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Noel Coppage It was with great sadness that I read in the March issue of Noel Coppage's passing. I have always valued his well-crafted re views for their skillful coverage of diverse musical topics, historical and cultural in sights, and perceptive and just evaluations. I just spent a memorable evening playing albums and rereading Noel's reviews of them. He will be greatly missed. RUDI SCHMID Kensington, Calif. Noel Coppage's death is indeed a loss. I'll especially miss his astute coverage of contemporary folk music. His last article, "The Second Urban Folk Revival" in the March issue, is a fitting adieu from one of the few critics who realized that just such a revival is under way, however underpublicized. Such second-wave "troubadours" as Stan Rogers, Bill Staines, and David Mallett as well as such "tradition-oriented but quirky bands" as Silly Wizard, the Tania hill Weavers, and Touchstone all owe a debt of thanks to Noel for saying on behalf of their music: Listen. EARLE HITCHNER Lyndhurst, N.J. Like many people I collect bits of wit and wisdom from the things I read. Poets and scientists, novelists and theologians are represented in my notebook, and so is Noel Coppage for a line from a review of his published in October 1981: "We are here on earth to learn, I have concluded (possibly because it's clear that I'm never going to make any real money)." That line is representative of Noel Coppage's gift for expressing a serious thought with enough humor to make it delightfully wry (and worth repeating!) without belittling it. BONNIE JO DOPP Takoma Park, Md. We regret that we cannot print all the letters of condolence that have come from readers following the death of Noel Coppage. Those letters have been much appreciated by the editors, and all of them will be forwarded to his family. Frequency Response Peter Mitchell's March feature on frequency-response specifications was excellent. I have a basic knowledge of audio electronics, but I had never really understood the importance of "flat" frequency response. For the first time I think I understand how speakers, recorders, room acoustics, etc. act to color sound, making it seem warm or cold, dull or bright, mellow or harsh. By experimenting with the equalizer in my car, I was able to demonstrate for myself the effects Mr. Mitchell described. Thank you for this interesting and informative article. MAC STEIGER Vallejo, Calif. Songs for the Unemployed In reply to George d'Urso's question in February "Letters"-"Do you really think the laid-off auto workers sing to the music of Gary U.S. Bonds?"--I'd have to say yes. The first cut of Bonds's last album, "On the Line," produced by Bruce Springsteen and 12 a a Gary U.S. Bonds Miami Steve Van Zandt, happens to be en titled Out of Work. It's a jumpy, fast-paced song about being out of a job. Springsteen's own album " Nebraska" has potential, but I practically had to force myself to listen to its boring tunes. Bonds's music can bring you out of the slump of not working, while Springsteen's drags you further down. CHRISTOPHER TINGLER Grafton, W. Va. Car Stereo Tests Julian Hirsch's lab test of the Blaupunkt CR-3001 H in the March issue was a disservice to the unit in question, to the readers of STEREO REVIEW, and to Mr. Hirsch him self. As a regular reader for the past fifteen years, I have come to look forward to Mr. Hirsch's reviews of state-of-the-art home components. To apply his experience and resulting frame of reference to car stereo is like giving A. J. Foyt a job behind the parts counter of a local auto dealer. MICHAEL R. HARTIGAN Lockport, N.Y. I applaud STEREO REVIEW'S road test of the Blaupunkt CR-3001H in March, and I look forward to road tests of other car stereo products in future issues. At last there is a reputable and respected source of test results on car stereo equipment. MARK DOUGLAS PINGREE Oakland, Calif. Mozart's Church Music I cannot agree with Eric Salzman's statement, in his March review of a new Philips recording of sacred music by Mozart, that the young composer "churned out" his lesser church works. In the case of the Litaniae, K. 125, for example, the young Mozart himself valued the work, as is evidenced by an entry in his manuscript. The biographers Wyzewa and Saint-Foix devote three pages to analyzing this 1772 work and point out the "particular care" that went into its composition. We also learn from the diary of Mozart's sister that K. 125 was still performed eleven years lat er on Palm Sunday at the Salzburg Cathedral. Finally, it must have escaped Mr. Salzman's attention that this work appears here on records for the very first time. ERIC OFFENBACHER Seattle, Wash. Rolling Stones After taking in the new concert film Let's Spend the Night Together by the Rolling Stones (more like Geriatric Rock), I'm convinced that rock-and-roll must be on a life-support system. It's time someone pulled the plug. Yesterday is gone. SCOTT HARDY Concord, N.H. "Men Without Women" Steve Simels and STEREO REVIEW were right on target in honoring Miami Steve Van Zandt and his new band by citing their album as one of the "Best of the Month" in March. "Men Without Women" is a joy to listen to, and I don't know if it will ever leave my turntable. Along with February's "Record of the Year" honorable mention for "On the Line" by Gary U.S. Bonds, this leaves me in no doubt that Steve Simels is right in judging East Coast ( Jersey) rock as the music most from the heart. THOMAS VORELL Ravenna, Ohio Thelonious Monk Many thanks for Chris Albertson's comments in March on two recently released albums by Thelonious Sphere Monk. I, for one, feel that every note Monk ever recorded should be made available for the world to hear. Monk was a genius, and, as is the nature of geniuses, he experienced turmoil. That we experience this turmoil on his recordings only helps us to understand that Monk was a human being with feelings, strengths, and weaknesses. Although the discs that Mr. Albertson reviewed will not be my favorites among Monk's recordings, they are very welcome additions to my library. The only real crime here is that Monk is no longer around to collect what little proceeds these releases would have netted him. ANGEL M. ROSADO Bronx, N.Y. Inflation Buster It is with great respect and sincerity that I wish STEREO REVIEW a happy twenty-fifth anniversary. Twenty-five years ago I first purchased Hi Fi & Music Review and also joined the RCA Victor Society of Great Music. I have been buying the magazine and RCA records ever since. The magazine has improved with age, but, alas, it has also increased in price from 350 per issue to the current $1.50. I paid $3.98 for RCA records in 1958, however, and I am able to buy the same performances with improved sound on cassette tape for the same price today! The new RCA Victrola cassette series, which premiered last September with fifty titles, is fantastic in both quality and value. It includes the Boston Symphony under Leinsdorf, Monteux, and Munch, the Chicago Symphony under Reiner, and the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini! I urge all readers interested in classical music to support RCA's efforts to make available its gold mine of Red Seal recordings in this new format. ROAR SCHAAD Bloomington, Ill. ---------------- Also see: A Decision-Making Guide For Your First Stereo Component System |
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