Music Reviews

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Mike Mettler  |  Apr 04, 2011

In anticipation of the 30th anniversary reissue of Rush's truly seminal Moving Pictures as both CD+DVD (April 5) and CD+BD (May 3) deluxe editions, with PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround-sound mixes by Richard Chycki, I'm dipping into my personal Rush interview archive to present a truly exclusive, incremental look at how the band's attitude toward bringing its vaunted studio material into the surround-sound arena has literally changed from "no" to "go" over the last decade.

Mike Mettler  |  Apr 05, 2011

“It’s a timeless record with so much detail,” says surround-sound remix guru Richard Chycki about Rush’s 1981 masterpiece, Moving Pictures. “I’m glad you’ve clued into all of the nuances.” Chycki is referring to what I said to him last week about the PCM 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mixes he did for MP’s 30th anniversary reissue. Today marks the release of the CD+DVD version, something certainly worth getting if you’re not equipped for Blu-ray — but the much preferred Holy Grail CD+BD version won’t be out until May 3.

Billy Altman  |  Feb 26, 2009
Blue Corn
Music •••• Sound ••••
She's been recording for a decade, but Texas singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster was a fairly well-kept secret on the folk/
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 12, 2024

Saweetie ain’t known as “Icy Grl” for nothing. But now, the Bay Area rapper has set her hot-but-chill sights on reveling in the holidays with a new double-stockinged single under the Dear Big Santa mantle. Read Mike Mettler’s review to find out if the Dolby Atmos mixes of “I Want You This Christmas” and “Big Santa,” the pair of festive, fresh new tracks on Dear Big Santa, are worth adding to your holiday playlist. . .

Mike Mettler  |  Nov 26, 2024

Shaboozey continues to capture that good ol’ country-tinged lightning in a bottle with his latest single, “Good News,” which was released by American Dogwood/Empire in multiple formats on November 15, 2024. Chances are, you just might see and hear Shaboozey perform this hopeful new track as part of his headlining performance during halftime at this Thursday’s Thanksgiving NFL game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. Read Mike Mettler’s review to find out if the Dolby Atmos mix of “Good News” maintains the bright-star country artist’s winning streak. . .

Parke Puterbaugh  |  Jul 22, 2008
Columbia/Legacy
Music •••• Sound •••½

Unlike the case with Bob Dylan, there has been precious little in the way of 1960s concert recordings b

Mike Mettler  |  Feb 19, 2015
Performance
Sound
“Exciting new sounds in the folk tradition.” So went the saying on the sleeve of the 1964 debut album by Simon & Garfunkel, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. And how telling that seemingly innocent but steadfast declaration was, as over the course of five studio albums and one soundtrack released during those heady days of 1964-70, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel forged a singular sound that mixed the core tenets of folk with the then-burgeoning pulse of rock. The duo were masters of blending their pitch-perfect harmonies on a cornucopia of intimate tales that concerned matters of both the heart and the state. Not bad for a pair of schoolboys from Queens originally known as Tom & Jerry.
Michael Berk  |  Dec 01, 2011

Love radio? Tired of Internet radio's algorithmic bent, and long for the days when a flesh and blood DJ put a lifetime of obsession into picking that next track? Slacker Radio just might be what you're looking for.

Mike Mettler  |  Jul 03, 2020
Performance
Sound
Packaging
In a galaxy far, far away—well, to be more precise, it was actually in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh—I received a home-made C-60 compact cassette for my 11th birthday in October 1978. My audiophile grandfather had dubbed Charles Gerhardt conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra's performance of music culled from composer John Williams' original scores for Star Wars on Side 1 and Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Side 2.
Mike Mettler  |  Jan 30, 2014
Legacy. Some artists embrace it, some resist it. Early-period Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett decided to go the extra mile to dance on the volcano of his past, charging firth, er, forth to majestically recast the arrangements of a top-drawer selection of his ’70s output with the British prog giants.
Billy Altman  |  Jul 21, 2008
Columbia
Music ••• Sound •••

On his new CD's bonus DVD, Steve Winwood notes that musicians aren't necessarily music lovers - that they often lis

Brett Milano  |  Mar 02, 2011
 
Yep Roc
Music •••• Sound •••1/2

 

Mike Mettler  |  Feb 25, 2009
K-Scope
Music ••••½DVD-Audio Mix ••••• Extras ••••½
The once and future king of surround has done it again - or,
 |  Jul 13, 2008

Sure, you know that Elliot Scheiner, Frank Filipetti, and other producer/engineers are fans of surround sound. But among artists, you'll find no bigger champion of multichannel music than Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.

Mike Mettler  |  Mar 23, 2025

Has the once and forever Dolby Atmos mixing king Steven Wilson done it again with the 360-degree mix of his new, two-song album The Overview? Read music editor Mike Mettler’s in-depth review to see if Wilson has taken Atmos mixing to the next cosmic level. . .

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