The recent movie about Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown, has led many people to "discover" Bob Dylan's music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Don’t look back: after decades of apathy, A Complete Unknown has turned me into…

We look at Spotify's Billions Club, and discuss how some people are trying to discover the must unplayed music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: No Dylan but loads of Coldplay! What the songs with a billion streams on S…

With the release of Kirk's new book, Take Control of Apple Media Apps, we discuss how Apple has normalized their media apps and, perhaps, finally made them easier to use. We also discus the use of songs in movies. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us …

Streaming services - mostly, but not only, Spotify - are filling their playlists with fake music. "If everyone is a content creator, who's left to be the audience?" Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Take Control of Apple…

1984 wasn't like 1984. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Episode #235 - 1973 Episode #79 – 1977 Episode #98 - 1981 1984: The Year Pop Stardom Got Supersized Synth Britannia Our next tracks: Philip Glass: Einstein on the …

Apparently "nostalgia concerts," where bands play full albums, have become common; not everyone likes this idea. Rolling Stone made a list of the "best" 74 albums of 1974. And we discuss movie soundtracks, with specific reference to Hans Zimmer's music for Interstellar. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-f…

We talk about selling records with the unique Burning Shed, the British online record store that offers a curated selected of progressive rock, new wave, ambient, and electronic music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: B…

With the passing of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, we talk about the bass players we would take to a desert island. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Phil Lesh obituary Our next tracks: Grateful Dead: Fallout from the …

We discuss desert island discs as a thought experiment, though we didn't agree on the ground rules. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Episode #130 - Desert Island Discs, Part 1 Episode #133 - Desert Island Discs, Part 2 …

Music is a product. We discuss how music is sold and promoted. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: On the State of the (Book)World, with Lauren Groff and Neel Mukherjee MUBI BFI Player Nightsleeper - iPlayer Our next track…

Kirk attended a unique concert recently, and Doug and Kirk discuss how concerts could be more interesting. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Episode #178 - Lieder and Opera Singer Ian Bostridge Winterreise review - agony…

People are more likely to have good audio for their TV, to watch movies and films, than for music these days. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Panasonic Streaming 4K Blu Ray Player DP-UB820-K Our next tracks: 2001: A Sp…

Don't buy hi-fi audio equipment that needs firmware updates. (This means you, Sonos.) Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Cambridge Audio EVO ONE Sonos, still trying to fix its broken app, lays off 100 employees Episode #1…

It's tough to make money in the music business. So artists sell merch. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead parking lot market) Live Nation announces it will drop merch cuts and pay $1,500 st…

It's the summer of Apple beta software. We chat a bit about the Music app, new operating systems, and how Apple's AI could affect Apple Music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: macOS Sequoia Preview Moom Soulver How to I…

"Don’t confuse consumption with reach." Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Reach, Bob Lefsetz Glastonbury on the BBC iPlayer Glastonbury 2024 line-up Our next tracks: Robert Fripp: Washington Square Church CD, download Ro…

No one gets up in the morning and says, “I want to be in a classic rock band.” Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: The most popular, obscure, Democratic, Republican and hated music in America Queen Catalog to Be Acquired b…

Something always goes wrong. "The grass may look great, but it's not real grass." Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Episode #278: Gear Acquisition Syndrome Our next tracks: Charles Ives: Concord Sonata, by Donna Coleman)…

Doug and Kirk discuss one of Brian Eno's best early albums, Another Green World. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Another Green World Another Green World (Wikipedia) Oblique Strategies Episode #164 - Sid Smith on the Li…

Continuing with our multi-episode arc, we discuss the joys of listening to CDs. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: My New Vitsœ Shelves Have Freed Up Space in My Office Another Timbre Episode #155 - Running a Small Record…

Kirk buys new audio gear for the first time in several years. Tech doesn't always work. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: NAD C 3050 amplifier NAD BluOS module Cambridge Audio CXA61 amplifier Belkin SoundForm Connect Air…

Tech is full of surprises. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: NAD C 538 CD Player Episode #177 - Author Michael Connelly on Music in the Harry Bosch Novels and TV Series Our next tracks: Original Cast Recording: Girl from…

We discuss lyrics in popular music. Have they become simpler and angrier over the years? Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Billie Eilish Clarifies Comments About ‘Wasteful’ Vinyl Variants: ‘I Wasn’t Singling Anyone Out’ …

Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or GAS, affects people with many interests: musicians, photographers, and audiophiles. We discuss how this syndrome can affect people, and why people just want to keep buying more gear. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us g…

This time, Kirk chose three rock stars to discuss from David Hepworth's book Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Roc…

We didn't all do our homework, but Doug discusses three chapters from David Hepworth's book Uncommon People: The Rise and Fall of the Rock Stars 1955-1994. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Uncommon People: The Rise and …

We have a “two guys in a pub” episode, in which we talk about the next musical artist to perform at The Sphere: Dead & Company. We also discuss Apple’s new Vision Pro, the Grammys, Taylor Swift, the Superb Owl, and more. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what ke…

We discuss the first album by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, aka OMD, called Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark. This was a foundational album in the synth-pop movement that started in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the UK. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support i…

Doug has long been a fan of Frank Zappa’s music, yet we’ve never spent an episode discussing it. In our irregular series looking at individual albums, we look at Zappa’s best-selling record, the 1979 Sheik Yerbouti. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps u…

Keith Richards is still alive. We recorded this episode on his 80th birthday, and we discussed how he is one of the most important guitarists in rock music, and the backbone of The Rolling Stones Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Sh…

Apple’s recent operating system updates have added some changes to the Music app. We look into these features and how they affect the way you manage your music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Take Control of Mac Media…

Composer and pianist Timo Andres worked on a new edition of Philip Glass’s piano études. He talks about these works, about what piano études are, and about Glass’s music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! Guest: Timo Andres Timo Andr…

Apple is slowly phasing out iTunes on Windows, after having done so four years ago on Mac. Is it the end of the iTunes brand? Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Apple is finally killing off iTunes—for real this time Episo…

We discuss Miles Davis's groundbreaking 1970 album Bitches Brew. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Bitches Brew The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions Rolling Stone review of Bitches Brew Guardian review of Bitches Brew Mile…

Roger Waters decided to make a new version of Dark Side of the Moon. It's a mistake. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Dark Side of the Moon Gets Rogered-Episode #235 - 1973 The Wall: Film Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamond…

The Sphere is a huge new venue in Las Vegas, with a massive scene that provides an immersive video experience. U2 has been playing there, with concerts that combine their music with innovative visuals. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thank…

Recordings change music by freezing it in time. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Hubbub (Paywall, free to read with account creation) Episode #126 - Background Music and Muzak How Daydreaming Can Enhance Creativity for …

A new documentary about Hipgnosis, the design team that is famous for covers of albums by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and many others, looks at the period when album artwork became an important element of rock albums. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps u…

It's been a while since we've talked about Dolby Atmos, so we decided to discuss how much it has changed the way we (well, Kirk) listen to music. (Doug doesn't have an Atmos setup yet.) Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: …

Doug bought a Sony Walkman (not one that plays cassettes), and we discuss personal music players, as well as boom boxes, which were collective listening devices. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: The Zen of Everything, B…

Classic rock is back. Its influence is extending, in part because of its presence in movies and TV shows. It is the lingua franca of popular music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Rock’s Resurgence Fred Jacobs Simon Re…

Live albums are very different from studio albums, but also sound very different than what we hear when we attend concerts. We talk about how live albums work, what sort of artist makes live albums, and whether anyone would want to hear a Taylor Swift live album. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and…

It's summer, and there are music festivals. We discuss the Glastonbury Festival, attending live concerts, and more. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival on the BBC iPlayer MUBI Anne…

Doug and Kirk don't know a lot about opera, but they discuss it anyway. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: King of the World: The Life of Louis XIV Mezzo Carnegie Hall+ Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall OperaVision…

We discuss home automation and using music listening music devices around the home. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: FreeForm OmniGraffle Philips Hue light bulbs Eve Energy Our next tracks: Succession Curved Air: Air Co…

Doug re-watched the Woodstock movie. He'll never have to watch it again. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! ‌Show notes: Woodstock - Director's cut Episode #254: Remastering, Re-Recording, and Standards Woodstock – Back to the Garden:…

Composer pianist Timo Andres joins us to discuss the Apple Music Classical app and Kirk's article about classical music that doesn't sound like classical music. Help support The Next Track by making regular donations via Patreon. We're ad-free and self-sustaining so your support is what keeps us going. Thanks! Guest: Timo Andres ‌Show notes: Timo A…

We discuss whether remastering albums is worthwhile, why some artists re-record their albums, and how there seem to be no more standards. Support The Next Track. ‌Show notes: Steely Dan Reissuing Countdown to Ecstasy on Vinyl Jonathan Franzen: The End of the End of the Earth: Essays Episode #219 - Reissues, Remixes, and Remasters T.J. Clark: If The…

Apple has released its Apple Music Classical app for iPhone, and it's pretty good. Not perfect, but it's a big step forward. We discuss this new app and how it can be improved. Support The Next Track. ‌Show notes: Apple Music Classical (Mostly) Plays the Right Chords OmniDiskSweeper Daisy Disk macOS Power Hound Universal Music Group Announces Acqui…

Episode #252: Imprinting and Dilution Creative content we discover at certain times of our lives imprints on our brains, and we forever compare other music, movies, and books to those we discovered at the right time. Support The Next Track. ‌Show notes: Andrey Tarkovsky: Stalker Geoff Dyer, Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room Wim We…