That Analog Planet review just blew my mind. How on earth the review ranked the SQ so high (was it 9 or something?) was just a complete and utter mystery to me. It's like he was listening to a completely different record to the one I bought. It really makes me question the reliability, the credibility there. But back to the Abbey Road Tommy -- I found that unnatural, fatiguing sound is even there at low volume. I thought that playing it through speakers (first play was through headphones) and at lower volume would mediate the unpleasantness but it came shining through even then. The first and last modern half-speed I'm likely to ever buy. I reserve the right to continue to pick old first wave MOFI's as I come across them, though. I really feel like a dope in all of this. I saw it weeks ago and my first instinct was "that's not going to sound very good." Then as time went buy and I thought how nice it would be to have a new, vinyl copy of the album I love so well, then read some positive reviews I though I'd better go back and get it. Mistake. For me, in any case.
That, or equipment that doesn't bring out the faults like mine appears to do. Funny thing is my ears are showing their age, too, and I'm sure the highs aren't reaching my inner ear the way they used to, but I seem to be super sensitive to bad high end and tinny mids. Drives me nuts. To be fair, Tommy certainly was never the be-all, end-all for SQ/recording quality, but it no doubt can be better handled, as I'm sure some of the earlier issues that command so much money likely did (the Classic and the Kevin Gray I mean).
FYI, the stereo masters went to the US; I would *assume* the original Decca cuts were cut from them. I can't think of any reason why 4th generation tapes would have been used. I would assume the Track was cut from dubs, but perhaps a cut was done before the tapes went to the US.
For those who don’t know, Mr. Fremer is no longer with Analog Planet and did not review this Tommy for them. The review is here: The Abbey Road Half-Speed Mastered 180g 2LP Reissue of The Who’s Tommy Is an Amazing Vinyl Journey, Delivering A Dramatically Improved, Rounder & More Robust Listening Experience
"What is immediately interesting is the new version sounds like Tommy should sound, but it feels richer, rounder, and more robust than the original U.S. pressing I have. It feels warmer and more welcoming than the stereo version on my SACD. (As noted above, I primarily keep the SACD and the DVD-A version in hand for the 5.1 surround sound mixes, which are another beast entirely.)" It sounds like the reviewer is comparing to the 2003 SACD, which is not the same beast as the SHM-SACD or 2013 CD. I haven't heard the new LP, but I would assume it is much closer in sound to those.
This is one of my top ten favorite albums of all time and I have and happen to like this pressing a whole lot. Great review; I really enjoyed reading it..thanks for posting.
Yes, I thought it sounded wonderful, first time I truly examined the recording in detail. Underture is a highlight.
Not sure. We know the stereo masters were in the US, and Lambert apparently went to NYC to master the album. Was another cut done in London before that? Not sure.
I’m listening to my original Decca copy right now. I’m not much on using terms like “warm” but I must say, this has a very smooth, clean, subtle texture going for it. I haven’t put it on in a while so my ears have been used to the clarity and bass-rich qualities of the various remastered versions. I could tell the difference in this one right away. Not better worse; just different and worthy in its own right. I wonder if others have noticed how side two of the Decca sounds like it was mastered at a lower volume than the rest of the album.
Do you know which studio/engineer did it in NYC? I believe Brian Carroll cut the UK Track at IBC, and since the band and Damon Lyon-Shaw (possibly with Ted Sharp) assembled the album there (sometime between April 21-27), would it make sense that they took it to the US, only for Kit to bring a copy back for him to cut from as early as ‘69? Denis Blackham wrote on his page that this wasn’t a regular practice at IBC until ‘71, but who knows. I remember a conversation on 45Worlds (I believe) where a guy had spoken to Brian about mastering Sell Out, and how difficult it was to make that cohearent. Would love to hear more from him re: cutting The Who.
I'm curious, do you have specifics about Brian Carroll cutting the Track? FYI, this is what I know so far: - The masters (two reels of which are mostly reproduced in the 2003 Deluxe Edition) were located at MCA according to Jon Astley. From the October 2003 ICE Magazine: "First off, for those who haven't taken the SACD or 5.1 plunge yet, the ordinary CD program may be worth the Deluxe Edition's price alone, because it's a serious upgrade in itself. "The stereo came from the quarter-inch tape," Astley says, referring to the stereo mixdown master produced by the band and producer Kit Lambert back in 1969. "We actually found the masters for the first time; they turned up in Los Angeles at the MCA vaults." - In the 1996 CD, Richard Barnes claims Lambert took the tapes to New York for mastering: "At the end of the Tommy mastering sessions in New York in 1969, after the first cut to vinyl was completed, Lambert declared the album a 'masterpiece' and destroyed the original master tapes by ceremonially burning them." We now know the tapes weren't burned, but presumably Lambert did bring the masters to New York for mastering the Decca LP, since they were later found at MCA/UMG. - There are reels with stock IBC legends dated April 1969 that indicate "COPY STEREO MASTERS. (FOR MASTER CUTTING)", with matrix information listed, as well as the catalog number for the Track cassette. It seems reasonably safe to say the initial Decca cutting must have been from the masters. The question is whether the Track was also cut from the masters before they went to the US, with the aforementioned IBC cutting dubs created during the initial cut and used for recuts, or if the cutting dubs were made first, with all Track LPs cut from them. At this point, we'll likely never know for certain. Random tangent, it seems it was Andy Johns who recorded Pinball Wizard, at Morgan Studios.
As far as I know everything since the 2003 Deluxe Edition has been from the master tapes. That's including the SDE, although I don't have the HD download of that.
Thanks for the great information. This means the 2003 Deluxe SACD stereo layer is from the master tape? If so, didn't that release had some NR and limiting on it? Based on your prior comments and this information, is the 2013 release still better than the 2003 in your view? Thanks again.
Correct. CD layer too. Also correct. Yes. I believe the 2012 SACD is a flat transfer from the master tapes, while the 2013 SDE is very, very, very minimally tweaked. They are definitely my preference.
