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

More -and maybe better- samples:
What is and what should never be.
Alvear A8:
What is and what should never be A.wav - Shared with pCloud

Polygram A*1:
What is and what should never be.wav - Shared with pCloud

 

Hearing this song samples again, I must say that I enjoy a bit more the Polygram mastering. Listen the segment around 4:00 to 4:30 to hear the differences related to bass and highs between both pressings.
Although, I preffer The lemong song present in the Alvear mastering. Guitars are a bit lost in the mix of this song on Polygram's.

 

Hello multirock, I prefer Alvear mastering...
I really like also the 1977 US edition mastered by George Piros.

 

Hi guys !

Back to the club !

Sorry if I've been a bit absent the past few weeks.
Some interesting purchases...

David Bowie: Scary monsters (Dutch pressing).

Sounds great! Full of punch and a nice synergy.

 

Now the HD audio file!

Side A:

DAVID BOWIE Scary monsters Side 1 ( ducth pressing).wav - Shared with pCloud

Side B:

DAVID BOWIE Scary monsters Side 2 ( ducth pressing).wav - Shared with pCloud

 

...and a nice little extra: David Bowie "Up the hill backwards"...portuguese 45RMP cut by Fernando ( J ) Cortez.

Sound excellent !

 

DAVID BOWIE Up the hill backwards (portuguese pressing mastering Fernando Cortez).wav - Shared with pCloud


Have a good day

Christophe

 

Hi guys,

Nirvana : Nevermind ( spanish pressing Eurogram):

NIRVANA Nevermind cara A ( first spanish pressing Eurogram nettoyé).wav - Shared with pCloud

NIRVANA Nevermind cara B ( first spanish pressing Eurogram 2ème nettoyage).wav - Shared with pCloud

 

Thanks!

 

Why did they press it at EMI, I wonder?

 

Hi,

Yes it's weird because David Bowie had signed with RCA. I have other Portuguese pressings with also EMI on the labels!?

Christophe

 

Maybe a Contract Pressing?

 

Hi my friend,

I hope you are well and all the other members of the Marta club.
Sorry if I'm a little more absent than usual but I'm going through a very difficult time.
Nevertheless I do not forget the rock man!!! ;-)

What do you think of the Eurogram mastering for Nirvana's emblematic album?

Otherwise I listened carefully to your two samples from the WEA Led Zeppelin ll pressing....excellent! Undeniably, the engineer chose a Hi-Fi option for this album, or "audiophile" for this album; the management of the treble is remarkable! We are far from the excesses of Robert Ludwig and Marta Alvear masterings (especially A8/B8)!!!
Too bad you didn't post some samples of more emblematic tracks from the album: Whole lotta love, Heartbreaker, ramble on or Moby Dick for example.

Christophe

 

Hi,

It's possible ! Unfortunately in the current state of my knowledge, it is difficult for me to certify it! There is a big connection between Portugal and England. But there is also some interesting local work, notably this little-known engineer, Fernando Cortez who seems to have worked from the late 70s until the late 90s. I continue to explore his work (some LP's of Bowie and Pink Floyd on the road).
The ideal would be to find a Portuguese member capable of doing research on site as our comrade @multirock did for us to learn more about the work of this engineer. I really liked her Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust cuts. So an interesting track to follow...
It's kind of the mission of the Marta club to try and talk about the more obscure but newsworthy pressings.
No?

Christophe

 

But this is a NL EMI matrix...

 

At my mother’s in Valencia Spain this week. First visit this morning to one of my favourite record stores. Only got a couple of records and one of them is the America album Hearts. Side 1 is an Alvear cut and side 2 is stamped.

I also saw a couple of DSOTM Spain OGs. Anyone tried one?

 

More visits today. I saw a very nice Beatles 10C Revolver today. Anyone has it and could compare to UK, DE or NL 1970s pressings?

 

Hi,

I had the opportunity to hear several versions of Revolver (UK, NL, FR, Greek...and the Spanish 10C series pressing). All sounded great...but with sonic variations. Pressings cut by Harry T. Moss are the most sophisticated and clean. Resolutely turned towards audiophilia. The French pressing is substantially in the same vein but the beginning of the Taxman song is amputated!? Weird! The Dutch pressing had a wonderful midrange.
The Greek pressing is a marvel with its warm and sparkling texture (perhaps my favorite).
The Spanish Beatles Series 10C pressings are probably the 'rawest'. A very direct, airy, rich and unadorned sound. A not really audiophile approach, but surprisingly, I find that it adds a character of authenticity and proximity to the group rarely present in the other pressings that I have heard, all albums combined. You just have to listen to the version of Strawberry field forever... so incredible, that I thought it was an alternative take!
Special mention also for the albums Rubber soul and Sgt Pepper (yellow vinyl), sublime with their "mono/stereo" sound aesthetics (already mentioned here and perhaps the best of both worlds?!).
Of course Revolver sounds very good, but I found MMT, Rubber soul and Sgt Pepper even more decisive!

I hope I've helped you a bit ?!

Christophe

 

Hi everyone, I hunted down the rare Waiting for the Sun A3/B3 with a wave on the B side. Like someone before me mentioned, it's such a powerful mastering that my jaw was on the floor from the moment I dropped my needle. I highly recommend it. It's rare, but be persistent. I'd been checking Discogs for it every second day for a couple of months and finally came across it 3 weeks ago. Well-worth the wait!

 

Great! Is your copy from the Pioneros series?
I have a NM copy from the Pioneros series, A3/B2 handwritten-no sign, that sound fantastic.
I wonder how the spanish 1984 Polygram Waiting for the Sun could sound. Recently I bought a copy of Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley from that series that sounds impressive. In some songs even better than my first UK pressing from the swirl Vértigo label.

 

Yes, it's the Pioneros series. I doubt it can get any better. This is so organic and fresh. I wonder how the AP version compares to this. The bass on the A3/B3 version is massive

 

Hi guys!

I believe Marta Alvear has cut other Doors albums...right?
In any case, fresh, organic and 3D sounds seems to be the most minimal way to sum up his masterings!
I received the first Pretenders album mastered by her and it sounds fantastic, very powerful, raw and organic! All rock music should sound like this!!! Directly in the plexus and without frills! That's why I love Spanish pressings! I compared the Pretenders debut album with the original cut, UK by Tim Tom (Tom Young). The Tim Tom cut sounds more sophisticated, more "audiophile", while the "Alvear" cut is more sensual, almost wild! Not necessarily better... just different!

Rock on!

Christophe

 

Hi my dear friend,

The only way to find out is to buy the record!!! ;-)

Christophe

 

Hi guys,

I've been a little absent lately. Sorry guys! I'm going through a tough time right now but I won't forget you. Some records on the way, including some Pink Floyd cut by Fernando Cortez.
In addition to the Portuguese market, I continue to explore the market for Spanish, Greek, Italian and Dutch pressings (countries that I really like because often incredible masterings for an incredible price, that is to say 5 to 10 times cheaper than an original US, UK, German or Japanese pressing, which are not necessarily always better!).

Completely off topic, I bought a new CD player agree, resolutely oriented towards audiophilia and I inaugurated it with a good old CD from the 80s... Led Zeppelin "House of the holy" cut by Barry Diament. Sounds fantastic!!!

Now I would like to buy a tube amplifier!

Christophe

 

Great Christophe!!! This is a beautiful thing about music collection, that it never ends!
About markets and obscured pressings I strongly suggest these copies:
- First dutch pressing of Led Zeppelin III. Just listen to it. Marvelous! After the Alvears, first UK, first Spanish, and Sam Feldman US cut I tought I don’t need nothing more. I was wrong!
- Spanish Hispavox pressing of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory. Mind blowing. It’s very hard to find differences between this and the first UK (Bobil/Rasputin) pressing. Don’t believe it? Just listen to yourself. Unfortunately very hard to find.
- Same happens with the Hispavox pressing of Surrealistic Pillow of Jefferson Airplane. Better than my first German, and just beautiful as the first US pressing.
- Spanish Polygram A*1/B*1 pressing of Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley. As Polygram pressings of Led Zeppelin I, II, HOTH, and PG, this copy sounds so fresh, powerful and detailed that really surprises. Compared to my UK Vertigo the spanish sounds more open and lively, making the UK a bit dull in comparison.

Keep searching my friends!