let's talk about our pressing of ALVEAR (Led Zep, AC / DC, CCR, Young ... and others ...)

It's interesting what we prefer. The III UK a5 b5 on its own terms, with the vocal, by 1:38 in, I no longer can listen to it and enjoy it. It's not sibilant to me. It's more screechy or harsh, like a cat, in tonality, to me. Also, there is little bottom end I find with the bass. This sample seems to reconfirm the sonic signature of this a5 b5 I have heard 2 other songs of elsewhere via different delivery system sources. I don't really like it. Clarity at the expense of balance, imo.

Now listening to the only other offering, the Spanish for comparison. I think it's somewhat a misconception about Bonham being the or a swinger in this band. He can, but he's not as much such, imo. It's John Paul Jones that swings like a (profanity). And he does so on Celebration Day here, as well as lowering the boom, and its audibly evident to me, fwiw, in this song, and in this sample. Plant's lower register is also more resonant to me in this comparison, imo.

 

Agreed on all really, the pluses and minuses. But on the near verge of 'ear-bleedeer' for me fwiw. Our limited scope impressions are very similar if not the same fwiw. Nothing 'wrong' with your English, but my Spanish.

 

Please stick with pCloud if you can or don't mind?

 

Hi @dee

Ok.

Do you want the Piros 73/74 + 77 Monarch audio files to be reposted?

Christophe

PS: Yes Pcloud is the most practical but I only have 10 go in free access... hence a lot of turnover! Still many files to make you discover; soon the Who and David Bowie in the spotlight in the Marta club! Spanish, Dutch, Italian pressings........and even a Portuguese Hunky Dory!

Christophe

 

Hi dear @Neilson77

THANKS ! Your post warms my heart. I am going through a period of bad luck and sometimes a little message of sympathy is a real comfort.
If I manage to ward off the spell, I'll send you another ALVEAR pressing!
I had two accidents in three days, I have a dispute with my employer with whom I can lose $70,000 to $80,000 and inadvertently I destroyed the B side of the fabulous Spanish Rolling Stones Sticky fingers 1979 pressing because of a bad product! What do you want, that's life!

Christophe

 

Wow, sorry to hear that Christophe and thanks for the offer of another Alvear pressing!

Could you take a look at this link which is listed as a 1969 Spain 1st pressing. Do you think this is correct? If you look at the deadwax it is extremely small!
LED ZEPPELIN LED ZEPPELIN ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING SPAIN 1969 VINYL VERY RARE EXC | eBay

 

As of this weekend, I will post the HD audio files of Led Zeppelin Presence (Polygram/Cofasa pressing... superb and rather oriented towards "audiophilia"), as well as the files of Led Zeppelin ll RL and ALVEAR A8/ B8!...Clash of the Titans! The post of our comrade @mpayan inspired me to reflect on what I hope will be instructive. Soon in the Marta club!

Christophe

 

Hi dear friend,

Hmm...from memory, the Spanish pressing I had (A2/B2 stamped) did not have the two dead waxes as narrow! Maybe it's the first pressing (A1/B1)? Still, it looks more like a late pressing?!
I had in my hands a similar Spanish pressing (Led Zeppelin lll) with very narrow dead waxes and "IN'"...in the matrix. Decent mastering but not in the same league as UK A5/B5 (I'm sure it's fantastic!) or ALVEAR (A8/B4 or A9/B4)! A little congested!? The engineer didn't seem to have exploited the potential of the tape!?). Can you ask the seller to send you the dies please? I think it would be safer! Where the manufacturing plant?
If this is a reissue from the early 80s, I'll be on the safe side and go back to 1976 with the many ALVEAR cuts. On this subject, I'm still looking for an A8/B8 pressing. I noticed it was the one with the narrowest dead waxes...like its Led Zeppelin ll A8/B8 counterpart! It's a nagging question for me: Did Marta freak out and literally blast the soundstage like she did on the second album!? So far still no response?!

Christophe

 

Dear @multirock,

Do you know if the A7/B7 Led Zeppelin ll dies predate the A8/B8 die or come from the same cutting session (©1981)?

Christophe

 

Dear @multirock,
Do you know if the A7/B7 Led Zeppelin ll matrix predate the A8/B8 matrix or come from the same cutting session (©1981)?

Christophe

 

AC/DC, bass punch !!!

 

So the 1st and 2nd Spanish pressings have different matrix numbers? I was under the impression from discogs.com that the 2nd pressing was just a repress of the 1st pressing with the same matrix numbers?

 

Hi @Neilson77

It's not a certainty (often errors on Discogs), but what I'm sure of is that the A2/B2 pressing doesn't have very narrow dead waxes. I have a feeling this is a post-1976 mastering. Probably early 80s? But maybe I'm wrong?

Christophe

 

I think A7/B7 predate A8/B8.
To my knowledge, the matrix numbers are chronological: the early the number, early the time the cut was done. But I think all these cutting sessions are very close in time, and you can find many cutting sessions and pressings from differents LP since 1976 to 1981.
In terms of sound I tend to preffer the early numbers (talking about hand etched, not the stamped) in the cases were you can find several cuttings from one album. For example, for Led Zeppelin IV a like more the A9/B4 or A8/B6 than A11/B13. I liked more HOTH A1/B1 than A5/B8.
I like a bit more Led Zeppelin II A7/B7 than A8/B8, and in Led Zeppelin I my preference is for the A8/B6 over A8/B8, altough in this two cases both versions are equally wonderful.
According Led Zeppelin III, A8/B4 and A9/B4 are mostly the same. Its hard to find differences between A8 and A9.

 

My feeling is that every stamped matrix is prior to 1977.

 

In other subject, after the great reviews of @Christophe Lethimonnier about the spanish Polydor series I bought the Clapton related albums that I liked most: Cream double LP "Wheels on fire", Blind Faith selftitled album, and Derek & the Dominos "Layla and..." LP.
All of these are Polydor 1980 or 1977 releases, which share the same matrix 850.........A*1/B*1, and according to my experience with 1977 and 1980 Blind Faith releases they sounds exactly the same. (But be careful, most but not every 1977 and 1980 Polydor pressings has the same matrix. For example, the 1977 and 1980 Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland releases has different matrix).
About the sound I'm surprise about the sound quality, and find myself really enjoying theses copies.
When I first compared the spanish Wheels on fire with my three tone ATCO US pressing (hand etched, LW AT matrix, which for many on this forum is the best copy of this LP) I thought that the studio album sounded better on the spanish copy. After several listenigs I think both copies has their own merits; some things sounds better on the spanis pressing, and some on the US one. About the Live recording both sounds very nice to my ears, but the US pressings sounds a bit better; lively and rough.
The Blind Faith spanish pressing sounds wonderful. To my ears the best copy of this great album is the UK Polydor A3/B3, but it's very hard to find on of those copies in NM condition (many has surface noise on side B). I had one UK A1/B1 and I didn't like it. To my ears sounds thin and channel unbalanced. The A3/B3 is warmer and has better stereo image.
The spanish pressing is not over the UK A3/B3 but it's very close. It's clear, detailed, warm, very balanced.
The Layla LP is fantastic too! I always looked for a "definitive" copy but none of the copies I've had have fully satisfied me. The first US ATCO and red Polydor sounds very nice for me (nothing dull about the US red Polydor as some people says!) but to my ears both copies lacks some air and freshness. I also had the first german pressing (red Polydor too), but I was very disappointed with that. To me it's almost a copy of my US Polydor, so I sold it. This spanish pressing isn't "definitve", but it's a great complement to both US pressings, as it has the clarity and freshness that I was looking for, without being harsh or thin. It's true that the US copies has better bass/low end, but the spanish mastering it's very balanced all around.
So, if you like these albums I highly recommend that you grab copies before the prices go up. Now you can fin NM copies for 25€.
Happy collecting!

 

1976 or 1977?

 

For you, is the Led Zeppelin l A8/B8 part of the same pattern as Led Zeppelin ll A8/B8? That is to say the one where Marta seems to push the tape to its ultimate entrenchments; Better soundstage, narrower dead waxes than the A7/B7 (but same noise level at the input).

Christophe

 

The last stamped matrix that I known are from Led Zeppelin’s Presence, and Credeence’s pressings, both from 1976, but of course I might be wrong.

 

1976 is also the year when the first works of Marta ALVEAR appear, signed by her own hand!

Christophe

 

Hi guys,

As promised here is a David Bowie...Hunky Dory!

Mastering Fernando Cortez.

DAVID BOWIE Hunky dory Side 1 ( portuguese pressing mastering FC).wav - Shared with pCloud


DAVID BOWIE Hunky dory Side 2 ( portuguese pressing mastering FC).wav - Shared with pCloud

Christophe

 

I'll be back tonight with more HD audio files!

Christophe

 

thanks my friend.

 

Hi guys,

AC/DC : " If you want blood, you've
got it"!

Mastering Marta ALVEAR !

ACDC if you want blood you've got it side A ( A5 B8 spanish pressing).wav - Shared with pCloud

ACDC if you want blood you've got it side B ( A5 B8 spanish pressing).wav - Shared with pCloud

 

T-Rex : " Electric warrior".

Mastering George Peckham.

T REX electric warrior side A ( first UK pressing Porky Pecko Duck).wav - Shared with pCloud

T REX electric warrior side B ( first UK pressing Porky Pecko Duck).wav - Shared with pCloud

Have a good day.

Christophe