Kind of Blue - Miles Davis Vinyl
Posted by: Bob the Builder on 21 February 2018
I'm not a huge Miles Davis fan but my favourite two jazz LP's are both by him Kind of Blue is probably my favourite record of any genre and In a Silent Way my second favourite jazz record.
I own four vinyl copies of this great recording I don't own an original six eye columbia mono pressing but do own a 1969 CBS, UK pressing, a Music on Vinyl press, a RSD Columbia Mono pressing and a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 45RPM remastered pressing.
I intend in time to write a short review of each pressing for anyone interested but in the mean time would love to hear which copies you all have and how the sound or compare to other copies.
Interesting article here about KoB variant labels but no consideration of the sound:
https://londonjazzcollector.wo...-a-collectors-guide/
This article compares the sound on two early pressings:
I have a few, an old Columbia that has seen MUCH better days (OK, it's ruined - by me, when i was about 5 years old), and a rather good sounding UK late '70s CBS and the most recent MFSL 45rpm issue which admittedly does sound very nice too (as it ought to!!). Oh, and I have an unopened Sony/D'Agostini copy, which I obviously haven't heard.
I look forward to hearing your impressions
I only have the MFSL 45 rpm box set issue. It sounds very good but I have nothing else to compare it to.
Richard Dane posted:I have a few, an old Columbia that has seen MUCH better days (OK, it's ruined - by me, when i was about 5 years old),
Well Richard, I'm seriously impressed. Listening to Miles at five years old!
The only vinyl I've got is the Columbia stereo one. A few digital copies too.
Tony, when my father left, we children were given the records and we played them - and played with them - sometimes to death. The Beatles White Album was a particular favourite, as was the soundtrack to Hair, oh and Nana Mouskouri played at 78 rpm.
tonym posted:Richard Dane posted:I have a few, an old Columbia that has seen MUCH better days (OK, it's ruined - by me, when i was about 5 years old),
Well Richard, I'm seriously impressed. Listening to Miles at five years old!
The only vinyl I've got is the Columbia stereo one. A few digital copies too.
Tony, my finding is that what you feed them, they eat and accept as the normal. I have not tried atonal though.
Quick bit of history.
Principle players.
- Alto Saxophone – Julian Adderly (tracks: A1, A2, B1, B2)
- Bass – Paul Chambers (3)
- Drums – James Cobb
- Piano – Bill Evans (tracks: A1, A3 to B2), - Wyn Kelly (tracks: A2)
- Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane
- Trumpet – Miles Davis
Kind of Blue was recorded at at the Columbia 30th Street Studios in Manhattan, nicknamed ‘the Church’, in March and April 1959. Recorded on both a mono and a three-track stereo master making a total of four tape recorders all running at the same time, one prime recorder and one safety backup each for mono and stereo. The mono tapes have since gone missing and are still lost and the two original stereo tapes were stored in Columbia's vault for over thirty years before modern remastering took place in 1992.
It was then found that Side one of the stereo recording from the first session, So What, Freddie Freeloader and Blue in Green, had been recording at the wrong speed running one percent slow thus causing it to run a bit fast when it was played back for mastering this was corrected by the time the second session took place in April. So this means that side one of all stereo releases up until this was put right in 1992 play at slightly the wrong pitch this includes all vinyl, cassette and CD. No mono releases were affected and so are still considered the best and truest releases.
It was the sound engineer Mark Wilder who corrected this in 1992, Since the mono tapes were lost, recent mono reissues were created by mixing down the three stereo tracks into one mono track. At the same time he discovered the tape speed issue Wilder also discovered an alternate take of Flamenco Sketches included on some reissues.
I will include a detailed description of each release that I intend (in time) to review.
If the OP is interested in scratching that (very expensive) itch EIL have recently listed an original US six eye Columbia mono.
Motel Blues posted:If the OP is interested in scratching that (very expensive) itch EIL have recently listed an original US six eye Columbia mono.
Think I can resist the itch at those prices but thank you Motel Blues, I would love to hear one though.
I have just bought another copy of Kind of Blue - the 2010 U.S. Columbia Legacy release that was remastered and lacquers cut at Kevin Grey's Cohearant Audio studio.
I read a very interesting article where some music students at University of Rochester in the US fed multiple copies of the track So What from Kind of Blue through some software to compare the re-mastered versions of the track, they’ve been using various tools, such as MATLAB software to analyze the noise-to-signal ratios and the Bark psychoacoustic scale to compare the relative loudness.
2010 Legacy vinyl edition came second to the 1st press stereo edition even beating the 1st press mono.
I too have the 2013 Music On Vinyl 180g version which is nice but not mind blowing. Im not sure the 45 rpm edition is for me, Im sure it sounds amazing but at the cost of continually breaking the flow of the piece having to flip side's twice. Just me.
Clive
Clive, I agree. I am thoroughly bored of two tracks per side! And do I actually notice the aural difference any longer! (I didn't say ONE didn't but I'm not sure that I do any longer.)
Fortunately I have a Mosaic vinyl copy of In A Silent way so that is my go to copy. I don't think Mosaic issued a copy of Kind of Blue. The CBS 'Complete Sessions' reissue of IASW on CD is also good in my opinion.
With?