Inspired by Guy Gadbois ‘Zep shootout... this has been on my to-do list for months. I have two budget-copies of A Love Supreme that are, I would say, both recommended and pretty good. If/when there is a repress of the AP, or a copy of the Speakers Corner comes along, I’ll grab those, but until then, i have: 1) early 80s rainbow-label MCA from Japan: John Coltrane - A Love Supreme and 2) mid-90’s Impulse mastered by Wally Traugott: John Coltrane - A Love Supreme Both sound good, but yay there is a clear winner here, and its the Wally. The MCA is what i had been listening to for the past five years and I had been pretty happy with it since it bested my old CD by a mile, but back to back with the Wally the soundstage of the MCA seemed *very* constricted, and the instruments on the Wally much more natural and realistic. The Wally definitely had the highs rolled off a bit, at least in comparison to the MCA which had the highs very high (actually the shrillness had always been my one complaints), so another plus for the Wally in my book. The Wally, yes, probably digital, but it will be my new go-to until I can get my hands on one of those killer audiophile pressings you all have.
Here are some pics to go with the above: Japanese MCA Impulse (Wally Traugott - sorry the pic of his deadwax signature is upsidedown)
Okay? Im just saying theres no point in making a post saying you will compare and never reporting back later, its just clutter and leaves people hanging.
Is the Wally cut AAA or a flat transfer? It does say remastered from the tapes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean AAA. This is an album I’ve been meaning to pick up but I only want it if it’s analog, otherwise no point in getting it on LP imo. Curious if there are any other AAA reissues of this out there that I could grab for under $40
I bet you could find a '70s or '80s pressing for less than $40. It was available as a budget release (without the gatefold) for a long time.
Dont think Wallys is AAA. The TML may be AAA. No press besides the RVG originals use the master tape to be clear, but his mastering isnt the best either. So as an audiophile and analog purist you may be out of luck with this title.
Right, I have an original RVG cut, and there's a 60 cycle hum running through both sides, due to a bad connection in the mastering chain. It's not overpowering, but it is there. There was also a pressing from the '60s cut at Bell Sound that doesn't have the hum, but it was a cut from a tape copy, not the first gen tape that Rudy used. So, you really have to pick your poison.
Good to know. I guess I’ll go for a 70s cut then when I finally find a decent priced copy. An RVG copy is both more than what I’d spend, and too much for me, as this isn’t my favorite jazz album or anything, I’d just like a decent analog pressing.
That Japanese MCA I reviewed above was recommended and it does sound quite good, it's from 1980 and so 99% sure it's AAA. There's a few near-mint copies in the $40-$50 price range. Pretty sure the Wally cut is from digital, but I like the mastering better, it makes for a more enjoyable listen for me. But that's purely personal preference. I'm still actively hunting the Speakers Corner myself. Here is all the available Near-Mint 1970-1980 pressings for sale on Discogs, organized by price, lowest first: John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (LP) For Sale at Discogs Marketplace
99.99% certainty it's analog... digital remasterings of vintage recordings weren't being done in 1980.
Yeah, the year I've heard is 1983 for when it became common, but I don't have any first-hand knowledge of this and so give myself that 1% wiggle room just incase some weird futuristic stuff was happening in Japan in 1980.
I scored this cheapo for $19 CDN at the drug-store of all places: John Coltrane - A Love Supreme It does have 'the hum' but it's barely audible. Above & beyond the musical performances themselves, what's incredible about this pressing is the outstanding clarity of the instruments & the silence of the vinyl itself. I would like to hear the mono-mix, but this stereo pressing will do me for now. Especially for $19...
I wonder why a reissue has "the hum"? It was not on the master tape (which is MIA, by the way). $19 CDN is super cheap! I was shocked by how inexpensive used records were when I was in Montreal in October.
Common practice was to make a “cutting tape” with all the mastering moves built into the copy. So it’s just a copy of RVG’s master.
I’m very disappointed in myself for not picking up the Speakers Corner pressing (or the AP) when it was available. But here I am, without a decent copy of one of my favorite jazz records. I’m going to go for the TML for now. Crossing my fingers another Kevin Gray cut is released in the near future.
Again assuming this is a copy tape, flat transferred and then cut from digital? Can someone chime in if they know for sure? I see this pressing a lot when looking at records in stores but haven’t picked it up because I figure a 70s pressing would Probably be better
I don't think that was Rudy's standard practice though... My understanding is only the early RVG cuts have the hum, not later pressings.
I went through 2 or 3 copies of that TML reissue a few years ago. Mastering was fine, but the pressing quality was absolute garbage and full of defects. Neither copy was flat and both riddled with nonfill. Gave up and just listen to my Impulse CD.
I hear ya. Many complaints about these problems on Discogs, but mine is dead-flat & the vinyl is silent. Except for 'the hum'. Bizarre, to say the least.
www.discogs.com/John-Coltrane-A-Love-Supreme/release/2034769 There is this version, mastered by Steve Hoffman (uncredited). I don't have it, but Steve says it's an all analog flat transfer of the existing tape (a copy of the master tape made by Bell Sound). Ugly cover, though.
THAT is fascinating! Do you have a link to back that up? I'm about a hair's breadth away from ordering a copy...
