Definitive Audiophile pressings

[Joe Mac]

can someone point me to the best abbey road pressing thats not $$$$ ?

sorry if this question is dumb

Most 70s UK pressings purportedly sound great and last I checked (and bought) were quite affordable. I ended up with this one after trolling eBay for a while but I don't know if you can know exactly what press it is without asking for deadwax info. There are people discussing exactly which deadwax stamp sounds best on hoffman if you want to dig through that info but iirc all should be pretty great. There are a lot of slightly different ones in that time frame.

The Beatles - Abbey Road

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1976 Vinyl release of "Abbey Road" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

People seem to love the recent 50th anniversary pressing!

The answer is either of these but they are different mixes. Listen to the original mix and the 50th anniversary on streaming, decide which you like best and go with the corresponding one of these two options.

 

[Skalap]

I’ve got the 33, don’t listen to it much.

I have a first pressing. Funny story with it. Columbia owed Michel Legrand a load of money from unpaid sessions and in an attempt to defuse the situation, the label offered to cover the costs of an album for him, allowing him to choose the repertoire and any musicians he wanted. So he must have been like "fuck it" and just listed every jazz musician hes ever wanted to play with

I do. I got the 33rpm version & was incredibly impressed, sounds great. I haven't played it in a while, I should dig it out.

Also have an original (mono promo), but wasn’t aware of that backstory

View attachment 84739
(Sunlight really emphasizes that long mark, which is more a scuff than a scratch. Some occasional light background noise, but otherwise sounds pretty good.)

I have the 2x LP @ 45rpm version, and it's excellent (and underrated musically). I splurged on the 45 bc I wanted the background info in the booklet that comes w/ that version but not the 33rpm. The 45 is also gatefold if you care about that.

Other Impex well worth owning, especially from the audiophile perspective, is "Blow Up" by Isao Suzuki trio/quartet. This is part of the "Three Blind Mice" reissues mentioned here a day or two ago.

Thanks guys!

@Selaws you are becoming a jazz encyclopedia! I love to read all these stories you share about records we talk about. Columbia probably never thought Michel Legrand would want such musicians :



@Portland Sheriff Good to know about the booklet. I usually avoid 45rpm records because I don't like to flip the records every 10 minutes but will have to take this information in count.

The main reason why I looked after Legrand Jazz is because of how TBM compilation sounds. If Legrand Jazz sounds as good, I'll have to find a copy. I've been eyeing the other TBM reissues they did but, as for the MoFi releases, I hate those writtens on the sleeve. If it was not for it, I would have already purchased some of these (by the way, there are more non Impex releases in this serie but you will need big money). TBM celebrated 50 years in 2020 but didn't do anything special apart of CD reissues.

 

[Andy]

Someone mentioned the Bowie Legacy Comp to me on here a while back. I think... Any prevailing thoughts regarding master quality and UK vs US pressing?

I have the US because I have every Bowie release but cannot remember much about it. Think I bought it bought it because I am a completist and because Life On Mars is a different version.

I have the UK pressing. I picked it up in a supermarket with The Wall, 2 for £25.

Like Jamie, I don't think I've ever listened to it properly, but I think it was good. If no one else can comment I'll dig it out & have a listen

 

[Andy]

Thanks guys!

@Selaws you are becoming a jazz encyclopedia! I love to read all these stories you share about records we talk about. Columbia probably never thought Michel Legrand would want such musicians :

View attachment 84741

@Portland Sheriff Good to know about the booklet. I usually avoid 45rpm records because I don't like to flip the records every 10 minutes but will have to take this information in count.

The main reason why I looked after Legrand Jazz is because of how TBM compilation sounds. If Legrand Jazz sounds as good, I'll have to find a copy. I've been eyeing the other TBM reissues they did but, as for the MoFi releases, I hate those writtens on the sleeve. If it was not for it, I would have already purchased some of these (by the way, there are more non Impex releases in this serie but you will need big money). TBM celebrated 50 years in 2020 but didn't do anything special apart of CD reissues.

It sounds different to the TBM comp, but it does sound great.

I'm very tempted by the other Impex TBM records, but haven't got round to them yet.

 

[MikeH]

It sounds different to the TBM comp, but it does sound great.

I'm very tempted by the other Impex TBM records, but haven't got round to them yet.

I've heard great things about Monk's Dream.

 

[Skalap]

It sounds different to the TBM comp, but it does sound great.

I'm very tempted by the other Impex TBM records, but haven't got round to them yet.

Blow Up, Midnight Sugar and Misty are some of the most popular titles in TBM discography, Greensleeves and A Whisper of Love are less known but still great albums. All can still be found at an affordable (particularly the last two).

 

[MikeH]

Blow Up, Midnight Sugar and Misty are some of the most popular titles in TBM discography, Greensleeves and A Whisper of Love are less known but still great albums. All can still be found at an affordable (particularly the last two).

I want to grab Blow Up at some point. I have an 80s pressing of Misty and Yama & Jiro's Wave - Girl Talk that sound solid.

 

[Andy]

I've heard great things about Monk's Dream.

funny that you should say that

 

[Skalap]

I want to grab Blow Up at some point. I have an 80s pressing of Misty and Yama & Jiro's Wave - Girl Talk that sound solid.

If you don't care to have an incomplete copy (by incomplete I mean without OBI), you should be able to find a 70's reissue in the $60/70 price range. I've been trying to find this version released in 2018 but the only seller is asking 123€ for it

 

[mitchwagz]

Just got the AP Dusty in Memphis. So good! Beats my original Atlantic pressing pretty handily.

 

[Mather]

Aw yeah, just got shipping confirmation of the (assumed) Rocktober Electric Warrior KPG DD drop. I have no idea where they keep getting these from. I tried to order one and none of my locals could even find a listing. Anyone remember if this one comes in a poly sleeve? I fear any record traveling long distances in a paper or printed sleeve... LOOKING AT YOU 3 COPIES OF CONSISTENTLY SCRATCHED BLOC PARTY SILENT ALARM...

 

[Selaws]

Thanks guys!

@Selaws you are becoming a jazz encyclopedia! I love to read all these stories you share about records we talk about. Columbia probably never thought Michel Legrand would want such musicians :

View attachment 84741

Honestly, if I didn't share some jazz facts on here I would just be venting them to my girlfriend......and I don't think she can handle much more of them as it is!!

 

[Skalap]

Honestly, if I didn't share some jazz facts on here I would just be venting them to my girlfriend......and I don't think she can handle much more of them as it is!!

Then keep sharing those facts with us

 

[MikeH]

Aw yeah, just got shipping confirmation of the (assumed) Rocktober Electric Warrior KPG DD drop. I have no idea where they keep getting these from. I tried to order one and none of my locals could even find a listing. Anyone remember if this one comes in a poly sleeve? I fear any record traveling long distances in a paper or printed sleeve... LOOKING AT YOU 3 COPIES OF CONSISTENTLY SCRATCHED BLOC PARTY SILENT ALARM...

I'm 99% sure that it does come in a poly inner (not like the MoFi/QRP ones, but one of these cloudy ones...)

 

[Russ I]

Aw yeah, just got shipping confirmation of the (assumed) Rocktober Electric Warrior KPG DD drop. I have no idea where they keep getting these from. I tried to order one and none of my locals could even find a listing. Anyone remember if this one comes in a poly sleeve? I fear any record traveling long distances in a paper or printed sleeve... LOOKING AT YOU 3 COPIES OF CONSISTENTLY SCRATCHED BLOC PARTY SILENT ALARM...

Yes, full polyvinyl sleeve.

 

[Mather]

I'm 99% sure that it does come in a poly inner (not like the MoFi/QRP ones, but one of these cloudy ones...)

View attachment 84761

Yes, full polyvinyl sleeve.

Thanks guys, that's good to hear.

 

[MikeH]

Thanks guys, that's good to hear.

Gave me a good excuse to pull that one out and give it another listen.

 

[Mather]

Gave me a good excuse to pull that one out and give it another listen.

I just saw that the jacket is actually decent quality. That's good to see, I was expecting the usual thin cheap reissue. Now HOPEFULLY DD can get it here in one piece...

 

[MikeH]

I just saw that the jacket is actually decent quality. That's good to see, I was expecting the usual thin cheap reissue. Now HOPEFULLY DD can get it here in one piece...

Yep. Gatefold and pretty thick. Mine did have a partial seam split on top when it arrived though.

 

[Mather]

Yep. Gatefold and pretty thick. Mine did have a partial seam split on top when it arrived though.

Oh I'm sure mine will have that or worse by the time it arrives.