Thanks, Dread. There are quite a lot of reports on Discogs about the first pressing being problematical, not just for surface noise but also for quiet mastering, which would of course require higher replay volume and emphasise any surface noise. I can’t find anything about the second pressing - Juno claims it has been remastered but all other sources refer to it as a repress. Unfortunately, I think the CD may be the way for me.
I think I may go for the CD!
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@CliveB
Sorry forget what I said earlier. I’ve just arrived home and pulled it from the rack. I misremembered, It wasn’t a pressing issue after all, it had a small scratch and being a fussy bugger I got my money back but kept the record. It was a few years ago and has been filed away since.
I’m busy now but can give it a spin tomorrow for you if you like
I would really urge you to try Gary Bartz Maisha if you can still get it, it’s one of the volumes of the superb Night Dreamer Direct To Disc Sessions. It rightfully topped a number of best of year lists a few years back
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I didn’t even bother comparing my copy to the KoB Mofi 45. That reissue is a bad EQ disaster.
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I received by Tone Poet Ornette Coleman Blue Note box today. I’m been waiting anxiously for Joe Harley/Kevin Grays remasters of the Golden Circle concerts for a long time. Looking forward to playing them this weekend.
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Chet Baker played the vibraphone once or twice but struggled to blow it so went back to the Trumpet
Just found these two in the collection I bought.
Piper is UK mono first press. Saucer Full again UK first press
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Oh! Never cared for the XXII. Dunnno if it’s coloured. It was slow. Krystal is a much more lively and dynamic without being in your face! 
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In addition to that, some of the 45s ( or all of ? ) had Steve Hoffman as a lead engineer. Some of Hoffman’s mastering tend to be rather dull to my ears.
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Original pressings of this are a bit out of my reach, so I went for this recent reissue. I know nothing about Machang Music & Pictures, and information on the web is sparse, but the packaging is of the highest quality, and the notes on the Discogs listing suggest that they’ve taken the project seriously.
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Thanks Dread - I would be interested to hear what you find. I did listen to the Gary Bartz/Maisha album via Apple Music some time ago and it is very good. At that time I bought the Sarathy Korwar Night Dreamer album - SQ is excellent. I’ll decide about the Maisha and then think about the Gary Bartz.
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I agree the XX2 sounded slow, it did present a nice big sound for want of a better description but it had a distracting rosey warm bloom to the sound, I found myself continually distracted by its character and wasnt hearing the music, it’s a distinctly “HiFi” sounding cartridge to my ears/system.
Couldnt get on with the Krystal at all, yes very fast and lively but the opposite to your findings, it was to my ears/system quite edgy, aggressive, uncouth even, good on some records like Rock but overall very inconsistent, gave me a headache.
I’ve reverted to the Dynavector Karat 17DX, I’ve used several Karats over the years and I love them. I first tried a Karat 17DII way back when going from a Linn Klyde which I grew to not like, a Naim guy recommended trying the Karat, Linn didnt offer a cart at that price point then so I did and used them ever since. When my last one the 17D3 was ready for replacement I thought it might be worth listening to some alternatives but I found the Karats seem to sit very nicely in my system as a whole. The latest DX version is the best yet, very fast sounding and on “the one” timing wise, PRaT, plenty of dynamic and detail, excellent trackers once you get the sweet spot on the VTF etc and most importantly very musical.
I found my old Prefix/Hicap to be holding things back though, so I’m currently in the process of auditioning phono stages at various price points. Currently I’m trying a Tom Evan’s Groove Anniversary. In combination with the 17DX and (apologies for cliche) it really had my jaw on the floor, suddenly it’s now like an imaginary window has been opened in front of my speakers.
It’s the first new phono stage I’ve listened to so far, I will also be trying others from Dynavector, Cyrus, Rega, maybe Linn but I’m less keen on their electronics these days other than the Radikal, and yes of course Naim
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I have that one too, really superb (as are all the Night Dreamer sessions)
If you like Sarathy Korwar do also check My East Is Your West on Gearbox records, another blinder!
I’ll revisit the Maisha LP a little later today and post back
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Saw this a few times on the Forum, so hunted up a first press. Pretty nice on first play (still on side one).
Ooh… it’s just gone dubstyle. Always a good sign!
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I want you to get togethor…
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Another superb service from Juno/Royal Mail
Streamed in the cab yesterday hit the checkout button and my brilliant Post, Dave smiling with it on the doorstep just now.
Graham Collier- British Conversations (My Only Desire)
To commemorate the 10th year since the passing of esteemed British jazz composer, bassist and bandleader Graham Collier, My Only Desire Records presents this 1975 recording of his previously unreleased suite British Conversations.
The recording features lead soloists trumpeter Harry Beckett and guitarist Ed Speight, alongside The Swedish Radio Jazz Group - made up of the hottest players on the '70s Scandi jazz scene - including saxophonists Arne Domnérus, Claes Rosendahl and Lennart Åberg, trumpeter Jan Allan, pianist Bengt Hallberg, guitarist Rune Gustafsson and drummer Egil Johansen. Collier steers the band through the five-part suite that encompasses beautifully composed melodies, driving jazz rock and as many extremes as the British weather that inspired its name.
Remastered from the original tapes by Caspar Sutton-Jones @ Gearbox Records, British Conversations comes with sleeve notes by Graham Collier biographer Duncan Heining. Graham Collier (1937 - 2011) was one of the most accomplished, popular and collectable British jazz artists during the Brit-jazz heyday of the '60s and '70s, with his career of musically challenging yet hugely rewarding albums spanning five decades. His early LPs Deep Dark Blue Centre (Deram, 1967), Down Another Road (Fontana, 1969) and Darius (Mosaics, 1974,) are rightly considered classics of the era. Released in co-operation with the Collier estate, we hope this wonderful record leads to many new people discovering and enjoying the music of Graham Collier.
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Doesn’t get much better than that Steve or does it?!
ATB Graham.
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So, no serious issues with the pressing (notwithstanding the nasty scratch rendering the last track side one of my copy unplayable). Its flat and reasonably quiet, only the very occasional faint tick but your talking to someone very fussy and demanding and no nasty non-fill. Side 2 sounded a bit “gritty” but fine after a run through my RCM.
Nothing wrong with the volume of the cut, sound quality though is noticeably flat and compressed lacking dynamic contrast which robs it of musicality.
If I were to score out of 5, I would give the pressing 4 and sound quality 2.5 at best, it sounds like it’s how its recorded though and/or cut from a highly compressed digital file which always ends up sounding worse when cut to vinyl.
I will have to revisit the Tidal stream which is how I first heard this album back when it was first released.
Hope this helps
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