There’s got to be a German word for this. It’s that feeling, that first second, when you heard Jingle Bells in the middle of summer. Show notes : Episode #58 – David Weigel on the History of Progressive Rock Trio Mediaeval: Folk Songs Bruce Springsteen: Santa Claus is Coming to Town Do They Know It’s Christmas We Are the World Bob Dylan: Christmas in the Heart Bob Dylan: Must Be Santa (video) The Jethro Tull Christmas Album Apple Music Christmas Playlist Die Hard It’s a Wonderful Life A Charlie ...
Dec 18, 2019•35 min
Sid Smith is the official biographer of King Crimson. He recently updated his book, In The Court Of King Crimson - An Observation Over 50 Years, that tells the tale of this seminal band. We talk with Sid about everything Crimson. Guest : In The Court Of King Crimson - An Observation Over 50 Years Show notes : DGM Live Episode #161 - Philip Thomas on Morton Feldman's Piano Music Episode #97 - Jerry Ewing on Progressive Rock Our next tracks : CBGB (movie) Jeff Beck: Blow By Blow If you like the sh...
Dec 04, 2019•39 min
Lewis Shiner's latest novel Outside the Gates of Eden is a saga that begins at a Dylan concert in 1965, then follows a musician and his friends as they age, up to the present. This novel has a huge scope, with moving scenes about music, and about a generation growing up. (Apologies for the sketchy Skype audio quality.) Guest : Lewis Shiner Show notes : Outside the Gates of Eden Episode #28 – Music and Mystery: Author Peter Robinson on Music in His Novels Why Bob Dylan Matters Episode #67 – The G...
Nov 20, 2019•33 min
Doug and Kirk spend a half hour or so discussing Apple's new apps that replace iTunes on the Mac. They rant, they praise, they shrug, they laugh, and they reminisce on what was, while imaging what could have been. It was a very good year. Show notes : The iTunes Guy column on Macworld CarPlay Crashes Constantly in My Car The iTunes and Everything Apple forum on Audiophile Style Kirk's new book, Take Control of macOS Media Apps Poll: What Do You Think of the New macOS Media Apps that Replace iTun...
Nov 06, 2019•33 min
Episode #161 - Philip Thomas on Morton Feldman's Piano Music Philip Thomas has recorded a 5-CD set of all of Morton Feldman's music for solo piano. We discuss with him one of the most interesting of 20th century composers and the unique nature of sound in Feldman's works. Guest : Philip Thomas Morton Feldman Piano box set on another timbre Show notes : Episode #155 - Running a Small Record Label: Another Timbre Morton Feldman (Wikipedia) David Tudor (Wikipedia) American Sublime - Morton Feldman’...
Oct 23, 2019•35 min
Ginger Baker has died, and we reflect on older musicians and how they keep on performing, even without any new material, until their golden years. Show notes : Ginger Baker obituary (The Guardian) Beware of Mr. Baker Episode #143 - Too Old to Rock 'n Roll Cream Farewell Concert (YouTube) Town Hall / Symphony Hall, Birmingham Steve Hackett: Selling England by the Pound Cruise Episode #24 – Composer Timo Andres on Contemporary Classical Music Our next tracks : Orchestral Manoeuvers In the Dark: So...
Oct 09, 2019•28 min
Amazon announced a new lossless and high-resolution music streaming service. Has high-res music finally come to everyone? We talk with Chris Connaker, of Audiophile Style, to try to understand Amazon's logic. Guest : Chris Connaker: Audiophile Style , Superphonica Show notes : Amazon Music HD Amazon Launches Amazon Music HD (and Lies a Lot) Apple's Mastered for iTunes; now called Apple Digital Masters Amazon's press release, with the quote from Neil Young Book Review - Neil Young's To Feel The M...
Sep 25, 2019•33 min
Doug and Kirk discuss some audio-related projects they carried out this summer, new Sonos gear, streaming audio in the home, the iTunes visualizer, and more. Show notes : My New Vitsœ Shelves Have Freed Up Space in My Office Rams (documentary about Dieter Rams) Kef Q150 speakers Q Acoustics 3010i speakers Kirk's comfy chair is an older model from this brand, similar to this style. Sonos Move Sonos One SL Sonos Port Sonos Connect Kef LS 50 wireless speakers Netgear Orbi mesh wi-fi system Episode ...
Sep 12, 2019•30 min
Andy Doe joins us to discuss CD packaging. The types of packages used, such as jewel cases and digipacks, and the marketing behind those Big Classical Box Sets. Guest: Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : Andy's video about how to unwrap a CD (YouTube) O-cards and J-cards Beethoven Symphonies, Roger Norrington, The London Classical Players Beach Boys: US Singles Collection Murray Perahia: The First 40 Years Bach 333 – The New Complete Edition Mozart 225 - Complete Edition In Praise of the iTunes...
Aug 28, 2019•37 min
We discuss the future of the music business, and come up with at last 10 ideas about how things will change in the next 10 years. Because 10 is a good number. Show notes : Robert Klein: "Now You Can Get Every Record Ever Recorded" 10 Ways The Music Industry Will Change In 10 Years The future of music: 10 predictions from industry professionals 10 Trends That Will Reshape the Music Industry David Cronenberg: eXistenZ Watch Beatlemania Descend On Abbey Road To Mark 50th Anniversary Of Iconic Album...
Aug 14, 2019•36 min
We welcome Simon Reynell, who runs Another Timbre, a one-man record label that releases experimental and contemporary music. Simon tells us how he started the label, and what it's like to run a record label in a niche of this kind. Guest : Simon Reynell Another Timbre Show notes : Frank Denyer: music for shakuhachi John Cage: Two2 John Cage's Number Pieces (Wikipedia) Episode #69 – Brian Brandt of Mode Records on John Cage, Morton Feldman, and the Music Business Episode #80 – John Cage Episode #...
Jul 31, 2019•37 min
The Sony Walkman was introduced 40 years ago. When it first came out, it was the biggest change in musical listening since the record player. It ushered in an era of personal listening, and, with the popularity of cassette tapes, changed the music industry. Show notes : As Sony's Walkman Turns 35, a Look Back at Its Inception (Shows a photo of the TCS-300) TC-D5 TPS-L2 (the first Walkman) 3M Wollensak Magnetic Tape Recorder, Model 1500 SS, 1960-1965 Aiwa portable cassettes players Home Taping Is...
Jul 18, 2019•26 min
Philosopher John Lysaker joins us to discuss his recent book about Brian Eno's Music for Airports. We talk about the idea of ambient music, and how Music for Airports defined a genre. Guest : John Lysaker John Lysaker's book Brian Eno's Ambient 1: Music for Airports Show notes : Episode #150 - Ambient Music Brian Eno: Ambient 1, Music for Airports Music for Airports liner notes Arvo Part: Tabula Rasa Brian Eno: Behind The Reflection - BBC Click (YouTube) Scape Brian Eno: Reflection Our next trac...
Jul 03, 2019•33 min
"iTunes is dead!!!" claim a number of websites and publications. Even on the TV news they were saying that "Apple has discontinued iTunes," that "it's the end of an era." Apple made big announcements at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference in early June. Did they really kill off iTunes? We look at this subject, yet again, for what will be the last episode about the future of iTunes, at least until the next one. Show notes : Episode #136 - Breaking Up with iTunes? Episode #145 - The Futur...
Jun 19, 2019•24 min
We welcome back Chris Connaker, who tells us about the latest trends in hi-fi at the Munich High End audio show. Guest : Chris Connaker: Audiophile Style , Superphonica Show notes : High End Munich Josh Qobuz Episode #147 - Kirk's New Sonos Amp Focal Maestro Utopia Evo speakers Warwick Acoustics DCS Bartók DAC Burmester Audiosysteme Tech Das Our next tracks : Tangerine Dream: Official Bootleg Series Volume Three BR5-49: The Best of BR5-49 If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your ...
Jun 05, 2019•39 min
The problem with the genre of ambient music is that most of it is not ambient music. No one really agrees on what exactly ambient music is. We discuss the genre, and the music, and how we feel about this type of music. Show notes : Brian Eno: Music for Airports, Bang on the Can : Music for Airports]( https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/eno-wyatt-davies-bang-on-a-can-music-for-airports/389889337 ) Ambient Essentials (Apple Music) Morton Subotnick: SIlver Apples of the Moon Brian Eno: Ambient 1: Mus...
May 22, 2019•28 min
We discuss the potential breakup of iTunes yet again, because there is some new information about what the future of iTunes will be. Show notes : Steve Troughton-Smith Doug's AppleScripts for iTunes Episode #136 - Breaking Up with iTunes? Episode #145 - The Future of iTunes Redux Doug's AppleScripts for iTunes Remove n Characters from Front or Back Grateful Dead - Set 1 - 10/31/80 - Radio City Music Hall (YouTube) Our next tracks : Grateful Dead: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 & 10/...
May 17, 2019•22 min
We don't often talk about TV, but this week we discuss some TV series, how people watch TV, and in particular the disappearing experience of appointment TV. And we link this all with iTunes, at least a bit. Show notes : Line of Duty Line of Duty season finale is UK's most watched TV show of 2019 Goodbye, Farewell and Amen (M*A*S*H) Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese The Twilight Zone (complete series) Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Our next tracks : Bob Dylan: World Gone ...
May 10, 2019•24 min
Kirk bought some new audio equipment: a Sonos Amp. We talk about how this amp works, and how it has allowed Kirk to minimalize the equipment in his home office. Show notes : Episode #21 – Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Subwoofers Sonos Amp Music Matters, Stratford-upon-Avon Yamaha R-N803 amplifier dbx 286s Microphone Preamp & Channel Strip Processor Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Audio Interface Episode #134 - Downsizing Your Audio System Marantz Melody X (M-CR612) Kirk's Audio Test Tr...
May 03, 2019•28 min
The 50th anniversary concert of Woodstock has been planned, and tickets were supposed to go on sale this week, yet have been delayed. We look back at the original Woodstock festival and how much the music influenced us. Show notes : Woodstock 50 Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More (Wikipedia) Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Wikipedia) Woodstock Blu-Ray Woodstock: 40 Years On Woodstock history : all the bands and setlists from the original festival Our next tracks : [Santana: Soul Sac...
Apr 26, 2019•21 min
It’s time to have a brief discussion of the future of iTunes again. Some news has been circulating suggesting that Apple will be including separate apps for music, TV, podcasts, and books later this year. We discuss this, and how we predicted this a few months ago. Show notes : Episode #136 - Breaking Up with iTunes? Is Apple Splitting Up iTunes? Here’s How They’ll Do It Our next tracks : Jon Savage: This searing light, the sun and everything else - Joy Division: The Oral History Jo Jo Gunne: Bi...
Apr 19, 2019•15 min
Cornelius Boots is a bad-ass shakuhachi player, and Kirk's second shakuhachi teacher. Cornelius is a composer, performer, and teachers, and has just released his third album of original compositions. Guest : Cornelius Boots Sacred Root: Kung Fu Flute & Buddhist Blues (Shakuhachi Unleashed, Vol. III) Green Swampy Water (video) Show notes : Episode #96 - Kiku Day Explains the Shakuhachi Taimu shakuhachi by Ken LaCosse Ney flute (Wikipedia) Bansuri flute (Wikipedia) Our next tracks : Chiku Za: ...
Apr 12, 2019•33 min
Lots of big rock stars are getting old. How much longer will these musicians be able to perform and tour? Show notes : Since we recorded this episode, we found out what was wrong with Mick: Mick Jagger recovers in hospital after undergoing successful heart surgery Kirk said musicians playing in arenas and studios; obviously he meant stadiums; or stadia, if you want to be pedantic Cruise to the Edge Jam Cruise 27 Rockers Going Strong After 70 Ages of Rock Stars Eric Clapton Crossroads Festival Pe...
Apr 05, 2019•30 min
Most people depend on wi-fi to get data from one device to another in their home. This is the case for music and video, and having good wi-fi ensures that you can enjoy your home media without any glitches. Show notes : Kirk's review of the NetGear Orbi Wi-Fi SweetSpots AirPort (Wikipedia) ; look for the photo of the first AirPort base station NetGear Orbi outdoor unit Our next tracks : Iron & Wine: Around the Well The Greatest! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards If you like the...
Mar 29, 2019•27 min
Continuing our reunion tour, we welcome back our friend Andy Doe to talk about algorithms; how they work, and how they affect music listening. Guest: Andy Doe Proper Discord Show notes : Algorithm: "a set of rules that precisely defines a sequence of operations" (Wikipedia) Music Genome Project (Wikipedia) Preparing for the Post-Album Music Industry The Toubon Law requiring a quote of French content on TV and radio France reduces legal quota on number of French songs DJs are forced to play (2016...
Mar 22, 2019•30 min
The band is back together, and we explain our new approach to the podcast. We then discuss how music may change as more people use voice assistants to request what they want to hear. And, of course, we present our own next tracks. Show notes : Voice Assistants Will Impoverish Music 36% of Americans now own smart speakers. Here’s what that means for musicians. Charles Ives: Concord Sonata, Marc-André Hamelin Fans buy the 'wrong' Stephen King book Bob Weir: Ace Our next tracks : Grateful Dead: Pla...
Mar 15, 2019•32 min
It's been a long, strange trip, and it's time to get truckin' on. Show notes : Doug's website Kirk's website Thanks for helping make this a wonderful adventure. See you all again somewhere. Support The Next Track
Jan 14, 2019•4 min
Music discovery has changed a lot, and as the new year rolls in, it's time to look back at 2018 and the music that we have discovered. Show notes : Greta Van Fleet: From the Fires Episode #119 - Caoilfhionn Rose on Gigging, Busking, Recording, and Releasing Her First Album Small Faces: Small Faces Episode #114 - Theo Travis on His New Travis & Fripp Apps Episode #115 - App Developer Peter Chilvers on the New Travis & Fripp Apps Travis & Fripp: Between the Silence Robert Fripp Soundsc...
Jan 04, 2019•29 min
Apple has killed off its second attempt at a "music social network," Connect, which was part of Apple Music. We ponder what it would take to create a useful music social network. Show notes : Discogs iTunes Features That Have Been Retired Episode #60 – Geoff Edgers on the Slow Death of the Electric Guitar The Classical Music Recordings Discussion Group (Facebook) How to Share Your Listening History in Apple Music Doug's profile on Apple Music Kirk's profile on Apple Music Our next tracks : The M...
Dec 28, 2018•32 min
We look at some possible future scenarios about iTunes, in part because a recent change that Apple has made. Show notes : Episode #104 - The Future of iTunes Why iTunes Isn’t Bloated Mojave Update Updates iTunes Apple Support page, "Update to the latest version of iTunes" Steve McGuire maintains a list of recent stand-alone iTunes installers at Apple Support Episode #122 - What if Apple Does Stop Selling Downloads? Our next tracks : Springsteen on Broadway (Netflix) ; two-disc CD "Compared to Wh...
Dec 21, 2018•28 min
