What are you listening to right now?

[tmazz]

OK guys, found another one this weekend so I am now up to 19 versions of DSOTM (well this one is not technically the whole DSOTM, but it does have 5 out of the 9 DSOTM songs on it , So I am throwing it on the list.  )

Rockabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Pink Floyd

CD

Sorry guys, I missed one:

18) Sam Yahel: The Jazz Side of the Moon (Chesky CD)

The Dark Side of the Moon: 30th Anniversary Edition [Hybrid SACD - DSD]
Pink Floyd | Format: Audio CD

I can't wait to hear from somebody who has heard the new DSOTM releases that came out this week. The 30th Anniv Editions (Both the SACD and the LP) were IMO both far and away the best SQ ever released in their respective formats. It will be tough to top them, but one can hope.  

Tom - we're waiting to hear from you on the DSOTM release. You need to add to your collection!!! How many copies of DSOTM do you own????

OK Pete, If you really must know the answer is 17.

Full Original recording

Analog

1) Original Capital US release
2) EMI (UK) Stereo
3) EMI (UK) SQ Quad
4) Toshiba Pro Use (Japanese)
5) Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs (Regular release, Not UHQR)
6) EMI 30th Anniversary  180g LP (UK release, pressed in Holland)
7) Pulse – EMI (UK) 4 LP set containing a full end to end live performance of DSTOM

Digital

8 ) Toshiba Pro Use (Japanese)
9) MFSL 24k Gold CD
10) 30th Anniversary SACD Hybrid
11) DVD-A 96/24 rip of the original Quad master tape
12) Pulse - Columbia (US) CD


Other DOSTM related releases

13) Dark Side of the Moon A Cappella – Vocamotion LP
14) Easy Star All-Stars – Dub Side of the Moon (Reggae version of DSOTM) - Easy Star CD
15) Easy Star All-Stars – Dubber Side of the Moon (a second disc of Reggae DSOTM) – Easy Star CD
16) US and Them – The Symphonic Pink Floyd – Point Music CD
17) The Alternate Side of the Moon – " A collection of outtakes and early rough mixes from the recording sessions to DSOTM, Abbey Road Studios, Summer/Autumn 1972" – Thumbs Up Records

The reason I have been sitting on the sideline so far with regards to the new DSOTM release is the complete lack of information about it. Nowhere in any of the promotional material about it have them mentioned any effort to achieve  better sound nor do they even say if it is a heavy vinyl release. The 30th Anniv LP set the bar for SQ and if this new release in fact pushes that envelope I will be right there to buy one, but if it is simply a plain old compressed sounding record for the ipod crowd I'm not interested. I'm just waiting to see what the deal is since the pre-release info was very sketchy.

[tmazz]

Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon (2011 Remaster from the "Why Pink Floyd?" series)

CD

Got a chance to give a quick listen to this last  on a good hi res system (MG IIIs, Dyna tube monoblocks, Cary Pre, EE DAC etc.) and compare it to the redbook layer of the 30th Anniv SACD Hybrid.  The first thing I noticed was that the new release was cut at a considerably higher overall level than the SACD (Warning Will Robinson!  ). Then I noticed that the amplitude peaks on "Time" (bells during the clock sequence and some of the noted during the guitar solos) seemed to have a jagged kind of distorted edge on them. This edge along with the overall high volume leads me to believe that what I am hearing is compressor artifacts an that this new release has been mastered with an eye towards the ipod crowd not toward overall best SQ.

Granted this is only a first impression after a relatively short listening session, but at least in my mind, this does not look promising. I would like to listen to it for a longer amount of time perhaps on another system before passing final judgement , but as of now this doesn't seem like it will be a good candidate to become #20.

Has anyone else listened to this disc and have any other comments they could offer?

[jsaliga]

This original Atlantic pressing has more issues than I will generally tolerate in a record.  Love the music but I need to find myself a better copy.

--Jerome

[tmazz]

This original Atlantic pressing has more issues than I will generally tolerate in a record.  Love the music but I need to find myself a better copy.

Yes but since the music is the most important thing, we put it on out list and put up with the issues until such time as we can find a better copy. 

Happy Hunting.

[tmazz]

Julie London: Julie is Her Name

Liberty LP

Nice, clean original Liberty pressing.

[tmazz]

Stan Kenton: Kenton's West Side Story

Capitol LP

Thanks to Jerome and Gene for this one. Found this mint copy in the dollar bin and probably would have blown right past it if not for their posts (especially the pic.)

[tmazz]

The Kingston Trio: The Folk Era



3 LP set with an illustrated 12x12 book from Capitol Records.

A nice snapshot of the early 60s folk music scene.

[jsaliga]

Awesome minty deep groove Contemporary pressing.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

Minty deep groove Riverside pressing.  Great live recording of Cannonball Adderley at a gig in California.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

Minty original Blue Note stereo pressing.  Very nice.

--Jerome

[jsaliga]

Beautiful deep groove Royal Roost mono pressing.

--Jerome

[allenzachary]

Pete Fountain, Pete's Place on Coral Records

Live 1964 recording featuring some rollicking New Orleans jazz.  Quite fun.

Picked up for a dollar from a local thrift store along with a sealed original copy of the Funny Girl Broadway cast album.  An obsessed Barbra fan should flip me twenty five bucks for that one.

[jsaliga]

This was an awesome find.  Milt Jackson and Horace Silver on a 1955 recording date, on a minty deep groove Prestige heavy vinyl pressing.

--Jerome

[eleazar]

Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World

    CD

[jsaliga]

Minty vintage Mercury stereo pressing.  Superb music, great recording.  Highly recommended.

--Jerome