Art Criticism

Garrard Updaten - Posa v Motorhead

The venerable Garrard has been placed in a test plinth with an Origin Live Tonearm and a Denon 103R cartridge. Also a 1964 vintage Leak Stereo 20 now replaces the Conrad-Johnson on the bass duties. I had the Leak refurbished with new caps and a completely rewound power transformer. A Chinese Yaquin valve phono stage replaces the Conrad Johnson pre-amp. The change in sound quality is a revelation - deeper bass - pace, rhythm and timing are spot on with the Garrard's metronome like speed stability and the Denon 103R seems to synch really well with the arm. In fact both the Garrard and the Denon 103 were used in the broadcasting industry throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s so there is a nice synergy there. The treble horns still need some calming - at the moment a second Stereo 20 is on duty but they really need a Single Ended Triode 300B amp or suchlike - hmmmm...


Toltec puts good juju into the Leak for much auspicious rocka-rolla.

Yes it looks like a 1950s oven top crossed with a school science project but the sound ahhh the sound...

Peter Posa rips 'White Rabbit' and inhabits real 3D space but ultimately Lemmy destroys him with weight and authority - the sound of chaffing leather thighs is clearly audible. God what IS that smell...?

Chinese phono stage complete with Star Wars Sandpeople eyes for valve covers - two sandpeople died for this phono amp but it was worth it.

It's a mess and it could kill you.

More expensive than hard drugs but not as dangerous...

Japanese Horns

The Japanese are great fans of horn-loaded high efficiency speakers, valve amps and massive idler turntables like the Garrard 301. I have a 301 gathering dust and feel a restoration project coming on...

Of course this can lead to madness...

Art Criticism

Public Service Announcement

What a lazy blogger I am. Mr can't-be-arsed. I will really try harder least I lose the three regular readers I have. Yesterday I graduated with a Master of Fine Arts. I did not attend the ceremony. I did, however, attend the after party and got monumentally trousered. My brain and eyeballs hurt a lot today.

Mr Smith Rants

"I really can't stand it when blokes feel the need to comment on your drinking habits. It's rampant, all that malarkey: New Labour trying to keep people alive for ever. I don't see them berating the royals or their backbenchers about having a cig or a large gin in the afternoon. If you put it in the context of the current climate, having a few pints and a Benson after work is hardly the worst crime. It's the same when you go to the doctor. It's common knowledge that some doctors are the worst degenerates in existence. They've been on everything in their time. But as soon as you tell them you've got a bad back or a gammy leg, their first question is, "Well, are you a smoker?" What the fuck does that have to do with it? I'm annoyed by the lack of smoking on TV as well. We should have more ashtrays on morning TV, and presenters wheezing."

Mark E Smith's autobiography "Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E Smith" is due out later this month. Should be a brilliant caustic...

Extracts are on the Guardian website. Find them yerselves you lazy proles.

Rock Implodes on its sorry self

The fallout from this still reverberates today...

You Heard It Here First - Roller Door

Roller Door is my new band. Take note copycats:


Protein Packed Hardgainer.

Fuzz Box.

Step Down Hard on the Fast.

Interior Design.

I’m Not Lookin’ For Love.

Backseat Fumble.

Sideswipe.

Pash Rash.

Dominator (Open Me Up).

Windows Excell.

Hot Pants.

Damn Right I’m Angry.

Bad News Bulletin.

Porn Morning.

State the O (bvious)

Spot the difference (or why there will be no boycott).

What is the difference between Beijing 2008 and Berlin 1936? Very little. Both are cases of a repugnant totalitarian regime using mass spectacle to legitimise their place in the world.

What is the difference between Beijing 2008 and Moscow 1980? A lot. The boycott that followed the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan (taking aside the cynical and selfish reasons for all involved) took place in a world where opposing forces created sufficient impetus to balance each other out.

Now Global Capitalism, 'free trade' and let's-make-loadsa-money stand on the victory dias. Everyone else can f$$k right off. A boycott is unthinkable.

Of course you can have your own personal boycott. Turn it off and go for a walk instead.

Highfidelity-Verrücktheit!

Reginald's finger work on "Somebody Stole My Gal" is nothing short of God-like.

Ten years ago I started collecting the bits to build a music reproduction system that would truely do justice to Reginald Dixon's seminal Organ album "The World of Reginald Dixon" (Recorded live at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom during Tuesday afternoon tea). Well folks, the time is near and this represents a first approximation. This system has been patched together through judicious hunting and required the saving of an inordinate number of milk tokens.

General overview of Die sehr großen Lautsprecher.


Altec A7 Voice of the Theatre speakers deliver real Blackpool Tower Ballroom ambience.


Conrad-Johnson MV-55 Valve amplification drives the low end.


Home made 2A3 Valve amp borrowed from Mr PF drives the High Horns.


Marchand XM-126 Valve driven active crossover means those amps deliver Reggie's thunderous playing with jaw-dropping clarity.


Basmati rice damps the HF horns which are prone to "ring" when driven hard. Sushi rice delivers a sweeter top end but the upper Mids the Basmati takes to school!


Roksan Xerxes Turntable serves Decca's venerable pressing well. The first few playings dredged out a disturbing amount of cake-crumbs from the groove - but after a clean Reggie OWNS that organ!


Later on we test the bass response with Salt N Pepper - earthquake alert! Still room for more though...

First up this is not too bad. Still need a dedicated support, although the dining room table was surprisingly lucid. Half way through Pennies from Heaven an old dear really rips into stirring her tea and the sound of that teaspoon hitting the Blackpool Tower crockery was an incredible "I haven't heard that before" moment - and believe you me I know this recording well - or at least I thought I did! At the moment I'm running a budget MM cartridge on the Xerxes so when I source a Moving coil we'll really be in business...

Night III

Night II

Night