2004. It was the borscht of times. It was the wurst of times.
Since everyone's budget is tighter after the holidays, none of my recommendations this year will max out the credit card. They might even have a slimming effect and make you look better in blue jeans.


Speaking of slim, the Audience Conductor interconnects are easily recommended as an affordable cable for first-time buyers. Their appearance is trim and classy – no fat cables with heavy-cream dielectrics here! Creating system synergy is difficult if you are using cables that aren't properly matched to your equipment. Every unique cable design I have used so far makes the attached equipment sound different. I tried the Conductors in each of my home systems and even pestered a few friends with them. With equipment that emphasizes the midrange like my Audio Refinement Complete integrated amplifier, the Conductors encouraged extra resolution and dynamic excitement. With more transparent equipment like the BVaudio preamp and power amp, the Conductors kept out of the way of the music. They encouraged each system to sound its best without altering the inherent character of the equipment. I love it when an entry-level product like the Conductors can sound this good!


Before I forget, one inexpensive component that has proven invaluable as an accessory to my reviews this year is the Audio Magic Xstream power cable. No, it isn't as revealing as the more expensive Audience PowerChord that I currently use as a reference cable, but it made a consistently satisfying sonic improvement to every component I used with it. Its sonic benefits are described more thoroughly in the review, but it does encourage components to deliver enhanced resolution. I still don't completely understand how a power cable can do this, but it does. If your system is still earth-bound by stock Belden power cables, the Audio Magic Xstream power cable is an excellent (and affordable) way to take your equipment to cruising altitude! Just tell your significant other that you want $99 worth of silver for Christmas.
Music in 2004
Hmm, what recording by Pierre Laurent-Aimard should I recommend this year? I have really enjoyed his performance of the Dvorak Piano Concerto with Nicholas Harnoncourt and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra [Teldec 87630 2004]. Dvorak's expansive music encompasses the aural equivalent of woodlands and rivers and Harnoncourt ensures that you get to hear all of these orchestral details. The piano music is challenging for the performer and thrilling for the listener – especially in the third movement where Laurent-Aimard's finger work skitters about like the fancy footwork of an ice dancer. Laurent-Aimard is also a brilliant interpreter and makes this somewhat neglected work into a very special performance. The addition of the tone poem, "The Golden Spinning Wheel" is icing on the cake. The live Teldec recording is appropriately spacious for the large orchestra, with enough detail and focus to capture the drama conveyed by the soloist.
News Flash: My wife and I were able to go out to a concert together this year! Readers who have kids and a limited pool of sitters will understand. We saw Andrew Manze and the English Concert perform some of the same concertos on their latest recording, Concertos for the Emperor [Harmonia Mundi 907332 2004]. The recording cannot match the beautiful string tone my wife and I heard in the concert hall, but it comes close on my music system. The bite of the violins and the distinctive sounds of the other instruments are accurately represented. Manze's style thrills without exhausting the audience and charms with sincerity. Manze clearly loves the music on this disc and the performance is infectious! Harmonia Mundi has created some excellent sounding recordings over the years and this recording is one of the best.
Recommendations for kids include Native American stories about animals performed by Dovie Thomason with music by Ulali. Lessons from the Animal People [Yellow Moon Press 50 1997] is filled with stories about the mischievous Rabbit and all of his friends at the dawn of creation. My daughter and I particularly enjoyed the stories about Turtle learning to fly and Rabbit's lament. The sound recording is decent, considering that this is predominantly a spoken-word recording.
My daughter also really likes Donovan's Greatest Hits [Epic/Legacy 65730 1999]. Yes it's hippie music, but there's nothing wrong with a little peace and love in the home. The music is relatively simple, yet Donovan's ability to play with language is clever and fun (try "Barabajagal" or "Riki Tiki Tavi" for psychedelic tongue-twisting). All the hits are here in their original form
(supposedly the previous hits album included a couple of re-recorded tracks) and the remastered sound is very good.
For the music lover who might not have everything
I was recently given a bodhran and tipper from friends of my parents. For those who might not know, the bodhran (pronounced bow-rahn) is an ancient hand-held drum of Celtic origin. The tipper (or beater) works as the drum stick. I could tell you the story of how St. Patrick used the bodhran to scare the snakes out of Ireland, but it simply isn't true. The only thing the bodhran might scare away is the in-laws.
While practicing, I've noticed that my hand shakes a bit from too much work at the computer, which makes for some interesting rhythms. The bodhran is not as easy to play as the Riverdance people make it look, but if I keep practicing, I hope to do just fine. If you know someone who would just love a bodhran, I can highly recommend one from Roundstone Instruments based in Co. Galway, Ireland. Your man Malachy Kearns has been manufacturing these instruments since 1978 and sells bodhrans for beginners as well as professionals. There are other bodhran makers in Ireland and other countries, but any bodhran endorsed by Christy Moore is certainly worth mentioning here!


Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! I wish everyone peace, prosperity, and the considerateness to give generously to people who need charity.