Wow. Just Opened Analogue Productions Tony Bennett/Bill Evans 45rpm

So I bought this copy when it came out over 10 years ago. The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans album was from the 3rd set of Fantasy Records 45rpm reissues done by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray for Chad Kassem's Analogue Productions label. It stayed available for sale for many years as it was clearly not one of the most popular of the series.

I happen to LOVE this album. But I already had 3 copies. I had an original Fantasy Records copy. I had the first Analogue Productions attempt at this album. It was part of their less expensive Revival Series, with new mastering done on tube equipment at Stan Ricker's facilities. But unlike the more expensive series, which was being done by Doug Sax and on 180gm vinyl, the Revival Series was done on 120gm vinyl.

In any event, while this version used quieter vinyl, I found Bennett's voice sort of cupped and strained. His voice and phrasing just didn't flow as easily as with the Fantasy. It just sort of sounded dark. It was fuller bodied and harmonically richer than the Fantasy Records original, but that strained quality blunted the flow of the music.

Then a friend sold me his Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs copy (MFSL 1-117, from 1984). By that time, I was leery of a lot of MoFi's pressings from that period. When I initially bought them in the '70s and '80s, I was really impressed by the quiet vinyl, the ability to see through the vinyl, and the frequency extension and dynamics of their pressings. But later, I discovered that many of them were quite flawed due to the "smile" EQing.

My friend insisted that this was a really good pressing, free of the poor EQing choices. I listened. He was right. This pressing had air and ease to it that the Analogue Revival copy didn't have. And it had dynamics, and frequency extension and weight.

But loving the album as I did, and knowing that each album in the AP series was limited to 1000 copies, I had to buy the 45rpm. And it sat. And it sat and it sat and it sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. Until tonight. I was in the mood to listen to the album.....and I was damn curious. How much better could it be than the MoFi?

Well, dramatically so, as it turns out. Compared to the MoFi, Bennett and Evans are richer and more present on the AP 45rpm. Each nuance of each musician's intentions are presented more dynamically, both micro- and macro-. Transients are quicker. They pop more. There are more shades, more variance. It shows both musicians doing more with the music. It makes the performances, frankly, far more riveting. I compared 2 songs on the MoFi with the AP 45. The MoFi had a nice ease to it with lots of air, for sure. But Evans and Bennett weren't as 3-dimensionally fleshed out. I found myself interested in the performance, but not as tuned in as closely. I put the AP back on, and noticed how much more was going on musically, and how much more I was on the edge of my seat with every breath, every note, every inflection. There was SO much more going on via the AP.

I come back to those in the SH Forums (as well as others) who think they're hearing everything in the music they're playing. That upgrading systems is a waste of time. Or seeking out better pressings is a waste of time. But what sort of value can you put on a pressing whose presentation makes the music really means something it hadn't before? Where you go from good music, to performances so riveting that you can't stop listening until the album is over? That makes you hear the music in a way you never heard it before?

With all these copies of the same album, it's a good way to show the differences in mastering and how much it affects the listening experience. But I also have equipment that is capable of really resolving the differences here. That's important as well.

 

Thanks, and I totally agree. None of this is surprising when considering that this release is from AP. I love what they do.

 

What were the particular challenges of doing this one? Was having the piano so spread out, left to right, one of them? It seems a bit less so on the 45rpm, somewhat more natural in that regard.

 

Well, to my ears, you got it sounding more vivid than any copy I have heard, so given tape issues, congrats.

 

This is fascinating. Love Evans and Bennett. Luckily, I too have the system to hear this at its best. Would love to wrangle an LP 45rpm of this but apparently it's not issued by AP anymore and the ones I can find are expensive. Any ideas where find one? Good post. Thanks.

 

I tell you what, here is a copy of the AP Revival Series at just $25. It's close to what I paid. Perhaps you'd like it. If not, I bet you could sell it to close to that. It was tube mastered by Stan Ricker.

Bennett, Tony / Bill Evans - Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album

And here is the album for $175 w/free shipping:

The Tony Bennett Bill Evans Album 45 RPM numbered limited edition AcousTech | eBay

Perhaps you just create an EBay search and see if a reasonably priced one comes up.

 

Did you pull it out and listen to it yet, Steve? This is truly more alive than the other copies I currently have. But I haven't had the Analogue Productions Revival Series copy in a long time. And my system is much better since I had it.

 

Thanks for that excellent, detailed write-up. I recently re-discovered this album after about a decade hiatus from my first attempt listening to it. It didn't click for me back then in my 30's, but I was not very well-versed in jazz at that time. Got the dime-a-dozen OJC CD a few weeks ago, decided to give it another shot and everything finally just fell into place for me. This album is soooooo good, so I found this thread and ordered a copy of Steve & Kevin's AP cut based upon your recommendation. It should be arriving next week, and I can't wait to hear it!

 

Cool. Where did you find a copy?

I hope you think it's as good as I do.

 

Discogs, from a US seller. The only remaining copies are from international sellers.

 

Just picked this up on Ebay for $60 + $3 for shipping.

 

New or used?

New or used?

Either way, congrats. You should love it.

 

Sealed copy.

 

You just captured why I love this crazy pursuit. Well said.