Kevin Gray's cut of the Eagles Hotel California LP on Rhino *

The two versions are 'Back to Vinyl'

UK Rhino sticker...


This LP has E7-1084 in deadwax, back cover has Manufactured & Marketed by Rhino UK

Rhino EU sticker...


This LP has KG@ATM in deadwax.

Notice the Rhino EU sticker hasn't the word Eagles on it.

Hope this helps.

JG

PS: The Rhino UK was issued a couple of years ago, the Rhino Eu this year.

 

That was really helpful, thanks!

 

Just picked up a copy at the thrift shop for $1 after I got home I realized that this must be a record club record catalog # R-130030A 7E1084 Matrix # R 130030 A 1 A B it was pressed in Indianapoliis. How does this pressing compare to an original 7E, should I search out a "STERLING"?

 

I've just scored the EU Rhino version (KG deadwax) - it's a super-silent super-flat great sounding pressing. The current Rhino 180gm vinyls really are superb in every way - pressing, packaging and price.

I've also just got the three Van Rhino reissues - again, all superb.

If you're in the UK, HMV online seem pretty good on price (free delivery with good packaging too).

 

The original Back to Vinyl (UK) Eagles pressings (2007) are not KG. They did the whole catalogue. If anyone has a recent one with KG this means they have adopted the Warner/Rhino US cut as in most of the European 'Back to Vinyl' releases. This is confusing as I have seen a number of titles from the 2007 series still for sale. The only way to tell is the original non KG have a bespoke sticker attached directly to the sleeve and are not shrinkwrapped.

 

Is the KG version the one that is for sale on Amazon CA as April 2009 Rhino Release?
tks

 

How does it compare to Japanese pressings that came out when the title was current? I have a 7" single of "New Kid In Town", P-88Y, made by Warner-Pioneer in Japan that I love the sound of and may seek out a similarly pressed Japanese edition of the LP - if it exists.

 

With the new Rhino box set on the way, I have been looking at the EU 'Back to Vinyl' version of this which still seems to be in plentiful supply.

Can anyone confirm for me - this Kevin Gray cut, it was cut from analogue tapes? Is that correct and can anyone supply source of this info?

Thanks

 

The original Rhino UK Back to Vinyl editions certainly are not Kevin Grey but it is likely the current HC uses his cut. I have heard that the KG is close to the DCC Hoffman cut but lacks the warmth which I think is part of the original recording/pressing. I can't see how the DCC pressing could be beaten as it's way better than the original 'Back to Vinyl' and original UK pressing. To confuse matters further there was a 180g EU reissue (2004?) just before the Back to Vinyl Eagles campaign (2006). This has a gold/white sticker proclaiming from original master tapes. Anyway I found the sound of the Back to Vinyl Eagles titles to be pretty close to the original UK pressings.

 

The Rhino/Warners 'Hotel California' release I agree is a little bit confusing.

I know the original Back to Vinyl Eagles campaign (2006) version of HC is deffo not KG's work:

http://www.discogs.com/Eagles-Hotel-California/release/3763233

I know, also, that in 2009 Rhino pressed it again for both the US and the EU markets:

http://www.discogs.com/Eagles-Hotel-California/release/2441967
http://www.discogs.com/Eagles-Hotel-California/release/3148629

This is the version I am interested in - because I can pick it up in FOPP in UK for a tenner! However, sometimes I read it was done from original analogue tapes and other places claim its a digital remaster and this is what I am trying to clarify really.

I guess I could go for the forthcoming box set which appears to be all analogue and is relatively cheap to boot! But, It's really just HC I'm after.

 

I bought the Back To Vinyl reissue of Hotel California in the UK a few years back when it was widely available and mine is mastered by Kevin Gray with his initials in the deadwax, plated at RTI but pressed by Pallas in Germany using the US metal parts. This was at a time when Rhino UK were doing this with quite a lot of Rhino US reissues - importing the US metal parts and pressing in the EU for the EU market. However they seem to have stopped doing this now so there's no guarantee that if you bought a Rhino UK edition today, it would be the KG mastering. If you see one with a Back To Vinyl sticker on the cover, I think there's a fair chance it could be a KG.

For what it's worth the bar code on the back is 081227991517 but they tend to use the same bar code for different pressings so I wouldn't put too much faith in that.

 

Why on earth has Rhino UK stopped doing this and do we maybe have a contact in Europe we could ask about this?

 

The current copies for sale are mostly the 2009 repress - a few listed on Ebay UK. The only Rhino I have had not using US analogue mastering was the recent 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' (Optimal in house cut from digital?). The more recent titles incl 2013 'Close To The Edge' have been Chris Bellman cuts.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Records-/176985/i.html?_nkw=eagles hotel california&_dcat=1593&LH_ItemCondition=1000

 

I don't think they have stopped doing that TBH. I buy a LOT of Rhino reissues [EU versions and US Versions] and it seems to me that nine times out of ten they are still using US plates to press EU versions. Usually plated at RTI and usually [but not always] pressed by Optimal.

I can pick up the 2009 [KG] repress no bother - and really cheap too! I'm delighted to hear it was pressed at Pallas but can anyone confirm whether source was Hi res digital or analogue tapes?

 

I didn't know that and I'm very interested to hear it. Could you give two or three examples?


I can pick up the 2009 [KG] repress no bother - and really cheap too! I'm delighted to hear it was pressed at Pallas but can anyone confirm whether source was Hi res digital or analogue tapes?[/quote]

I can't "prove" it but I'm certain they were all-analogue - that was the point of doing it, as I recall.

 

It's defo an all analogue cut !

http://myvinylreview.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/eagles-hotel-california-180-gram-vinyl.html

 

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm going to go get this tomorrow after work!

@ back2vinyl, I would be happy to oblige:

http://www.discogs.com/Talkingheads-Remain-In-Light/release/4426315
http://www.discogs.com/Talking-Heads-Speaking-In-Tongues/release/4564584
http://www.discogs.com/Rush-Vapor-Trails-Remixed/release/5005939
http://www.discogs.com/Alanis-Morissette-Jagged-Little-Pill/release/4091323

Hope there is something there to interest you! I have all of the above and can tell you they all sound great and are lovely pressings.

 

That's very interesting. I really thought they'd stopped pressing US masters in Europe so it's good news that they're still doing it after all, or have started again.

 

I just pick this up on Amazon a couple of weeks ago, not a big Eagles fan but I've always liked this particular album, I was surprised at how good it sounds, easily the best sounding album in my collection , highly recommended