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  • Diving into Disco, Part 4 โ€” Funk and Memphis Soul

    James Brownโ€™s funk revolution redefined rhythm, shifting focus to the downbeat groove in hits like โ€œPapaโ€™s Got a Brand New Bag.โ€ Meanwhile, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and Eddie Floyd shaped soulโ€™s evolution, fueling discoโ€™s dancefloor legacy.

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  • Beatles Let It Be Reissueโ€”how good is this album, really?

    The Beatlesโ€™ final days remain endlessly debated, with new Let It Be reissues and Peter Jacksonโ€™s film offering fresh insights. Despite tensions and break-up rumors, recent releases reveal more joy, creativity, and a deeper look into the bandโ€™s last sessions.

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  • Arcade Fireโ€™s Richard Reed Parry: โ€œItโ€™s gotta find a way out.โ€

    Richard Reed Parry tells Mark Lepage about his folk roots, punk rebellion, and musical evolution. From Arcade Fireโ€™s anthems to solo experimental work, he embraces tradition and innovation, striving to โ€œmake beautiful stuffโ€ across diverse musical landscapes.

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  • A Tribute to the First Lady of Love, Donna Summer (1948-2012), Queen of Disco, Pt 2

    Donna Summer and Moroder-Bellotte pushed disco’s boundaries with Once Upon a Time (1977), a groundbreaking double concept album. Hits like โ€œMacArthur Park Suiteโ€ and Bad Girls cemented her legacy as discoโ€™s enduring queen.

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  • Bob Dylan dead and done? The Bootleg Series Vol. 16, 1980โ€“1985

    Bob Dylanโ€™s 1980s spiritual detour shocked fans with gospel-only sets and preaching. By 1983โ€™s Infidels, he returned to secular music, backed by stellar musicians, showcasing renewed creativity despite mixed critical reception and early digital recording controversies.

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  • My (factory) trip to (the) MOON by Simaudio

    MOON by Simaudio’s Dominique Poupart radiates passion and precision as he leads a tour through the companyโ€™s Quebec-based factory, where cutting-edge robotics meet meticulous hand-assemblyโ€”all in service of sonic excellence.

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  • A conversation with my younger selfโ€”an audio fable

    In a playful dialogue with his younger self, Jonson Lee explores how sound quality deepens musicโ€™s magicโ€”while cautioning against losing joy in the endless quest for upgrades. The message? Savor the music, now.

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  • Want the Best Speaker Bargain? Iโ€™ll give you two!

    For under $1,500, the Zu Audio Omen and Magneplanar LRS offer two thrilling yet wildly different sonic pathsโ€”one bold and dynamic, the other refined and immersiveโ€”both delivering serious high-end sound without a high-end price.

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  • The Best of Record Store Day: Bill Evans, Behind the Dikes

    One of the leading music business stories of the 21st century is the continued discovery, sonic restoration, and release of previously unknown recordingsโ€”either from the studio or the stage. As the constant advance in digital technology has reclaimed live tapes once thought to be sonically inferior, and refreshed forgotten or leftover studio recordings, record labels,…

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  • A stone-cold classic: Carole Kingโ€™s Tapestry

    For Wayne E. Goins, Carole Kingโ€™s Tapestry isn’t just an albumโ€”itโ€™s a life marker, from teenage homework sessions on a beloved console to rediscovering its soul-stirring power decades later on a high-end setup.

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  • Irreconcilable Differences?

    Veteran music editor Robert Baird reflects on high-end audioโ€™s tribalism, from gear vs. music purists to loudness wars and streaming woes, vowing to spotlight artists who value both sonic integrity and musical impact.

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  • Diving into Disco, Part 2 โ€“ Uncovering the Roots of Dancefloor Magic

    Tracing discoโ€™s roots back to slave songs, chain gangs, and swing countercultures, the article shows how rhythm evolved into a movement โ€” one made possible not by concerts, but by records and multitrack recording.

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  • T.H.E Show 2021

    Dragged along to T.H.E. Show by chance, Jonson Lee’s wife โ€” a professional pianist โ€” helped crown Heavenly Soundworks’ active speakers as the eventโ€™s best, praising their astonishing clarity and bass, all powered by just a $500 streamer.

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  • When was your audio awakening?

    A recent article by PMA Magazine editor Robert Schryer got me wondering about when I began to think of music and audio โ€” and, specifically, of myself as an audio hobbyist. The answer to โ€œwhenโ€ canโ€™t be clearly defined by a single moment; itโ€™s scattered across a handful of events that took place over a…

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  • Digitizing our music? โ€œIt is useless to resist!โ€

    As music lovers, we strive for the best possible sound quality.ย  They say all roads lead to Rome, but we still need to contend with our needs, our path, our budget, and the time available to us to get there.ย Across my next columns, like a travel guide, I will try to recommend memorable places for…

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