Correction - not the Decca box - the new Mercury box.

Oh well!

US Rhino RTI pressing. SQ pretty good and very near to that of a 1st press. Packaging good. Only gripe is an off centred record label on side 2. Not a bad price at £12.99 + P&P.

Thanks Steve.

When you say '1st press', you mean a UK pressing not the US pressing right?

Cuz, there is a difference in how UK and US pressing sound. ( Hypothesis is that usually the original mater tape does not leave the country of origin and/or a different EQ applied depending on the particular taste of target audience. )

p.s. is that a Chris Bellman/Bernie Grundman remaster?

Great thread Kuma but it will probably cost me an arm and a leg to read it!

Steve,

Just wondering if this one measured up to the other CR Blue Notes you've heard.  Also, I'd be interested to know if you've had a listen to CR's Blue Note reissue of Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers.  Great album but I don't want to get it if the SQ isn't good on the reissue.

Originally Posted by digger628:

Great thread Kuma but it will probably cost me an arm and a leg to read it!

I've also found buying re-issue vinyl to be a hit or miss proposition - more misses than hits unfortunately.

digger628,

The idea is that alert people so that we don't waste our hard-earned on bad reissues!

Like you, I was miffed when I got the Sony reissue of Gould's Beethoven 5th. It really is a garbage. ( this is your equivalent to the Highway 61, I suppose ) Just because it's on vinyl does not mean it's better. Hyped up marketing doesn't make easy to weed out bad from the good ones.

I thought of that too before I moved from Lingo to 'Geddon to see if I miss the 45s. After a while, it just became a nuisance having to get up too often. But yeah.. all those Evans ( I have them all ) or that said Hancock or Drew, they are pretty darn good in that they don't have me wonder about the original pressings. I might spring for Ella in Berlin in 45s if they came out in mono. ( stereo pressing isn't very good on this album for some reasons )

I haven't encountered really bad records out of them and their QC are pretty consistent. So little short of buying up a mint original, not a bad investment.

50$ for a record isn't cheap but if the sound and production quality are there, that's fair. Where I have a problem is  where most of $$ going into a spiffy packaging but using a questionable source material. ( and don't tell the consumer when they use a poor source. This is definitely a buyers be aware situation )

I hope someone will share their experience with the record for you. I have the 'Who are you' and 'Who's next' but not 'My Generation' I wasn't even aware Classic Records released that title.

Hi Digger,

I generally have had good experiences with the Classic Records reissues. I have about 15 now and have yet to be disappointed. They are mostly Blue Note jazz and rock; Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. Where I have original 1st press issues, these have proven to be slightly superior (the rock albums) except for the '45 Jethro Tull Aqualung which is far superior to the original. With the jazz reissues I don't have 1st presses to compare but the CR albums are better than some of the '70s and later Blue Note reissues that I have. I have no experience of the Who album you mention but I seem to remember it had good reviews elsewhere.

By the way, save hard for that Radikal. It will be one of the best upgrades you can make for your LP12 aside from the fact you can play '45s.

ATB

Steve

Thanks Jay.  Guess I will have to start searching for a reasonably priced copy.

Hi Digger

I was going to chip in re the quality of the Classic My Generation release but have been ably beaten to it by Jay. I am a Who nut and found my 200g copy just last year. It is brilliant and for an in depth review please read the Fremer review here:

http://musicangle.com/album.php?id=329

More to the point you can get a copy from a UK record store site which I have used a lot. They are reliable and helpful and seem to have stuff I can't find much anywhere else. They have a new 150g copy for just £16.80. Yes, that is correct. It may be their last one. Here they are:

https://www.redsparkmusic.com/

Good luck and let us know how you get on and what you think.

Click

Thanks David.

Its just come through on my iTouch.

Stu.

Richard:

Thank, as always, for your insight.

I cant wait to see you top 10 Deccas as Gregg asked! (Actually, I can wait. Enjoy the holiday with your daughter).

Jay

I just listened to Leonid Kogan performing the Brahms Violin Concerto on Testament reissue.

It is excellent in both sound and playing. Kogan really seems to give it his all, which is something you cannot really say of Heifetz, whom I love, but Heifetz definitely tries to make it seem as if it's easy (which it certainly is not).

Kogan originals are big money. I think I will snap up the remaining Testament reissues while they are available.

Speakers Corner.

Wow!

Thanks, Richard, for pointing this one out. I already had it, but hadn't listened to it much.

Thanks Jay.

I have been wondering about EMI Testament reissues since their CD Testament reissues are pretty good.

I might give this one a try if you think it sounds ok. I am not familiar with Kogan but I like Kondrashin.

There are a several albums I am eyeing on including Cluyten's Ravel Box Set. I'm wondering how they are soundwise.

Kuma:

The Kogan sounds great. I just ordered the remaining Kogans on Testament (Tchaikovsky,  Beethoven, Mozart).

I have the Cluytens box set. It sounds very good but I have never warmed to it. There is no single performance in that box that is my "go to" performance for any Ravel work. That being said, I should probably give it another listen since it has been a while.

In general I have have been very pleased with Testament. The particular standout is the Guido Cantelli Beethoven 7th Symphony.

Jay

Originally Posted by Jay Coleman:
In general I have have been very pleased with Testament. The particular standout is the Guido Cantelli Beethoven 7th Symphony.

Jay,

Cantelli's Beethoven 7th is one of my favourite performance! ( No surprise, perhaps, since I also love Toscanini's Beethoven Cycle )

Regarding the Cluytens, I love his Ravel's Piano Concerto with Samson François so naturally I am curious about the rest of his Ravel repertoire.

Thanks for the heads up on Testament Cantelli pressing. I will look for it now.

Thanks so much Mr. Click!  Ordered it just now.  Shipping to Canada was almost as much as the album but that's OK.  Very happy to get it.

Jay,

Thanks for the clarification.

Sp, what's your beef with the reissue? Just so that we are talking about the same thing, the ones my friend bought are the Analogue Production (APP 9135 )

Kuma:

I don't think I responded to this. That's the one. It lacked life, detail, sparkle, really everything, compared to the A&M. It is not terrible in itself but is terrible by comparison.

Jay

Jay,

Thanks for your reply. I'll give them a listen again when I have an opportunity. Honestly I can't remember a thing except asking the *guys* in the room they like this kind of music and they all said yes. ( 'Tea for the Tillerman' isn't my cup of tea ) :x

Here's 'nother example of Puréed music.

Abandoned Luncheonette: Hall & Oates

Label: Friday Music

Numbered Limited-Edition Gatefold Jacket/ 180-gram LP / FRM-7269 US
Re-mastering by: Joe Reagoso at Friday Music Studios From the original Atlantic tapes and at Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA
Release date: 2011


Sound Quality:
This album contains their mega hit 'She's gone'. I have the original US Atlantic issue and infamous '82 MOFI release of the same title. Both of them have some sonic issues but I generally like the original for a catchy groovey intro of 'She's gone'.

The Friday Music is one of the label that makes a huge deal out of it's 180g * audiophile* vinyl. You go to their website the 180g sticker is everywhere.  The sound of this album cleans up some issues I have with the original ( mainly on the trebles and pronounced sibilance which also present on the MOFI issue ), but the whole presentation is just too lack back. Where did that groovy bass line go? Original is much more visceral with clearly deliniated base line. The vocal has a stronger presense where this reissue sounds a tad gray. Altho, I am hearing more details, due to a lower self noise, and less congestions but dynamics are out of the window.

So, what we have is a pretty picture with no guts. Everything is beautified and pureed but gives me not much to chew on. They might have gotten the original maser tape but I don't agree with the sonic decisions the engineer made.

Packaging Quality:
Thick spine ( double from the original ) and

180 GRAM Audiophile Vinyl

  'PHILLY RULES!' on the dead wax. ( cute ) Sturdy paper stock and excellent printing quality. Friday Music logo on both the outer jacket and the label.

Does anyone have any familiarity with HI-Q records? They are apparently reissuing classical EMI recordings (like Testament) and claim to be cutting from the original master tapes.

Thanks.

Jay

Jay,

A Hi-Q Muti's 'Pictures at an Exhibition/The Firebird' should be arriving tomorrow.

This isn't a Testament reissue but I was curious about HI-Q Records so decided to give it shot. 

Any other informations on this label?

Sounds promising according to this item on the web, but only a listen will tell I guess:

"Quietly launched last year, this outfit has produced some very fine-
sounding disks.  All titles cut at Abbey Road Studios from the
original stereo analogue master tapes with the Neumann VMS80 lathe fed
an analogue pre-cut signal from a specially adapted Studer A80 tape
deck with additional playback head.  Pressed on 180-gram vinyl on
original EMI presses at The Vinyl Factory in Hayes, England."

Let us know Kuma.