Current AB projects

[Xenu]

a) Who Sell Out. I now have the old MCA disc, the old Polydor disc, and even that weird SPanish record club version. Which one wins? We'll see.

b) Various Zappa discs, made problematic that I'm missing key entries. Anybody here have the current Ryko of Roxy (I thought I had this. I was mistaken) or the Zappa Records "Studio Tan" or the old BP "Sleep Dirt?"

c) Soft Machine Vol. 1 and 2. Is the Big Beat identical to the One Way? We'll see.

[Patrick M]

Dammit, McGoodwin, why can't you get me some Holdsworth-era Soft Machine?

[Xenu]

Because I don't like it?

I always forget how lousy my speakers at home are. Bah.

Preliminary results on TWSO: The Polydor seems to be from a *slightly* better tape; it's less bass-heavy than the MCA, but the highs seem to be better (hard to tell on these speakers, unfortunately). The MCA also runs slightly faster, but I'm not sure which one is at the "correct" pitch, and FWIW it feels like the Polydor actually runs a bit slowly.

[Xenu]

Fang writes:

The Polydor (Germany) is the clear CD of choice. It sounds excellent. The MCA (USA) doesn't have the same sound quality as their LP did. Lastly, the Polydor (Japan) version (the only unedited CD version--the other 2 versions delete the live "Join Together/Roadrunner" medley) seems to be made from copy tapes of lesser quality.

Well, I just compared my two Polydors (UK and Japan), and the shared tracks were digitally identical. Ahh well.

[Xenu]

Fang ALSO writes about By Numbers:

The Polydor (Germany) is the CD of choice. The Polydor (Japan) has too much bass. After the sound problems (too bright, too harsh) with "Quadrophenia" and "My Generation: The Very Best Of The Who", MCA was able to "tone it down" a bit for this CD and "Who Are You", but some of the harshness still exists and the sound is hard on the ears. Neither of the <above> Polydor releases has this effect.

Except I just nulltested the two remixed discs. They're the same. Oops!

[lukpac]

Fang might be right that there may be differences on some equipment, but like most people with his mindset, he wants to believe there's something inherently better with the Polydor discs.

[Xenu]

I've never heard differences on some equiptment. And Luke, c'mon...the Odds and Sods example. That's just too damn convinient. What jitter would cause one set of tracks to be better on one release and have the other set be better on another? It doesn't make sense. That's where the "well, it could just be jitter" excuse flies out the window.

And what kind of jitter or pressing variation causes a phantom "value-added bass" to be added to the mastering chain?

And what kind of jitter causes a Japanese (JAPANESE! IT MUST BE SPLENDID!) disc to sound like it's made from "inherently inferior" tapes, even thought it isn't?

For some of his explanations, I suppose that could be an excuse. For most, it just isn't.

[Patrick M]

Because I don't like it?

Have you heard it?

[Xenu]

Yeah. I downloaded pretty much all of their post-3rd output some time ago. I don't remember which stuff Mr. Holdsworth showed up on. It wasn't *bad*, but it wasn't my sort of thing.

[krabapple]

a) Who Sell Out. I now have the old MCA disc, the old Polydor disc, and even that weird SPanish record club version. Which one wins? We'll see.

b) Various Zappa discs, made problematic that I'm missing key entries. Anybody here have the current Ryko of Roxy (I thought I had this. I was mistaken) or the Zappa Records "Studio Tan" or the old BP "Sleep Dirt?"

I have the current 'Roxy'.

[krabapple]

Because I don't like it?

I always forget how lousy my speakers at home are. Bah.

Preliminary results on TWSO: The Polydor seems to be from a *slightly* better tape; it's less bass-heavy than the MCA, but the highs seem to be better (hard to tell on these speakers, unfortunately). The MCA also runs slightly faster, but I'm not sure which one is at the "correct" pitch, and FWIW it feels like the Polydor actually runs a bit slowly.

You don't have to depend on your speakers or hearing to compare frequency
characteristics; if you have something like Cool Edit you can compare the frequency profile of the same segment of two versions.

[krabapple]

Because I don't like it?

Have you heard it?

I have.. it's neither Holdsworth's or Soft Machine's best work, by any means.


I've heard Holdworth with Tony Williams and with the Soft Machine, and on that CTI solo album, but for me, he didn't hit his stride until a year or two later when he starts guesting on Jean-Luc Ponty's albums, and then became a charter member of Bruford's band and UK.

Can someone AB the two CD version s of Soft MAchine's 'Third' that have appeared opver the years? One of them is long out of print but is supposed to (of course) sound better. THis is an album that needs all the sonic help it can get.

[Patrick M]

I've heard Holdworth with Tony Williams and with the Soft Machine, and on that CTI solo album, but for me, he didn't hit his stride until a year or two later when he starts guesting on Jean-Luc Ponty's albums, and then became a charter member of Bruford's band and UK.

Ooooh! A helpful response!

I have heard no Soft Machine, but I very much like AH with Lifetime, the Bruford stuff, UK, and the Gong I've heard (e.g., Gazeuse!). Given that, do you think I'd like Soft Machine?

Is this a thread crap?