Lou Reed - Transformer vinyl...

Yet another question about which new pressing to get. Here are the ones I know of...do any of these beat or match the original 1972 US or UK? Thanks

Simply Vinyl 160g (arent these digital? ) I have also noticed some have the rectangular silver sticker...others have a blue circle. ???
Speakers Corner/RCA European import 180g

 

Re: Lou Reed - Transformer new vinyl...

Anyone?

 

i haven't heard either pressing, but i do know that that Speaker's Corner edition is $30. i doubt it sounds any better than a flat 'n quiet, virgin vinyl RCA Dynaflex original, though. the Vic Anesini 2003 CD reissue is spectacular, btw.

 

Thanks. About the Speakers Corner...I would like to get a little more general information. Are these generally considered high quality? Do they do all of their masters from the analogue tapes? Thanks again.

 

i cannot say with authority, but i do believe they go for master tapes. SH just did a Nat King Cole album for them, if that means anything. he only uses original master tapes.

 

Nothing like some good old FAQ

Q: Are your records completely analogue?

A: Yes! This we can guarantee!
As a matter of principle, only analogue masters are used; and the necessary delay for cutting is also analogue. All our cutting engineers use only Neumann cutting consoles - and these too are analogue. The only exception is where a recording has been recorded - either partially or wholly - using digital technology, but we do not have such items in our catalogue at the present time.



Q: Are your records cut from the original masters?


A: In our re-releases it is our aim to faithfully reproduce the original intentions of the musicians and recording engineers which, however, could not be realised at the time due to technical limtations. Faithfulness to the original is our top priority, not the interpretation of the original; and there is certainly no such thing as a "Speakers Corner Sound". Naturally, the best results occur when one uses the original master. Therefore we always try to locate these and use them for cutting. Should this not be possible, because the original tape is defective or has disappeared for example, we do accept a first-generation copy. But this remains for us an absolute exception.



Q: Who cuts the records?

A: In order to obtain the most faithful reproduction of the original, we have the lacquers cut on the spot, by engineers who, on the whole, have been dealing with such tapes for many years; some are even cut by the same engineer who cut the original lacquers of the first release. The present engineers are: Willem Makkee in Hanover (DGG, MPS, SABA, among others); Tony Hawkins in London (DECCA, DERAM, among others); and Kevin Gray in Los Angeles (Verve, Mercury, among others).

 

aw faq, you found the FAQ?!

 

Has anyone compared the Speakers Corner reissue with the Legacy reissue? I know that the SC is mastered from the original analog tapes by Willem Makkee and pressed at Pallas, while the Legacy is mastered by Kevin Gray but I'm not sure about the source material. Any insight is much appreciated. It seems both get good reviews around here.

 

originals can be had more cheaply than the reissue, and they sound great (at least US, haven't heard the UK).

 

The SC reissue is one of my favorite records in my entire collection. I use "Andy's Chest" as a system reference track, it sounds THAT good. Prepare to be gut-punched when that bass kicks in -- wow! Herbie Flowers shines all over this record.

 

The Legacy has great bass as well. Really impressed with the sound. Given the price difference the Legacy is a bargain.

 

So it sounds like there are three good options. The Legacy isn't going to be as great of a pressing as the Speakers Corner (United vs. Pallas) but I haven't heard any huge complaints. Finding a NM original may take some time but is a viable option. For some reason, my instinct says go for the SC for all around quality (analog mastering/pressing quality/jacket quality). In saying that, I do have an original of RnR Animal and the Legacy reissue and both sound good but the Legacy is maybe better.

 

Is it possible that Transformer is an exception? For an album recorded in the USA, it seems strange that they'd send the first-gen masters overseas to Germany for pressing ... Anyone have a clue about this?

 

anyone compared the USA Dynaflex's vs the UK's of Lou Albums? not just Transformer I mean all... I remember read around that Lou Dynaflex's looks thin but sounds good.

also! anyone knows if the UK is lamitated? I remember see one UK laminated

 

In general, I believe it's a good idea to aim for the USA pressings (or ones sourced from USA plates ... if there is such a thing). The USA pressings were done pretty darn well, and sound warm, juicy, and all sorts of wacky good things. UK pressings are (of course) from dub tapes, so you're gonna lose a bit of clarity from the master. It's all logistics ... but luckily, Lou's solo LPs can be had relatively cheaply, at least in comparison to the early VU albums.

 

yes good points there... I try the USA Dynaflex's
I remember see that UK laminated goes for $100 or more on ebay...

 

The RCA dynaflex has always been more than good enough for me. Most of those old dynaflex LPs sound really good in spite of the cheap light vinyl feel. Reed, Nilsson, Bowie, Pure Prarie League...a lot of these thin floppy LPs sound amazingly good, at least to me, and I guess to me that's all that counts, to me.

 

one lesson for people that think 180g is a good sign of sound quality

 

According to Wikipedia it was recorded in London at Trident Studios:

Transformer was produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson, both of whom had been strongly influenced by Reed's work with the Velvet Underground...Mick Ronson (who was at the time the lead guitarist with Bowie's band, the Spiders from Mars) played a major role in the recording of the album at Trident Studios, serving as the co-producer and primary session musician (contributing guitar, piano, recorder and backing vocals), as well as arranger, notably contributing the lush string arrangement for "Perfect Day".

A long thread about Transformer on vinyl: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/lou-reed-transformer-lp-choices-bewilder.153037/

 

I'm happy with the Speakers Corner.

 

Speakers Corner is great sounding - one to go for.

 

I'll try it too...
by the way Speaker Corner is dead? they have a really good releases...

 

It was recorded at Trident studios in London.

 

Did you read my post?

 

I have the Speakers Corner and it sounds phenomenal. Worth every cent.