Rolling Stones Decca Australian Pressings?

Does anybody have any information or experience regarding the sound quality of early Australian Rolling Stones albums? How do they relate to the U.S. or UK albums?

 

Hot Rocks 1964-1971 (2 CD) [820 140-2] pressed by Disctronics is a 'tweaked' version of 'old' ABKCO master. I.e. it comes with mixture of mono and narrow stereo tracks, with usual stereo intro + nono body of Heart Of Stone, totally screwed HTW and MLH in fake stereo. However, all stereo tracks came with left<->right channels reversed with respect to UK 1990 or EU 1995 and US editions. I would name this Australian pressing as a collector's oddity.

I am not 100% sure about S/T album [820 047-2] (I do not have original CD) pressed by Dictronics, but judging the rip it is a version of late West German pressing. I.e. Tell Me fades early.

 

During the 1960's (and up until circa 1979) Decca recordings were manufactured by EMI Australia, and EMI vinyl was well manufactured.

The mastering (lacquer cuts and plates) is what is the determinant of the sound quality. If imported plates were used, then the finished product was comparable to the source of the plates.

The 60's pressed Decca LP's I own (Stones and otherwise) are made using UK plates, so sound quality is excellent.

The Australian Stones catalogue consisted of a combination of US and UK track listings. It'd be safe to say that that if the UK track listing albums use the UK plates then the quality will be fine. I'm not sure how the US track listing were prepared for manufacture in Australia - tapes, UK cuts or US cuts. Perhaps a source like Discogs The Rolling Stones might be able to help.

This page (STONESWORLDCOLLECTION : AUSTRALIA LP DISCOGRAPHY ) indicates that most used UK plates, the "hand made" are most likely cut in Australia, and , if the Australian cut EMI Beatles LPs are anything to go on, perhaps a bit dull sounding.

 

the emi pressed deccas were generally really good...in fact the "Gilbert and Sullivan" australian deccas are far better sounding than the Uk ones..better bass,and tops and dynamics all round...as cmcintyre says, its all in the the UK plates ,so always check the run out grooves for uk writing.