Playlist

[Tony Tune-age]

I learned about Carole King from my siblings, and I really like her music. I don't have many of her albums though...something I can look into...

That's a good idea! They are well worth getting. I would start with "Tapestry" of course, then "Writer: Carole King" and "Music",
those are the essential ones. Also good are "Fantasy" and "Rhymes & Reasons". In 1996 "The Carnegie Hall Concert" was released, but the recording is from 1971, I would say this also belongs in the essential category.
Oh, do get the original US pressings, they aren't expensive and sound way better than any reissues.

Thank you for the insight Tendaberry...I know what to look for now! And in my case, it has become a common theme with nearly all of the reissues that I've purchased. They seldom sound as good as the original releases, and none of them sound better.

Cheers!

[Matteo]

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[Tendaberry]

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Maria Rita - Maria Rita (BRA 2003): The fantastic debut of Elis Regina's daughter.

[FairPlayMotty]

And in my case, it has become a common theme with nearly all of the reissues that I've purchased. They seldom sound as good as the original releases, and none of them sound better.

I read statements like this all the time. They don't concur with my experience with many records and CDs. A few examples:

1. The Nightfly. A fellow forum member and I listened to the original vinyl plus two reissues. The latter sounded better. The original CD of The Nightfly was badly mastered from a poor quality tape equalised for vinyl. Stevie Wonder called the record company when he heard the CD (he'd been given a copy of the studio master tape) to tell them it sounded terrible. The original CD was removed from U.S. shelves.

I've read a guy assert that the original CD of The Nightfly was the best version. I doubt he's heard the original CD. If I can find a copy of the original CD I'll buy it to hear how bad it was (some were apparently dumped in Europe and Asia).

2. Bryter Layter on CD. All of the original Nick Drake CDs sounded poor. Again they were made using a poor quality master tape equalised for vinyl. Nick Drake barely sold back then, Island wasn't taking great care - record companies aren't the most careful curators. Drake's actress sister intervened and had the remasters done properly. The original master of Bryter Layter was lost and sounds less pristine than the other two.

3. Carole Bayer-Sager, Sometimes Late At Night on CD. I bought the original CD of this great album and had the original vinyl already for easy comparison. The CD was the worst I've ever heard. If listening to the left channel through both left and right speakers is better than the Japanese CD remaster (which sounds like the vinyl) the original is the best.

Blanket statements about version superiority make as much sense to me as the assertion published on this forum that jazz is not Western music. The U.S. is in the West.

[Tony Tune-age]

Blanket statements about version superiority make as much sense to me as the assertion published on this forum that jazz is not Western music. The U.S. is in the West.

I said in my case most of the reissues that I have purchased seldom sound as good as the originals. Example number one; I have an original Rolling Stones "Tattoo You" album, and a reissue copy. Although both sound good, the reissue copy doesn't sound better...just different. Example number two; I have an original Who "Quadrophenia" album and a reissue copy,. And in this particular case the original copy sounds better to my ears.

So this isn't a blanket statement, it's just a common theme in my experiences...as it pertains to vinyl.

[FairPlayMotty]

"none of them sound better."

That's a blanket statement.

[Tony Tune-age]

"none of them sound better."

That's a blanket statement.

None of my reissues sound better than the originals, some as good but not better.

[FairPlayMotty]

Plenty of mine do sound better whether CD (or SACD, DVDA) or vinyl,

Though I smile at Stevie Wonder's assessment of, "original master" reissues on vinyl given that the original master tapes are in his house.

[Tendaberry]

1. The Nightfly. A fellow forum member and I listened to the original vinyl plus two reissues. The latter sounded better. The original CD of The Nightfly was badly mastered from a poor quality tape equalised for vinyl. Stevie Wonder called the record company when he heard the CD (he'd been given a copy of the studio master tape) to tell them it sounded terrible. The original CD was removed from U.S. shelves.

What makes wonder here, is that Stevie Wonder could have the CD of Donald Fagen's The Nightfly removed from the shelves. What further makes me wonder is the claim, that Stevie was given a copy of the studio master tape, since The Nightfly is a digital recording...

[FairPlayMotty]

The story was documented with input from Roger Nichols and others involved in making the album.

[ThomasOK]

Many digital masters were recorded on digital tape machines.

[FairPlayMotty]

Many digital masters were recorded on digital tape machines.

Correct Thomas. The Nightfly was recorded using 3M’s (new then) 32-track Digital Audio Mastering System, which recorded 16-bit/50kHz audio on 45 ips 1-inch tape.

Nichols supplied the matrix number for the CDs removed from the shelves in the U.S., I hope to find one on discogs or eBay.

[FairPlayMotty]

What makes wonder here, is that Stevie Wonder could have the CD of Donald Fagen's The Nightfly removed from the shelves. What further makes me wonder is the claim, that Stevie was given a copy of the studio master tape, since The Nightfly is a digital recording...

I know this story may seem implausible but with all due respect Tendaberry it was all over the HiFi press at the time (Nichols wrote an open letter to the record company). Stevie didn't have the CDs removed from the shelves, he simply alerted Roger Nichols about the poor quality first edition CD. As Thomas O'Keefe said many albums of that time were digitally recorded to tape, as was The Nightfly. Here's the Nichols quote:

"I also printed the mixes to a Sony PCM-F1. I had the first one in the US in 1982. I gave a copy of it to Stevie Wonder.

When CDs came out in 1984, Warner Bros pressed CDs of Nightfly. So far nothing I had done was out on CD. Stevie called me up and said that he just got a copy of the Nightfly CD and it didn’t sound as good as the F1 tape. I thought “%$(&*%$# CDs are not any good, I’m a dead man!

I went to Warner Bros and got a copy of the CD. I went home and listened. The CD sounded like it had a blanket over the vocals and horns and... well everything. I called Bob Ludwig and asked what tape he sent to Warner Bros for the CD mastering. He said “What tape? Warner Bros never ordered anything for CD production."

In my life Stevie has been a star. I own at least six versions of The Nightfly. After looking at discogs, paying >£90 for what is described as a, "faulty" CD doesn't seem like a good investment - unfortunately the music market is already aware of the error strewn first CD.

[Matteo]

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[Matteo]

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[springwood64]

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Just worked out that I've owned this for nearly half a century!

Still sounds amazing. I started playing the album on Spotify, but jumped up and put the LP on after a few songs, and it's notably more fun on the TT.

[Matteo]

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[Tendaberry]

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Seu Jorge & Almaz (2010): My favourite album by Seu Jorge

https://youtu.be/OVzWAsYOBFI

[Tendaberry]

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Shirley Brown - Shirley Brown (US 1977): Great soul singer