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Tron Legacy (2010) CD Review
Stanton Zeff — March 09, 2013 16:19

The Tron Legacy CD Soundtrack is not only one of the few movie soundtracks I own, but it's one of the few imports (of any media type) I own. While this European import is technically out-of-print, you can still pick it up on sites like eBay. Why did I purchase the import? Because it contains an additional CD with five additional tracks not available in the U.S. and it also comes with some very nice liner notes. This soundtrack is a sonic masterpiece. In fact, this disc contains some of the best orchestral percussion I've heard in a long time (think 1812 Overture). You can see why the (Blu-Ray) movie really “brings the boom” since many of the musical cues are duplicated note for note on the soundtrack.

Yellowjackets: Timeline (2011) CD Review
Stanton Zeff — March 01, 2013 18:43

It's hard to believe the quantity of high quality original music the Yellowjackets have turned out over the past 30 years. Timeline has CD quickly become one of my all-time favorite Yellowjackets releases, and I bet I listen to it an average of once a week. I believe that drummers are the heart and soul of a group, and I think the essence of the Yellowjackets can be found in the grooves of William Kennedy over the last 20 years or so. Unfortunately, this may be the last release to feature both Kennedy and Haslip, as Jimmy Haslip has now officially been replaced in the bass chair by Jaco Pastorius' son, Felix. Only time will tell if this mix yields similar results, but I'm sure many long-time Jaco fans are dreaming of the possibilities. Great music, great sound quality, get this CD!

Joe Sample: Ashes to Ashes (1990) CD Review
Stanton Zeff — February 17, 2013 21:58

To fans of the Crusaders (or Jazz Crusaders) back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Joe Sample needs no introduction. His writing and keyboard work was the heart and soul of the group; without Joe Sample, there would have been no Crusaders. So, it should come as no surprise that Joe Sample has enjoyed the most successful solo career of all the original band members. While he has had several good releases following Ashes to Ashes, I personally view this CD as his last “great” release, on par with some of his hugely successful late 1970’s solo releases (like Rainbow Seeker). This is one of those CD’s on my “sit back and relax” list, and that’s a pretty short list for me.

Chris Standring: Blue Bolero (2010) CD Review
Stanton Zeff — December 19, 2012 20:34

I've been a fan of Chris Standring for quite some time; he was a frequent collaborator with my good friend (keyboardist Rodney Lee) throughout the 1990's in a group called "Solar System" before launching a solo career at the turn of the millennium. This CD is still in heavy rotation for weekend breakfasts at my house (along with a couple other of Chris' CDs). This is one of the few CD's I probably listen to more on my home stereo than on my iPod/iPhone. Years of studio experience has made Chris Standring an outstanding record producer in his own right, and this recording places those skills front and center. Check it out.

Donald Fagen: Sunken Condos (2012) CD Review
Stanton Zeff — October 25, 2012 23:11

After a year’s worth of rumors, Donald Fagen has finally released his fourth solo CD. A follow-up to his self-proclaimed “trilogy” (The Nightfly, Kamakiriad, and Morph The Cat), Sunken Condos is a worthy addition to the library. Unfortunately there’s good news AND bad news. The fact that Warner effectively “snuck out” this release says more about the current state of the recording industry than the capability or popularity of the artist. While the writing and performance is strong in this album, audio quality doesn't quite live up to prior Donald Fagen or Steely Dan albums. Still a must have CD for all fans.

Season of the Witch Blu-ray Disc Review
Scott A. — May 17, 2012 16:46

From a distance, the trailers and marketing materials announcing Dominic Sena's Season of the Witch indeed looked promising and perhaps beyond mildly entertaining – sure, the title shared the subhead of the 1980s franchise-breaker Halloween III: Season of the Witch, starring the great character actor Tom Atkins, but the clips of the film from pre-release shots and teasers suggested hyper-aggressive demons, CGI-endowed werewolves a la Van Helsing and some butt-kickin’ crusaders from the middle ages era doing justice the only way they know how. A couple of issues abounded, though – first of all, I didn’t see Nicolas Cage in this kind of film or role, but from what I gathered, he needed a quick payday due to some personal and financial issues. Alas, his performance in this justifies my reservations, as his dialogue delivery and overall presence just seems way out of place.

DISH Updates Remote Access iPad App with Retina Support
Clint DeBoer — May 16, 2012 09:11

DISH released it's iOS and Android Remote Access apps some time ago. To be perfectly honest, they got the job done, but didn't offer much in the way of stability or efficient use of the platforms. Now, DISH has completely reengineered the iOS app to take advantage of the iPad's larger screen - and also to address multi-tasking and ease-of-use. The new (and still free) app improves the performance and enhances the on-screen dashboard so customers can easily find and watch their favorite programs. Customers can continue to watch live and recorded TV anytime, anywhere using the app in concert with an Internet-connected DISH receiver and a Sling Adapter. On the iPad, DISH offers the added ability to stream thousands of titles from an expansive on-demand library of Blockbuster @Home titles and premium networks.

Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol Blu-ray Review
Scott A — April 26, 2012 21:37

Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and (in an all-too-brief role) Tom Wilkinson star in Brad Bird’s latest entry in the Mission Impossible franchise. To say nothing of the super- sexy Paula Patton who kicks tail with the best of the super-spies. Paramount’s Blu-ray release of Ghost Protocol proves to be pure eye and ear candy, with a near-reference Dolby TrueHD track and eye-popping 1080p transfer. This was a version that could shine on its own as a kinetic action film, able to be enjoyed by viewers outside the diehard fanbase of the previous Mission Impossible films in the franchise. Check out our comprehensive review of this Blu-ray disc.

RipDigital Audio CD Ripping Service Review
Clint DeBoer — March 14, 2011 08:06

Typically when we've reviewed CD ripping services we hear from a lot of end-users who would rather rip their own CDs to hard drive and can't understand why on earth you'd want to pay someone like RipDigital to do it for you. We get it. You're awesome. Now, if you can step away from the mirror for just one second, we'd like to show you a whole new world... a world of custom installers and people who generally value their time at a higher rate than those who can afford to rip 100s of CDs while they eat Slim Jims and check out reruns of Star Trek ToS (no offense, Gene). It's the CE professional that truly is targeted by this type of service. If you're doing an AV installation and your client has tons of CDs in his or her collection, there's got to be a better solution than paying one of your guys to sit there and rip each one to disc.

McIntosh AP1 Audio Player iPhone/iPad App Preview Clint DeBoer — January 07, 2011 10:20

The Pacific Blu-ray Review Wayde Robson — October 21, 2010 14:58

Iron Man 2 Blu-ray Review Scott A. — October 20, 2010 11:42

Inglourious Basterds Blu-ray Review Scott A. — September 09, 2010 19:13

Cop Out Blu-ray Review Scott A — August 26, 2010 22:27

Clash of the Titans Blu-ray Review Scott A. — August 11, 2010 21:04

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Blu-ray Review Wayde Robson — July 26, 2010 16:07

Brooklyn's Finest Blu-ray Review Scott A. — July 24, 2010 15:45

Passengers Blu-ray Disc Review alissa — May 11, 2009 10:11

SimCraft Racing Simulators for the Gamer that has Everything Tom Andry — January 12, 2009 11:18

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