Best vinyl pressing of The Band MUSIC FROM BIG PINK

The MFSL is really good, great sound, another Krieg Wunderlich treasure

 

Just listening to my green label Capital ('69) LP nice clean copy, fairly dull and lifeless. Hit the loudness switch on the Scott 299C and it's all in there. Gives that midrange some bookends.

 

What's the dead wax of a first pressing?

 

I will check when I get home but it's a rather odd sequence, I want to say it ends in a 6. Also from memory the 2nd press which I owned on the Lime green Capitol label for the UK, had different stamper numbers and notable did NOT sound as good.

More soon

C

 

Has anyone heard the back in black 2015 edition? Opinions?

 

As far as I know there is no 1997 UK EMI Big Pink, only a s/t (the brown album).

 

Sorry it looks like it was released in 2000... Same series I believe. Great sounding version.

Discogs link

 

I'm listening to the Capital Vaults edition now. Very happy with it.

Nice deep kick drum and a good depth in the sound. I guess this is just one of those situations where they're are differing opinions.

 

I got this and it's the best sounding one I've got including the original.
Music From Big Pink ‎(LP, Album, Ltd, RE, RM, Num) Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab MFSL 1-346 US 2012

 

I'm late to this thread but am currently listening to an original Jacksonville pressing:

The Band - Music From Big Pink

It smokes the "from the Vaults" Capital reissue and has much fuller bass / presence.

 

Thats what happened to Led Zeppelin II, did it happen to Music From The Big Pink too?

 

So to recap. The best in order as far as I can see by vote of majority are:

1. The 2012 MOFI The Band - Music From Big Pink
2. The 1999 EMI Millennium The Band - Music From Big Pink
3. The 1968 Jacksonville The Band - Music From Big Pink
4. Original press The Band - Music From Big Pink

The ones that matter anyway. If anyone has heard some of these and disagree with a placement please let us know, or if you have heard some of these and feel like something else should be included.
It seems to only get better with time though, just imagine how good it will sound in the year 2068 for the 100th anniversary ;^)

 

No, it’s one of those situations where a more revealing set up would reveal the deficiencies of the Capital Vaults edition....

 

No mercy.
Depends on what you compare with as well. I got a third UK press and Im pretty sure Id like most anything over it. Its really harsh sounding, although the grooves are probably more worn than what the condition of the record looks like.

 

This will probably go over like a Led Balloon but I love the sound of my copy of the 2001 Simply Vinyl pressing.

The Band - Music From Big Pink

Simply Vinyl LPs are rightly viewed with deep suspicion, but they did some things right. According to Michael Fremer, SV mastered the EMI/Capitol titles they were releasing around the turn of the century from the analog master tapes, and I’m guessing/hoping that was the case with Big Pink, along with the similarly sensational- sounding Simply Vinyl pressing of Crowded House’s Woodface that came out around the same time.

 

Its easy to speak in generality, but there are always exceptions.
I like that "Led Balloon" saying though, gotta remember that one. But with that spelling, Im just wanting to say "Led Zeppelin" instead.

 

Off topic.. Not sure if youre familar with the story but legend has it Keith Moon of The Who mentioned after discussions about the formation of the group (Zep not The Band) that it would "go over like a lead balloon"...The Peter Grant (Zeps manager) said for marketing purposes it would be better to use "Led" and not "Lead".

True? probably in some form

 

Haha, Ill have to ask if my local Zep guru knows that one next time I see him at the record store we go to Thanks with the great info as usual @mpayan

 

Yes, before Capitol pressed any. Never issued. Backstory is in the notes for the remastered CD of "Music From Big Pink"

 

I really don't think there's enough "data" in this thread to support any kind of ranking.

 

Ill probably stick with my old trusty silver mfsl cd. Im not really sure much more can be rendered from the album. Its a kind of lo-fi affair in some ways.

Of course, thats one of the characteristics that makes it awesome.

 

Wow, Robert Ludwig, what a beast.

 

Rarely do people make an effort to describe the differences between pressings sadly, but thats the best I managed to get from the thread so far.

Its not closed yet though so more data might come.

 

Replaced with MFSL about a year ago and haven’t looked back

 

Listening to my Jax now. A1 with the (c) B.D. on the cover. Sounds good.