Category Archives: Vinyl

Lost Classic — Ira Stein & Russel Walder: Elements

Lost Classics, Music, Reviews, Vinyl

For a brief while in the 1980s, I was sampling some of the Windham Hill recordings.  I admit that some of what I’d heard wasn’t all that exciting to me (some of it could be too “new-agey” or precious), but a few artists and groups stood out.  I liked the freshened-up fusion approach of Shadowfax, and was amazed at how Michael Hedges could manipulate his way around a guitar.

One that flew under the radar of most folks was the duo of Ira Stein and Russel Walder.  I had first purchased their second album, Transit, thanks to one of the tracks being on a Windham Hill sampler I owned.  (A feature will be forthcoming on this album.)  That album featured the duo, but with a little extra instrumentation (and some vocals) for sweetening.  A few months later, I picked up a copy of their first album, Elements, which is strictly the duo of oboe and piano…a 1932 Baldwin, no less.  Just a few weeks ago, I found a mint copy via Discogs and have been rediscovering this album again.

This evening while filing away albums and inspecting others, I remembered that this album was pressed on premium vinyl.  KC-600, if I recall.  This one has the dark purple translucent glow to it.  This in itself is a good sign.  It was while looking at the dead wax that I noticed a familiar inscription:  “JH/2”.  Turns out this album was half-speed mastered at JVC in Japan, where all of those early-era Mobile Fidelity LPs were mastered.  The mastering engineer was none other than Jack Hunt.  In addition, the album was pressed back here in the U.S. at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI).  Other than a bit of flotsam and jetsam (the record still needs a good cleaning), it plays back nicely.

The oboe and piano were both recorded with Crown PZM microphones, and the whole chain was “audiophile” with no compression or limiting, so this is a very nice sounding album.  The tones of the oboe and piano are indeed very natural.  As an LP, this is nearly demo material, provided you can find one that is in excellent condition.

Musically, I will be the first to admit that it is not everyone’s cup of tea.  The album consists of only four lengthy songs, plus a very brief fifth.  And yes, it is strictly oboe and piano.  Yet it is not sappy or precious like much of the new age genre was.  What I notice are elements of both classical and jazz here.  Classically, some of the works remind me of a theme and variations.  Yet once the theme is established, either Stein (piano) or Walder (oboe) is improvising, building upon the original theme.  Stein, especially, reminds me a bit of the style of Lyle Mays, where he can just take off and soar, building the original song into something completely different.  Very spontaneous and free-form at times, yet they never fail to bring a song back to earth by its end.

Definitely recommended if you can find a nice clean copy on vinyl, or seek out the CD.  It’s enjoyable if you prefer something quieter and out of the ordinary.

Review: Police “Zenyatta Mondatta” Back To Vinyl 180g

Audiophile Vinyl Reviews, Music, Music, Video & Print, Reviews, Vinyl

I have seen Universal’s “Back To Vinyl” series of reissues available on websites and in a couple of local record stores.  It wasn’t until I accidentally came across an unmarked 180g pressing of Zenyatta Mondata that I wound up owning one.  The album appeared in a bin of used audiophile vinyl, but I noticed that neither the cover nor label had any indication as to which label might have reissued the title.

It wasn’t until I got home and was able to punch the lengthy catalog number into my phone that I discovered it was one of those Back To Vinyl titles.

So, how does it sound?

To coin a current phrase: meh.

I had spun a track or two on my old cartridge, but finally was able to give it a spin on the new Ortofon 2M Black and see what was lurking in the grooves.  I’ve owned this one on the original A&M vinyl, SACD, Nautilus vinyl (with dbx encoding, no less), and one or two CD versions as well.  I can easily say that out of all of these versions, this Back To Vinyl pressing is the most lifeless of all of them.

Not only are the high frequencies subdued, the dynamics also lack the pop and crackle that even the lowly original LP had.  The first few drum whacks of “Driven To Tears” used to have an edge to them, as did the rimshots througout–they just seem muted here, and lacking impact.  The busy guitars of “Canary In A Coalmine” are lacking that tiny upper treble shimmer they have on other versions.  Even some of the ambiance is gone–I don’t detect the same amount of spaciousness (for lack of a better term) in the reverb, especially on a track like “Driven To Tears” which has a rather spare arrangement.

This cutting just lacks excitement.

A fellow vinyl hound friend of mine had told me that the three Back To Vinyl titles he owned were similarly lifeless, and he ended up returning them.  It would not surprise me if these were cut from digital sources rather than analog…although the SACD I have blows this LP to pieces sonically, as does the version from Message In A Box.

To add insult to injury, even the cover art is changed–it does not have the same rich hues as the original jacket, and even the insert is printed as a washed-out reproduction.  Seems Universal can’t get anything right these days.

Definitely not recommended for the money.  Not even used.

Review: Nicola Conte – Jet Sounds (Bossa Per Due)

Audiophile Vinyl Reviews, Music, Reviews, Vinyl

Have you ever had the impression that someone had gotten into your hip dad’s basement and started thumbing through his old record collection from the 1960s? If so, that might have been Nicola Conte sneaking in the side door, and leaving with a few armfuls of those scratchy old LPs.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s, and from the time I was three years old, I was spinning records on the Admiral hi-fi in the basement.  My parents’ tastes ran the gamut–we had the old A&M stuff, quite a few by Mancini, some cha-cha and mambo records, some assorted jazz and easy listening, and a smattering of Bossa Nova.  Listening to Conte’s debut album, Jet Sounds, I hear plenty of echoes of the past, reminiscent of what I used to stack up on the Admiral’s woefully overstressed record changer. 

Conte is a classically trained jazz musician, producer and DJ, hailing from Italy. His name has appeared on many remix compilations over the years.  This album is comprised of samples of existing recordings, used as a base on which he layers additional instruments and vocals.  While I am not familiar with many of the samples, one of which stood out immediately for me is “Mambo De Los Dandies”.  Having grown up with Mancini’s soundtrack to Charade, I have “Mambo Parisienne” embedded in my genetic code, and hearing that familiar percussion intro, sped up slightly and turned into a completely different tune, is a treat!  It is quite a manic little mambo, layered with an organ and sax, with brass punctuating throughout.  

The other tracks are no less of a joy.  The one “hit” on this album is “Bossa Per Due,” used in a commercial for the Acura CL back around 2001.  This swirling Bossa has a breezy attitude that is infectious.  This is similarly carried over to “Forma 2000”, another energetic Bossa with a syncopated organ figure throughout, where “Il Cerchio Rosso” takes Bossa into a swingin’ 60s easy listening style.  The title track takes the Bossa Nova into more of a big band territory, and “The In Samba” cops the frantic guitar lick from the Stan Getz/Cal Tjader “Ginza Samba”.  “Dossier Omega” and “Missione a Bombay” both sound as though they are lifted out of a globetrotting James Brown, with the Indian-flavored sitar and tabla.  “Jazz Pour Dadine” also has that Italian cinematic feel to it.

There are many colors throughout this disc, and the many layers may take a few listens to fully “get” the music.  But it is worth it!  This recording is, simply put, fun!  And interesting enough that its many layers give plenty to discover on subsequent listens.  This is one album I wish I’d discovered a dozen years ago when it was still new.  Highly recommended!

Note: this album was released in some countries under the Bossa Per Due title, with a rearranged track order.  The 2-LP vinyl release of Jet Sounds also has a rearranged track order, yet two of my favorite tracks are omitted–“The In Samba” and “Mambo De Los Dandies”.  (It really makes no sense, as two of the sides do not even clock in at 15 minutes.)

 

Review: Tears For Fears “Seeds of Love” on Mobile Fidelity vinyl

Music, Reviews, Vinyl

The Seeds Of Love has long been my favorite Tears For Fears album.  Beatlesque in nature at times, it is an upbeat follow-up to their second album, Songs From The Big Chair.  I still have my original pressing CD from when the album was first released.  A bit worn, it still plays well and is one of the better sounding CDs in my collection.  (And I am no fan of the sonics of digital.)

The album was available on Fontana vinyl, and I managed to find a copy early last year. Unfortunately, beneath the crud, I found the vinyl had a bit of a rash and it did not play well on the turntable.  (I also made a mental note to be more careful buying used vinyl at this particular store, as I’ve purchased less than favorable copies from them in the past.)  Aside from the rash, the tonal balance was nearly dead on to the CD.  The noise aside, the only thing I noticed was that the dynamics on the LP were sligthly compressed compared to the CD.

I was ecstatic to hear that this album plus Big Chair were being cut by Mobile Fidelity on their Silver Label series.  And as of now, I have a copy of Seeds in my hands.  This is a really nice slab of vinyl!

The surfaces are quiet, the sides are on-center, and the vinyl is flat and still weighty for being less than 180 grams (officially 140 grams per the company, but it feels a hair lighter).  Mobile Fidelity did a very nice job having these pressed!  But what about the sonics?  So far, this cutting makes up for the slightly dynamically flat pressing on Fontana.  To me this new one is very slightly brighter, but this is only barely noticeable.  The opening bass drum on “Badman’s Song” has the weight I’m looking for, and the snare pops as it should, as it does on my original Fontana CD.  Roland’s voice is clear enough, but that very slight brightness does give it a tiny rasp at times.  I may go to the pain of dialing in my turntable a bit to see if it goes away–it’s that close.  A song with a lot of detail, such as “Seeds of Love”, manages to sound less congested in this vinyl presentation.

Very nice job overall!  And frustrating!  The quality of this and the other three Silver Label MoFi LPs I own makes me want to splurge on a big ol’ pile of these pressings.  It is nice to hear their attention to detail showing through in the finished product.  Great album musically, and a fine example on vinyl!  Grab this one!

Beatles on Vinyl: The Verdict

Music, Reviews, Vinyl

There was a big fuss over 2012 about the eventual release of the Beatles’ albums on 180g vinyl.  EMI had every chance they could to get this right.  But, did they?  Let’s find out!

RevolverI’ll admit right off the bat that I’m no expert in Beatles, especially the numerous vinyl pressings out there.  I do know that the 1987 CDs were OK, but by no means a revelation. I always found them to be harsh and brittle, very “digital” sounding in other words.  The remastered CDs from a couple of years ago improved on that sound.  Vinyl?  Forget it.  I should not need a scorecard to know which vinyl pressing, from which country, from a particular stamper, is the best-sounding…and it’s all subjective anyway.  Even a BC-13 box is hard to find in playable condition now–“playable” meaning there is no groove wear and the vinyl plays back cleanly.  Given the used vinyl market now, there is a ton of crap circulating out there at unwarranted high prices.  Count me out.

Enter the new 2012 180 gram vinyl.  My comparison covers only four of the LPs, representing a sampling of the catalog.  I’ve had both good and fair luck with these so far.

My first two were supposedly my favorite two albums: Rubber Soul and Revolver.  Both came by way of Amazon US, so they are pressings made at Rainbo here in the US.  On first listen, at lower volume, they actually sounded pretty good.  It was when I had a chance to play them at a moderate volume that I started noticing problems: scratches on “Eleanor Rigby,” a “buzzing” every so often on a couple of tracks (your classic case of no-fill), and even a skip on one of the George Harrison tracks.  One of the sides was slightly off-center as well.  Overall, there was slightly more rumble than other 180 gram vinyl I’ve purchased in recent years, and the noise level (in terms of minor ticks and clicks during playback) was not what I expect from brand new vinyl.

Looking closely at “Eleanor Rigby,” hoping there was just some crud in the grooves, I saw a series of small scratches on the last half of the track that plainly shows that something had come in contact with the record before it was packaged.  (If I can find a way to photograph them, I’ll update this post.)  Looking at one of the sides of Revolver in the light sideways, I can see two concentric rings of no-fill (areas where there was not enough vinyl to completely fill the depth of the grooves).

If you think I’m being nitpicky, well…yes, maybe I am.  But while the problems themselves, alone, might be considered minor, together as a whole I find them unacceptable for new 180 gram vinyl sold at a premium price.

Having read numerous accounts on the Internet of how poorly these Rainbo pressings are, and how much better the UK pressings are, I took a chance and ordered Magical Mystery Tour and Past Masters from Amazon UK.  I was hoping they’d be a remedy to the sloppy US pressings.

And were they ever!  At times the vinyl was so quiet that it was like playing back the CD.  Sure there was an occasional minor tick here and there, but that is pretty much expected of any new vinyl.  These played back very nicely.  And the cutting on Past Masters is impressive, seeing that there are as many as nine (!) tracks to a side in this 2-LP set!  With shipping, the records came to about $27 each in equivalent US funds.

Needless to say, my future purchases of Beatles vinyl will come from the UK.  Based on my own observations, as well as many of my fellow vinyl buddies who have bought a few, we can safely say the US pressings are not even worth seeking out.  One of them has already returned two copies of Sgt. Pepper with numerous problems on both.

As for the sound, skip back a few paragraphs: these LPs may not be the ultimate in fidelity (they were unfortunately cut from the 24-bit/44.1kHz master vs. the high-res 192kHz master, a very poor decision on EMI’s part), but…do I care?  In a way, yes.  I do find these to be quite satisfactory in fidelity.  Yet I’m not worried about “ultimate” fidelity in something like this, especially given the situation.  As I mentioned, the used Beatles vinyl for the most part is trash, unless you’re willing to spend a small fortune to get clean copies.  And with vinyl that old, played on questionable equipment, it is too big of a gamble.

The packaging is meticulous.  While they are reproductions, the jackets are of a nice heavy weight, and include original inserts.  Past Masters even includes a nice square booklet to go with the album.  The labels on the LPs themselves reflect their country of origin, so the early records sport a Parlophone label, Magical Mystery Tour a Capitol label, and later albums the Apple label.  Nice touch!

Summary: the little bit I give up in ultimate fidelity is worth it to have nice, clean, brand new pressings with no wear and minimal noise; what little difference remains to get an “ultimate” pressing is not worth my paying for.  And given the exquisite packaging of the titles I’ve seen, I give the Beatles on UK vinyl only a resounding two thumbs up!  As for the US vinyl, I recommend against wasting time and money.  EMI needs to escalate quality control on their pressing plants, and demand a better product.  This is not the 70s and 80s when reclaimed vinyl ruled–we are past that.  EMI should know better by now.