Steely Dan CDs Different Masterings: Countdown to ecstasy

OK, here's an updated list. Keep posting, this is far from complete.

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD 4109811 Y2D MFD BY JVC
MCA USA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED BY NIMBUS

 

Mine is a Japan for Japan 1st pressing I believe. Catalog #18P2-2693 with the matrix #18P2-2693 1M TO. Off gray/light brown plaid back with no UPC code.

 

Let's move the thread to the top again.

 

bump

 

Can a moderator please close this thread? The ones on Katy Lied and Aja have been locked, so I don't see any point why we would continue these discussions about the other albums. Thank you.

 

So I'm digging up this old thread, because I found a copy of "Mastering #5" from above.

My CD player says that Mastering "5" runs 41:17. (The same CD player says that Mastering "3" runs 41:25, for comparison.)

The EAC peaks are: 94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

It's a record club pressing, with "Mfd. for BMG Direct Marketing ...", a number of D100400, a printed catalog number of MCAD-31156, and a matrix number of "MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC". Artwork is plaid back with record club barcode.

Most importantly, I did a null test on these, and found that they're all digitally exactly 0.1 dB louder than the mastering on Citizen (Mastering "2"). The tracks "Bodhisattva" and "My Old School" are also digitally exactly 0.1 dB louder than the mastering on the Glenn Meadows-mastered version of A Decade Of Steely Dan, because most of the Decade tracks are digital clones of Citizen.

 

Donald Fagen mentioned indeed in a 1993 interview in a Dutch music magazine (Oor I believe) that the remastering of the boxed set and the Then & Now compilation had been done several years ago. It turns out the mastering was already there on the 1990/1991 releases.

Here's a full update:

COUNTDOWN TO ECSTASY

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED

BY NIMBUS

Mastering 5 (same digital source as mastering 2):
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC

 

Bump

 

I have Mastering 3 and there are a lot of numbers/codes on that album.

Spine:
MCD 01654
DMCL 1654

Back Cover:
MCD 01654
MCAD 1654
D: QM
F: BM 720
(I assume that D stands for Germany and F for France!?)
"Printed in Germany"

CD Matrix:
MCD01654 50169085 01 / MADE IN GERMANY

 

Here's an update:

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 / Matrix: MCD01654 50169085 01 / MADE IN GERMANY

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED BY NIMBUS

Mastering 5 (same digital source as mastering 2):
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC

 

Mine fits your description of spine and back cover and is also mastering 3:

MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 (alu hub) / Matrix: SONOPRESS I-5625/ MCD01654 B

 

Another update:

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 / Matrix: MCD01654 50169085 01 / MADE IN GERMANY
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 (alu hub) / Matrix: SONOPRESS I-5625/ MCD01654 B

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED BY NIMBUS

Mastering 5 (same digital source as mastering 2):
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC

 

Mastering 3:

DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-31156 (disc) MCAD-37041-A4E23 (matrix)

Disc manufactured in the USA and artwork is from the UK.

 

Another update:

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 / Matrix: MCD01654 50169085 01 / MADE IN GERMANY
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 (alu hub) / Matrix: SONOPRESS I-5625/ MCD01654 B
MCA USA (artwork) DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-31156 (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-A4E23

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED BY NIMBUS

Mastering 5 (same digital source as mastering 2):
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC

 

Mastering 3

MCA US MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-37041 A 4 E21

 

MCA US: Cat. No. MCAD-31156/ Matrix Number MCAD-31156 1T 22

is a Mastering 3: 81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

I feel surprised (like the earlier comments in this thread) that a 31156 matrix number disc would have the same mastering as a 37xxx matrix disc (at least based on old threads).

Thanks to mdekoning for the thread idea so that EAC can help us draw some useful conclusions based on EAC results

 

I forgot to mention that the Matrix should read

MCAD-31156 1T22 MFD BY JVC

 

Another update:

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 / Matrix: MCD01654 50169085 01 / MADE IN GERMANY
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 (alu hub) / Matrix: SONOPRESS I-5625/ MCD01654 B
MCA USA (artwork) DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-31156 (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-A4E23
MCA USA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-37041 A 4 E21
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156 1T 22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED BY NIMBUS

Mastering 5 (same digital source as mastering 2):
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC

 

An overview of what we know so far:

Mastering 3 & 4

Original mid 80s mastering. It can be found on every CD before the early 90s, although level adjusted on the UK Nimbus discs.

Mastering 2 & 5

Glenn Meadows 1991 mastering. It first surfaced on 31XXX plaid back discs (mastering 5), but later was used slightly turned down for the Citizen set. The only strange thing here is that there is a disc from JVC with a 31XXX matrix out there with the original 80s mastering (mastering 3), I guess that's just a mistake?

Mastering 1

1998 remaster. Done by Roger Nichols, according to the Brian Sweet biography and still in print.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that the very first CD releases in the US of Countdown were the Japan-for-US, catalog number MCAD-37041/DIDX-372, matrix number containing "MCAD 37041", back cover of artwork having actual artwork (not plaid), artwork having copyright dates of "1973, 1985", front insert having album credits on inside, mastering "3" from list above.

From EAC:

Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
---------------------------------------------------------
1 | 0:00.37 | 5:19.38 | 37 | 23999
2 | 5:20.00 | 3:11.25 | 24000 | 38349
3 | 8:31.25 | 5:40.70 | 38350 | 63919
4 | 14:12.20 | 7:02.35 | 63920 | 95604
5 | 21:14.55 | 5:25.55 | 95605 | 120034
6 | 26:40.35 | 5:47.30 | 120035 | 146089
7 | 32:27.65 | 3:50.30 | 146090 | 163369
8 | 36:18.20 | 5:04.65 | 163370 | 186234

Peak levels from EAC: 81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

I'm not sure how long the Japan-for-US was in print, but it seems to have been replaced by the US-for-US, catalog number MCAD-31156, matrix number also containing "MCAD 37041", back cover is plaid, copyright date just "1973", front insert has only song titles and producer's credit, same mastering as above, same peak levels (obviously) and same track start/lengths as the above table.

I compared my copies of the above two CDs, and they completely cancel in null tests for all tracks, but the index points (the points where the tracks begin and end) are all shifted by exactly 883 samples from one pressing to the other. Doubtful that you'll hear a difference between them.

 

Found a Countdown to Ecstasy that matches mastering 5.
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C (12 in real small type next to the 1C) MFD BY JVC.
This one has a full artwork back with the 'new' MCA logo on the bottom.

Pat

 

Small update:

Mastering 1:
88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.4/88.3/88.3/88.3

MCA Remaster 1998 MCD-11887 / Matrix: MCD11887 111 887-2 01 + (Made in Germany by Universal M&L)

Mastering 2:
93.3/92.7/93.3/94.0/94.0/93.4/90.1/94.4

MCA Citizen boxed set MCAD 4-10981 / Matrix: MCAD4109811 Y2D22 MFD BY JVC

Mastering 3:
81.9/79.5/88.1/84.1/92.3/92.3/71.9/84.2

MCA UK DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-37041 DIDX-372 Japan for USA (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-U3E12
MCA West Germany 250-628-2 (artwork) MCAD-37041 (booklet) MCAD-37041 DIDX372 (disc) / Matrix: 250 628-2 EM 2
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 / Matrix: MCD01654 50169085 01 / MADE IN GERMANY
MCA Germany MCD 01654 DMCL 1654 (alu hub) / Matrix: SONOPRESS I-5625/ MCD01654 B
MCA USA (artwork) DMCL 1654 (artwork) MCAD-31156 (disc) / Matrix: MCAD-37041-A4E23
MCA USA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-37041 A 4 E21
MCA USA MCAD-31156 / Matrix: MCAD-31156 1T 22 MFD BY JVC
MCA Japan for USA MCAD-37041/DIDX-372 (full artwork) / Matrix: MCAD 37041

Mastering 4 (most likely same source tape as mastering 3 but not as loud):
79.8/77.4/85.8/81.8/89.9/89.8/70.0/81.8

MCA UK MCLD 19018 (disc & artwork) Distributed by BMG Records (UK) (artwork) / Matrix: A0249 DMCL 1654, MASTERED BY NIMBUS

Mastering 5 (same digital source as mastering 2):
94.4/93.8/94.4/95.1/95.1/94.5/91.2/95.5

MCA MCAD-31156 (plaid back) / Matrix: MCAD-31156-1 1C MFD BY JVC

 

But which one sounds best or would be the copy to seek out?

 

Not the one you just bought ! sorry, couldn't resist...

 

Well, hopefully it sounds better than the last cd remaster, which is the only version I have at the moment.