I've got a few albums from Steely Dan and overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the choices I've made. The original LP pressing of Aja and The Royal Scam sound much better to me than some of the digital versions I've heard. I bought Gaucho on Hybrid Multi-channel SACD, which is less "warm," for lack of a better term, but sounds very precise and suits that album in particular very well. With their debut, I'm not sure if I should get the Japanese SHM-CD or the LP. Has anyone out there heard both? If so, which one do you prefer?
For compact disc I favor the old US over the 2010 SHM. Peaks-92.1/94.1/89.4 So much so I haven't tracked down the LP format. My local thrift has a quad, but I don't have the proper set-up for it. But if you enjoy that 2 channel SACD of Gaucho, you may enjoy the added compression of the 2010.
You don't need quad equipment to enjoy that mix, which I think is the best. Love the 70s original quad LP mix!!!!
I think I may just still have that somewhere. I do remember buying a few Q8 tapes in the 70s. I can't remember where they are or if I even still have them after all these years. Funny though I never had a Quad system ever, though.
Steely Dan CDs Different Masterings: Can't Buy A Thrill I like Mastering 3. Funny thing, I really, really like the 1st 2 tracks on their 1st Album, nothing after that on Thrill and as for the rest of their catalog the best I can do is tolerate a scant few songs.
Vinyl : The Speakers Corner : Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill The Quad mix : Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill CD : The 1998 remaster : Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill The Citizen Steely Dan box : Steely Dan - Citizen Steely Dan 1972-1980 An album I never tire of, since 1972 !!!
I know I'm insanely late on this. Thanks for the help. I ended up with the 1979 MCA LP (AB-758) as a gift. I'm very satisfied with it! It's one of my better sounding records. I'm curious about how the quad version of the album sounds, but I'll be danged if I'm going to figure out what the deal with quad vinyl is, and god knows I don't feel like digging around for a quad 8-track machine! Maybe this mix ought to be out on DVD-A, SACD or BD-A!
The quad LP when listened to in stereo is VERY different. Especailly Do It Again and several others. I love it. To say it sounds better than a stereo or replaces it is a mis-statement. Also that 79 LP you mentioned is that the tan label ? I think this is on of the best LP pressings I have heard. I just got it recently after years of ABC originals, and the blocks label, and the rings label, and MCA clouds label, and an MCA coral label, and a German label. To me that tan label ranks among the best.
I have the quad LP. It’s different, but it’s very wonky. Sorry but anyone who prefers that stereo matrixed mix over any version of the true stereo mix is smoking banana peels IMO.
Thanks, but I’m familiar with the tan MCA label. Unfortunately the labels are just pieces of paper stuck on an LP. Although the label can help narrow things down, the dead wax is everything, not the label. Unfortunately labels and lacquer cutting - paricularly with re-presses - generally aren’t synchronized thus you can often find multiple cuts of an album with the same label or multiple labels of an album using the same cut. So when folks here - including me - say the such and such label of this album is great or it sucks - they’re generalizing. So that’s a long-winded explanation for why I asked if Jwest97 had the dead wax info.
I have a quad, also have the earliest ABC black label. Both sound very sweet, but I honestly prefer the Quad in 2-channel over the regular stereo.
Really? The quad is a mess in stereo IMO. Those guitar fills in Reelin' In The Years don't fit at all. Not great sounding either to my ears.