Doug and Kirk discuss their favorite music documentaries. Show notes : Synth Britannia (YouTube) Synth Britannia (BBC) Rock Family Trees (BBC) Episode #58 – David Weigel on the History of Progressive Rock Rock Family Trees (book) Sinatra: All or Nothing at All Long Strange Trip History of the Eagles No Direction Home: Bob Dylan Bob Dylan: No Direction Home, The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 The Wrecking Crew Gimme Shelter Sam Cutler: You Can’t Always Get What You Want: My Life with the Rolling Stones, t...
Oct 20, 2017•35 min
We welcome Jeffrey Norman, who has been mixing, mastering, and restoring Grateful Dead recordings for more than 35 years. This week’s guest : Jeffrey Norman: Mockingbird Mastering Jeffrey Norman’s project list Show notes : Mid-side (MS) recording technique Owsley Stanley (Bear) What’s Become of the Bettys? The Fate of the Long-Lost Grateful Dead Soundboards Episode #67 – The Grateful Dead’s Legendary 5/8/77 Cornell Concert, with Author Peter Conners Plangent Process The Grateful Dead’s Europe ’7...
Oct 13, 2017•38 min
Andy Doe helps Kirk and Doug understand “make louder boxes.” This week’s guest : Andy Doe Proper Discord “You are experiencing audio ennui.” Show notes : Yamaha R-N301 network receiver Recommended Components: Fall 2017 Edition Integrated Amps & Receivers Richer Sounds Grado headphones Episode #71 – Hi-Fi Separates, Part 1: Network Streamers Bentley Continental One note about the musical Girl From the North Country. Between the recording and release of this podcast, the show will transfer to ...
Oct 06, 2017•33 min
Doug and Kirk take a close look at changes Apple has made to iTunes in its latest version, 12.7. Sponsor : Rogue Ameoba’s Audio Hijack. If you can hear it on your Mac, you can record it with Audio Hijack. Download the free trial from Rogue Amoeba, then save 20% with coupon code NEXTTRACK. Check out Audio Hijack now . Show notes : This Is Where iTunes Is Bloated What’s New in iTunes 12.7 Here’s Why Removing Apps from iTunes Is Stupid How to Copy Apps, Ringtones, and Files to Your iOS Devices with...
Sep 29, 2017•32 min
Chris Connaker joins us to talk about hi-fi separates. Today, we discuss the network streamer. How does it work? Do you need one? This week’s guest : Chris Connaker, of the Computer Audiophile website Show notes : Yamaha R-N301 network receiver Episode #32 – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about DACs (Digital-Analog Converters) Auralic Aries Mini Chris’s review of the Auralic Aries Mini Bosch, on Amazon Prime Video Manchester Rock (Apple Music playlist) Our next tracks : Kirk: Art Pepper: The...
Sep 22, 2017•32 min
Doug and Kirk chat about their favorite movies about music, and some that they don’t like. This is the first of three parts; the other parts will be released in the next couple of months. Show notes : Almost Famous (The Bootleg Cut) The Almost Famous Stairway to Heaven scene Almost Famous: the Tiny Dancer scene 24 Hour Party People Control High Fidelity Still Crazy Amadeus (I said I saw the play Monday; that was a mistake, I saw it last January .) A Late Quartet Episode #20 – You Think You Know ...
Sep 15, 2017•33 min
We talk with Brian Brandt of Mode Records about releasing recordings of avant garde music, and the difficulties of the music business. Apologies for the audio quality of this episode. We had endless Skype issues for this interview. This week’s guest : Mode Records Show notes : John Cage Edition Morton Feldman Edition Morton Feldman: String Quartet No. 2 Episode #66 – Minimalist Pianist R. Andrew Lee Episode #48 – Musician Dave Harrington of DARKSIDE and the Dave Harrington Group on Music Between...
Sep 08, 2017•38 min
Andy Doe joins us to discuss hi-fi snake oil. In part one of a two-part series, we look at cables. This week’s guest : Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : A Gift for Music Lovers Who Have It All: A Personal Utility Pole UL Listed Hospital Grade Receptacles How Hi-Fi Magazines Write about Cables, Part 14: Ethernet Cables Ethernet Our next tracks : Kirk: Iron & Wine: Beast Epic Doug: Big Audio Dynamite: No. 10, Upping Street If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite po...
Sep 01, 2017•31 min
Author Peter Conners tells us the story of the legendary 5/8/77 Grateful Dead concert at Barton Hall, Cornell University, and its legacy. A technical note: you may have noticed that your podcast app re-downloaded a bunch of old episodes last week. We moved the server that hosts The Next Track to HTTPS, and this seems to have treated all existing episodes as new. So we’re very sorry for any extra bandwidth you may have used. Note that iTunes also seems to have redownloaded them, so you may have d...
Aug 25, 2017•36 min
Pianist R. Andrew Lee joins us to discuss the minimal, and often very long, works of music he performs and records. (Sorry about the audio quality; there were some problems recording this episode.) This week’s guest : R. Andrew Lee Show notes : Irritable Hedgehog Records Episode #18 – New Yorker Music Critic Alex Ross Discusses Listening to Classical Music Tom Johnson: An Hour for Piano, performed by Frederic Rzewski Dennis Johnson: November The Four Pillars Appearing from The Equal D under Reso...
Aug 18, 2017•32 min
Doug and Kirk express frustration about the number of complexity of remote controls they use. Show notes : All 165 Pink Floyd Songs Ranked, From Worst to Best – Bill Wyman Episode #64 – Album Artwork in Digital Files Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote Philips Hue lights The Clash – Remote Control Our next tracks : Kirk: Theatre of Hate: The Live Albums Doug: John Lee Hooker & Canned Heat: Hooker ‘n Heat If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please r...
Aug 11, 2017•31 min
Doug and Kirk tell you everything you ever wanted to know about album artwork in digital files. Sponsor : Rogue Ameoba’s Loopback. For cable-free audio routing when recording and playing audio on your Mac, use Loopback. Download the free trial from Rogue Amoeba, then save 20% with coupon code NEXTTRACK. Check out Loopback now . Show notes : Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes Size of Artwork Sort by Artwork Size iTunes Artwork Finder ImageOptim Deleting the iTunes Album Artwork Cache Folder May Resol...
Aug 04, 2017•31 min
Author Will Romano discusses his new book, Close to the Edge, How Yes’s Masterpiece Defined Prog Rock. This week’s guest : Will Romano Show notes : Close to the Edge Close to the Edge: How Yes’s Masterpiece Defined Prog Rock Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock Prog Rock FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About Rock’s Most Progressive Music Episode #58 – David Weigel on the History of Progressive Rock Our next tracks : Kirk: Genesis: Foxtrot Doug: Yes: Yessongs If you li...
Jul 28, 2017•35 min
Chris Connaker joins us to discuss simple and elaborate audio systems. How many devices can you have in your audio chain? Chris surprises us with some of his. This week’s guest : Chris Connaker, of the Computer Audiophile website Show notes : Audiophiles in Japan are installing their own electricity poles dCS Linear power supplies Cable lifters? Screw-in pointy things IsoAcoustic speaker stands Gear acquisition syndrome A Beginners’ Guide To Acoustic Treatment Feng shui Our next tracks : Kirk: M...
Jul 21, 2017•31 min
We ask Andy Doe why classical concerts have such rigid traditions and etiquette regarding audience reactions. And we discuss the Bravo Guy, present at concert halls around the world. Note: We apologize that this episode runs a bit longer than usual, but it was too interesting and too much fun to cut. This week’s guest : Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : Murray Perahia and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, April 5, 2017 András Schiff – Beethoven, the 32 Sonatas András Schiff – Encores Af...
Jul 14, 2017•37 min
Journalist Geoff Edgers joins us to discuss his Washington Post article about the slow death of the electric guitar. Sponsor : Rogue Ameoba’s Audio Hijack. If you can hear it on your Mac, you can record it with Audio Hijack. Download the free trial from Rogue Amoeba, then save 20% with coupon code NEXTTRACK. Check out Audio Hijack now . This week’s guest : Geoff Edgers on the Washington Post Show notes : Why my guitar gently weeps – The slow, secret death of the six-string electric. And why you ...
Jul 07, 2017•32 min
We take a look back at the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love, in 1967. One correction. I said that Bob Dylan didn’t release any albums in 1967. That’s false; John Wesley Harding was released on December 27 of that year. Summer of Love The Monterey Pop Festival The Acid Tests Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival Newport Jazz Festival Newport Folk Festival The Complete Monterey Pop Festival (film) Long Strange Trip Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Super Deluxe Ed Events of 19...
Jun 30, 2017•29 min
Author David Weigel joins us to discuss his book The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock. This week’s guest : Dave Weigel’s website David Weigel’s writing on the Washington Post Show notes : The Show that Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock Dave Weigel’s Prog Spring series on Slate Mark Prindle’s record reviews King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King Wollman Skating Rink New York Concert Setlists Tangerine Dream: Encore: Live Our next tracks : Kirk: Yes: Close to t...
Jun 23, 2017•35 min
Andy Doe joins us to take a close look at optical discs: CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, but also HDCDs, DVD-As, and more. I bet you didn’t know how many kinds of optical disc there are… “It is the betamax of audio formats…” Show notes : Optical disc – Wikipedia Compact disc – Wikipedia Compact Disc Digital Audio – Wikipedia Close to the Edge Nyquist frequency – Wikipedia 44,100 Hz – Wikipedia Error detection and correction Pulse-code modulation Super Audio CD Hybrid disc DVD-Audio Mode Records DVD-A relea...
Jun 16, 2017•34 min
We take a close look at iTunes playlists, how they work, what you can do with them, and how you can bend them to your will. Sponsor : Rogue Ameoba’s Audio Hijack. If you can hear it on your Mac, you can record it with Audio Hijack. Download the free trial from Rogue Amoeba, then save 20% with coupon code NEXTTRACK. Check out Audio Hijack now . Show notes : Episode #49 – Common Misconceptions about iTunes Model-view-controller (Wikipedia) Understanding iTunes Library Files iTunes playlist windows...
Jun 09, 2017•32 min
Chris Connaker, of ComputerAudiophile.com, joins us to talk about the most interesting audio hardware he saw – and heard – at this year’s Munich High End Audio Show. This week’s guest : Chris Connaker, of the Computer Audiophile website Show notes : High End Munich Focal Grand Utopia EM speakers Focal Utopia headphones McIntosh Constellation Audio Leo Devialet Phantom speaker Marten Coltrane 3 Elac Adante speakers DCS Vivaldi DAC Innuos music servers Audeze LCDi4 in-ear earphone Our next tracks ...
Jun 02, 2017•33 min
Guitarist Woody Mann joins us to discuss his documentary about the life of the great blues and gospel musician Rev. Gary Davis. This week’s guest : Woody Mann Show notes : Harlem Street Singer (documentary) Harlem Street Singer (album) Empire Roots Band – music from the documentary Harlem Street Singer Students of Rev. Gary Davis Say No to the Devil: The Life and Musical Genius of Rev. Gary Davis, Ian Zack Hot Tuna – First Pull Up, Then Pull Down Our next tracks : Kirk: Brad Mehldau: Songs: The ...
May 26, 2017•35 min
We welcome author and Dylanologist Andrew Muir to talk about Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour, and his recent concerts in the UK. Just a quick note: we’ve posted a brief survey about The Next Track , and we would love it if you could take the two minutes to answer a dozen questions about the podcast, how you listen, what you like, and feel free to suggest any topics you’d like us to cover. This week’s guest : Andrew Muir Show notes : One More Night: Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour Bob Dylan tour date...
May 19, 2017•37 min
We mark the end of The Next Track’s first year with a review of our most interesting episodes. Just a quick note: we’ve posted a brief survey about The Next Track , and we would love it if you could take the two minutes to answer a dozen questions about the podcast, how you listen, what you like, and feel free to suggest any topics you’d like us to cover. Show notes : Episode #1 – Songs to Albums to Songs Episode #2 – To Stream or to Own Music? Episode #3 – Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know ...
May 12, 2017•26 min
We welcome Andy Doe to discuss the pros and cons of vinyl versus CD. Just a quick note: we’ve posted a brief survey about The Next Track , and we would love it if you could take the two minutes to answer a dozen questions about the podcast, how you listen, what you like, and feel free to suggest any topics you’d like us to cover. This week’s guest : Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : Do Vinyl Records Sound Better than CDs? (Spoiler: Nope) ♫ Episode #15 – What is Mastering and Remastering? Neil...
May 05, 2017•32 min
Developer Paul Kafasis joins us to discuss in-house streaming: AirPlay, Bluetooth, and Google Cast. This week’s guest : Paul Kafasis of Rogue Amoeba Software Show notes : Episode #43 – Streaming Music 2.0 Episode #47 – 10 Ways to Connect Your Computer to Your Stereo Kirk’s Yamaha R-N301 Rogue Amoeba’s AirFoil Google Chromecast Our next tracks : Kirk: Moody Blues: Days of Future Passed Doug: David Lindley: El Rayo-X If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, an...
Apr 28, 2017•34 min
Doug and Kirk take a look at common misconceptions people have about iTunes. iTunes is just a database. Show notes : Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes Kirkville Missing Tracks and Stray Files How to Set Up iTunes as a Minimalist Music Player Our next tracks : Kirk: Vinyl . Album . Cover . Art – The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue (Not released in the US until May 16.) Doug: The Baja Marimba Band: Those Were The Days If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and ple...
Apr 21, 2017•30 min
Dave Harrington of DARKSIDE and the Dave Harrington Group talks about music between genres. … finding the space between genres… This week’s guest : Dave Harrington Show notes : DARKSIDE DARKSIDE: Psychic DARKSIDE: Pyschic Live (DVD) Other People DARKSIDE Live Archive The Next Track, Episode #7: Music and Genre Dave Harrington on Soundcloud (live recordings and more) Nicolas Jaar Guitar Power ep. 2 Bill Frisell: East-West Daniel Lanois: Acadie Dave Harrington: Become Alive Jambands.com: Dave Harr...
Apr 14, 2017•35 min
We discuss the ten ways you can connect your computer to an amplifier or receiver. Show notes : 10 Ways to Connect Your Computer to a Stereo 1/8″ headphone jack to dual RCA cable Mini Toslink to Toslink optical audio cable Digital coaxial audio/video cable USB-A to USB-B connector Behringer U-Control UCA202 Episode #32 – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about DACs Wharfedale Diamond A1 and A2 active speakers Netgear Orbi mesh wi-fi router Yamaha R-N301 TP-Link powerline adapter Rogue Amoeba: A...
Apr 07, 2017•29 min
We talk with percussionist Colin Currie, who discusses performing and recording Steve Reich’s seminal minimalist work Drumming. This week’s guest : Colin Currie Show notes : Steve Reich: Drumming (the original 1974 recording) Steve Reich’s Clapping Music app The score of Steve Reich’s Drumming Colin Currie Group Record Steve Reich’s Drumming Colin Currie Group at the Southbank Centre, London, May 5, 2017 Steve Reich: Tehillim & The Desert Music Steve Reich’s notes about Drumming: For one yea...
Mar 31, 2017•32 min
