Thanks, Dread - I really appreciate the time you took to look into this. I think what you found chimes with the comments on Discogs - QC on the pressing is sketchy and there is definitely something not right with the mastering. I’ve been listening on Apple Music through my very basic streaming set up and it seems to me that the digital version is probably mastered satisfactorily. Of course it is possible that the second pressing involved remastering but it’s odd that only Juno make that claim. At the moment my inclination is still to get it on CD but also to get the Gary Bartz + Maisha on vinyl. It’s a shame because that gatefold LP looks lovely.
BTW I saw you had got the Graham Collier. It had been my intention to order that and the Maisha together from Juno, but after rather despairing of the Maisha yesterday I decided anyhow to order the Collier which was in my Juno basket - except it wasn’t - someone had snaffled their last copy! Anyhow the record company still had a very few copies on Bandcamp so I have ordered from them.
Giant Sand limited edition reissue box set, The Sun Set Vol. 1 (the other 2 volumes not yet released). The sets are (typically quirkily) released in alphabetical and not chronological order, so as it happens the Vol. 1 contains an essential example from every period out of 35 years of Giant Sand: Ballad of a Thin Line Man, Blurry Blue Mountain, Chore of Enchantment, Center of the Universe, Glum, Goods and Services.
To round it off, in the right-hand column, a reissue of Ramp, the rather recent Heartbreak Pass, and an original pressing, NM, of The Love Songs.
All really good pressings, the older albums in the reissues are nicely remastered (should be same as the previous reissues from Fire Records on the occasion of 25 years of GS). Generally, the later in the life of Giant Sand, the more Howe Gelb seems to have cared about (or could afford and got better at) recording quality. In particular, Chore of Enchantment, Blurry Blue Mountain, and Heartbreak Pass are wonderfully recorded, it also helps with the SQ that they became more acoustic as they got older, compared to the noisy rocking guitars of some earlier ones. The music is always fantastic, anyway.
I had a look at the reviews on Discogs, I disagree that the record lacks gain, pressing is ok after a clean, the problem is compression, rather than having to crank the volume as one or two said, I need to back it off otherwise the compression is just too much. Even if the newer one is a remaster (not to my knowledge and check Maisha’s Babdcamp page which says re issue) it’s not going to help much if the source file is already horridly compressed. Personally I wouldnt bother, it’s a shame, you wont be disappointed with the Gary Bartz though
Btw on Juno it’s always worth checking the sound samples, and if you can play them through your main system even better. Of course there very lo-fi but trust me it’s good enough to reveal if the pressing is poor in terms of “noise” -ticks, pops, non fill. I sniff out a lot of suspect pressings this way and I often listen just from my phone blue toothed into my basic cab radio.
Ha, yes of course!
Glad you managed to bag a copy though, I’ve streamed it and it’s truly superb, vinyl will be on later
Oh, just to add, I see you fancied the gatefold, yes it’s quite nice but it is on quite thin/lightweight card, nothing special really tbh
If your talking about Maisha - There Is A Place, you can get a download from their Bandcamp page. Now you mention it I might have one, will have to check my Bandcamp fan account, most labels artists give access to digital downloads in all the file types with physical purchases and sometimes they are HiRes
Sorry Richard, or was you referring to the Graham Collier, likewise Bandcamp
Karat is excellent. Probably one of my fave Dynavector. I am puzzled with your experience with the Krystal tho. I used it with ARO and it was a great match. ( with Superline/SC or Linn Linto ) As you said Prefix/HC is getting a long in the tooth. Have fun with phonostage auditioning!
I used a Krystal in my Aro and lived with it for a couple of years. I never really got on with it and found I was using my LP12 less and less frequently. It’s hard to say what was wrong with it other than the music felt congested, it being difficult to follow any individual instrument.
