Steely Dan "Pretzel Logic" LP - need pressing confirmation, and comments on sound!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by apesmu, Oct 27, 2005.

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  1. apesmu

    apesmu Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kobe, Japan
    hi all,

    picked this one up today:

    Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic"

    1974 Black label ABC LP

    deadwax info:

    side 1
    ABCD 808-A RE2 A2 (or could be an "AZ")

    side 2
    ABCD 808-B RE2 A2 (or could be an "AZ")

    ...record is MINT.

    is this the best sounding one to own? :help:

    how'd i do for $1.99?

    thanx! :righton:
     
  2. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    In a word: YES!!! :thumbsup:
    You know what "AZ" means don't you?
     
  3. apesmu

    apesmu Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kobe, Japan
    hi Ben,

    thanx for the confirmation!

    just finished spinning side 1, and it sounds GREAT! much better than the "Citizen Dan" box set version that i have. :righton:

    what is that A2 (or AZ) in the dead wax?

    (i also scored a yellow/orange/purple ABC label "Katy Lied" with KENDUN in the dead wax on both sides :) )
     
  4. doowopman

    doowopman Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Over and out
    Nice score on the Katy and Pretzel Logic!

    AZ is Alan Zentz. :thumbsup:
     
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  5. apesmu

    apesmu Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kobe, Japan
    hi doowopman,

    thanx! :righton:

    ah, ok, so Alan Zentz it is!

    what else has he worked on? has he done any other Steely Dan LP's?
     
  6. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    AZ means your "Logic" was cut by Alan Zentz (see Branden's post #3)
     
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  7. doowopman

    doowopman Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Over and out
    I'm not sure if he's mastered any other Dan LP's. He originally worked for RCA, iirc. He's cut albums for Creedence Clearwater Revival and Donna Summer, amongst countless others.
     
  8. apesmu

    apesmu Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kobe, Japan
    wow, cool!

    i'll have to check my Donna Summer LP's to see if he cut any of those.

    i must say, the "Pretzel Logic" LP sounds really, really good!

    ...the quest for the other best sounding Steely Dan LP's continues...

    :righton:
     
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  9. doowopman

    doowopman Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Over and out
    Just look for the A with the zorro style Z below it in the dead wax. That's Alan's signature on most albums. :)

    There are some albums stamped "MASTERED AT ALAN ZENTZ MASTERTING, LA" with a small flower etched next to the matrix numbers. The mastering engineer's name that used the flower escapes me, but these albums also sound very good.
     
  10. doowopman

    doowopman Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Over and out
    The Steely Dan LP's were cut at a variety of places. Aja, for instance, was cut by Bernie Grundman. But we'll save this for a later Aja thread. :D
     
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  11. apesmu

    apesmu Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kobe, Japan
    hi doowopman,

    thanx for the advice!

    i'll definitely keep an eye out for any Alan Zentz stampers :righton:
     
  12. doowopman

    doowopman Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Over and out
    No problem. :thumbsup:
     
  13. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
    Brian Gardner signs with the flower.

    Chris Bellman signs usually with just his initials CB.

    Allen Zentz Mastering lacquers had the stamped-in 'MASTERED AT ALLEN ZENTZ, L.A. CALIF' from mid-1980 until Allen retired and shut the place down in 1984.

    Any of the dead wax with the above stamping and no 'signature' was also Allen's work. he rarely signed things after going to the stamped lacquers.

    and its 'Allen' not 'Alan'. :)

    and yes his work is very very good.

    -Aaron
     
  14. doowopman

    doowopman Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Over and out
    Ah, right. Thanks Aaron. :)



    Oops. :shh:
     
  15. Raunchnroll

    Raunchnroll Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    He also did The Royal Scam - early rainbow label ABC pressings. His initials appear on each side - one with a flower and the other with what looks like a little bird in flight next to them. Its a great sounding LP.
     
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  16. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    My WLP of Royal Scam has the flower on it....
     
  17. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA

    As mentioned before, the flower (and the seagulls) are Brian Gardner's trademark sigs. (He still usues both today at Bernie Grundman Mastering) The flamboyant 'Zorro-esque' AZ (with the crossbar of the "A" also being part of the "Z") initials were just denoting Zentz' studio pre mid-1980, thus the other engineer's sigs beside them.

    He [Gardner] and Chris Bellman both worked at Allen's mastering studios 1974-1984.

    Allen's usual sig was his initials usually written thus: Az or AZ (two separate non-combined letters) though there is a rare time or two when he had combined the two letters when initialing (ONJ's 'Totally Hot' for example) with no other accompanying sig (like Brian's flower/gulls or Chris' "CB" initals).

    -Aaron
     
  18. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    Gee! I only paid $1.50! You was robbed! (ha!ha!)

    Allen Zaenz also mastered Donna Summer's Bad Girls

    Allen died in the last year (I think) and there were some nice threads about him. SEARCH

    JG
     
  19. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
  20. apesmu

    apesmu Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kobe, Japan
    hi all,

    thanx for the info and comments - much appreaciated!

    yeah, my copy has Az in the deadwax for sure - double checked it last night. :cool:
     
  21. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
  22. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
    Yes. :agree:

    -Aaron
     
  23. MMM

    MMM Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Lodi, New Jersey
    Thanks Aaron. Did you know him?
     
  24. XMIAudioTech

    XMIAudioTech New Member

    Location:
    Petaluma, CA
    Unfortunately, no. He was one of a few people in the field that I really wanted to meet in person, however. Never got the chance. :(

    -Aaron
     
  25. paul cbc

    paul cbc Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon

    Interesting,

    My Royal Scam Lp is an ABC Rainbow with the following markings:

    Side A
    T1 AB-931-A-5

    Side B
    T1 ABCD-931-B-2

    Side A has a definite "AZ", Side B-looks more like "A3". M
    Maybee they were out of flowers that day. ;)

    This is all very interesting. :)
    Paul
     
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