the mids and highs were, just the bass was bothersome. 

I kept researching. I started to fear that the tweeters were blown out. Ugh, having to spend the money now on new tweeters!?! My wife would kill me!!!

Then, as I kept researching, I found an article that mentioned the fuses in the back of the speaker. The fuses I had seen when trying to figure this stuff out. The fuses that control the tweeters. The fuses that ADS was kind enough to give you spares of in the speakers. Yes, I had four fuses in my speakers, and they required two. Two of what I saw were spares. 

When I got home I ran to my system. I spun the speakers around, pulled the old fuses, threw in the spares, pulled out Back in Black put it on at an extremely quiet volume. I lined up "Shoot to Thrill," (a song that I was severely bummed out by with the 810 speakers, and one of my all-time favorite recordings for every reason under the sun) and lowered the needle. 

Very quietly I could almost hear it was all there! I then spun the volume up loud. Yes, it was ALL there!!! The mids were right there, in your face. The highs were crisp and bright, but not painful, and the bass was full and thudding, brining everything back down to Earth. 

The clarity was astonishing. The separation was amazing, the soundstage made you feel like you were sitting right there in the room. Vocals are right there in the room with you. I could almost stand up and shake hands with Brian Johnson. 

I went from album to album after that. No doubt, some albums sounded better than others (Leftovertures by Kansas is amazing), while others are just sort of "ho-hum." Basically, if a band really put the effort into a recording, you can tell. It is there. There care and money come pouring through your speakers. If a band just recorded and didn't put a lot of effort into the listening experience, other than writing a cool song, then it shows. Sometimes it shows more than others, with some recordings being almost painful to listen to. Case in point, the Dead Boys release "Younger, Louder and Snottyer." This is the "raw" mix of their debut album. The debut has always been accused of being too polished and not a good representation of the band. I had always loved both albums, but also agreed the more raw release was the better. 

With the current system, however, the sound is almost painful. To my ears it sounds like a poorly duped cassette version of the original recording (which, in a way, is what this is). By the time I got to the end of the album, I was extremely thankful to be through it all. I shelved the album with the thought of revisiting it once I get the EQ that matches the system, hoping that will tame the beast a bit. But, having very little desire to re-visit it any time soon. I started to understand those people who tear an album apart because of the poor recording and mastering (with the exception of the guy on Prog Archives who keeps tearing into Deluge Grander and their albums, as they actually sound fantastic on this system).

So, is my system finished? For the foreseeable future, yes. I do know that my turntable is not the best, and that can be improved. But, I am in no rush. As mentioned, there is an EQ that goes with this system, and a matching cassette deck. I do want those, just for completing, but I am not in a rush. In the next few years I will have this thing exactly where I want it to be. I did keep the ADS L-780 speakers, and I have no intention on trading them in, as they are perfect for some things and REALLY are amazing when running alongside the L-810s.

I should also stress, aside from my turntable and cartridge, the newest piece of equipment I am running is from 1978. My goal when building this system was to remain vintage. I like vintage. It was also mentioned to me that (as said above) when all of these pieces were being manufactured, they were being made with the intent of powering music. Not movies, not your phone, just music, and specifically, music coming from a turntable. This was also a time when things were built to last. The AU and Tu-717 units I am running look brand new. Every 717 I have seen has cleaned up to looking brand new. The speakers also look fantastic. It all also weights just under a ton. The Sansui is solid metal, while the speakers are not particle board or anything of the sort. They seem to be oak, or some other solid wood.

Do you need vintage? I believe this is a personal preference. There are a lot people who believe modern speakers are worlds better than the vintage. From everything I have read, if you spend $300 on vintage, and $300 on modern, the modern will be the better deal. If you start spending higher than that, the vintage speakers you will be getting will be of a higher quality and more of the audiophile realm. I do firmly believe that my ADS L-810 speakers will outlive a modern speaker, just due to the quality of the pieces inside. As I said, my ADS are solid wood and high quality parts. Most modern speakers are maid out of plastic casings. If you have ever tried to move a 20-30 year old TV, you know what happens to old plastic that has been exposed to the sun at all. It will usually shatter like glass.

In the end, I do understand the audiophile mentality. There is a definite, undeniable difference in a low-priced "just threw it together" system and one that has taken time and thought. The pieces I have in my system I paid a decent amount of money for, but that is also due to my not wanting to wait to stumble onto the pieces at a garage sale, but it does happen. I recently hit a sale and found an old Sansui receiver and paid $5 for it. It is much less the piece than the AU-717, but it is a great piece and proves that you can find them out there. I am still a little confused how a speaker can actually be worth $150,000 (they are out there), but I am not foolish enough to say "you can't hear the difference," as I am now sure that you can. But, is it worth that much to you? If your budget allows it, then who knows?

If you are considering building a new system, but are hesitant and wondering if it will make that much of a difference, I say "yes, go for it, you will be happy you did it!" What the correct order is in replacing pieces, I have no idea. Mine was dictated by chance and situation. I think you will notice the biggest difference with the speakers and the receiver/amp. I feel the cartridge will only really "shine" once the other aspects have been found. It is the final "tweak." I say that because I did not have the same "Holy shit!" moment with that as I did with the others. 

So, now, let's get back to checking out some tunes!!!

Record Store Reviews: Mile Long Records and Scratched Vinyl

I haven't done one of these for a good long while. Part of the reason is due to Covid. In case you all didn't know, travel and shopping kind of ceased to exist for about a year. But, over the past two months I have started to venture out into the world again. I am now fully vaccinated, so I am safe to wander through the forest of Pandemia . . . or so we think. Who really knows?

This past weekend I had a few hours to kill. So, with that time I do what I usually try to do when trying to kill some time, I go record shopping. On this day, I was lucky enough to be able to hit two stores I had never been to before. 

These will be short little reviews. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in either store, so I am just pretty much going by quick impressions. 

First up was Mile Long Records in Wheaton, Illinois. 

Right off the bat the thing my buddy and I noticed is that they had a few things on the shelf that people had looked past, or they had back-up stock that people have just passed by. With this stock they also have not re-priced the items due to demand. 

Case in point: My buddy found Tesla's The Great Radio Controversy, one of the "hot items" from a Record Store Day of last year. That thing is now fetching some pretty high prices on eBay and other sites. But, here they had it priced still at the RSD price. We noticed this with a few items. The prices do seem to remain. 

That being said, the prices are retail priced. Deals only really come around with the new items that remain priced as they were upon initial release. They don't have cheaper prices than anybody else, and Amazon seems to be cheaper. Plus, their used prices were pretty dang high. I actually stopped looking for used after being frustrated by seeing too many ridiculously priced items that you find everywhere. 

The store is super clean, and the counter help was friendly enough upon check-out.

Purchased: The Damned - Grave Disorder, The Damned - The Rockfield Files

Reason to buy from here: Instant gratification. 

Next up on my run was Scratched Vinyl in Barrington, Illinois. 

This store was once known as Rainbow Records, and they were fairly legendary once upon a time. 

Now, they are a tiny little store located in downtown Barrington. Upon walking in I was hit in the face by Ozric Tentacles playing. This is always a good sign. A shop owner playing fairly obscure bands is always a welcome sign, as it shows they person dives into music and is also not content to just spin the same old stuff. 

Glancing through the fronts, one also sees right away that you are in a shop with some unique stuff. This isn't garage sale fair, nor estate sale fare. This shop seems to be a carefully pieced together collection of merchandise. One that is trying to be a step outside of the norm. 

The prices were a little high, but the merchandise also begged for that, as it wasn't run of the mill. I don't know why, but the prices didn't seem to bother me as much as the prices at Mile Long. I think partially because there was more variety in the prices. One of the things that irks me is when a shop prices things exclusively by Discogs prices. I get the impression that here at Scratched the Discogs prices are checked, but then the question of "but what price will more this?" comes into play. I saw a few items with pretty good prices on them, as well as a few prices on the higher side. 

The owner was friendly enough, especially when checking out. As I was leaving he showed me the Ozric album and the printing error on it. It was a quick little conversation that brought back memories of the hours I would spend hanging out in record shops just talking about music. 

Purchased: Budgie - Impeckable, Let's Active - Every Dog Has His
Day, KTel Hot Tracks, The War of the Worlds radio play

Reason to buy from here: Just a cool little shop with great merchandise and some fair prices. 

Of the two stores, I will become a regular at Scratched Vinyl for sure. I am looking forward to my next trip there and trying to decide when that could be.

 Mile Long I will visit again, but it won't be a destination shop. It will also be a shop to buy new from, not used.