Andrea Bocelli’s most intimate recording – A Night of Amazing Grace at Reel to Reel Haven / Stella Records

The title that reeled me in It was inevitable, really, that this title would grab me by the lapels. For more than a decade I’ve been following — and, let’s be honest, evangelising — the wonderful, defiantly niche world of audiophile reel‑to‑reel tape. I’m talking about ¼‑inch, 15ips, studio‑grade tape sold as a consumer format. A tiny market, yes. A … More Andrea Bocelli’s most intimate recording – A Night of Amazing Grace at Reel to Reel Haven / Stella Records

Holy FS – you HAVE to hear this! The Stooges’ Fun House from Rhino

Straight from the off I need to come clean; for the past 56 years Fun House and the Stooges have not been on my radar. I grew up as a fan of progressive rock and shied away from anything hard and aggressive, too… confrontational. By the mid‑seventies, when I was first starting to buy records … More Holy FS – you HAVE to hear this! The Stooges’ Fun House from Rhino

Oh come all ye grateful Dead-Heads: ‘Workingman’s Dead’ from Rhino High Fidelity Reel-To-Reel

Four months feels like an eternity when you’re waiting for something special. But the moment the promised one finally arrives, all that waiting collapses into a faint little shadow behind you. Back in December last year, I had the pleasure of chatting with Rhino’s Steve Woolard, the man behind the recent Rhino High Fidelity reel‑to‑reel … More Oh come all ye grateful Dead-Heads: ‘Workingman’s Dead’ from Rhino High Fidelity Reel-To-Reel

Rhino High Fidelity reel-to-reel review #2: T. Rex’s ‘Electric Warrior’

This is the second of my Rhino High Fidelity Reel-To-Reel tape reviews, and this time it’s a band I’ve known and loved even longer than Yes – the subject of my first Rhino review. Here we have T. Rex’s Electric Warrior – widely considered to be Marc Bolan’s defining work. Back in my Celestion sales … More Rhino High Fidelity reel-to-reel review #2: T. Rex’s ‘Electric Warrior’

Hell, YES…! ‘The Yes Album’ from Rhino High Fidelity Reel-To-Reel – a review

Well, folks, this is the moment! Having championed the resurgence of reel-to-reel tape, with a particular leaning towards ¼” 15ips R2R master copies, for around a decade now, it seems that my Holy Grail has finally materialised… Not that I’ve been starved of incredible choices, mind. The past ten years have seen some very significant … More Hell, YES…! ‘The Yes Album’ from Rhino High Fidelity Reel-To-Reel – a review

Rhino High Fidelity announces brand new R2R series – opening with Yes’ ‘The Yes Album’ & T Rex’s ‘Electric Warrior’!

MASSIVE master tape news here folks!! LA-based Rhino High Fidelity announced on Friday that they’re launching a new Reel-to-Reel (R2R) series of releases, “reviving the legendary reel-to-reel tape format”. Rhino is a major outfit – basically the archive division of Warner Music Group, so it manages the back catalogue of labels such as Atlantic, Elektra, Parlophone … More Rhino High Fidelity announces brand new R2R series – opening with Yes’ ‘The Yes Album’ & T Rex’s ‘Electric Warrior’!

New from Hemiolia: Sonny Rollins Quartet – ‘Saxophone Colossus’

Regular readers here will know that Hemiolia Records, based in Italy, has an impressive catalogue of master tapes from which they’re releasing some really excellent quality titles over time. (Otherwise, if you’re new here and this is news to you, you can read my back-stories and reviews at https://thereeltoreelrambler.com/category/hemiolia-records.) Their latest release is another treat for … More New from Hemiolia: Sonny Rollins Quartet – ‘Saxophone Colossus’

New release from IPI – Stan Getz Quintet II

US-based International Phonograph Inc. (IPI) specializes in recording and producing “great jazz at the highest sound quality”. I got a heads-up from them last week that they’ve added a new, special Stan Getz recording to their master tape collection, which is from the same period as their earlier Stan Getz Quintet, January 1980 – New … More New release from IPI – Stan Getz Quintet II

Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Rastaman Vibration’ on Ultra Tape from Analogue Productions: a 4-way listening test

Amid the limited but ever-expanding catalogue of music available on reel-to-reel ‘copy master tape’, the recent announcement by Analogue Productions of releasing five albums by an artist such as Bob Marley was extremely big news! For me personally, this is something of a holy grail moment. I’ve been massively into Bob Marley since way back … More Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ‘Rastaman Vibration’ on Ultra Tape from Analogue Productions: a 4-way listening test

Review: Dave Brubeck Quartet’s seminal ‘Time Out’ on copy master tape from Hemiolia Records

The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Time Out is one of those absolute essential jazz classics. I’d personally rate it right up there alongside Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue as one of those albums that even non-jazz fans are likely to know, listen to and enjoy, if not have in their collection. Released in 1959 (as was … More Review: Dave Brubeck Quartet’s seminal ‘Time Out’ on copy master tape from Hemiolia Records