poco a poco
I'm Jim
Here you go then Paul. I think every one starts Christmas early nowI've rather a soft spot for jazz Xmas albums!
If you're going to have Xmas music you might as well have jazzy Xmas music I reckon
Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissues
- Thread starter poco a poco
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poco a poco
I'm Jim
It maybe you have two labels one on top of the other I have seen that before? The top one then bubbles up under the press as it is not stuck to the vinyl. Sometimes you can carefully peel the top one off if that is the case.
Nagraboy
Ausculta fili
poco a poco
I'm Jim
I have just given my copy of Maiden Voyage that arrived yesterday a spin and done a comparison with my two other vinyl copies. First this copy is excellent up there with the best of the Tone Poets. No QC problems with mine at all. Flat and quiet - so really quiet.
I had thought As I said above that It was perhaps possible to get a little more from this music even though I considered my other pressing were reasonably good. The result was not quite what I expected (a subtle improvement - if any) and to be honest not what I wanted as I may now have to consider whether I want to buy copies of some of the others I passed on. Don't get me wrong on their own the others are quite listenable, but the better forces out the good in comparison.
Other pressings compared were a (I think it is) a 1973 BN reissue and the DeAgostini that I'm certain is the Ron McMaster mastering, same 2008 additional copyright reference. The volume levels were pretty close on all copies so I didn't really have to adjust for each. The macro and micro dynamics are better on the Classic, but it is the micro dynamics and level of detail where the Classic scores. It only took a few seconds into the title track to know I was hearing something better. The width and depth of the sound stage is not much different, but it is a little more on the Classic, but as soon as you hear the stability and and detail you realise that what sounds like a slight smearing has been removed. Almost certainly due being closer to the real master tape. The tonality is better on all instruments as well. Listen to how Freddie Hubbard uses his embouchure on 'Eye of the Hurricane' to produce the 'growling' sounds.
I thought my other copies were reasonably quiet, but listening to Ron Carter's Bass solo backed by Tony Williams , on Little One, subtle very low level cymbal accents the sounds and the room ambiance are coming out of an inky blackness that I would not have thought possible from analogue tape. This tape must still be in first rate condition.
If I were really looking to look for a down side then I could point to that as with other Kevin Gray cuts it is a little (very, very little) bit brighter than optimum in my system, but the detail and air it brings to the studio space and around Tony's cymbals are more than worth any trade off.
So more than enough from me. Is this a good pressing and does it get you closer to the music. Yes Yes. I'm now going back to listen though all of it again, but just for Pleasure.
I had thought As I said above that It was perhaps possible to get a little more from this music even though I considered my other pressing were reasonably good. The result was not quite what I expected (a subtle improvement - if any) and to be honest not what I wanted as I may now have to consider whether I want to buy copies of some of the others I passed on. Don't get me wrong on their own the others are quite listenable, but the better forces out the good in comparison.
Other pressings compared were a (I think it is) a 1973 BN reissue and the DeAgostini that I'm certain is the Ron McMaster mastering, same 2008 additional copyright reference. The volume levels were pretty close on all copies so I didn't really have to adjust for each. The macro and micro dynamics are better on the Classic, but it is the micro dynamics and level of detail where the Classic scores. It only took a few seconds into the title track to know I was hearing something better. The width and depth of the sound stage is not much different, but it is a little more on the Classic, but as soon as you hear the stability and and detail you realise that what sounds like a slight smearing has been removed. Almost certainly due being closer to the real master tape. The tonality is better on all instruments as well. Listen to how Freddie Hubbard uses his embouchure on 'Eye of the Hurricane' to produce the 'growling' sounds.
I thought my other copies were reasonably quiet, but listening to Ron Carter's Bass solo backed by Tony Williams , on Little One, subtle very low level cymbal accents the sounds and the room ambiance are coming out of an inky blackness that I would not have thought possible from analogue tape. This tape must still be in first rate condition.
If I were really looking to look for a down side then I could point to that as with other Kevin Gray cuts it is a little (very, very little) bit brighter than optimum in my system, but the detail and air it brings to the studio space and around Tony's cymbals are more than worth any trade off.
So more than enough from me. Is this a good pressing and does it get you closer to the music. Yes Yes. I'm now going back to listen though all of it again, but just for Pleasure.
Tony L
Administrator
Interesting. Not at all surprised about it demolishing the DeAgostini, their Blue Notes are pretty ‘meh’ IME, and regardless of what the credits say I suspect they are taken off the RVG Edition CD masters as they don’t seem to have much soundstage. The McMasters are the Pathe Marconi and first gen CDs, so very wide and very little EQ or compression, so can sound a little thin.
The ‘73 sounds more interesting, is it a US dark blue label? If so I’d expect that to put up way more of a fight as the ones I have are very good, in fact many of them have an RVG stamp in the run off. Some are amongst my best sounding Blue Notes, though the vinyl is typical mid-70s US so far from the quietest. Got some punch to them though.
My own copy of this is the late-90s 180g with the ‘Mastered By Capital’ run-off stamp. They are right in that zone where I can’t decide whether to swap out or not. They are not bad at all, but fall short of the best. I think I’ll sit it out.
Seanm
pfm Member
All my DeAgostini Blue Notes are more or less mono, which is why I’m picking up so many duplicates from the Classics series. Good tone and texture though.
Tony L
Administrator
That’s my experience too, which is why I’m absolutely convinced they aren’t the McMasters as they are very wide stereo. I suspect they are the RVG Edition CDs, but with a less brutal and warmer EQ.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
The DeAgostini are very variable and most as you say are a bit So So, but a few are quite good. This one is as you describe and also my experience also of McMasters. Quite wide sound stage, just to the outside of my speakers that are 8 foot apart centre to centre (the Classic is a little wider still - sometimes I think the Tone Poets and BN80's can be a little too wide, but they agree with early copies). I listen about 9 ft away. Pretty good bass, but yes a bit thin in the mids. Much wider sound stage than the Van Gelder CD's I have that are almost mono on my system also. The tonality is not as good as the DA either and this is less flat, but not the depth and space of this Classic.
Edit: I don't have a Van Gelder CD of this, but just playing the VG of Speak No Evil that was recorded the same year as MV (1964). On this I just get a 3 - 4ft maximum spread between the speakers and flat as a pancake. Quite 'hard', loud and compressed as well.
I'm no longer sure about the vintage of the BN reissue. Can't remember when I got it. Not the dark blue label. Not a Van Gelder cut. Checked discogs and looks closest to the 1972 pressing. Matrix Single BST-84195 A / B, but no B.A. Identifier. So could be a later pressing I suppose. Perhaps a bit better tonality than the DeAgostini, but neither IMO are as good as this Classic which has me considering whether I should spend more money on others that I passed on. Then, although this one is fine, there is the poor QC reported on many of the others to consider. May be I'll try something else like Idle Moments where again I did think something better was possible? If yours is late 90's may be worth a comparison on this one yourself?
RickyC6
Infuriate the frog-men
Yeah I have a few variable quality UK and US BNs from late 90s early 00s that I am gradually swapping out for recent Kevin Gray issues (TP, 80th or Classic.)
No reason to swap out any Japanese pressings though as they are all very acceptable in comparison with the recent series.
I don’t seem to listen to much else other than jazz these days!
No reason to swap out any Japanese pressings though as they are all very acceptable in comparison with the recent series.
I don’t seem to listen to much else other than jazz these days!
poco a poco
I'm Jim
Rickey,
I'm certain I have far fewer Japanese pressings than you, but those I have I wouldn't bother swapping either. Less sure now about some of the others.
RickyC6
Infuriate the frog-men
I probably have about 40 now.
Only a couple of BN De Agostinis (the only one I can recall right now is Out To Lunch) which so far have been fine without any real critical listening.
poco a poco
I'm Jim
40 you are doing well finding these or your shop that you told me about is. Are they importing them from Japan? I wish I had some more, especially the King pressings.
I am just missing a couple of the DeAgostini's that I returned as they were poor pressings and I didn't get replacements. I subscribed via my newsagent despite being put off at first as I thought their 1st (KOB) was quite poor in comparison to what I had. Others are variable, but quite listenable with a few quite good. The booklets are on the whole intelligently written as well. Not bad for the price on the whole and a bargain for those who bought the 'sell off' sets at less than £5 each. I think the Out To Lunch was one of the better ones as well as I said up thread, but no comparison to my Music Matters of course.
I'm in favour about not being too snobbish about the sound quality and the associated price (although I do seem to indulge in it here
). If a lower price encourages people to listen to this music that they not otherwise be able to afford then all to the good.
RickyC6
Infuriate the frog-men
These are from my second hand shop and all from a huge collection he bought in about 3 years ago. I must’ve missed a good few but seems to be pretty much just me buying the rest! This week I got Hank M/Dippin’, Lou D/Here ‘Tis and Dizzy Reece/Blues In Trinity, all Toshiba-EMI, all played only once to tape. Not had a bad experience yet…
poco a poco
I'm Jim
Nothing wrong with the Toshiba's either. That is what I have. I'm envious of your larger collection.
RickyC6
Infuriate the frog-men
It’s getting to the point where I’m gonna have to get rid of some rock/pop as running out of space and I just don’t listen to a lot of it.Nothing wrong with the Toshiba's either. That is what I have. I'm envious of your larger collection.
