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Doug and Kirk wax nostalgic about the iPod classic, and other one trick pony music players. And Bob Dylan. Sponsor: Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes. Make sure your iTunes management tools are updated for latest version of iTunes and for macOS Sierra at Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes. Reader email: A question about earbuds and low frequencies; see the reply to a question on last week’s episode page. News: Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in literature! Check out these Dylan albums to appreciate his poetry: Highway 61 Revisited, particularly Desolation Row. Blonde on Blonde, for Visions of Johanna. John Wesley Harding, a great underrated album, for All Along the Watchtower. And more: No Direction Home, documentary about Dylan’s early years. Bob Dylan, The 1966 Live Recordings Show notes: Elegy for the iPod Apple Composite AV Cable Mactracker iTrip Our next tracks: Note that Kirk recorded his next track selection before the news of Dylan winning the Nobel Prize broke. Kirk: Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 Doug: Ron Wood: I’ve Got My Own Album To Do If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

Doug and Kirk had some questions about subwoofers. So they invited Andy Doe to explain how they work, how to set them up, and why we might want to use them. Sponsor: Drobo, simple to use storage arrays designed to keep your data safe forever. Visit Drobo.com. You’re listening to this at home for your own pleasure, it doesn’t actually matter if it’s accurate. What matters is that you like it. This week’s guest: Andy Doe, Proper Discord Show notes: Polk Audio PSW10 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer Wharfdale Diamond SW150 Subwoofer Mackie HR824 Mk 2 Studio Monitor Pyle Home PCB3BK 3-Inch 100-Watt Mini Cube Bookshelf Speakers Online Tone Generator Our next tracks: Kirk: Johann Sebastian Bach, Suites for Solo Cello, by Anner Bylsma Doug: Ray Charles & The Count Basie Orchestra: Ray Sings, Basie Swings If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Andy Doe.

We welcome musician, historian, and author Elijah Wald to discuss the history of the blues. Sponsor: Master iTunes with Kirk’s ebook and save 30% on Take Control of iTunes 12: The FAQ, the indispensable guide to iTunes. Show notes: Elijah Wald’s website Elijah Wald’s Songobiography Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties Inside Llewyn Davis The Mayor of McDougal Street Inside Dave van Ronk (the album with the cat on the cover) Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings Kirk’s review of Dylan Goes Electric Robert Palmer: Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta Howlin’ Wolf on Shindig, May 20, 1965: Our next tracks: Kirk: Hot Tuna Doug: Howlin’ Wolf: The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Elijah Wald.

Doug and Kirk discuss the pros and cons of live recordings vs. studio recordings. And, are live recordings really live? “Bravo!” Sponsor: Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes. Make sure your iTunes management tools are updated for latest version of iTunes and for macOS Sierra at Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes. Show notes: Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Vol. 19, Honolulu, HI, January 23, 1970 The Who: Live at Leeds, Super Deluxe Edition Humble Pie: Performance – Rockin’ The Fillmore: The Complete Recordings ZZ Top: Live – Greatest Hits From Around The World Hot Tuna: Hot Tuna Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive! The Beatles: Live at Shea Stadium 1965 Yes: Yessongs Chicago: Live at Carnegie Hall Grateful Dead: Europe 72 Allman Brothers Band: At Fillmore East Allman Brothers Band: Eat a Peach Deep Purple: Live in Japan Led Zeppelin: The Song Remains the Same Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited Bob Dylan: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol.12 (Deluxe Edition) Bob Dylan: Fallen Angels Bob Dylan: Shadows in the Night The Beatles: Please Please Me Miles Davis: Kind of Blue John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir: Bach, Complete Sacred Cantatas nugs.net Live Phish Dead & Company Our next tracks: Kirk: Alfred Brendel: Live and Radio Performances, 1968-2001 Doug: Elton John: 17-11-70 If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

We welcome New Yorker music critic Alex Ross for a long discussion about listening to classical music today. This episode runs a bit longer than usual, but we think you’ll enjoy the whole show. “I mix the familiar and the obscure.” Sponsor: Master iTunes with Kirk’s ebook and save 30% on Take Control of iTunes 12: The FAQ, the indispensable guide to iTunes. Show notes: Alex Ross’s website, The Rest is Noise Alex Ross’s writings on The New Yorker Alex Ross’s books: The Rest is Noise, Listen to This The Composers of Quiet: The Wandelweiser collective makes music between sound and silence Wandelweiser Miscellany Our next tracks: Kirk: Dennis Johnson: November – Interview with R. Andrew Lee Doug: Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band: Bongo Rock If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Alex Ross.

Doug and Kirk look at the audio-related elements of this week’s Apple product announcement. The headphone jack, AirPods, and Apple Music. “Frankly, I don’t listen to a lot of new music. I’m still trying to catch up on a lot of old music.” Sponsor: Master iTunes with Kirk’s ebook and save 30% on Take Control of iTunes 12: The FAQ, the indispensable guide to iTunes. Show notes: Correction: When discussing AirPods, we said that they cannot be used with devices other than a Mac, iOS device, or Apple Watch. Since we recorded this show, Apple has stated that the AirPods can be used with any Bluetooth device. However, they only pair automatically with Macs, iOS devices, and Apple Watches. News: Apple: Jacks Off iPhone 7 Jabra Revo Bluetooth headphones Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter Apple’s AirPod Mistake Chums Slip Fit 3mm Rope Eyewear Retainer Plantronics Voyager Legend UC Bluetooth Headset I Forgot How Bad Apple’s EarPods (not AirPods) Sound Apple Activates “My New Music Mix” “My Favorites Mix” on macOS and iOS Betas Our next tracks: Kirk: Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding – Bob Dylan: The Original Mono Recordings Doug: The Carl Stalling Project: Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons, 1936-1958 If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

Doug and Kirk discuss some news and some music and audio technology history, then examine the best ways to manage and store a digital media collection. Show notes: News: Rudy Van Gelder, Renowned ‘A Love Supreme’ Engineer, Dead at 91 – Rolling Stone Music Technology of the 1970s: A Timeline – Pitchfork Managing and Storing Digital Media Files: TuneSpan Drobo WD My Cloud 4 TB Synology Our next tracks: Kirk: Harold Budd: Children on the Hill Doug: Bis: Social Dancing If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

Doug and Kirk welcome Sangwook “Sunny” Nam, two-time Grammy nominated mastering engineer. He explains what mastering and remastering are, and we learn a lot about the magic that mastering engineers perform. “All the processing I’m doing is done on the analog side.” Show notes: Jacob’s Well Mastering Sunny Nam’s recordings on Discogs Doug Sax The Doors on vinyl Sunny Nam’s mastering studio. Our next tracks: Kirk: Blind Gary Davis: Harlem Street Singer Doug: Frank Zappa & The Mothers: Roxy & Elsewhere If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Sunny Nam.

Doug and Kirk take a look at recent news in the music and audio world. From audiophile utility poles to iTunes news, from record stores to car radios, this news and views episode keeps you up to date on what matters in music listening. And Kirk gives an update on his first Pearl Jam listening experience. “For $10,000 there better be a powerful placebo effect.” Show notes: News: Pearl Jam: Ten A Gift for Music Lovers Who Have It All: A Personal Utility Pole Records’ rebirth fueled by older music obsessives, not young hipsters Ch-Ch-Changes in the Physical Music Retail Landscape A Couple of Work and Movement Scripts iTunes Gets a Splash of Color iTunes 12.5 and iOS 10 Music App to Add Lyrics to Song Playback Ultravox: The Island Years Wim Martens: a man of no fortune and with a name to come Talking Heads: Fear of Music Hugo Ball Honda Civic 2016: A case study of the disappearing radio Our next tracks: Doug: ZZ Top: Rhythmeen Kirk: Grateful Dead: Dave’s Picks Volume 19: Honolulu Civic Auditorium, HI, 1/23/70 If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

Doug and Kirk welcome back Chris Connaker to discuss music streaming services. Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, or another; which is right for you? What are the pros and cons of the various streaming services? “I have never heard a song by Pearl Jam.” Show notes: News: Apple Is Finally Making iTunes Better for Classical Music Dislike is a New iTunes 12.5 Track Property Streaming music services: Pearl Jam Qobuz Apple Music Spotify Tidal Pandora Roon Pearl Jam: Ten Our next tracks: Kirk: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: Organisation Doug: Daryl Hall: Sacred Songs If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Chris Connaker.

Doug and Kirk discuss iTunes and AppleScript. This was bound to come sooner or later, since Doug is the AppleScript ninja. We look at what AppleScript does, and discuss more than a dozen of the most useful AppleScripts to use to manage your iTunes library. “AppleScript does not run on Windows, and Windows does not run in my house.” Show notes: News: New Pink Floyd box set covers the early years: 1965 – 1972 Pink Floyd copyright release: 1965: Their First Recordings Everything you need to know about playing music with AirPlay Classical Music Needs More Silence Listen Different: Add Silence to your iTunes and iPod Playlists High-Resolution Silence iTunes & AppleScript: Doug’s AppleScripts for iTunes Artist – Name Corrector Remove n Characters from Front or Back This Tag, That Tag Search Replace Tag Text Proper English Title Capitalization List MIAs Super Remove Dead Tracks Music Folder Files Not Added Move Playlists to Folder Playlist Manager Find Album Artwork With Google Save Album Art as folder.jpg Embed Artwork Re-Embed Artwork PDF Adder View Cached Music Copy Tag Info Tracks to Tracks A Space Between Download FAQ and Video Windows Solutions? Bill Nelson’s Artisanal Music Our next tracks: Doug: Roomful of Blues: Live at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Kirk: Bill Nelson: All That I Remember If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

Doug and Kirk welcome back Andy Doe, digital music consultant, to discuss myths and superstitions around audio: cables, breaking in hardware, digital audio, and more. But first we discuss classical music playlists on streaming services. “Hooray, good for you, you have magical bat ears.” Andy Doe. Show notes: Andy Doe Proper Discord Classical music playlists: Here’s What’s Wrong with Classical Music on Streaming Services (Part Whatever) Audio myths & superstitions: Articles on Kirk’s website about hi-fi magazines writing about audio equipment How Hi-Fi Magazines Write about Cables, Part 7: An Audiophile Shelf IsoAcoustic speaker stands Mastered for iTunes Our next tracks: Kirk: Bach: Lute Works (original version for ten-string guitar), Stephan Schmidt Doug: Rolling Stones, Get Yer Ya-Yas Out If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Andy Doe.

Have you ever wanted to set up your own home media server? Doug and Kirk discuss the pros and cons of doing this, and explain how to set up a Mac mini as a media server. Show notes: Discovering new music: Apple’s Mac mini OS X Server I wish there was an iTunes Server WD My Passport 4 TB portable hard drive Carbon Copy Cloner Change Screen Resolution on Headless OS X Server Sonos Plex The Merchant of Venice, by the Royal Shakespeare Company Apple improves iCloud Music Library matching, ditches copy-protected matched files for Apple Music users VNC Viewer The best way to watch media on the new Apple TV: iTunes Home Sharing vs. Plex Our next tracks: Doug: Jeff Beck, Loud Hailer Kirk: Emerson String Quartet – Complete Recordings On Deutsche Grammophon If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.

In the latest episode of The Next Track, Doug Adams and Kirk McElhearn welcome NPR and Rolling Stone music critic Will Hermes. We take a brief stroll down memory lane, then discuss music discovery: how does a music critic, overwhelmed with choice, discover new music. “For me to just become a nostalgia merchant; as a writer, and as a music fan, not interested.” Show notes: Discovering new music: Will Hermes’ website; his writing on Rolling Stone; his reviews on WNYC; All Things Considered Love Goes to Buildings on Fire, by Will Hermes NPR Music Uncut Magazine The Wire Pitchfork Rate Your Music Other People Listen to all ten albums from Brian Eno’s Obscure Records label Day of the Dead Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs Of Bob Dylan Rock Family Trees Our next tracks: Kirk: Steve Reich, Music for 18 Musicians Doug: Johnny Thunders, So Alone If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.Special Guest: Will Hermes.

In the latest episode of The Next Track, Doug Adams and Kirk McElhearn discuss spoken word recordings. How to get them, how to manage them, and how to listen to them. And we discuss how the history of recording started with recordings of spoken word content. “Like a Victorian call center.” Show notes: Spoken word and audiobook recordings: Key dates in the history of audiobooks Walt Whitman reading four lines of America James Joyce reading from Ulysses and Finnegans Wake JRR Tolkien reads from The Lord of the Rings Audible.com, Audible UK, free trial with two free audiobooks Librivox: free, public domain audiobooks Join Together, Mac app that splices multiple audio files into one Ripping and Playing Audiobooks Our next tracks: Doug: Fleetwood Mac, The Boston Box Kirk: Arkangel Shakespeare, and King Lear on the iTunes Store If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast.