We interviewed John Cale in issue #156 around the time of his previous release, Mercy. He has just released POPtical Illusion, a collection of synth and keyboard heavy tunes that carry a heavy, and at times angry message about the state of the world. That is not to say that that Cale has lost all hope and there is optimism that we can still bring about change. POPtical Illusion was produced by Cale along with longtime artistic collaborator Nita Scott.
I recently wrote about Craft Recordings, a division of Concord Records, and their excellent vinyl (and CD) reissues. I have become a huge fan of their releases, especially the attention to detail and sonic quality of their pressings.
On December...
Photo: Larry Crane
The recent passing of Ed Cherney sent me to my archives. I'd interviewed Ed many years ago and he asked me not to run it. We went back and forth about it, and I never understood why he didn't want this interview in Tape Op....
Well friends, there were just too many great albums this year, and so here is the "Rest of the Best".
Andy and John both had super extensive year end favorites lists and make up the bulk of this list. I will need a good chunk of 2023 to dig in to...
At Jackpot! we use the service from Greendisk. They send us a cardboard box and we toss used CD-R/DVD-R media, cords, old cell phones, cables and printer cartridges. A pretty cool service and not too expensive.
I opened my commercial recording studio (Jackpot! Recording) in 1997, after years of simultaneously having a busy home studio while working day jobs to pay the rent. Making this leap to a full-time recording engineer/studio owner was terrifying. I...
Steve AlbiniRemembered by Larry Crane
On Jan 19, 1987, I clambered aboard a yacht in Emeryville, CA, to interview Steve Albini and the band Big Black for BravEar Magazine, a conversation that unfortunately was never published due to the mag folding...
(me and Elliott rolling in Jackpot!'s original MCI JH-16, Feb. 1997)
As most readers of Tape Op may have picked up on by now, I have been involved in the archiving and cataloging of the music of my late friend, Elliott Smith. Here's an interview I...
Craft Recordings has just released a select compilation of Miles Davis' recordings from 1954 for the Prestige label. I just got the Miles '54: The Prestige Recordings vinyl release, and it is a beautiful box set package with four discs, a...
From Kitchen Op Magazine's letters section:
I just wanted to write in to chime in on the debate about home cooking. As a professional chef, with many years of time invested in learning my craft and thousands of dollars...