Stephen Mejias

Hello Jon.<br>
I hope you had a great weekend.

Intern Ariel Bitran sent this around the office today, in an e-mail titled "Crying in My Cubicle."

Audiophiles and music lovers may be interested in <i>Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music</i>, the new book from music critic and <a href="http://soundopinions.org/">Sound Opinions</a> cohost Greg Kot. The book is being billed as "the first definitive account of the digital music revolution," and takes an appreciative look at a world in which peer-to-peer file sharing and CD burning are commonplace tools. It can be argued that such technologies are not only blessings for independent musicians looking to gain wider audiences, but also gifts to the music lover who cannot get enough.

Did you know that we recently remastered our <i>Rhapsody</i>? The album is a tribute to George Gershwin, conducted by pianist Hyperion Knight, and it's good, good fun on the hi-fi.

I love the styling of the latest Marantz gear&#151strong and masculine without being overblown or audacious. Though the late '80s through early '90s saw Marantz move away from their high end roots, the last decade has been a return to form. Under the ownership of D&M Holdings, the respected audio company seems to be embracing their cherished past. In May 2008, Michael Fremer was extremely impressed by their <a href="http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/508mar11s1/index.html">SM-11S1 Reference power amplifier</a>. He wrote:

For a long time, I wasn't sure if I would go to the show. Finally, on the day of the show, I decided I would go. I made the right decision. Marc Ribot, celebrating his 55th birthday at <a href="http://lepoissonrouge.com/">Le Poisson Rouge</a>, was something to remember. Little did I know he had played every night of the week, performing old and new material with several different bands at various venues throughout New York City.

And later in <a href="http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/things_are_so_bad/">the night</a>, I listened to Archie Shepp's <i>Three For A Quarter, One For A Dime</i>, which I understand is the darker, angrier, wilder side of a performance held at San Francisco's old Both/And Club on February 19, 1966.