Putting Curtains in the Man-Cave

As 2013 gives way to 2014, those of us contributing to Putting Curtains in the Mancave want to sum up the year from our perspectives.  We learned quite a few exciting things, but we'll also put on our psychic hat (Sorting Hat?! Hufflepuff?)  and make a few predictions for the year to come! The Venerable DL-103R still kicks butt! Things we learned in 2013: Killer deal for analog:   We found that the Denon 103R ($380 retail) offers a sound that is well in excess of its price, showing you don't have to spend thousands of dollars in order to have top flight sound.  It isn't perfect, but for a large collection of used vinyl, it will do as good or better than pickups that cost multiples of its price.  While there are a lot of other "big bang for the buck" pickups out there, the Denon blew us away in it's overall music presentation. Concert Vault - thousands of live concert performances of artists you know and love! Sonos still is our "go to...

The world of music irrevocably altered c.1880 I have often wondered how music got started in our culture.  I imagine, back in the mists of time, someone, somewhere took the various melodic calls and strung them together into a melody and then taught the various tribes-people the things she or he had done.  And at that point we had actual composed and arranged music.  It is hard to tell if language came first or music - so entwined both are in the way we are wired.  Without getting too romantically colored, it must have made the long nights more pleasant and the unity of the tribe stronger. In the subsequent milennia, music has been used for multiple purposes, and new genres and ways of music distribution have been central to our religions, entertainment, and government.  In fact, to extend the old joke about "death and taxes" I do believe music has always been and always will be with us. But fast forward to the era of recorded music, which began a little...

Our top 5 ... what's yours? There are a ton of Christmas Albums out there - and nearly everyone has a collection, or a source of Christmas music that celebrates the Holiday.  These days it seems easier than ever. You find a station on Pandora (or equivalent), press "play" and your Holiday is sorted. Yeah, if you want to celebrate your music with predigested blandness ... So ... we'll list out 5 of our favorite Christmas Albums - and challenge you to go out yourself and find your own. So in no particular order ... 1.  Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas (Vinyl, SACD, CD, FLAC ... ) This is far an away our favorite Christmas album, when we play it, immediately the whole family knows that Christmas is around the corner.  Sure it goes with the TV special, but the Jazz is first rate, and is one of our favorite Jazz Albums of all time.  It is a shame it only fits best only one season out of the year! 2.  A Very Special Christmas (Vinyl, CD) ...