Regarding the track Phase, here's an interesting analysis of the recording: Archimago's Musings: FOLLOW-UP: Anomalies in Beck's "Morning Phase" (HDTracks 24/96).
I'm sitting here at work, enjoying Morning Phase as it plays through my HRT HeadStreamer and my USB powered iHome mini-speaker. It sounds pretty good through one speaker -- I forgot my MDR-V6's at home today. Having just purchased the LP from Amazon, I'm listening to Amazon's autorip MP3 files.
I'm a little nervous about listening to Morning Phase on the home rig after spending about two hours reading through the various opinions and articles relating to the album. When the album does arrive, I'll grab a beer, sit down and enjoy it, with a little trepidation I'm sure. And, I'll download the Vinyl Experience mp3's. Those will end up in my music library to be enjoyed either at home or at work, through whatever DAC I happen to have handy. What an interesting topic this is: Beck's newest recording and the debate over which version sounds better, the album or the digital versions.
This juxtaposes nicely with my car ride into work this morning, listening to NPR. They were talking about the history of the internet, the web and its anniversary. The internet has been around for more than 25 years while "the web" is having its anniversary -- I think I'm getting that right. Back in 1988, before the web, I had a job at an Army research lab. We had Unix-based computer systems and, having a terminal at my desk, I had access to the internet and the newsgroups like rec.audio. Fondly, I remember reading the debates on rec.audio about which pressing of Pink Floyd's DSOTM sounded best. I think there was the domestic Columbia pressing, a British pressing and I don't believe the MFSL pressing was out yet. At that time, I listened to my albums on a Parasound turntable connected to a Kenwood receiver and a pair of DCM TF350's. I was about to purchase an MSB cd player that I regret ever selling after college.
It's interesting (and somewhat comforting) that 28 years later, the formats may have changed, our choices are more varied but the audio discussions haven't changed.
