I have looked at the archives and still remain confused. Which is the definitive pressing of Wish You Were Here on vinyl? Thanks Gregg
Everybody always obsesses over getting an original UK first pressing, but the truth is that even the US versions are not that bad, and will be much cheaper. I've never heard a bad-sounding Pink Floyd LP.
Yeah, just find a good NM (or even VG+) US pressing and you'll be well satisfied. Pink Floyd is one band where I have a hard time getting a hanker to upgrade LP's when the ones that I have are so very satisfactory.
That and Japanese first press...can't decide. Going down to hear the Jpn again now....thanks for the reminder. .
I like the original first UK pressing....I heard a CBS half speed master once and IIRC it sounded really bad...they really messed up the EQ on that one. Don't hold me to that, as my memory could be failing me.
On the subject of Floyd, I got a copy of DSotM at Half Price Books the other day with this in the deadwax: Side 1: SMAS-1-11163 F63 KP Side 2: SMAS-2-11163 F-48 WLY I know who Wally is, but what pressing is this?
i have posted this before that the US early press has Harry Moss' initials on one side and as such was probably a discreet, shared metal master across the Atlantic. Meaning its the same damn thing. This music is so quiet, that there will be surface noise noticeable even on a mint copy.
My faves are: a)The Columbia Quadrophonic US Version PCQ 33453 whose sound is crystal clear and b)The EMI in my "97 Vinyl Collection" (7243 8 59863 1 4) whose sound is very smooth
Supposedly the later 43453 sounds good, the 33453 not so much. Have not heard either so I cannot verify that.
my UK a-1 b-3 is silent. as in, no surface noise. took me a few attempts to find one as such. There are a lot of differences between the UK and US pressings I've heard. I've heard about four. In the US's the sound is often boomy not as well defined. For example the car door sound effects on side 1 sound like synthesized percussive low bass notes almost. No definition to the sound that would indicate that it was a door besides the engine sounds that follow.
Those should be Manufacturing/factory sounds on Welcome To The Machine, not car doors, your copy must really be wonky
The story not long after release was that the US import pressings were 'better' than the UK ones - that plus you got a different picture of the burning man and the shrink-wrap was dark blue instead of black I'm pretty sure the 'better' was more sales pitch from the import dealers rather than any drastic difference in pressing/sound quality - although this wasn't too long after the 'vinyl crisis' and a host of rubbish pressings in the UK.
I think this is about the third thread I can recall that's been dedicated to this question. Generally, people rate the first UK press highly (A-1, B-3), but they do tend to suffer from surface noise. Another excellent mastering, and my recommendation, is the German second press 1C 064-96 918 (A-3,B-3). I'm not usually bothered by less than quiet surfaces when playing vinyl but those long quietish passages on 'Shine on...' really need to have the background noise is as low as can be.
Mine's a Columbia pressing. Not sure what year it was pressed. Deadwax reads AL 33453 . Nothing special I'm sure. Other than some surface noise it sounds great.