Nirvana "In Utero" - Abbey Road or ORG music Vinyl version?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by nova, Sep 10, 2020.

  1. nova

    nova Wallowing in the black Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    Which version is best on vinyl? The ORG music pressed at Pallas or the Abey Road Studios on 2 LP?
     
  2. Paul P.

    Paul P. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    What? No love for this one?

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    (Images courtesy of Discogs)

    This is the one that I bought in Seattle on September 14th, 1993 - 1 week prior to the release of the CD on September 21st. I just couldn't wait that long. :)

    I wonder how this vinyl compares to the later versions? I know it's worth a lot more on eBay at least. :D

    Cheers,
    Paul
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2020
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  3. imsjry

    imsjry Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fond Du Lac, WI
    Just bought the Back to Black version and being honest, I kind of miss the Litt mixes of Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies. These clearly are the Albini mixes. Is there a currently available vinyl pressing that has the Litt (originally released) mixes of those two tracks?
     
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  4. Paul P.

    Paul P. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    That's interesting. According to Discogs, it's using the Litt remixes:

    Nirvana - In Utero

    Cheers,
    Paul
     
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  5. pinkrudy

    pinkrudy Senior Member

    the 2lp 45rpm from the boxset for the original mix. i had the ORG and it was good but not amazing. i preferred the 45rpm.

    however now i own the remix 2lp 45rpm. i think its clearer and more detailed than the original mix.
     
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  6. johnwilliamhunte

    johnwilliamhunte In the land of Gods and Monsters

    The back to black version I have has the Albini mixes too, I think any copies with the '320' matrix have, discogs must be wrong on that one.
     
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  7. imsjry

    imsjry Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fond Du Lac, WI
    Anyone know why this is? Seems weird they re-released one of the most popular albums of the 90’s with original mixes of the two most popular songs that weren’t on the original release. They are different for sure.
     
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  8. johnwilliamhunte

    johnwilliamhunte In the land of Gods and Monsters

    I think it was a mistake, when it was reissued the wrong master tape was sent.
     
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  9. Soundslave

    Soundslave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tomsk,Russia
    It's just a known fact for those who follow In Utero and dig deep into reissues.
    Now as far "how this happened" my take is as follows:
    Universal in Europe started to press some vinyl back in 2000-2001 with "original master tapes" sticker [that's a fact]. I suppose they just decided to run a campaign of pressing 90s titles that had known to be recorded on tape (as a final 2-track stereo mix). With In Utero, it was known that there was a full mix done by Albini which was partially rejected, so that mix was EQ'ed (by Bob Ludwig if I recall right) and 2 Litt mixes added. Probably either a copy of the tape or the master tape with Albini mix was in the archive of Universal Europe and that's what they shipped to Hannover ('320') in order to make a new cut. Since then, Back to Black EU just re-used the same plates for new represses.
     
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  10. Solly Bridgetower

    Solly Bridgetower Elton is my golden God of music. Deal with it.

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I have the B2B/320 cut and the 2LP 2013 remix version. Don't know how they compare with other pressings, but I'm quite happy with them, especially the 320 pressing.

    I didn't buy the album back in the 1990s, so I'm not used to the Litt remixes of those two tracks. My 320 was really the first copy of the album I got deep into, and I can't imagine not having all the 1993 Albini mixes, especially "Heart-Shaped Box".
     
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  11. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

    German "320" Albini for me
     
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  12. Paul P.

    Paul P. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    From an interview with Steve Albini:

    And I think partly because they were being told by other people that their record was bad and partly because they had these minor doubts of their own, they made some changes to a couple of songs. They remixed a couple of songs. Those remixes and those original album masters were then sent to a professional mastering studio, where a guy who is known for the mastering guy for professional hit records, did his mastering magic on them. And there was a lot of work done in the mastering. The mastering changed the sound quality of the record quite a bit.​

    So just to be clear - only EQ'd during the mastering phase. Original tape is still Albini's mix down, with two additional Scott Litt remixes.

    (There's actually a third Scott Litt remix on some copies of In Utero - Pennyroyal Tea - but that's primarily on the Walmart "Waif Me" edition.)

    Cheers,
    Paul
     
  13. Soundslave

    Soundslave Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tomsk,Russia
    Yep, looks I recalled right, namesake ;)
     
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  14. imsjry

    imsjry Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fond Du Lac, WI
    Thanks for the replies everyone. This 320 matrix version is killer. Sounds more brutal then I remember my old cassette sounding. I do really hope they repress the 2lp original mix, 2013 remaster at some point.
     
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  15. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I like the un-eq'd Albini tape, but the Litt remixes of Heart-Shaped Box (also overdubbed by Kurt) and All Apologies are far superior. It was a sound artistic decision to re-do those two.
     
  16. Paul P.

    Paul P. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA, USA
    Interestingly, they had to get Albini's permission for those:

    Nirvana considered working with producer Scott Litt and remixing some tracks with Andy Wallace, who had mixed Nevermind. Albini vehemently disagreed, and said the band had agreed not to modify the tracks without his involvement. He initially refused to give the master tapes to Gold Mountain, but relented after a phone call from Novoselic. The band eventually had Litt remix songs intended as singles; "Heart Shaped Box" and "All Apologies" were remixed at Seattle's Bad Animals Studio in May 1993. (Wikipedia)​

    This is also why the Scott Litt Pennyroyal Tea remix exists. It was scheduled to be the next single - but was shelved after Kurt's passing. Promo copies of the single do exist.

    I did notice that the Super Deluxe box set of In Utero has the two Litt mixes in place as the canonical album. I wouldn't presume to speak for Albini - that's a dangerous thing to do :) - but, it seems like everyone agrees that's the standard configuration. The box also has the "Gallons of rubbing alcohol..." UK bonus track, the Pennyroyal remix and the two original Albini mixes, plus all the assorted b-sides and ephemera. I was actually pleased at the configuration of that.

    BTW: You can read Steve's original letter to Nirvana about In Utero here: Read the incredible four-page proposal letter Steve Albini sent to Nirvana Quite an interesting read if you haven't seen it.

    Cheers,
    Paul
     
  17. Jeremy B.

    Jeremy B. Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    The ORG version sounds very good, but the 45rpm adds more space around the instruments and deeper bass.
     
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  18. Exactly. They both sound excellent (just played them back to back as part of an early 90's binge - Mother Love Bone / Alice in Chains / Pearl Jam / Soundgarden / Stone Temple Pilots / Nirvana - and yeah, the 45 RPM does everything the ORG does, but better : cleaner and quieter backgrounds, more space, more dynamics, deeper bass. The highs are also a bit more extended but cleaner and much more "natural" (if you can say "natural" about this album). The bonus tracks on the 3LP 2013 edition are great, too. The ORG is my go to for Nevermind, but the 2013 45 RPM (cut by Steve Rooke at Abbey Road) is it for In Utero. (For Bleach, it's the 2009 2LP Sub Pop reissue; sounds amazing).
     
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  19. London Beckett

    London Beckett Forum Resident

    IMO the 20th Anniversary edition (With the extra LP) is just fantastic to my ears. Never saw a reason to get any other version.
     
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  20. (sorry - forgot Temple of the Dog in the list :))
     
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  21. nodbor

    nodbor Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    go to bullmoose.com
     
  22. imsjry

    imsjry Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fond Du Lac, WI
    I only see the recent repress of the 2013 Albini mix available on vinyl, not the 2013 OG mix.
     
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  23. London Beckett

    London Beckett Forum Resident

    It's not the same mix that's on the 20th anniversary set?
     
  24. Mackaveli

    Mackaveli Forum Resident

    Location:
    Antarctica
    This is an album I've been meaning to pick up for awhile. What issue of this album represents the mix of the original official release?
     

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