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Singles and B-Sides (2018)
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Rob Wasserman - Duets
Mixed and mastered to hi-res digital from the original master tapes by Joe Gastwirt Mastering
Lacquer cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio
Plated and pressed on 200-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings!
Stoughton Printing gatefold tip-on heavyweight cardboard jacket
Hi-Fi News' Album Choice for August 2018!
"Far be it for me to renege on my doubts about 'audiophile' LPs, which are usually played to the point of nuisance at shows, but the middle volume of Wasserman's trilogy deserved acclaim. This 30th anniversary edition follows his death in 2016, adding to the poignancy: since its original release, we've also lost collaborators Stephane Grapelli, Lou Reed and Dan Hicks. Wasserman was a hugely popular composer and bassist, and a much-admired sideman, associated especially with The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir. Along with the above three are Jennifer Warnes, Aaron Neville ('Stardust'!), Bobby McFerrin, Cheryl Bentyne and Rickie Lee Jones. But Reed doing 'One For My Baby'? You gotta hear it." — Sound Quality: 95% — Ken Kessler, Hi Fi News, August 2018
It took a bass player to return vocals to their proper place on Duets — a record that's a model of simplicity. On the tracks on this LP you'll find Rob Wasserman's bass, and another voice. The result is a charming collection of duets featuring bassist Wasserman joined by special guests Aaron Neville, Rickie Lee Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Lou Reed, Jennifer Warnes, Dan Hicks, Cheryl Bentyne and Stephane Grappelli. The experimental release pairs the human voice with the bass guitar, resulting in a collection of unique and soulful material.
Unlike much of current music, where vocals are squelched and compression molded into something of an afterthought, Wasserman sought to create on Duets a music record — without technology interfering. "It's kinda like being in a club. It lets you get closer to the song," Wasserman says.
Not surprisingly, Duets ranks among the most breathtaking collections of popular songs issued in the 1980s.
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Side 1 |
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Stardust (Aaron Neville) |
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The Moon Is Made Of Gold (Rickie Lee Jones) |
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Brothers (Bobby McFerrin) |
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Duet – Featuring Rob Wasserman (Rob Wasserman) |
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One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (Lou Reed) |
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Side 2 |
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Ballad Of The Runaway Horse (Jennifer Warnes) |
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Gone With The Wind (Dan Hicks) |
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Angel Eyes (Cheryl Bentyne) |
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Over The Rainbow (Stephane Grappelli) |

An Audiophile Go-To!
The Record You Grab When You Want To Show Off Your System!
All-Time Classic Performances And Recordings By All-Time Great Female Singers
Each Track Selected By Acoustic Sounds Owner Chad Kassem
Lacquers Cut By Kevin Gray
Pressed At Quality Record Pressings On 200-gram vinyl
Packaged In A Gatefold, Deluxe, Stoughton Tip-On Jacket
Liner Notes By Michael Fremer
"(Kevin) Gray has few peers and the two-LP set is as sharp a calling card as exists for experiencing how good older recordings can be made to sound when the care and skill of an exceptional mastering engineer is at the helm. If this album doesn't make your stereo sound fantastic, don't blame it on the LPs!" — Music = 4.5/5; Sound = 5/5; Pressing = 5/5; Jacket = 3/5 — Dennis Davis, vinylreviews.com, August 2018
"Humungous conflict of interest alert! I wrote this compilation's liner notes and created the 22 song track order. ... The sources all were high-resolution files, some DSD, some PCM, depending upon what (Chad) Kassem was originally given in the digital domain, or in most cases what Gus Skinas produced in DSD using the original analog tapes. ... This double LP set works well as entertainment and as a great sampler of the LPs mostly released by Analogue Productions and mostly AAA (where there's tape to begin with). You can't go wrong." — Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the whole review here.
I've been doing this (cherry picking great recordings for reissue) for a long time, and I think I've got a good idea of what audiophiles like to hear. This is all of your female vocal demo cuts in one place." — Chad Kassem, Acoustic Sounds owner
Female vocalists have forever been celebrated by audiophiles and music lovers alike. Whether the delivery is delicate or bombastic, a great female vocal well-recorded is just so sensuous. It's the genre that most often typifies the potential of hi-fi and what it can do to engage our emotions. It's no wonder the hallways of any hi-fi show will be resonating with the sounds of sparsely-arranged recordings of great women singers. It's the genre that best shows off the systems that manufacturers and dealers are trying to sell.
Now, you can have all of those best demo tracks on one record. Show stoppers by Julie London, Diana Krall, Rickie Lee Jones, Nina Simone, Janis Ian, Phoebe Snow, Jennifer Warnes, Dusty Springfield, Shelby Lynne and many more. Every single track is an audiophile demo classic. Drop the needle and drop your friend's jaw!
Michael Fremer, of AnalogPlanet.com and Stereophile Magazine, walks you through each track and its historic place with very thorough and entertaining liners.
Plating and pressing was done at Quality Record Pressings.
Ever have that moment where you want to really light up your system — either for a late-night session by yourself or for when you've got company — and you don't want to keep changing records to keep the hit parade going? This record ends that issue. You've only got to make one selection.
Music

Sound

Ratings from Michael Fremer @ AnalogPlanet.com
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Side 1 |
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Cry Me A River - Julie London |
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Black Coffee - Ella Fitzgerald |
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Poetry Man - Phoebe Snow |
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Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield |
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Just A Little Lovin' - Shelby Lynne |
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Show Biz Kids - Rickie Lee Jones |
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Side 2 |
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Crazy – Patsy Cline |
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Tennessee Waltz – Holly Cole |
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Breaking Silence – Janis Ian |
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Hey There – Myra Taylor |
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What a Shame – Patricia Barber |
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Plain Gold Ring - Nina Simone |
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Side 3 |
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The Moon Is Made Of Gold - Rickie Lee Jones |
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Blue Moon - Julie London |
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Blame It on the Moon - Nancy Bryan |
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Diamonds and Rust - Joan Baez |
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Somebody Who Loves You - Joan Armatrading |
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Send In the Clowns - Judy Collins |
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Side 4 |
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Ballad Of The Runaway Horse - Jennifer Warnes |
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A Case of You - Diana Krall |
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The Look of Love - Dusty Springfield |
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Brothers In Arms - Joan Baez |
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