Beatles Now & Then + All-Time Fave Albums + 4 Viewer Systems!

[@ronaldweed6103]

The BEATLES have been in my life since '63. Now & Then hit me emotionally because my parents were alive etc. I respect you being objective.

[@keplermission]

One thing everybody in the USA needs to know about is that in Britain, you know the United Kingdom there were a couple of brands there in the 1970s known as the Amstrad and Solavox 'Executive Series' and in the US we didn't get that sort of amplifier, they were just so old in their know-how, like older than Radio Shack of their day and had a great sound but were a bit noisy, and some said they were junk but were affordable and an interesting vintage audio scene. We had Yorx but the 'Executive Series' were an upmarket Yorx.

[@JulienClerk]

You hit the nail on the head with the Dylan album! Indeed very laidback and it's like he's playing in the room with you. Very up close and personal...... Highly recommended

[@bobb.9917]

You sucked me in about the new Beatles song and kept me in. I LOVE the way that you personally qualify your statements about the music you love (or don't love)…I may NOT like it all…but because of the way that you qualify it…I RESPECT your point of view…. I will be taking a listen to some of your picks here this afternoon. THANKS, Steve! 👍🏼😀

[@jeffreysobczynski7113]

Wow! Steve! You hit it out of the park. Love all these groups and albums. Moby Grape is awesome.

[@brotherbrian5625]

This song Beatles song is such a gift, you are so affected by it and you went back to start of there career. The sadness is felt by all who love the Beatles. We miss John but his kids do make some great music as you stated. Its a hard thing to mess with but it was Beautiful! Thanks for responding to this event 😎🤟✌️

[@georgepblair]

I don't know if this is your first video focused on records, but it shouldn't be the last. Out of all the vinyl review channels I've seen, this was the best by far. Probably doesn't hurt that I agreed with everything you said about these records - please do more!

[@SteveWahrhaftig]

Really enjoyed the record discussion and I hope that you do more of them.

[@fredericmorris2931]

LOVE Gil Evans! Kenny Burrell’s Guitar Forms with his arrangements is an under the radar gem.

[@robertorivera1778]

Rosanne Cash is a very under appreciated singer. Her father was very proud of her. Her album The List, based on a list of country songs Johnny Cash recommended to her, is a true testament to her love for her father. I really admire her and wish her all the best.

[@richardwhite2344]

I totally agree. I Love Her songs "seven Year Ache" and many more

[@waltergist8923]

@@richardwhite2344 Couldn't agree more. I was lucky enough to see her at the Old Birchmere in Arlington, VA, many years ago. I was at there for the first show. Lucky for my wife and I there was a terrible thunderstorm toward the end of the first show and clearly no one was able to get to the club. So Rosanne came out at the end of the first show and said hey, if you feel like sticking around, we'll do it again. We did and it was memorable.

[@keplermission]

@@waltergist8923 The old what? Birchmere? Wow ... Tennessee!

[@waltergist8923]

the Birchmere is a music club in Arlington, Virginia. They relocated to a new , larger place 15 or 20 yyears ago, also in Arlington. Not Tennessee.@@keplermission

[@keplermission]

@@waltergist8923 Yeah but ... Rosanne Cash hails from TN and it is gun toting country. I mean Johnny Cash and his music could only be fully appreciated against that lifestyle. Arlington VA is the Big Sleep city with that military cemetery place, it's okay if you still have a good share of years left but otherwise ...

[@lillyrosemarykingofh]

really enjoyed this episode, please do more album reviews, i appreciate a clear opinion and rationale and more importantly its done without judgement (how is that possible?) well done

[@onetakereviews.whatsthedea4974]

Thank you Steve for the entertaining thoughts...and a big thank you for showing viewer systems. (Including mine. Already had a few comments on the stacked, dual Schiit, and tubes) Take care. Tommy

[@onchuner]

Despite not being particular Lennon or Beatles fan i appreciate your sincere reaction about cherished memory thank you for this

[@MangoZen]

Finally! As a lifelong Beatles fanatic, I cringe listening to Now and Then. It doesn’t sound like John. It’s devoid of that rawness of feeling. It’s wayyy overproduced. There’s no “Beatleness” to it. None. I could go on, but Steve, Thanks. We understand each other as real fans.

[@rabit818]

We are all time travelers. Love John and Paul collaborating in 2023. I got teary eyed when the string section come in. Just be thankful Jeff Lynn is not involved, you are not nit picking Steve.

[@ChrisJohnson-c3s]

Hey steve, thanks for letting us know what you're listening to, a lot of times I have these same CD's buried in my collection and you've caused me to pull them out and give them a listen. Tonight's going to be some girls and Leon Russell on the Box

[@joebrouillard565]

I really like Leon Russell. I was blessed to see him about a year before he passed away. Always thought he never received his dues for his contributions on so many albums. Hope to visit The Church Studio in Tulsa (along with the Bob Dylan Center) in the next year! Thanks for your always excellent reviews.

[@baronofgreymatter14]

I disagree. This was produced as a Beatles song. Not a Lennnon single. It was a good bye letter to the public .

[@guus007]

I agree.

[@edd2771]

@@rabarebra it’s not confirmed that’s true and if true it’s not confirmed whether John or yoko wrote it. Means nothing in this context. Even if true and John wrote it, it doesn’t mean it was going to be a Beatles song.

[@edd2771]

Legally, I suppose the controlling interests of the Beatles corporate entity released it. But a conscious creation of the four members? Or at minimum a song that gets released with the approval of all four (which still happened when not all four played on a track-e.g. yesterday?). These are what a Beatles song really is. This? No. This is something else.

[@jupitermadcat]

To each their own but it’s a bad song just like free as a bird and real love. Sad part it’s not up to Beatles standards.

[@rabarebra]

@@jupitermadcat Agree. It is a bad song.

[@clasvirhodes4969]

One of the things I love best about Steve is his love and appreciation of the Beatles and their catalog.

[@dosstodd8014]

Yeah, it's not 1975 and it doesn't sound like Hard Day's Night. But, what made them different from everyone else is every album was a new direction as is this. I've listened to it many times and hear it as an emotional farewell from them to us, their fans. Plus, the cassette said for Paul. The fact that all four of The Beatles are playing on the song is enough for me. I find it emotional and haunting. My one true love in music is now number one on Spotify one more time.

[@keplermission]

You know in 1975 there was a pop band that formed in two poor neighborhoods of Los Angeles in California and right now, it's morning there whist in NY it's midday. Well they took the name Rose Royce and made a lot of radio hits, one was 'Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is' and what the record industry wants is for you good folks to buy Buy BUY! Buy new records and enjoy better quality reproduction than before. Buy new stuff.

[@Darrylizer1]

It's AI Beatles, it's a simulacrum at best.

[@keplermission]

@@Darrylizer1 A simulacrum is popular today. We get modern bands using the melodies from 'What is Love' by Haddaway and Robert Miles' Children and others and it's jazzed up to give it a new lease of life. Sean Combs was the biggest simulacrum of Sting's song, 'I'll be Missing You' and he never paid royalties, it was just a stolen backing track. It used to happen in the 1950s with Swing, they'd use 1940s melodies played in a rough simulacrum.

[@RUfromthe40s]

yes ,even after the sound doesn´t sound like they really did ,i have most of their albums as i like them so much when i was maybe 12 and today i don´t recognise their sound on the new colections like the stereo box that was ofered to me by close family but i never heard them because the first 3 cds i put to play were much worst and don´t even sound like them, i also bought the two doble albums ,red and blue when returning from Africa in 1975 and in Spain our dictator said they were a bad influence to young teenagers ,so when in Portugal the revolution had happened by chance a year before but not all LP´s were available ,only in 78 they were released in Portugal the two doble compilations but i notice that don´t let me down and the ballad of john and yoko were not in the original records but available in a single with four songs ,A side : get back,don´t let me down and in the B side : ballad of john and yoko plus old brown shoe, in the 90´s the two songs were included in the cd ,i remenber they had to respect the original release by being a doble cd instead of one cd only trhat was enough for those tracks, my cd player since the first i bought in the 80´s was considered very good but in the 90´s i had much more money and being a faqn of music in general i bought at a very low price and expensive cd player belt-driven by CEC ,still sold today by thousands of €´s and not even with this i can say it sound like the beatles but this also happens with all cds recorded from albums released, that i know of ,the year 2000 ,it´s a very compacted sound with diferent levels on each track of the song, being more noticable the lectric guitar with analog efects,i bought several not knowing this and i have them stoped since 93 when i started to buy more cds than records ,about digital recording ,i´ve got nothing against it ,in 87 i bought a excelent deck of DAT´s from sony and one doble lp i bought in 1990 that i was amazed because the live sound was better than the original versions and i like maybe 7 songs of this band but the live record was the best i had ever heard and they play two six string guitars with amplifier distortion a bass guitar and drums, in the back said "Directelly recorded into DAT" and the record was perfect it sounded like the band was p,laying in my living room, but maybe after 5 or 6 years i found the cd version for sale and it had more tracks being one track a cover of peter frampton "that´s what you always say"when at home i played the 3 cd and i couldn´t believe it sounded so bad that i never put it to play again, so my problem is the cd format it destroys any studio recording ,i myself have a studio at home that my father assembled in 1970 ,it had been improved along the years and the DAT records as perfect as the reels ,the diference is so tiny that anyone can´t notice ,so why don´t they evolve in releasing a better format ,in reality this cds are technology developed in the 70´s and we are in 2023, it could be released a more evolved digital format ,the dat are too expensive,they could release a more recent digital format to cope with missing parts of the songs not heard in the so famous compact disc, the reason why i still hear records but bought some 15 Lp´s after 2017 and i didn´t bought one since 1993, it´s excused to say that they are worst than all i bought till 93, about dead people releasing new recorded songs ,were they happy with them ,so i don´t agre that two survivers from the four are in contact with their dead menbers of the band ,this 3 songs are not that good ,just my opinion

[@keplermission]

@@RUfromthe40s Yeah you know, CD ... has analog cables but they're limited to 80dB DR, Dynamic Range. So ... to get CD to sound as good as analog we need High Definition cables like the Optical Cable that gives us 120dB S/N ratio. It was recorded for 120dB and your old amplifiers ... Pioneer SA-7800 MK II, you know, it might manage 120dB line but maybe only 100dB. See we need new stuff like DACs to properly use CD.

[@patbarr1351]

I've heard "Now & Then" 3 times now & I appreciate the production. We're at a point where "pop" music is simple in the extreme-- a singer, maybe a "feat" guest singer ("What? Can't ya do the whole song yerself???"), a drum machine & keyboards. We have pop stars doing TV appearances with dancers waving fake guitars around to recordings that don't include a guitar. It's nice to hear a fleshed out recording for a change. Ah, Moby Grape, the answer to that riddle we heard in 4th grade! "What's big & purple & attacked Capt. Ahab?"

[@muchmorecoffee]

ig John Lennon fan here. I am pleased to hear your opinion on this "Beatles" song. I agree 100 percent with your take of it and the older "John" recreations. I'm a big and mostly silent fan of your channel. Keep it up, cheers...

[@Aramizito]

Now and Then … love them the same .. love the song ❤

[@MrFivehead99]

This is the best BEATLES song ever! Kudos to everyone that made it possible. I can’t stop playing it! One last time, we got to hear the Lads from Liverpool.

[@daveyurkovich9459]

Damn you Steve! Now you making me think about some new records 😅 good show as always.

[@rhorto01]

"A Beatles song with all this PRODUCTION???" [Rich looks at his Copy of Sgt. Peppers] "And messing with the pure sound of Lennon's voice?" [Rich looks at his copy of Revolver.] As takes go these certain were some.

[@DQ-su6qf]

I Didn’t recognize johns voice at first, it was somewhat nostalgic, the Ed Sullivan show was a long time ago …I liked what the Doors did with Morrison’s poetry in the album, An American Prayer…

[@gilesdavis6345]

I reckon it’s Paul and Ringo’s shot at what the Beatles might’ve sounded like now if they were all still here. As Liam said “Sir Paul could shit in my handbag and I would still keep my mints in there.

[@themastroiannis]

about "now and then"... i agree... over produced...killed the melancholic, confessional character of the song.... it's a haunting beautiful song...clean the piano part, perhaps, but let it breath as it is... in its simplicity and essence..

[@ML-rm3vk]

Thank you Steve. God bless music on

[@spinaltap75]

I completely agree and said the exact same thing. Sounds like something off the cutting room floor from an ELO studio session.

[@themastroiannis]

...but i really liked 'free as a bird' and 'real love'. george harrison's guitars are absolutely underrated...gorgeous, soaring, intense...and way way less over produced than "now and then"...

[@amosperrine1909]

Nice to see Cash on this list, her 1993 masterpiece "The Wheel" will be a deluxe LP reissue on 11/17, they have lived in NYC for over 30 years now, her husband is a native, as you know. Both are nice folks, too, as I have interviewed them.

[@dan2050]

I’ve listened to Lennon for 60 years. I don’t know what you heard but I heard John crystal clear. His voice sounded great (much clearer than the 90’s songs) and the song is great. You should try again and maybe you’ll enjoy it more. Plus watch the video.

[@richardelliott8352]

this guy continues to stay on my good side, and leading off some favorite albums with that Leon Russel effort is such a strong move, I can't help but appreciate the guy a bit more. information about quality records is so much more immediately useable than equipment understandings. It might be a stroke of luck that my attention was drawn to the parasound phono stage mentioned in the viewers systems, , I'll have to check that out. I was thinking going with a dedicated phono stage and was going to check out the js audio product, because they will probably go on sale for Black Friday, even while knowing it is a mistake to buy that kind of stuff on price alone,

[@keplermission]

You know what I like about Steve's record reviews is that he remembers being at Auditions of equipment and customer's favorite samples. It's interesting to hear all that different stuff and just what New York is listening to these days. Steve has gotten used to all that different toned music, wow!

[@dinosaursr]

Late 50’s jazz has a special place in my heart. Bebop led to post bebop, cool, Gil & Miles, bossa nova. A great book, 1959 The Year Everything Changed by Fred Kaplan covers the upheavals of that era. Also, the year I was born!

[@bilguana11]

I got sandblasted on many Beatles YT sites for criticizing N&T. Good for you.

[@RichardMartin-o6m]

Just received The Beatles /1967-1970 Blue album and I have thoroughly enjoyed the three records in the collection. The Now and Then song is very good considering all the history behind it. I have also enjoyed to Leon Russel with Elton John record.

[@stevegarza433]

I've only heard Now and Then a couple of times - my initial reaction is: I like the melody a lot. I think they successfully crafted it into a meaningful farewell song. Sound-wise, the end result seems a bit sonically dense (I guess that equates to over-produced along the lines of what you said). It's a lot better than Free as a Bird or Real Love, as John's voice seems clear and present, not far away behind a closed door. Separately, these are some great records you touched on here. Especially the Gil Evans and Carlos Montoya.

[@EMP698]

Moby Grape!! Hell yes. Their debut is a masterpiece

[@davidnelson696]

Loved that alum.

[@Stagerli]

100% agree . I said the exact same thing can send you the texts I sent to others about this song last week after hearing it for the first time . Way freaking overproduced . I would have loved to hear John’s voice raw . I would love to hear the track they pulled out by itself more than this song produced the way it is .

[@SubTroppo]

Paul McCartney performed in Brisbane recently. I was not there but it prompted me to play his first solo album (1970) for the first time in decades. It was poo-pooed at the time of release for Beatles-related reasons but for me it stands up pretty well, especially when other the efforts of non ex-Beatles are taken into consideration. Keep up the music recommendations; variety is the spice of life.

[@tracysherman875]

😊😊

[@guus007]

For this time I don’t agree with you Steve. But it’s a matter of opinion and I will try to explain where I come from. John Lennon wrote this tune ‘now and then’ when he lived in New York and when the Beatles were over. But John did write the name Paul on the recording. Maybe John wrote this song with the split up on his mind, maybe he thought of his wife Yoko. John could never have imagined that this song would get the intention and meaning it has now. But it did. It’s the last song of the Beatles and they all participate in it. Also George before he died. So they are all there and the song is really played by them all. Furthermore this song is better then 95% what came out the last decade. Earlier this song could not be finished because the piano and Johns voice could not be separated and there was noise. So isn’t it a coincidence that this song long ago called ‘now and then’ is now the last Beatles song? So for me this has it all. It’s like God intended it this way so we could one time more enjoy a new Beatles song.

[@Aswaguespack]

I got into the Beatles “seriously” with “Revolver”. It was a big departure from previous albums. I got interested in them as more serious composers rather than “pop” artists. So many innovative techniques were introduced and which led to their next era in their discography. George and Jeff Lynne were good friends and there are similarities and differences in their work as a result of their friendship and collaborations. For me the Beatles became “real” with Revolver. My 2¢. Great stuff Steve as usual!

[@keplermission]

Well you know ... America is all about a golden handshake, I mean can we read the Washington Post or New York Times for free? So how about these record reviews from Steve? Is Steve getting paid for giving them a shout? Well ... most Record Review magazines did get get paid for giving a review to slow sellers.

[@markmcminn5100]

Some Girls. The only Stones record I have ever bought new ....when it came out. Great stuff.

[@67Pepper]

Was "Yesterday" a Beatles song Steve? There are countless songs that are "John" songs and "Paul" songs and "George" songs. I think "Now and Then" is clearly more a Lennon song than a Beatles song, only because he wrote it years after the breakup.

[@clasvirhodes4969]

Steve , did you ever get the chance to see a Beatle in concert ? (post beatles) My wife saw all but John. Regrettably, I have not had the privilege. I am happy to hear of those who did.

[@armanddimeo6575]

Leon Russell was a genius. I had an opportunity to see him in my city a couple of years before he passed. I could kick myself for not going. He arranged and produced most of Gary Lewis and the Playboys' hit records and could even make fluff like this sound good. Lewis attributed 80 percent of his success to Leon Russell.

[@fabieneldridge3414]

I’m going to rock one of those albums soon as I finish watching you ! Old2325 Marantz, a pair of Klipsch k-horns, and a Pair of Klipsch Belle’s, all playing together for live entertainment. Oh yeah it will shake the house, my music room is 28x26’ ! I’m about to go live!

[@alkik4409]

Hi Steve. The following comments are not to take away from the wonderful sentimental video content for John and George, but, musically speaking, as an audiophile and musician, this song is not as enjoyable to listen to, as it is to watch the entertaining video segments. Like you, I also have many years experience with recording and mastering live and studio music and when I listen to this song on my stereo, the sound is hard, bright and very compressed - a rather two dimensional, in-your-face presentation. My musical friends and I also felt the same as you. Julian, as a tribute to his father's song, might have been a more fitting choice as the lead singer. And he sounds a lot like John, too. Again, this is not to diminish all the work of the musicians adding musical material or the careful audio and video editing that was a big part of this project. For Beatles fans everywhere, myself included, this song is and will always be monumental, as it is the final Beatles song. Thank you for your frank and honest opinions!

[@Ylojaketz]

Laura Nyro, to me, was an inspired composer with a really great body of work. Her voice was unique and her piano chops were undervalued.

[@robertyoung1777]

I concur with you Steve.

[@jamesschneider3828]

Love that Rosanne Cash Album.

[@steveurmah]

100% on board with your take on Now And Then. Modern production also kind of ruined the new Stones album for me.

[@wfranklin990]

I'm in agreement with you re Now and Then. Never liked Free as a Bird and Real Love when they came out; thankfully they don't get much radio play on the Beatles satellite channels

[@ronvitale]

I also disagree. I respect your opinion, but think this one-time event is a great way to close the chapter on the Beatles.

[@morgolus4413]

Agreed Steve. Hard to listen to this one. I assume it was Rick Beato you saw/heard play and sing the song on You Tube. Important note, Jeff Lynn was not involved in this single, just the first two. Paul is the producer on Now and Then.

[@davepounds8924]

I agree Steve Way overproduction on this! The hysteria over this amazes me This would have been a better Lennon solo song circa Mind Games era.

[@rabarebra]

Who's Steve Way?

[@davepounds8924]

@@rabarebra I t should read that I was agreeing with Steve on his opinion of the record It was way overproduced

[@keithbertschin1213]

Thank You! Scraping the barrel was never what they were about and now we have a third in the trilogy. Imagine a kid who’d never the Beatles just hearing those three songs?! They’d never be back of course not. The song is just ok at best def nothing to get hung about

[@joshuaschneck]

Hi Steve. Any chance you could get some Audio Research amps in for a review??

[@vtkz]

again 4 systems with zero room treatment and questionable placement. Place Speakers above speakers are the worst you can do.

[@itzvibe71]

Band: *Leon Russell - Bass, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals *Eric Clapton - Guitar *George Harrison - Guitar *Delaney Bramlett - Guitar *Steve Winwood - Keyboards *Chris Stainton - Keyboards *Jim Horn - Saxophone *Bill Wyman - Bass *Alan Spenner - Bass *Klaus Voormann - Bass *Charlie Watts - Drums *Ringo Starr - Drums *Jim Gordon - Drums *Buddy Harmon - Drums *B.J. Wilson - Drums

[@plan9fromthenw]

I bought the 12" single. It was good enough to add to my collection but doesn't have dynamics in writing that we love from their other songs. I think if they were all in a room together working on this one it would have sounded much different. As far as the production, it's what I expect in 2023 unfortunately. The music video is....interesting.

[@continentalgin]

Agreed! I still made the purchase, so I paid my dues or Beatles Tax, whatever we call it.

[@JorgedeLumiarFerreira]

I completely agree with the "Now & Then" review. It's saddening and not even comparable with a "real" Beatles song. I understand the nostalgia, but it is not real!!!

[@MadMan07712]

Tattoo You is also great, but you are right, Some Girls is an all-time great.

[@bacarandii]

I had the same initial (emotional) response to the heavy arrangement and obvious processing of John's voice (I call him "John" because we knew all the members of that band by their first names). It almost threatens to polish him right out of the track. Andrew Hickey, whose podcast "A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs" you turned me on to, wrote: "I also think there's some autotune, both on Lennon's voice and on McCartney's new vocals, but mostly what's been done seems to be to turn half-formed lines into full ones by creating a Lennonmccartney solo-sounding vocal." I'd rather listen to the cassette demo of the incomplete, early draft of the song with just John's unmodified voice and piano. But as an experiment (assembling a full song out of fragments and pre-existing recordings, like the background vocals), I'd say it was worth trying, even if it didn't (couldn't?) fulfill expectations. We know John loved to electronically distort his voice (because he didn't like it!) and that he liked to play with sound fragments and tape loops ("Tomorrow Never Knows," "Strawberry Fields," "I Am the Walrus," "Revolution 9"), so I appreciate it as a sound collage in the spirit of Karlheinz Stockhausen, one of the Beatles' musical influences.

[@michaelsrensen8027]

@steveguttenberg it’s so funny, I saw the title of this video, and then listened to the song. At first I thought it was paul singing, but that his voice was sooo small(maybe due to his age, which would be acceptable). Then i start watching your video, and when you talk about how badly it sounds, I thought why they didn’t use Julian or even Sean(hear tomorrow never came with Lana Del Rey). Funny how the same thoughts occur!

[@danieltobiasjr.4362]

totally agree

[@hippydippy]

Totally disagree with your take on the new Beatle's song. I absolutely love it. Always brings tears to my eye's.

[@MrPINKFL0YD]

I still remember the day he died R. I. P John.

[@Extremesam43]

I can agree with that Steve. When you start "frankensteining" songs together you lose the real feeling. We just need to accept the beatles gave us all the songs they had.

[@fakeklg]

fascinated by those dual loki eq's.

[@onetakereviews.whatsthedea4974]

I'll explain if you'd like. It's a unique system I have.

[@fakeklg]

@@onetakereviews.whatsthedea4974 please do! Fascinated. I rewatched that segment so many times. I’m an EQ fan. 😊

[@onetakereviews.whatsthedea4974]

@guttbox so...to keep it short, on the audio side, I have an Nvediashield pro hdmi feeding into an hdmi extractor... The optical goes into the denafrips pontus. The pontus feeds xlr to One Schiit....to the ufo then to the heresy4. HOWEVER... THAT (out) schiit is actually split. So it's actually a split signal to the heresy. (And obviously equalized) The other split signal goes into the second Schiit...then to the second Ufo, then to my 600mk2 klipsch. Remember, the first schiit has been eqd ...so tge second is receiving THAT eqd signal. So when the second is talking to the 6002, I can exaggerate the eq even further, bringing an incredible sense of air to the 600s tweeter. Think of it like this. If you stacked 2 eqs feed one into the other, and messed turned the bass as high as you can...the second can take that signal and take it beyond the intended purpose. Make sense?

[@onetakereviews.whatsthedea4974]

Here's what I sent Steve... No problem...thanks for the interest. What it ALL entails. Arcam AVR21 Audioquest Niagara 5000 Audioquest Niagara 3000 Audioquest 4x Hurricane power cables, 1 Thunder cable Nvedia Sheild Pro both Decware interconnects and 12/4 OFC 12awg cables Klipsch Heresy 4 Klipsch 600ii Klipsch RC64iii center 2x Rel T9x with LFE and High Level input Surrounds and rears are Klipsch RP500SAii Denafrips Pontusii DAC 2 Decware UFO2 (numbered 105 and 106) 2 Schiit Lokius 6 band EQ OREI 8K60/4K120hz splitter/optical Audio extractor Samsung QN900B 85 How it all happens? I LOVE tv AND music equally.I truly wanted the best of Both worlds. Arcam had the best native sounding music and Nvedia is (for me) the best streamer for watching tv and movies. GREAT! ...for my music / music videos streaming, Arcam was lacking in 2 CH, so after about a year, I finally landed on this. Nvedia provides my streaming needs for TV and Music. the 4k splitter has 2 HDMI outs and One Digital Optical out.. One HDMI to the Arcam AVR21 which is wired like a normal 7ch setup (except for the L/R...and subs I'll get into in a sec) All video and sound information is flawless....and I run the Optical (same sound information) to my Denafrips Pontus ii. As mentioned the L/R and not connected to the speakers directly. They run to a Switch Box (2 amps, 1 speaker). To skip ahead my 2 UFO2's are now being fed the Optical signal, From Nvedia through the Pontus...into 1Schiit (and split), the other into a second Schiit (which receives the adjusted tone). 1Schiit feeds a UFO L/R (to the switch box) and into Heresy4s...the 2nd Schiit feeds into a second UFO then to a pair of 600ii (using the adjusted tone, I can further enhance the adjustments to the 600ii to a greater degree). No switch box needed since it's not sharing anything for the 600ii. To sum up I see something on TV, I want to hear it through tubes. I click a button which omits my arcams speaker terminals ...but I still SEE the signal on TV. Arcam only knows to shut off the terminals...but video feed continues at 4k. I turn on my Niagara5000, it powers the pontus, and Schitt(s)... I A/B my switchbox, click on my pontus...pontus talks to 2 Schiit EQs...the EQ to the UFO dedicated to H4 and the other (EQ'd) UFO to a pair of 600ii Since Nvedia has volume control, I can do that from my couch...never touching volume on either ufo. LASTLY....Subs. The Rels have a High Level Connect which is connected directly to the H4s. Remember, the switchbox is one out (to the H4s) it's on the high H4 rear terminal (Jumped). and Rel is on the bottom set of H4 terminals (now sharing a perfect signal) ...Arcam or UFO sends the final L/R to H4 (from the switchbox) and Rel doesn't know the source, just the info. Why the 600ii? Well, as soon as I added it, I have independent control over tone AND volume with its own EQ and I can fine tune, beyond belief, mids and highs. not just in EQ, but in volume since they have their own UFO. H4 sharing Arcam AND UFO, Rel working with both no matter which amp I'm listening to. 2 independent EQs for 2 sets of speakers. +Volume control... AND I GET TO SEE WHAT IM HEARING! That was my goal. See on TV, anything I want, and have the choice to hear in in 7.2 or 2/2.2 (tubes)

[@fakeklg]

@@onetakereviews.whatsthedea4974 thanks for that detailed explanation. I get what you are saying. That is wild stuff. Very impressive. I bet you can get super dialed in.

[@jeffcline7689]

I have the some girls album bought in 1978 with Farrah Fawcet in that blank spot because she sued them for putting her picture on the cover without consent.

[@lsaideOK]

One of the best things a band can do is break up after they have made their mark. Talking heads is another example of a group that broke up when the members were still fairly young and have never reunited. A group that did this with even fewer recordings is Television. Give Marquee Moon another listen if you haven't for a while. And I have to agree with your feelings about Some Girls. Just was listening to this the other day. Not sure the title song could or would be written today. Only time I saw them was during this tour.

[@thestones6272]

I agree with Steve regarding Now and Then, I can listen to it but not a big fan of it.

[@greghugghins4711]

Love You Love The Show Now & Then-I Dig It Leon Russell-Dig Him You shld check out the new album by Tommy Taylor drummer from Christopher Cross & Eric Johnson-Dig Tommy Taylor ACROSS THE STARS‼️

[@larryphillips4585]

Hi from Brooklyn,NY; I would to know if Magneplanar is still in business. Because I went on the website and every speakers was sold-out. I what is happening? any info is greatly liked!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

New models are coming out, magnepan is definitely not going away

[@larryphillips4585]

Larry Phillips @@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks for the info because I am looking. for a small set-up like the desktop speakers ,mainly I listen thru headphones. Thanks for all the reviews! happy holidays !

[@davidcurry8440]

I’ve listened to this new Beatles song and I’m wondering why there weren’t several versions on the 12 inch. I mean there’s room for the Jeff Lynn mix, just John and the piano, and like you mentioned a Julian performance. What I do find interesting is that this could be a test to see 1. how AI edit and production is received and 2. if this will open the possibility of salvaging recordings that were thought lost using AI. I guess we’ll see.

[@razisn]

I much prefer the RS previous album Black and Blue than this. In my opinion BandB was their last great album in which they still had something to say musically.

[@Qthepug]

I agree. The AI probably listened to the last Beatles songs whatever they were that were released after the Beatles broke up and gave them equal weight. Actually, the only real Beatles songs were when the Beatles were the Beatles.

[@leopardobuil]

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac wishing to hear your opinion about the new red and blue reeditions!!

[@36karpatoruski]

Completely disagree. Love it - atmosphere, nostalgia, vocals, goofy antics, ode to friendship, melody, strings, everything. This 70 year old is very thankful for the effort and the product. Closure at last.

[@doplinger1]

Thank you Steve for being the voice of reason! It’s true, none of those 3 songs are very good. And this one does not have a Beatles vibe, no matter how much they tried to throw into the production.

[@Cap683]

The problem that I have with Now & Then and the other efforts to recreate the Beatles by using technology is the fact that The Beatles broke up in 1970. I just can't get past that hard fact.

[@jopolia]

You are very right , but "Money" is the reason ... and the red and blue compilation needs to be sold , Christmas ... is the reason , I agree with you ... Real love , Free as a bird and Now and Then for me are not Beatles songs ...I am a Beatles fan and I love the work on the remastering by Giles Martin ...so , !!

[@dylanemeraldgrey]

I think it was much less about the music than the video. It was a chance for people to be wistfully nostalgic. I wasn't immune to it invoking feelings, but i wasn't nostalgic, because i wasn't there. There must be a German world for being nostalgic for a time you never lived in... Anyway, totally agree with your take on the music. Ironically, the video was also too busy and felt a bit forced. All that being said, i still watched it.

[@myself61607]

But when you have listened a lot to the music or enjoyed any art of any era and really buried yourself in it, then you have lived it and can feel nostalgia for it. The Beatles video moved me more than the track. Cheers

[@dylanemeraldgrey]

@@myself61607 I know what you mean. I just meant I couldn't be nostalgic about the 60's in the same way a lot of people were who were, say, teenagers and young adults when the Beatles became popular could. I grew up listening to the Beatles, and followed their ups and downs over the decades like everyone else; so, as I said, I wasn't immune to feeling something - but it wasn't nostalgia. Well, i don't know if I did any better of job explaining it this time, but there you go. - Cheers

[@mikemarion2154]

Interesting take... I like it but then again at 51yo... I was a bigger fan of ELO as a kid.

[@tellthemborissentyou]

John Lennon never wanted to get back with the Beatles. When asked he would say "when are you going back to high school?" George Harrison thought this song was crap. Now some greedy people release it and claim it is a Beatles song.

[@thomassaner2478]

Oh Steve, you’re really in my wheelhouse whatever the hell that means but Leon,Roseanne ,stones, Gil Evans, Laura, satanic majesty request-bought that at a record convention check out the clouded slip sleeve and the Beatles faces are in the cover -you know that oh one last thing Moby Grape 69 good stuff, sketchy recording-oh, some girls is etched in my mind in the summer of 79 good stuff-oh, one last thing saw them do 2000 light years from home at Alpine Valley. Indoor-outdoor venue with projection on the ceiling-steel wheels tour, but did a big retro set

[@7029100]

It would be very helpful to add in the info area the list of records reviewed. Even a link to a seller may help and you may earn something 🙂

[@richardlloyd5519]

I have to disagree on Now And Then. I was 10 when The Beatles first broke in America, and it works and sounds pretty Fab to me. Thumbs up for the idea of Julian Lennon singing this...I suppose he still could. Thanks for the great Artist/Album suggestions here! I get ragged on by friends for liking Satanic Majesties Request, so now I know at least two of us enjoy it ; )

[@andypomeroy7447]

Julian Lennon on vocals? How about Sean Lennon? As Sean stated, his father would have embraced modern technology and would like this.

[@bradpyles5322]

It’s completely for the money. Sounds horrible. I agree with you Steve

[@MichoMich611]

Sad for you. I like it.

[@CptMark]

"...how exactly is it the “last”, rather than “latest” “Beatles song”? Give Paul, Ringo, Jeff Lynne, and Peter Jackson another five years, and I’m sure there are still quite a few unfinished Lennon demos that can be properly patched up with AI. How do they really know it’s the “last” one?) It would have been so much more helpful if the same people who are proudly presenting their “tearful breakdowns” to the “last Beatles song” on KZbin right now used this opportunity to go back to some of the music that John actually had the opportunity to COMPLETE during his lifetime." - George Starostin

[@Audiorevue]

Do you remember back in the day you used to have two types of people, those that like the Beatles and those that like the stones, and I guess you can assume from that statement which one I liked. The stones were always better, and I always thought that they were more true to the essence of what it was they were trying to say and do. I guess that's why all the Beatles are no more and the stones are still jamming

[@ronpi1293]

My opinion of the "new" song aligns with yours. Mostly that It just doesn't sound like him.

[@cbungaro]

Pretty much agree with your assessment of Now and Then. It’s too gimmicky.

[@terryhu57]

1000% agree

[@francescotenti193]

Frankly, enough with "new" Beatles songs and re editions of previous work, not for me. The Stones are another story and never get tired to listen to them including Satanic Majesties Request, great stuff. Thanks for sharing that list of albums, I have some homework to do now.