Yeah, it can still be found occasionally at places like Barnes and Nobel, just make sure you read the tiny indicia at the bottom of the back cover stating it's the 2010 release, not the newer one which a lot of people have said is not as good.
I have a few early pressings mono and stereo; USA and UK. I have a few reissues (various eras) as well. I don't know that "all" would agree that this is the "very best" sounding version, but, this sounds "very, very good", especially if you don't have an original: The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Are You Experienced-180 Gram Vinyl Record|Acoustic Sounds Good luck with your search, Buck
The pressing that I referenced is the 2014 pressing pressed at Quality Record Pressings in Salina, Kansas. It is back ordered, but I think that it is very likely that they will press more soon. I know things...I was there last week. Tick toc... This version used the same mix as 2010 Sony Legacy (so says Discogs and my ears), but the pressing quality is off the charts from Salina. Same album in my first post above but described by Discogs: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
I've listened to lots of needledrops of this album and the 2010 reissue sounded best. Bought it to listen on my rig and there's no way to improve on this one any more than they already have. Sounds glorious!
On an earlier thread on this album and the differences between earlier RTI pressings and later, 200g QRP pressings (both from the same master, of course), a resident expert mentioned the 200g QRP-pressed "Purple Haze" colored vinyl from Newbury Comics as the best sounding version of that album, better pressed than the stock 200g QRP. Maybe a new stamper for that pressing run perhaps? Anyways, food for thought...and I agreed with him. Slightly warmer and cleaner than either of the standard black vinyl reissues mentioned above (RTI and QRP). I also have an early matrices tri-color steamboat Reprise which is great as well, a different beast than the newer remaster in the same ways most originals from that era are different...fresher tape, better mids, etc. etc. I listen to them both equally FWIW.
Is there a big difference between a 1st edition stereo Reprise vinyl of AYE and a Reprise pressing from the late 70's? I have a late 70's Reprise vinyl edition and I think sounds better than everything else I own: POLYDOR, MCA, SONY even the AYE tracks on Grundman's remaster of Smash Hits. Maybe the S.H. master tapes were the problem kind of like the tapes for the mono versions.
“Purple Haze” colored vinyl? For what it’s worth - since no one specified mono or stereo - I was just yesterday comparing my needledrops of an original Reprise AYE mono with needledrops of the relevant UK Track 45s (FWIW, I actually made a needledrop comp of all of the original UK Track 45s). Anyway...the Reprise AYE mono LP falls noticably short of the UK Track 45s. Now I need to compare these with the Barclay LP and the recent mono reissues. I don’t have an original UK Track mono LP. I also have a early tri-color US Reprise stereo AYE that I recently needledropped - along with a 70s stereo UK Track pressing (from the AYE/Axis Two-fer) and one of the recent stereo reissues. I haven’t compared the various copies, but by itself the needledrop of the early Reprise was okay but not overwhelming.
I think my original Track 45's (and in one case Polydor Hey Joe) sound so much more powerful and sonically balanced than any other versions of these songs. These 45's best both the original mono Track LP & even the much loved Barcley version. Recently listened to the Grundman US mono and it sounded like the singles on that album sounded better than the album tracks. Makes sense if they used the U.K. singles and album as the source. Can someone explain the difference between the Tri-color Reprise stereo and later pressings other than the labels.
I have mono & stereo orig. bought new in 60s.(have since updated). Also have 2 70s brown labels&2014 RI.I still prefer the 1st pressing stereo but mono is interesting.2014 RI low end little boomy but not unbearable.Nice balance IMO.I use a EQ so I can adjust my bass.Really not a bad RI LP.Peace.
Stone Free Just wanted to add the comment on this album, imo a top five all time candidate I love it that much, that I've long thought it could have been even better with inclusion of Stone Free. I do have a cd with that and several others on it. Great song, it should have been on the first album.
samthesham, When you stated: "2014 RI low end littleboomy but not unbearable" I take it you are talking about the Grundman mono? Also what makes the Reprise brown pressings inferior to the original issues?
as usual the best sounding version for you: would be the version that sounds the best to you. what i like, you may not, what you like, i may not. trust your own ears, no one else's.
I have an original 1st pressing stereo AYE? and I think it sounds like poopy compared to the Sony reissue. Very sonically compromised. The UK Track, US Reprise & Sony reissues of the mono AYE are all horrible as well.
If your 1st pressing sounds "poopy" then you might not like Grundman's SACD. My guess is that it will probably sound like your original. The reason the Reprise stereo sounds so much better than the mono is because Reprise had Kramer remix it for the American market. The only HiFi sounding mono version of AYE is the Barclay. Unfortunately Experienced Hendrix decided to go with the inferior sounding Track & Reprise versions. Why they didn't release the better sounding version is a mystery.
Remix it for the US market? There is a UK Track stereo pressing too. I wouldn’t call the Barclay hi-fi either. It’s okay. The best of a bad lot.
I think the story goes that Reprise wanted a stereo version so Kramer remixed it. The U.K. only had the mono version for years till eventually Track/Polydor eventually started useing the Kramer's stereo mix. As for the mono yes the Barclay has better fidelity than the others but still lacks the sonics of the stereo. My problem with the Marino remaster is it sounds like the "loudness" button on your radio is active. Not nesssarily a bad thing but why compromise the original dynamics.
I've been saying that for many years. It's astounding to me that people would rather romanticize the original than to try the 2010 which kills it in every conceivable way.
The 2010 stereo vinyl reissue totally fried my mind with outright musical beauty and clarity. An amazing mind blowing reissue. IMHO
The stereo version was specifically created for the US market. The UK didn't get a stereo version until several years after the fact, and even then it was just cobbled together from the US tapes.