I’ll save your legs, Graham.
Yep, Leroy played bass on WFTS ( Spanish Caravan ). Leroy played acoustic bass, Doug Lubahn played electric. Great track.
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Pharoah Sanders - Pharoah, Luka Bop (2023) Box Set
This will be probably considered expensive seeing as your essentially paying for the remastered album version and two live versions of Harvest Time because the other two tracks you’ll probably play once and never again as they are not great.
But if like me you love Harvest Time then it’s worth every penny it’s as good as Spiritual Jazz get’s in my opinion and the two live versions recorded in '76 and '77 are incredibly good.
I have the unofficial Alternative Fox reissue of the studio LP from a couple years ago which sounds pretty good but this new version done with Pharoah’s blessing on David Byrne’s Luka Bop label is better, the live LP is definitely cut by Chris Bellman though I’m not sure if he cuts the remastered studio LP I’ll check the dead wax tomorrow.
The Box Set, Covers, Booklet, Photos and other Ephemera are all really nice I’ve only briefly leafed through the quite extensive looking booklet but it’s really nicely done.
The one minus is the slight warp on the live LP though it’s not warped enough to warrant returning imo. All in all an excellent box set but only if like me you are a huge fan of Harvest Time.
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Had this since Friday, but only just got a chance to listen and compare. Unfortunately pretty disappointed to say it doesn’t match my Classic Records or Kevin Gray pressings. Oh well, I had to try. I’ve mentioned before that these Abbey Road pressings are usually rubbish.
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Whats the issue with this one? I recently bought the AR I/2 speeds of Tommy and Quick One and thought they sounded pretty good but dont have anything to compare other than CD.
Mind you if I already owned the Classic and/or KG cut I doubt I would have bought the AR.
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Hi @Dreadatthecontrols the quality of the AR 1/2 speed Remasters differ a lot. One example: I have a 2016 Police “Ghost in the Machine” which is superbe, top Soundstage and fabulous pressing. On the other side I bought last year the Police Greatest Hits, which was a desaster.
I also think the newer the 1/2 ARs are the worse they are made. Not in general. The older ones are almost very satisfying. A main problem is that they are pressed at Optimal or GZ. Both pressing plants produce terrible discs frequently. Also the mastering isn’t that good anymore
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Collecting my copy this morning.
Looking forward to it!
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I have an Abbey Road 1/2 speed remaster of the ‘Local Hero’ soundtrack, which sounds pretty good to me. That said, I have nothing to compare it to.
I also have The Who’s ‘Tommy’, and that is very good indeed.
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The Classic Records is a touch sweeter, refined and has a lovely deep mid-range. However, the KG is much more lively, punchy, more forward drums and suits this music. Both great pressings and a bit hard to choose a favourite, but KG edges it. This new Abbey pressing had nothing going for it. Dull, lifeless and compressed.
Off the top of my head, the only Abbey pressing I’ve liked was the Dire Straits BIA 45rpm and even then I preferred the MFSL 45rpm. But I have both.
The Abbey Police ones are ok, but they don’t match the Japanese 2007 gems. They’re the Police ones to own, by far.
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Absolutely agree @anon70766008 I also own “Local Hero” and it is really good. Same is the RSD 2022 Dire Straits “Love Over Gold” by AR, which is excellent.
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Hi @krautnaimie and @Count.d thanks for your view. I would expect them to vary a lot as the source material, recording quality etc will vary.
The ones I have and sound OK to me on their own merit are John Martyn Solid Air, The Who Tommy, Sell Out and T Rex Electric Warrior.
Not sure if you guys have heard The Who titles I mention, as I said they sound OK to me and Who’s Next uses the same mastering process…ie mastered by Jon Astley and cut half speed by Miles Showell at AR (I’m assuming the Classic and KG cuts are AAA whereas all the AR Half speeds are cut from Hi Res files) so I would be surprised if it sounds an absolute dogs dinner on its own merit whilst maybe not standing comparison to a Classic or KG which are now very expensive.
I think it all comes down to the quality of the source Miles Showell has to work from. My understanding is that he originally worked from master tapes which he himself prepared and transferred to HiRes in order to carry out certain restoration processes prior to cutting.
I note though, that taking The Who as an example, Miles Showell is sometimes now working from tapes/files already prepared by a third party (in this case Jon Astley (who ought to know what he’s doing) and maybe thats leading to inconsistencies.
I posted some time ago now two contrasting articles, one from Miles Showell explaining his methodology and what he believes to be the benefits of the half speed process vs Kevin Gray who is a clear half speed sceptic. Worth searching out.
Interesting to note that Count D liked the AR Dire Straits but preferred the MoFI, correct me if I’m wrong but arent MoFI’s half speed mastered?
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More important is the stereo and the room on and in which any particular pressing is played. These can play a huge part. I’ve owned a few LP12’s a few different Regas and a couple of Technics over the past 10 years or more all of which have picked up a different sound from the same record and also the set up and room have added and detracted from the same record.
The only way you can be entirely sure is to buy a copy and stick it on your own record player.
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Yes the MFSL is half speed mastering. It’s not the half speed that I’m isolating out as a problem, just Abbey Road pressings. I have loads of half speed which stand out as my best pressings. Pink Floyd WYWH Mastersound, best by far.
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Then I guess its something to do with how Miles Showell approaches his half speed mastering and sources.
Not trying to be pedantic but we are talking about mastering here rather than pressing? MS and AR do the mastering, records are pressed elsewhere at a pressing plant, so is it something to do with the pressing quality that dissapoints?
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That’s a shame, mine arrives today so will give it a go tomorrow, or will have to rely on my Classic re-issue or original🙂
As to the Japanese Police issues, yeah they’re alright😉
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Will be interested in your view of Whos Next along with Count D
Cheers
Will give it a go tomorrow and let you know.
On a tangent, just had a look at discogs difference in price for a 1971 original, mine is listed as ‘variation 2’, and the Classic re-issue. Blimey.
I gave my dad a couple of the Classic QVP’s, I’ll have to get them back!
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Ha! I think you’re the only person I’ve read that has these Police Japanese pressings. I remember them selling out very fast and there was a fuss made about them. They are brilliant.
My copy arrived today and I snatched a quick listen. The bass and the voices are more prominent compared to a reissue I own, and in a good way (no booming).
I thought the mid-range instruments on Baba O’Riley sounded slightly dull and indistinct on first listen but, in contrast, the SQ on ‘Getting in Tune’ which kicks off side 2 really impressed me.
I need to give this several spins to come to an overall opinion. It’s certainly an upgrade on what I have, but I’ve not heard the Kevin Grey version mentioned earlier.
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It’s funny, Im a massive Who fan and have been since my teens, but I have never listened to them with with a hifi head on. That’s not what they were about. I would never put the Oo and sound quality in the same sentence.
The lack of finesse and SQ is why I love their music.
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I agree Neil, to me the energy of their Live appearances was never really captured well in the studio imo
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