Well, this is interesting. Like I said, I was only listening off my phone through earphones, but I'm surprised I got the MoFi wrong with both tracks. The MoFi sounds brighter through my system than on these samples, so the GH must be super-bright. A lot less difference between the MoFi and the Kendun than I expected. Interesting stuff, I enjoyed this thread, thanks SteelyNJ, Leonthepro and everyone else!
I don't know about on Amazon but somebody posted samples of the Hoffman remastered CD earlier in this thread. Sounded about "as good as it gets" to me but not exceptional. The Citizen Steely Dan version of "Katy" is also acceptable.
Just listening to the Katy Lied tracks on my 4 sided RL of Greatest Hits. They are so good it’s frightening. If they would have had him do the whole album, this thread would have no need to exist. They clean the clock of my MFSL of Katy. Disappointing.
The problem I have always had with it is the distortion in the fade out of Daddy Don't You Live In That New York City... Its noticeable in the orig. Kendun , the orig & remastered 99 CDs... Other than that I am content with my orig. M- Kendun pressings
Im pretty sure, Bad Sneakers and Doctor Wu were the tracks in the test. Not saying the Greatest Hits or Robert is bad or anything, just seems like most prefer other alternatives here.
Ok, fair enough. I think they sound great. The test has the GH Tracks, but they’re not RLs, and it’s MCA. I’ve got the RL, four sides...and its ABC label. That whole pressing is crazy good, including the Katy tracks.
I've never had an issue with the sound (then again, I don't think I've ever listened to it on headphones). Becker and Fagan were such unforgiving audiophile snobs, though, that I can imagine how they couldn't bear to listen to it!
Interesting that in our small test with unlabeled samples, the “Katy Lied” tracks from GH were generally judged inferior to the other samples.
Katy Lied is one of my favorite records of all time also, but in the 1000 times I heard it I never had a single thought about it not being a good recording.
Compared others all the other Steely Dan recordings it’s not that great. Well, The Royal Scam is a backseat taker, too.
Maybe not. I have two copies of Greatest Hits on vinyl, one US MCA and one Portuguese ABC. Both say “mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk” in the printed notes but there are no telltale “RL” etchings (or any other initials claiming cutting credit) in the dead wax on any of the sides. Do you have the ability to create and upload samples of the Katy tracks from your GH (which we KNOW is RL cut)? I might have saved my original samples from last summer and, if so, be able to re-upload them so you can see the portions of the tracks I used. I know coming from different gear it still would not be “apples to apples” but I think it would be illuminating nevertheless.
I wish I did have the ability, but sadly, I don’t. I just did my own little shootout with Black Friday and Dr.Wu comparing my US 1980 Katy on MCA, my Mofi Katy, and my GH RL. My wife was not told which were which, and her unbiased findings were mine...GH first, 1980 second, Mofi last. Now, after that, we compared the two Katy’s only and at louder listening levels. As suspected, the MCA’s shortcomings were in evidence: sibilance emerges, harshness in the top end creeps in. The Mofi was smooth, with no sibilance and a rounder sound. Well, that’s Mofi isn’t it? Turn them up, and you see the method in their madness. Nothing definitive in my testing, of course, but some interesting results to me. Man, that rotten Greatest Hits does it right. Nice job, Bob...as usual.
My original point of this thread was that ALL versions of "Katy Lied" are flawed to some degree, mostly because of the well-documented inherent issues in the original recording process. Many people have expressed the opinion that "Katy Lied" is fine as is going all the way back to the ABC Kendun, but I'm not one of those loyalists. Apparently neither is (Steely Dan guitarist) Denny Dias. Some of the problems I hear: The piano on "Doctor Wu" always sounds "mushy" to me and the cymbals on most of the tracks are wonky, regardless of the pressing or format. Not that all KL pressings and masterings are equal, but none (to me) sound as good as I believe they should (which really sucks, because I LOVE LOVE LOVE this album).
I'd dispute the idea that it's a great album but I seem to be in the minority...not even close to being the equal of the first three. Better than Gaucho but that's not saying a lot.
You are 100% correct. It is flawed, and that’s all there is to it. Great tunes, great music, inferior Dan sound. I guess my Mofi will be it, going forward. But if the original master tapes are out there, could you imagine the fight we’d have trying to be the first to get a Mofi One Step of this record?
