I think it's unlikely (possible, or course, but unlikely) the analog LP masters were used to cut the EPs. The EPs don't follow the track sequences as assembled for the master tapes, and I doubt they had the individual track reels available to splice up a new tape for cutting. Kevin Gray assembled the songs for the "Black Album" compilation digitally, and I bet the same was done for lacquer cutting on the 7" EPs.
I don’t remember where I read it, but IIRC Andrew Sandoval confirmed somewhere that the analog tapes originally used for the 7” singles were used to cut the EPs.
Perhaps they had access to the spliced tapes originally assembled to cut the EPs back in the '60s. Were all of the EPs cut that way?
Going by my memory when Andrew talked about using the single masters for the EPS, he said that the EP masters were tape copies of the single masters and he wanted to use the purest sources possible.
I wonder if they just found doing something like that too cumbersome to compile the "Black Album", or they didn't have all the mixdown masters for each song.
My guess is that a mixdown/master tape was prepared for the original vinyl release to be cut from and that has since been lost. They likely didn't want to go through a similar process (producing an analog master) so they just used digital files likely made from the analog masters of the tracks' respective albums. I also suspect new high-res digital masters were made from the tapes throughout the whole process.
Yes, it was probably too time-consuming to assemble new reels for a compilation album like that (even if they had access to the mixdown tapes for all the songs on the "Black Album"). Sounds good, anyway.
Not to start the who debate about analog vs digital masters for vinyl pressings, I've always believed that it's all in the mastering engineer's hands. I've heard plenty of analog-sourced vinyl that has been bested by later reissues cut from high-res digital files. Heck, the original Robert Ludwig cut pressing of Rush's Moving Pictures is one of the best sounding releases in my collection, and that was cut from a redbook digital master!
One thing that digital really holds complete superiority over analog is the ability to edit in the box!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QUYIVQK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The Kinks US pressings cut by Kevin Gray also have black hype stickers stating "Kinks 50th" reissues.
No they came out here in US as you probably remember with black stickers on them. The first four only.
Different label, different reissue company. Andrew stated he had nothing to do with that so it definitely isn't really part of the other reissues that include the early Pye and RCA titles. I agree, it seems absolutely silly that Lola isn't an album a casual consumer should be able to buy easily. But as per the usual Kinks reissue campaigns go, they don't release the albums people really want at first so they shoot themselves in the foot and sales aren't great.
The red colored ones that were released after the black digital ones are the same cut as the analog us monos.
I’m playing an original UK Lola I just found to replace my copy which I lost 30 years ago. What’s interesting is that it’s pitched higher than the US. Anyone else notice that? I’m not quite sure if it’s compression or tape speed. I think the US is probably more accurate but this UK really moves.
Replace confusing with incompetent. However much of the stuff that has come out has been very good, even some of digital sourced titles.
