the stereo project

i saw this great collage on brainwerk's blog (full credit to we love typography) and loved it! i started thinking about all of the great old record sleeves i have and decided to tackle my own "stereo project". and the more i got into this the more it became like an archaeological dig. all of my records from the 70's and up made no mention of being stereo, and the earlier records in my collection used the term "high fidelity". a little research showed the development of true stereo beginning in the late 1950's and really progressing throughout the 1960's.
at this time the new stereo technology must have seemed a revelation to then audiophiles whose equipment up to that time had been like the old horn gramophones, a single output. and as more and more record companies caught on to the act they began marketing their releases with catchy names. so as you went out buying records and then discussing these purchases with your friends you may have asked "yeah, but is that living stereo?" or "full dimensional?". "does it have duo-range?". "is it full 360 or kaleidoscopic wondersound?!" wow, i think i would have gone a little nuts.
anyway, by the time i was buying new records it was a given that you were buying a stereo record. no more crossover sales where if you hadn't paid close enough attention you might get home before realizing you just bought the latest beatles record in mono! i guess too a day will come in the not long from now when broadcasters will stop reminding us the shows we're watching are in "hd" as well. i hope you enjoy this little "stereo project" album.

(next month a new installment of actual music. promise.)