I have the above described DJM and it sounds like a lot of treble was added when they cut it. I'm still listening to my MFSL cd and the DirectDisc Labs vinyl, both of which are slightly dark and sound a lot alike (which makes me think that's what the tapes themselves sound like). I'm glad I passed on the 40th!
The first pressing label looks like this AFAIK. The late 70's yellow vinyl used to get quite good reviews on here, I have a couple of copies but just haven't played it in a while. After going through a lot of UK copies, I finally got a copy of the 1st UK that plays back almost perfectly. So, when I want to hear GBYBR...that's what I play.
Totally agree. Phenomenal attention to detail. Delighted with Madman. Plays flat and quiet. Bought it and West Coast which I'll spin tomorrow hopefully. I may yet go grab the others ....
I have now ordered this as well as Madman and Self titled. As good sounding as originals are they do suffer from at least some surface noise and in the case of CF the length of sides. I've been through quite a few copies of each over the years and got as good copies as reasonably possible - now feel the flaws are a little more intrusive with improvements to front end.
For the most part the MCA's sounded great. When I first started recollecting I purchased a number of sealed EJ and while most were great a few were just terrible in the quality dept. Even now, as my CF has only aged over two years the more I play it the more awful the surface noise has become. Just terrible. However, my Honky Chateau on UNI is absolutely stellar and extremely quiet in comparison.
Well...I linked to the wrong image. The yellow and silver DJM logo is the first pressing. Mine has the translucent purple vinyl. I'm not sure if the silver and Bkack labels also had the same vinyl.
I know you don't want to hear this but the DJMs flatten the MCAs across the board. Every title, every pressing, basically. Even if you have clean MCAs. The UNIs are marginally better but the DJMs from those years still blow them away. Take it from someone who used to have HC and TC on UNI, and replaced them with DJMs. I actually have a (supposed) unplayed DJM of Madman coming.... I'll have to do a straight comparison with my UNI to see how the American version stacks up. Kinda surprised at the rave reviews the new reissues are getting though. I might spring for the S/T as it's impossible to find a really clean DJM of that.
Oh no trust me, you aren't the first person to tell me this. I have heard this many times from various audiophiles down to thee most crazy EJ fans.. I do have an opportunity to get a NM copy of Tumbleweed UK on DJM and although I am hopeful the sound will be better than the original UNI I picked up I just hope and pray it's much better in the surface noise area. I have to admit, (although I do trust your word) that it would be very hard to beat my UNI HC and 11-17-70 definitely the best sounding out of everything I have EJ wise. But I would be keen to try. Hopefully, Tumbleweed will show me the open road. I did get a Japanese version of GYBR and that one is really really amazing and that one is on DJM. I also managed to get a almost mint (I swear) of Madman and apart from a few beginning ticks on Tiny Dancer it is truly quiet and sounds incredible. I think Elton John and Genesis are the only ones I would consider keeping doubles of different pressings as I am such a huge fan of both. You must let me know how your UK Madman turns out. Where did you get it?? Are you planning on getting the reissues??
In the mid 70s when I worked in record stores most mca pressings were pretty bad. Yellow Brick Road and Quadrophenia ; uggghhh
I found a seller on Discogs... Shipping wasn't great but his prices were good. I also grabbed Out Of Time by REM for a very nice price too, which helped. I might get the reissues of a couple titles, but I'd like to hear reviews from those who have DJMs saying the reissues are as good or better.
Well, you did a lot better than me! In Southern California at the time, there were plenty of places selling used vinyl with no one wanting it, around the time you sold your's, so there just wasn't any bargaining ability then. I was just glad to get it out of my house and car and dump it. Geez! And my bet is they got next to nothing for that stuff when they sold it off as well. Vinyl was worth very little in my area until it began it's renaissance well into the 2000's. It's pretty amazing to see. I, like many here, have spent a small fortune replacing them. At least you got a nice chunk to do the same. Or did you put it all in "better sounding" CD's? Lol.
Yes they were! They must have bent over backwards in their quest to find the absolute cheapest and worst pressing plants they could buy from. I hear their movie division was also very cheap at the time as well. I pretty much avoid any black rainbow pressing of any MCA artist. All my Olivia Newton John and Elton John vinyl are imports and are leaps and bounds better. Steely Dan must have had a "no crap vinyl" clause in their contract because they seem to be the exception. I would have been pretty angry as an artist to hear how bad all my hard work sounded. It's likely the artists just didn't know I suppose.
A great one, and the one our host recommends. I just could never find a clean copy but that wasn't DJM's fault. People just played it to death! It was getting expensive bringing them in over seas and then finding out they were over played, so I finally paid $150 a couple years ago and got a beautiful minty MFSL pressing and I am done! Not that a reissue wouldn't be mighty tempting! That is just a "fun" album to buy.
The Direct Disc pressing, one of which I have a test pressing of in white sleeves and paid a ton for, was the worst of all the versions I tried and I believe I have heard them all). I agree with you, it does have a dark (and veiled) sound but not in a good way imo (I know some here prefer a slighlty less trebly sound but the way they eq'd it was clearly not how the master sounded). Actually, the Direct Disc is better than the black rainbow MCA's, but that should be a given and not a bar to reach for as everything on that label was very subpar given the poor vinyl qulaity. The mastering didn't even matter back then because you couldn't get past the noisy vinyl. For those seeking the best, I only recommend the MFSL or Speakers Corner, which was the over all consensus in another thread as well. Just get whatever you can get the best price on....they are extremely close imo. A very slight edge to the MFSL but you would never know the difference unless you listened side by side. MFSL might have a very slight bump in treble, which as many know is a trademark sound of their pre 2000 pressings, but I like that sound so keep that in mind.
Wow....wonder where my copy is? Glad you are happy with it!! Can't wait to hear mine...Amazon is usually on top of getting new releases out so you get it the same day the stores do.
You have to wonder if all the life has been sucked out of the master at this point. Sounds like everything after the late 70's is very sub par, though I agree with everyone else that the Speakers Corner is magnificient. Wonder if it was digitally sourced? I'm also not a fan of that for vinyl but there are some very good sounding reissues done that way, like the Eagles box imo.
Yes, that one was particularily bad! Bad pressing and matering. I avoid Back to Black reissues in general.
Or what was used as a "master". The Eaglea reissue I have (Desperado) sounds great but I don't have an original to compare it to. The other 70s pressings I have of the other albums sound pretty darn good. Elton's albums I have all on early issues including some which are I gather the first issues. They all sound great tone and dynamics wise but many here can't hack the surface noise. I might get one of the new issues for comparison purposes. It would be good if someone could do some more scientific comparisons between them than I, though.
I agree. I'm only replacing Captain Fantastic because good luck getting a quiet copy from anywhere! That's an album that is very distracting when full of noise. But you can live with it more with his other recordings. But, maybe we won't have to if the reissues are as good as the early reviews say.
