Rush "permanent waves" mfsl 2015 reissue vinyl lp comparison?

I love the Sean McGee vinyl reissues but this one I was not crazy about. It sounds to my ears dull and veiled. I have an original US Promo pressing and the difference is like night and day. I don't own the MFSL vinyl but I do have a needle drop of it and it sounds nice. My personal opinion is to stick with the MFSL and forgo the recent reissue.

 

Well it would certainly be the cheaper alternative lol. I know if the PRC Pe W I have coming sounds anything like the PRC Signals I just got, I'll be very happy. But a bit bummed as well though. The mofi Pe W I have wasn't cheap, as I'm sure most know. But, the sound on the PRC Signals is almost what I'd call, and imo, perfect. Just all around an ideal sound, again imo. Therefore, if I get the same kind of pressing with the Pe W, unfortunately, the mofi may become irrelevant. As it is now, the mofi is my preferred version,(although my only version)because of the nice highs, which I love, I doubted any other versions (CDs) would come close. However, the highs on the PRC Signals are actually much better to my ears, and a lot more balanced with the other frequencies giving just an overall much more even, clean sound. Just a quick note of observation; the stereo imaging on my Signals(prc)is almost like 3D. It's a pretty wide soundstage, but I'll be damned if i cant almost see the layers of sound as they shape and reshape within my listening zone. Its Funny, the Signals Blu-ray in 5.1 didn't even come anywhere near what the the 2 channel analog version acheived to my ears.

 

Excellent! I just picked up a Signals with PRC in the deadwax. I dont know if that means it's a Compton. I also just noticed there's an RL Masterdisk of it. Would be nice to know how thst sounds.

 

Update: it seems as if the Compton Signals is the RL: Rush - Signals

The one I have doesn't have RL but it does have the variants I have bolded below (without the MASTERDISK stamp):

• Matrix / Runout (A Side Etch): SRM-1-4063-AS-C3-1-5 MASTERDISK RL PRC-C
• Matrix / Runout (B Side Etch): SRM-1-4063-BS-PRC-C1-1-4
• Rights Society: ASCAP
• Other (International #): 6337 243
• Other (Pressing Plant #): 26
• Matrix / Runout (A Side Etch (variant)): SRM-1-4063-AS-PRC-C1-1-1
• Matrix / Runout (B Side Etch, MASTERDISK stamped (variant)): SRM-1-4063-BS-PRC-C3-1-5 MASTERDISK

 

Update on my update: the second side actually has 'SRM-1-4063-BS-PRC-C1-1-1-11, and the 1st side 'SRM-1-4063-AS-PRC-C1-1-1, then B?, then 11.'

 

Nice! I can tell you that PRC C and PRC W in the deadwax will be the Compton plant. If it's just PRC or PRC R its from the Indiana plant. I've heard of the RL signals and would love to score one as well. Not to mention an RL MP. So far, the only RL's I have is an op of Kiss Alive. I'm heading to Vermont (originally from, but live in NY)this weekend to hit up a record store in Burlington that I visit regularly and always has good Rush records. My last trip there I got a mint Masterdisk GUP that I love and sounds a lot better than my other copies. Having gone through (literally, I'm afraid)every known Rush thread here quite thoroughly, I can safely assume an RL Signals would be a Grail of sorts. They are pretty rare I think. But, it'll be fun hunting in the wild.

 

Yep, looks like a Compton press.
Edit: lol check out my deadwax SRM - 1 - 4063 - AS - PRC C - 1 -1 -(scrawled out 1) 5
Side 2: SRM - 1 - 4063 - BS - PRC - C1 - 1 - 1 they're almost identical. I do not have a Masterdisk stamp though.

 

Nice work, I've been wondering this for a bit.

 

Thanks. It looks likes I really lucked in there. It was a ridiculous ¥500 here, and the only one in the shop, seemingly EX, but I have to play it yet. I find it difficult to be sure about Ludwig's handwriting, with only the RL to go on. I might eventually put up a pic here of the matrix. (You might have seen the same post by me on another Rush thread, btw). I'll be back when I've had a listen.

 

Yes, almost identical, as you say. The one that I think looks like a B might be just a number scrawled out, too.

 

Sweeeeet price! I'm not sure what post you mean. But, I have seen a post with a pic on here (maybe more) with deadwax RL writing pics. And the post talked about his writing style, and how you could tell how some pressings were still his even without the RL by the handwriting. I have been, for the last two days, trying to find that post lol. No luck yet, but I'll find it. I'd like to copy the pic for reference, or bookmark page anyway. I'll be very interested to hear your thoughts on this. Hope it turns out to be great, what a listen!!

 

Oh, sorry for any confusion. It was me who posted RL's writing. I just neant that I posted the matrix asking if the Signals I found was a Compton (before you posted your confirmation). I'd love to see that post showing ow to ID his handwriting.

 

I just put on my Japanese pressing and, frankly, I'm not sure how it gets much better than that. It sparkles, but not too much, and the kick and bass guitar are absolutely perfect, "in the room" sounding.

 

Oh. Just what I didn't need to here, being in Japan. Now I have to buy it...[P.S. is this for PeW?]

 

Yep, Permanent Waves, sorry I wasn't specific

 

Will keep an eye out, then.

 

Out of curiosity spurred by this thread I threw on my 2015 McGee Permanent Waves this morning. I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't find this to be lacking much. I know it's better than the original I have which must not be a Compton pressing because it IS dull and lifeless as is my original Signals.

To me the McGee sounds good enough I certainly won't be hunting down a MoFi at the going price. The idea of trying this Compton pressing is tempting however.

 

This could be become a movement yet.

 

I didn't think the MoFi was anything special and got rid of it after the 2015 came out.

Also, no one has mentioned it in this thread, so I'll point it out. Before spending $$$ on the MoFi keep in mind that the artwork was botched so badly that it looks like a bootleg. Actually that's being too kind, it looks like they just walked over to a copy machine, copied the original cover, and used that for their reissue. And not even a high resolution copy machine, just something you would have found at Kinkos in the 1980s. It's that bad, I'm not exaggerating (really!).

 

Turns out one of my Signals is a RL PRC:
Side 1:SRM-1-4063-AS-PRC-R3-1-1-12? Masterdisc RL PRC
Side 2: SRM-1-4063-BS-PRC-C3-1-1

It sounds much better than my other original pressing which is pretty lifeless but I'm a bit confused as to where it came from. Based on the fact I found it in the Midwest and side 1 has the PRC-R, I would guess the Indiana plant? Would the Compton be better yet?

The McGee Signals is cut at a lower level but volume matched compares pretty favorably to this one.

 

Ok, gotcha. Yeah, I'm still searching. I seem to remember (not sure though)it being somewhere in the beginning of the Rush vinyl thread.(huge album by album thread) I just can't be sure yet, there is so many other Rush threads I've been through. Gotta keep slugging through though.

 

There doesn't seem to be, at least to me, any rhyme or reason why the Compton's sound so good. As it happens, all the ones I have sound exceptional, but other than knowing where it was pressed, I'm not sure why. As far as these specific Rush albums (Pe W, and Signals),they could just be RL's without the initials for all we know.(seemingly unlikely, but possible maybe.) I'm definitely going to seek out some more PRC pressings, at least to see if maybe there's some sort of sonic common thread between them. As of now, I only have the PRC Signals, and Def Leppard Pyromania.(the latter sounds unbelievable as well.)

 

Cool. Sometimes I get much better results using just Google than the search on this site (???).

 

Records are meant to be played!

 

Well, I'm listening to the Compton Signals. It has an excellnt soundstage, great punch, and a lot of warmth. Wonderful, possibly better than the Compton PeW. Have to compare the two.