DSOTM even had a release date in January 2020 and then never came out and now back to preorder with no announcement on why pushed back and no new date
It will happen I am sure and in years to come you could have a series of UHQR on your shelf. These things take time to get right - the Hendrix boxes were about perfect to me I'm sure Aqualung will be too.
I'm not so sure. Taking time to get it right is one thing; taking YEARS is another. If it were profitable for Chad, he would have had additional titles out by now. Mobile Fidelity One Steps are a great example. They make money AND give the consumer an outstanding product in a somewhat timely fashion. Something happened that caused Chad to suspend further UHQRs for now. Their silence is deafening and speaks volumes.
MFSL took several years to produce the Dire Straits 45 rpm titles after announcing, so AP aren't unique. I think this got behind and probably put back further by the pandemic and maybe the lacquer shortage. They took ages with the Hendrix even after pictures of them pressing the discs appeared. I wonder what stage they are at? Maybe there were licencing issues given the SW version was relaunched a while back by Warner Music.
From Acoustic Sounds' Instagram: Acoustic Sounds on Instagram: “Clues: Finebilt press. Clarity vinyl. What are Gary Salstrom and crew at #QualityRecordPressings up to? Let's just say a flute-playing band…” Clues: Finebilt press. Clarity vinyl. What are Gary Salstrom and crew at #QualityRecordPressings up to? Let's just say a flute-playing band may be involved. All to be revealed soon. #mysteriousways #progmusic#vinylpressing #vinylrecords
And now the requisite two year wait after pressing begins. Haha At least it's really happening though!
UHQR 003 is written on the white boards in the photo A/B and C/D - do I need another 45 rpm Aqualung? I guess so...
I'll probably spring for this. My wife and I just have a crusty old US Chrysalis release, and it's one of our favorite classic rock albums.
Acoustic Sounds hasn't put up a preorder yet on this Jethro Tull, "Aqualung" Analogue Productions UHQR 003, 45rpm, 2 lps set. The price is $100?? Release date yet? I have the DCC gold cd, and an original Chrysalis lp. Don't know if I really need it.
Asking honestly here, but didn't the SW remix make a big difference? Thought it was a major improvement over the original mix (but I'm not really into this album like others, so not sure what I remember). What improvements will this UHQR release offer over the SW remix? I'm considering preordering, but not fully sure.
Depends on whether or not you dig remixes. I found the Aqualung remix to be cool at first but then rather vampent after awhile. Its a very tough thing to balance. To rearrange things to the point where you improve the aspects that need improving yet not sucking too much of the personality that makes the album what it is artistically. For me, the Wilson remix just simply changed the feel of the album too much. I dont really fault him. Not sure he can get around that negative result completely. The only remixing Ive heard that I totally like is the Chicago one he did. Outstanding. Perfect balance without going too far. Too bad he didnt do the Beatles catalogue remixes..but thats another discussion. The uhqr is a different animal. Some might call it snake oil. Its basically using the Clarity formula. This vinyl formula supposedly doesnt have the impurities. This means you get more physical contact/more stability when the needle is in the groove. Etc etc. Its an improvement in the physical make up of the vinyl lp. Also, I believe BG remastered the Hendrix? I could be mistaken about it being a new mastering. Bottom line: Does it make a difference. Yes, from what I have heard it does. To what degree is how much it will be worth to you. Im assuming this Aqualung will be done in the same manner.
My original US Chrysalis sounds great, as far as I'm concerned. It's what I grew up with. However, it's not in the best shape. The SW remix entered the digital domain for the LP remaster, so as long as I can get it on Qobuz in high res (24/96) I see no point buying an analog-to-digital-to-analog mastering chain on vinyl. I'll wait for the UHQR from AP for another vinyl copy. One night my wife and I compared the 24/96 SW remix on Qobuz to our crusty original vinyl copy. We liked the latter better, although our analog front end is still superior to our digital front end, when comparing masters that made it to both formats. In any case, I have no desire to purchase a digital remaster of something on vinyl if I'm getting it high res digital already.
This is a great point and one that I personally subscribed too but at some point abandoned - why buy a digital file pressed to vinyl? Only drawbacks. Great point. I think the Beatles remixes on vinyl is what got be back into buying "digital pressed to vinyl" again. There were some distinct advantages to owning the vinyl there vs the digital files they released. Granted, assuming you like the remix in the first place! Ha.
Good points all around. I haven't done an extensive comparison between the two mixes, I'm not a mega fan of the album like I am with the beatles. I definitely respect the UHQR process and love the Hendrix release. I had been under the impression that the new SW mix made the original obsolete, kind of like his Chicago II mix did. But sounds like the original is still valid!
I'm not 100% against digitally-mastered vinyl per say. If I find an album I like and can only stream it at 16/44, but it's available on vinyl mastered from high-res sources then that's OK, and I have numerous albums like that. OTOH, if I have a decent AAA copy of something, and my alternative choice is something that was converted to digital for mastering, and back to analog for a vinyl pressing, and I can stream the high-res master, then I really don't see the point. And when there's expectation that a new AAA is coming along sometime, it seems even more pointless. But that's my take. I also have little desire to own mutiple copies of the same album, unless the reason is eally compelling to me. If my original Aqualung played pritine, I might not even have interest in the UHQR version.
