This is something I'd like to know too! 1st press and early repress share the same stampers. Interesting mastering initials in the deadwax... KIP NIMB KOSMO Very tempted to bite the bullet and grab a copy. https://www.discogs.com/Grateful-Dead-Europe-72/release/1056690 https://www.discogs.com/The-Grateful-Dead-Europe-72/release/8255681?ev=item-vc
Hooteroll? 1971 Original USA Pressing A: AL 30859-2C B: BL 30859-2C The first thing you notice about this album is the incredible cover art by Mati Klarwein, whose work you probably recognize from Abraxas or Bitches Brew. Even for Jerry Garcia, whose work is associated with many iconic album covers, this is a standout. The music itself is a departure from the Dead's psychedelic americana into a funky jazz-rock fusion that feels like a movie soundtrack. It took me a minute to come around on this one, but it's a perfect Sunday morning vibe. The sound quality on my near-mint Douglas 5 pressing is excellent. There's a 1987 clear vinyl DMM pressing from Rykodisc that I'm curious about, so if anyone can speak to the quality of that pressing, please do. The Rykodisc adds two tracks, deletes one, and reshuffles the whole track list, so it's a completely different album experience. I'm really happy with this LP and strongly recommend picking it up if you spot it in the bin at your local shop.
I have a UK pressing of this. For me, it was a big disappointment when it came out, as much as Reckoning was a wonderful surprise. I can’t now remember whether this was released before or after I saw them in London in 1981, but the electric album seemed quite a good account of what I heard live. The few times I saw them live in England - apart from 1970 at the Hollywood festival - I didn’t really know what to expect - the recordings were always one step behind what was happening live. The plethora of new songs in 1972 is a good example. Of course now I have heard a lot more of the 80s and the Brent period, and I am not very enthusiastic. I think they lost that lightness and subtlety which marked them out as different from most rock bands and they they became closer to the mainstream. I say this because I think my copy of the record captures all this quite well - it’s all a bit underwhelming, but very clear and detailed . Greatest Story Ever Told gets a bit harsh in the louder parts - Brokedown Palace sounds much more natural with the expressiveness of Jerry’s voice captured well. I also listened to a bit of the remastered CD in the Beyond Compare box and I certainly prefer the UK vinyl. Anyhow my mastering/pressing is definitely different from the American one - side 1 run out: Stamped: DARTY 11 A// 1 EUT (triangle after the //) Etched: Utopia (U of utopia is fancy - looks a bit like a harp to me)
Are the 50th anniversary records limited edition or something? My local shop has been waiting a few weeks to get them. Hoping I didn't miss my chance to get them.
A bunch of Workingman’s Dead on Discogs now for under $30. I paid $34 for one a couple months ago as I wasn’t seeing them in shops and that was the cheapest I could find it for. Also couldn’t verify on a lot of online retailers it wasn’t the picture disc they were selling. American Beauty still seems to be selling new on Amazon and other online retailers but it seems like WD is a bit harder to track down in my experience. https://www.discogs.com/Grateful-Dead-Workingmans-Dead/release/15792502
Workingman's available from Amazon and Wally world for $20: https://www.reddit.com/r/VinylDeals...nwalmart_grateful_dead_workingmans_dead_1998/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088GDG1K7
Yeah, this is not so great sounding although some sides sound better than others. I can’t remember which sides I thought sounded better/worse offhand, but I’m pretty sure “Fire On The Mountain” is a sonic disappointment.
Sunshine Daydream 08.27.72 This 2013 pressing of the legendary Veneta show is a classic. The album art and sleeve design are the best of any vinyl set I own, and the music is uniformly excellent and occasionally transcendent. Unfortunately, the vinyl itself is moderately noisy, with noticeable crackle or other surface noise present throughout; I wish they had pressed this at Pallas or QRP instead of Rainbo. I wouldn't pay the zany prices current sellers are asking for it, but it's a very enjoyable set that remains in regular rotation. Sometimes I pull it out just to look at the art while something else is playing!
RSD release coming in June RSD '21 Special Release: Grateful Dead - Olympia Theatre, Paris, France 5/3/72
So long story short Amazon sent me a mangled copy of the American Beauty Mofi that is going back. But before I return it I gave it a quick spin tonight and compared to the Rhino copy from a few years ago I have. The Mofi is noticeably bigger, in the sense that everything sounds like it’s turned up, but not in a volume sort of way. Guitars shimmer a little more, bass is definitely deeper, and vocals are more natural. I’m not saying the Rhino copy is bad, it’s a nice listen, but the Mofi is pretty huge sounding. Hoping I can get a non-damaged one sooner rather than later. I have one on order from Music Direct which says it’s awaiting repress, but the Mofi site has it as out of stock. Not sure which one to believe.
Yeah the mofi is pretty amazing definitely worth tracking down. I received a restock direct from mofi 2 months ago after that they switched it to sold out.
I don't know why I avoided getting it for so long. I think it was Fremer's luke warm review that didn't excite me to go out and get it. Hopefully, I can grab one somewhere for less than $100.
I just paid $83 for a new one that arrived today in perfect condition. Then saw this new one for $75. https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/1428395527 I’m surprised there are so many of these out there. You cannot touch a Mofi Workingman’s Dead for under $200 and there are only three available. One of them is asking $1000! Strange considering American Beauty is the more popular album...
I find this interesting as well. I think part of it has to be that American Beauty was done already by MOFI in 1979, and is considered one of the best of their early offerings, and it does compare very favorably with the original 1A or 1B green label cuts from Santa Maria in my experience. AB is also one of the better Bellman cuts of the their first 5 albums released on Rhino in 2011. I had Workingman's Dead from that series, and it was so tipped up and "jangly" in the guitars I couldn't take it. American Beauty is more balanced and I kept it alongside my 1A and '79 MOFI. The 45 of American Beauty, to me, was very nice, but not as much of an improvement over the earlier versions as the 45 of Workingman's Dead. That WD pressing is truly spectacular and IMO everything anyone could ever want from that recording. I rate it quite a bit above my original 1A and 1B Santa Maria green labels. YMMV of course!
