A Trick of the Tail on vinyl?

Hey guys as for 2017 what's the best version of A Trick of the Tail on vinyl? Seen some half-speed masters of their catalogue done by Miles Showell lately, are they any good? Had bad experience with Queen remasters, (were half-speeds too, but it doesn't matter I guess). But on the other hand Cream mainstream remasters sounded good to my ears. So back to the topic : what's the best version of A Trick of the Tail on vinyl now: new reissues or vintage?

Saw some related threads around here but could not figure any consensus there.

Thanks!

PS. Gonna post some threads on different Genesis albums with PC on vocals, will be asking same thing.

 

You want this:
A Trick of the Tail Vinyl

 

Thanks. Saw that thread but could not figure any consensus there.

 

I thought the original UK pressing was better than the MFSL from the 70's. I think my recently acquired Japan for US CD bests both of them.

 

I own several versions of this on vinyl and CD. On vinyl, I have early UK, Canadian, Japanese, and German pressings. Of these, my favorite BY FAR is the German pressing (Charisma, 6369 974). It is also better than any digital version I have, including the early Japan for US Atco, which is good, but a bit upper-midrangey on my system. In terms of the vimyl comparisons, I should point out that my Japanese copy is a second pressing, and likely sounds different from the highly regarded Japanese first pressing. I have a quality needle -drop of the Japanese first pressing, and it sounds very similar to my German pressing--the Japanese pressing I have sounds comparatively clinical, with a thinned out midrange.

Overall, my recommendation is for the first German Charisma pressing, followed by the first Japanese pressing. I haven't heard the MFSL, which I understand is also highly regarded.

As I mentioned on the Duke thread, the recent half speed reissues are of the 2008 remixes. For this album especially, I thought the remix (which I only have on CD) was atrocious, with almost no dynamics or atmosphere whatsoever. But if you prefer a more "modern" sound, you might like the remix and thus, the recent LP reissue.

 

You mean this German pressing?

 

That looks like the one. My copy has the first listed runout groove info: AA 6369 974.1 Y/2 Y

 

I got the MFSL to replace my early US copy and it sounds fantastic.

 

This? Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail

 

Yea that's it. I spent $50 on a near mint copy. Thats the most I spent on a record but it's my favorite album so I went for it. Was not disappointed.

 

Thanks

 

Actually the new mixes on vinyl don't sound half as bad as they do on the CD issues. I don't think they are cut as bright or as loud which does mean some of the dynamics shine though better. I have all them apart from Duke, Abacab and Shapes (as I have them on Simply Vinyl editions), and they are not bad - of course they are not as good as the original pressings.

You will never get an audiophile experience with Genesis as a lot of the albums run to over 25 mins per side (certainly after foxtrot).

 

Can you give a quick rate of the albums with PC off that LP reissues series please.

Are they clipped and compressed?

 

Good points on both counts. I have the vinyl versions of the Gabriel-era remixes, and while they are definitely better than the CD versions in terms of dynamics and EQ, I simply do not like the remixes as much as the originals--what they sometimes gain in clarity of the lead vocals, they lose too much in terms of atmospheric textures (especially in backing vocals and keyboards), and the EQ still sounds a bit on the clinical side for my tastes. I've only heard the CD versions of the middle-period albums, but they were arguably among the worst sounding mixes and masterings I've ever heard! I can imagine that the vinyl versions would be better, but I guess I'm just too big a fan of the original mixes for these albums to take the remixes as anything but novelties.

While the length of these albums make them challenging, I actually think some of these German and Japanese pressings are surprisingly good sounding--I can't deny getting some serious audiophile pleasure from quite a few tracks on them, especially that German Trick of the Tail.

 

I agree that the new remixes have taken a bashing on this forum, but on vinyl I generally actually really like them. There, I've said it.
I disagree, though, about the lack of audiophile experience with Genesis. My UK original (I think) Trick Of The Tail is one of the best sounding LPs in my whole collection. Huge, dynamic sound.

 

I haven't heard any of the remixes on vinyl, but I will totally admit that I would've really liked some of them if I could've had non-brickwalled versions of them. The remixes themselves weren't bad, and some of them were significant improvements, they just were killed in mastering.

 

Are they compressed to death?

 

Exactly - the mastering is what let them down. Tony Cousins at Metropolis should have been dropped after the awful work on the first SACD box. It was apparent that they were going to be bad from the 'platinum collection' set which was released before the reissuing of the catalog. Talk about an ear bleeding set!

Miles Showell however did a stellar job on the vinyl I think. Switching albums to 'Wind and Wuthering', I listened to 'Blood On The Rooftops, and I have never heard the soundstage so clear... it was like Collins and Hackett were sat in front of me. It was really that good - even the SACD didn't replicate that.

It's also worth checking the R-Kive compilation from a couple of years ago - it will open your ears at just how much better the 2007 remixes sound with a different sound mastering engineer - again Miles at the helm for this release. He even made the original Padgham mixes which were used on some of the 80s tracks shine.

 

On digital, yes. Apparently the vinyl releases are better, but I don't have them so I can't say personally.

 

I hope to get these eventually. It's hard to justify buying copies of albums I already own when there's hundreds of other things to buy, but I'm hoping I'll see them dirt cheap down the line eventually.

 

Not sure if this counts as dirt cheap, but all* of the recent US Rhino pressings are currently $14.99 at Insound.com.

* All, it seems, except for A Trick of the Tail. (Don't think Trespass, Lamb, or anything after Abacab were included in this round, but I could be wrong.)

 

MFSL of this is one of the best sounding albums in my collection.
Supreme album, not a dud track within a bulls roar of it.

 

Like you I thought exactly the same thing. When the single editions came out I only bought 'Calling All Stations' and the 'The Lamb'. The former so I could put my 1997 original to bed as it's worth a bit now, and the latter because I found it hard to find a clean original (the sleeves are hard to find pure white also).

Then earlier this year hmv had a sale and majority of the albums were £9.99 each and I coudn't refuse that offer and snapped them up. As previously mentioned I didn't bother with Duke, Abacab and Shapes as I have the simply vinyl reissues which are just fine.

I do have a full run of the originals (including a Decca 'From Genesis To Revelation') and live albums.

Yes I'm proud to say I'm a Genesis nerd

 

So these are good?

Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail

Genesis - ... And Then There Were Three...

 

The German original? Hmmmm..... I've got the MFSL and an early UK pressing but the German original is a 8-10€ record that I see frequently. It doesn't have a textured sleeve and while the West German "The Lamb Lies Down" came with a gatefold sheet containing a translation of the story, the West German "Trick" gives an adresse where you can order a translation of it's lyrics. Apparently some people at Phonogram were concerned about German Genesis fans

What's so good about the German pressing? Should I pick it up?