Robert Pincus, Author at Positive Feedback

Eydie Gormé

Robert Pincus — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:20:49 +0000

In today's world, Eydie Gormé (1928-2013) is most famous for being part of a successful singing duo with her husband, Steve Lawrence (1935-2024). As a pair, they were successful from the earliest days of stereo LPs and well into the digital era. They also excelled at comedy, and they looked great too. By all accounts,... Read More »

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Everything's Archie

Robert Pincus — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:41:36 +0000

A couple of nights prior to performing this finger workout on my keyboard, I had a craving for some vinyl with a male vocalist. I wasn't in the mood for Joe Cocker, Jim Reeves, or Frank Sinatra. I wanted something frothy, and free from deep thought. I just wanted to be swept away by blissful... Read More »

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Red Norvo with Strings

Robert Pincus — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 16:46:47 +0000

The sound of Fantasy's mono jazz records from the mid-fifties is a sound that I really love. Should you try some—and I am referring to the records that were pressed on translucent red vinyl—the first thing you'll notice is they lack the forced-upon-you "high fidelity" sound of the Capitol and Columbia mono LPs. This is... Read More »

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Floyd Cramer's Only The Big Ones

Robert Pincus — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 23:18:29 +0000

Floyd Cramer (1933-1997) was one of the most prolific studio musicians who ever sat on a piano bench. During the early 60s he was a key member of Nashville's A-team of musicians who backed famous singers, such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Roy Orbison, Jimmy Dean, The Everly Brothers, and Jim Reeves. And... Read More »

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One Hit Favorites

Robert Pincus — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:24:22 +0000

We've all bought albums for the hit song that we heard on the radio, or for that one incredible sounding demo cut we heard at an audio show. Because of this, vinyl nuts, like me, who've been collecting records for decades, always wind up owning lots of albums that have only one good cut. I... Read More »

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Mercy, Love Can Make You Happy

Robert Pincus — Sat, 07 Dec 2024 17:23:59 +0000

The history behind the band Mercy, from Tampa, Florida, is one of the more complicated rock and roll stories that I've tried to understand. On its surface, Mercy's story is a simple tale of a one-off single that nearly topped the charts, the release of the band's only album, and the band's eventual breakup. Mercy... Read More »

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The Merry-Go-Round - Listen, Listen: The Definitive Collection

Robert Pincus — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 16:22:20 +0000

When I wrote about The Blue Things I expressed my general distaste for cult bands and cult singers. And the reason is because mediocre cult bands cast huge shadows over great bands and singers who deserve our attention, like the above-mentioned The Blue Things. However, there are cult musicians who deserve their cult status. Emitt... Read More »

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The Frankie Laine Collection

Robert Pincus — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 17:44:15 +0000

If you're an audiophile who's under the age of eighty, you probably haven't paid much attention to Frankie Laine (1913-2007). There was a time when the dynamic Mr. Laine, who was born Francesco Paulo LoVecchio, was as popular as Frank Sinatra. In his day he was affectionately called Mr. Rhythm, and for good reason. Great... Read More »

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The Box Tops Cry Like A Baby

Robert Pincus — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:52:53 +0000

There are few if any male rock voices that I find more interesting and pleasing than the one possessed by Alex Chilton (1950-2010) during the sixties. The gritty, soulful, and expressive voice that Chilton used during his tenure with The Box Tops never, to my knowledge, reemerged on recordings after 1970. Rock historians are quick... Read More »

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Syndicate of Sound

Robert Pincus — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 21:06:17 +0000

Everybody says it and I'm confirming it. Moving sucks! And as an audiophile with two turntables, two speakers that weigh 130 pounds each, an eighty pound tube amp, and a huge LP collection (and a pretty damn large CD collection as well), moving doesn't double suck, it triple sucks! Having said all of this, it's... Read More »

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Just Turn Me Loose, George Maharis

Robert Pincus — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 18:37:24 +0000

I've spent decades searching my butt off for interesting and well-recorded albums, all while some albums, including some really good ones, were just sitting in my path. Just Turn Me Loose (Epic BN 26037) by actor-singer George Maharis (1928-2023) is a prime example of an album that was just sitting and waiting for me to... Read More »

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The London Chuck Berry Sessions

Robert Pincus — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 23:09:10 +0000

As one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, Chuck Berry (1926-2017) receives a ton of well-deserved respect as a musical innovator. Berry, along with Buddy Holly, was the first to define the image of the electric guitar-slinging rock star. However, despite his well-deserved status, the 1972 album, The London Chuck Berry Sessions (Chess... Read More »

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The Talbot Brothers Bermuda Calypso Party Volume 3

Robert Pincus — Sat, 25 May 2024 16:18:15 +0000

For most audiophiles the word "calypso" conjures up one musical artist, and that person is Harry Belafonte. Belafonte was a 50's era phenomenon whose popularity bled into the 60s. His brand of beefed-up and polished calypso was essentially the closest thing to rock and roll for people who couldn’t embrace something as "dangerous" as Elvis... Read More »

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Just Listen

Robert Pincus — Sun, 05 May 2024 16:39:18 +0000

Just Listen (Columbia Special Products CSS 1337) is an LP that I discovered in 1986. It was released by Columbia Special Products in 1970, as a promotional item for Magnavox. Like most of the CBS Special Products LPs, it's a stereophonic various-artists compilation. The musical selections are by Percy Faith, Ray Conniff, Dave Brubeck, Andre... Read More »

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Dave Brubeck & Paul Desmond at Wilshire-Ebel

Robert Pincus — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 17:11:57 +0000

I think it's pretty safe to say that most record-collecting audiophiles know Dave Brubeck (1920-2012), and his album, Time Out (Columbia CS8192). After all, it's one of the most popular jazz LPs ever recorded. Time Out was released in 1959, and it introduced the world to Brubeck's use of unusual time signatures. It also introduced... Read More »

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Vaughn Monroe Plays Cole Porter

Robert Pincus — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 16:08:06 +0000

Nobody talks about Vaughn Monroe (1911-1973) anymore. That's sad, because Monroe was a very good singer. It's pretty clear to me that it's his unusual voice that places him in obscurity. Nothing sounds like his baritone voice. By today's standards, and even by my own retro standards, he sounds a little usual. His voice is... Read More »

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Bill Snyder -Themes Of Distinction from Great Motion Pictures

Robert Pincus — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:26:25 +0000

Who the heck was Bill Snyder? Based on the scarce info I could find, William P. Snyder (1916-2011), from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was America's most recorded light music pianist during the 1950s. Unfortunately for Bill's legacy, today's music lovers don't listen to the dim lit sound of light pianists, especially on mono LPs from... Read More »

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Hawaiian Holiday

Robert Pincus — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:16:20 +0000

My old friend and former roommate, Dave, suggested that I write about my Leni Okehu record. What a cool idea. The music is a boatload of fun, it's beautifully recorded, and Dave and I used to love the way it sounded on his ADS L880 speakers. The album's title is Hawaiian Holiday (International Award Series... Read More »

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Calcutta! by Lawrence Welk

Robert Pincus — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 20:15:07 +0000

It's time for a confession: I enjoy the album Calcutta! (Dot DLP 25359) by Lawrence Welk (1903-1992). Honestly, there's an awful lot to like on this LP. It has incredible sound, incredible musicianship, and memorable tunes that'll make your body move. The stereo imagery is on a par with the best of Martin Denny's exotica... Read More »

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Jimmy Namaro Trio

Robert Pincus — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 18:19:50 +0000

Mexican-Canadian pianist, vibes player, and band leader Jimmy Namaro (1913-1998) isn't the best known name in music. The only reason I know him is because I have an eagle eye for unusual records. Born in La Rosita, Mexico, in 1913, he became a Canadian citizen in 1945. He moved to the US in 1970. Information... Read More »

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The Music of Eddie Layton

Robert Pincus — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:44:54 +0000

As far back as can I remember, organ music has brought me pleasure. Whether it's the sound of a small pipe organ in a small church, an electronic organ, the huge pipe organ at UCLA's Royce Hall accompanying an orchestra, or a theater organ with huge pipes, bells, and percussion, I love the way organ... Read More »

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All Day Thumb Sucker

Robert Pincus — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 16:14:10 +0000

This isn't the first time that I've expressed my love for sampler LPs, and it probably won't be the last. Some of them sound awful, but the ones that sound great are a pleasure to own. One of the main reasons I love samplers is because they provide me the opportunity to hear songs and... Read More »

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Mercury's March-April 1958 Spin Girl

Robert Pincus — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 18:13:27 +0000

There are many reasons to collect records, and the best and most common reason is for the music. However, if you also care about sound, and you own a high end audio system, the sound can be, as it is to me, just as important. You can also collect LPs like people collect stamps and... Read More »

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The Peppermint Rainbow, Will You Be Staying After Sunday

Robert Pincus — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 21:00:43 +0000

As a child of the 60s, I heard some of the greatest rock and roll ever created, and the place I heard much of it was in the back seat of my mom's car. As I lived in Los Angeles, the number of AM radio stations that played rock and roll was vast, and therefore... Read More »

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Hawaiian Favorites by Alfred Apaka

Robert Pincus — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 17:39:51 +0000

I'm far from being an expert on Hawaiian music, but I'm crazy about it. LPs, both stereo and mono, of Hawaiian music have provided me with decades of pleasure. I also love the way vintage Hawaiian records sound, because they often sound amazing. I currently own 55 Hawaiian LPs, and I used to have more.... Read More »

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