Normally, I ask a Poll question when I get curious about something.  And, once again, I'm  curious about something.  It has to do with Japan's emerging CD technology referred to as SHM, which stands for Super High Material (CD).  I once asked a trusted source who gave me a satisfactory and reliable answer (because I trust him), but I now have heard enough about them to be even more curious.  I want to unravel this mystery because, well, I just need to know.

I'm sure that there are a fair amount of readers who have purchased an SHM disc and I would like to pose a question to you.  My question is simply this: Are SHM remasters the real thing?  Can we glory and bask in great digital sound like manufacturers would have you believe or are we simply falling into a hyped gimmick trick perpetrated to squeeze dollars and sense from music fans?

Japan has gone hogwild in "remastered" reissues with just about every album you can think of...and sold most of them out!  A cursory glance through Google will direct you to every "yeah!" and "no!" concerning SHM.  All I wanna know is, are these SHM worth their dollar?  If so, why aren't these being marketed in the US, UK, CA, AU marketplace?  If it's true that they're great, then it confirms the ineffectiveness of the US labels. After all, it's largely Universal Japan, a major label, that are producing these.  Same Universal company, right?  Hmmm.

I await your comments.  I will use them as a basis for an upcoming editorial on the very same subject.

Robert Metcalf has issued a new review of an import album by la Maschera di Cera named Petali Di Fuoco.

I want to alert TAP readers to the fact that I have finally put together a FaceBook fan page that you can access and join by clicking on the badge below.  What this offers is the exact same thing as my Twitter feeds provide and that is first buzz on upcoming releases and free offered downloads, many announcements  that beat our main post, sometimes by days.  We also provide a Google BUZZ page that expands on most of the Twitter/FB feeds. On Buzz, you can even hear the music stream if a stream is offered.  There are still things that I'm working on in the FB page, like calender notes as well as links to great sites like The Second Disc.  I invite you to join us at our FB page and bookmark it.  Visit it daily and you'll be rewarded with much news and info.  Of course, you'll still want to come to the main MusicTAP page for our noisy commentaries.  Remember, with our Twitter feeds, you can elect to receive the news bursts as text on your mobile phone keeping you effortlessly up to date with stuff.  Lots of choices.  Find one, or two, that fits.

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Sanctuary Records plan to release a DD collection for The Baker-Gurvitz Army called, simply, The Collection. It is slated for release on June 29.

Hip-O Records plan the CD release of So Many Roads by John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers on August 3.

Last Gang Records will release an LP version of $ by Mark Sultan on August 24.

Virgin Records will release Happy? (1987), and 9 (1989), both by Public Image, Ltd (PiL) on DD on June 22.

Island Records will also release Screaming Bloody Murder by Sum 41 in standard and Deluxe Edition CD, as well as their equivalent on DD (Digital Download). These are scheduled for August 10.

Sony Classical reaches in the vaults and will reissue four Yo-Yo Ma titles planning their CD release date for July 20. Those are Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone, Vivaldi's Cello, Appalacian Journey, and Bach: Unaccompanied Cello Suites.

RCA Records will release a S/T effort from New Politics in both Edited and PA on CD, scheduled for July 13.

Island Records will release the DD version of Apple (1990) by Mother Love Bone on June 22.

Essential Records will release Blink by Revive on June 22.

Welk Records plans to release CD and vinyl LP for the S/T album by Blue Giant, scheduling for July 13.

Capitol Records will release CD and vinyl LP for Dark Night of The Soul by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse in both standard and Deluxe versions. These are slated for release on July 13.

All REM fans already know that the Deluxe Edition of Fables of the Reconstruction is planned for July 13. It is also planned as a vinyl LP reissue, same date.

Bridge 9 Records will release CD and LP versions of We Were Skeletons by the band of the same name on June 29.

The DD version of Magazine by Heart will enter the digital realm on June 22.

Candlelight Records will release Am I Black Enough For You by Billy Paul on DVD scheduling for June 22.

We will get the already (UK) released Live album featuring Ultravox called Return to Eden: Live at the Roundhouse on DD, planned for June 22.