Crosby, Stills & Nash - Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Comparison
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- The latest reissue from the Analogue Productions Atlantic 75 Series is the 1969 self titled debut album from Crosby, Stills & Nash. This 45rpm cut is a repress of the Classic Records edition mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original master tape. The two record set is presented in a deluxe textured gatefold jacket, and pressed on 180gm vinyl at Quality Record Pressing. For reference I have an early Atlantic repress from 1975, The Classic 33, and the MOFI One Step Utradisc mastered from DSD to analogue to lathe by Krieg Wunderlich.
In this video I talk about some of the sonic issues present on the original recording and give my take on the one that provides the best overall listening experience.
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Other Pressings
02:01 Sonic Issues In The Recording
03:39 Songs
04:09 Commentary
06:35 The Atlantic 45
07:51 Conclusion
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Thanks for the review and hard work put into the video!
Scott here is something I wrote concerning this album during the One Step time period that has mainly has to do with the history of the album. Might be of interest:
“Ive been a bit obsessed with the CSN album the last few days. Not just the awesome songs and harmonies but why does it sound the way it does?
About CSN, David Crosby writes..
"Each musician brought with him a backlog of songs, and they began polishing them together. “We would get up around midday or so, trot down to one of the places on Sunset, and grab some shitty breakfast,” Crosby told Zimmer. “Then we’d get high and start playin’ guitar and singin’. And we would play guitar and sing all day, until we couldn’t stand up, until we’d fall down, exhausted. Then we’d go to sleep, get up, and do it all over again. That’s how we got so damn tight.”
They certainly got tight in those harmonies. That is for sure.
Seems the entire band was just thrown together as far as what they were doing. I get the idea that demo tapes were used to work from pretty heavily. Sort of adding things as they went along. Stephen Stills playing nearly all the instruments. Even on this first the band was heavy into drug use with cocaine. So there is that as far as "influences" on the sound.
Stephen Stills was really the mastermind on this album . And probably had the heaviest influence as far as how it sounds.
"Stills’s frenetic genius in the studio earned him the nickname “Captain Manyhands” from Crosby and Nash."
Reading further about the CSN album, it really is kind of a compressed mess. Such a great singing group using Kingston Trio harmonies that really had nt been used much, if at all, in rock music. And certainly not in a supergroup such as CSN. Too bad they were not recorded better on their most famous and enduring two albums. "CSN" and "Deja Vu"
Or is it too bad? Maybe just the sound of the time to create an ethereal presence that Stills seemed to be going for.
As far as the recording itself..
They had 16 tracks instead of 8 tracks. No bouncing. And the studio built was modeled after the Western Recorders legendary Studio 3, Brian Wilson’s favored studio. So harmonies, like with the Beach Boys, were the emphasis as far as the selling point.
So why the muffled sound?
Compression had alot to do with this apparently..
It is interesting how the use of compression occured:
"The album was recorded at 15 IPS to give it the “fat” bottom end, as Halverson put it. Halverson also purposely recorded hot, with a bright sound, to mitigate against tape hiss in the equalization and mixing stage. “I like 15 IPS and of course there’s tape noise, so I always record it a bit brighter than I want it because I never wanted to add top end when we mixed,” he explained to me. “I’d rather take a little off when we mixed…. I also really saturated the tape. I mean, people would come in and see tracks that never got out of the red, and that’s just where I was at…. I had tape compression because…I never wanted to compress any more when I mixed because then I’d be compressing some tape noise.” "
audiophilestyle.com/ca/the-best-version-of/the-best-version-of…-crosby-stills-nash-self-titled-debut-r826/
Above is a good article.
Then the guitars..Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. It was recorded with a U series Neumann (can't remember which one) with over pumped compression and the engineer was apologizing to Stills for the funky sound when Stills said "That sounds cool"... and there was born the strange acoustic sound of the first album. So Stills liked this sound.
"We had a nice Neumann U67, and I set that up…. [Stills] started to play, and I went in and listened to it, and it was this really mellow sounding, almost dull-sounding, acoustic guitar. And, so, I started adding top end, and he said, ‘Turn out the lights.’ So I turned out the lights. Now I can’t see. I can just hear the guitar…. I just kept adding top end and taking away the way at the bottom and put a limiter on it and just compressed and compressed it, trying to get some edge to it ‘cause it was just really dull…. I punched record on the 16 track and thought, ‘Well I’ll just record a little, and then I’ll have [Stills] come in [to listen to the acoustic sound].’ And then David Crosby stuck his arm up above his head and did this twirling thing, which is the international sign for ‘We’re recording’…. There was this pause and then Stephen started to play, and my whole life went in front of me because it was just so bright…the needle [on the compressor] went all the way to the bottom and just stayed there, it didn’t bounce around at all. It was totally over-compressed…. There was no bottom end, it was really toppy. It was just this crunchy guitar sound I would have never gone for in a million years…. I was making excuses in my mind [for the sound], and he’s just playing, and [Nash and Crosby] are dancing, and I’m just sweating. And then [Stills] would pause and I would go to stop the machine and he’d start playing again. And basically he’s playing the basic track to ‘Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,’ which is seven and a half minutes long. That was probably the longest time I’ve ever been in the studio just trying to make up excuses of how I could fix [a sound]…. It finally ends, and I hear him put his guitar down, and he’s coming towards the double doors, and the other two guys are going towards the double doors. The doors open, and they’re high-fiving and he looks up at me and says, ‘That’s the best guitar sound I’ve ever gotten. That’s the one I’ve been looking for’…. I said, ‘Thanks.’ I didn’t tell him it was a mistake for twenty years."
Apparently Stills wanted a kind overloaded acoustic guitar sound all along....
Stills got the tone to his liking. “What I found out later was that he had tried to get that guitar sound in Buffalo Springfield…[and on the] demos with Rothschild…,” Halverson said. “Everybody toned [his guitar] down, and finally somebody didn’t tone him down, so he was a happy camper.”
Vocals? Amazingly, just one mic...this is why we get the sound we do..
‘Well now we wanna sing,’ I just raised that U67 up, opened it to the omni position…[and] got two more sets of headphones…,” Halverson explained. “I didn’t get up two more mics or anything, I just raised the one mic and figured, they’ll sing around one mic. Nobody said ‘no,’ so that’s what we started to do. And, of course, they started singing, and I was just blown away.”
“And you’d stand back from it, and the mic would capture the blend…. Where you stand from the mic is everything…. Often it would sound almost right and the engineer would say, ‘Okay, Crosby-take one step backwards,’ or ‘Graham, take one giant step backwards.’”
So it seems eventhough they had 16 tracks to work with the actual usage of mics and compression is what gives us the sound. Its almost as if they were going for an old school everyone sing around one mic 1963 Newport folk festival sound. Old brought into the new. Reminds me of what The Band did on Big Pink as far as sound.
Apparently the vocals in the rough mix were even more (!) recessed at one time in favor of a more rock n roll band sound.
Amhed was not happy and there was a possibility that Stephen could loss control of how the album would sound if he did not compromise and have the vocals up front more. So it could have been much worse with Tom "couldnt mix an egg properly" Dowd being placed in charge of remixing. Wheew for that.
same article:
audiophilestyle.com/ca/the-best-version-of/the-best-version-of…-crosby-stills-nash-self-titled-debut-r826/
But if CSN had been recorded in another manner of clarity over ethereal feel it might not be the album we know it as now. Really does have rather a planetary travel kind of 60s vibe to it.
That article is pretty cool imo. Worth the read. “
Those were my thoughts and research back in 2022.
I think the album should be taken also in the time it was made. It really does capture some sort of hazy film of Laurel Canyon perhaps. Those country hippy halcian days. Not psych but more of the vibe of a certain area and coming together of three distinct cultures and persons in those guys. British pop/rock from Nash, rock with a Texas edge from Stills and free-spirited Crosby that was kind of the beating heart of the group. The sound if made perfect would not have given us that window into that time and a bit of history missed within the album.
Been hearing good things about the AP 75th, Ive got probably 6 or 7 copies of this so I dont know if I will pick it up right away. Ill let the reviews settle in.
Thanks again for your thoughts and review!
I remember reading this around that time! Thank you so much for reposting it here. Certainly explains a lot about what was going on in this creative process!
Hi Scott,thank you for your presentation,I am expecting the Atlantic 45 next weeks...I already have a Japan second pressing,the MOFI one step,the 180 Gr Grundman 2007 I think.My system consists of: DYNAUDIO -EVIDENCE TEMPTATION speakers,PASS LABS MONOS 600.5 / XP 20 PREAMP PASS LABS / KUZMA REFERENCE recordplayer,with Kuzma 4 POINT tonearm / MICROBENZ LP-S cartridge / AUDIO RESEARCH PHONO REFERENCE 2 / AUDIOQUEST cables..etc...All the best George from Romania
Hi George! So glad you enjoyed the video today. With a system like yours, you are sure to appreciate how much better this version is over most any pressing. When I end up downsizing my collection to one pressing per title, this is the one that will be staying!
Thank you Scott for this detailed and accurate comparison, as you said for this album the music overides the quality of the recording, and also many of the songs are present on the live albums, of CSN&Y such as "4 way street", with the beautiful harmonies. Your channel is the one to watch for great sounding records of the music we love... Thanks a million!!!
Thank you for watching and leaving this comment. I really appreciate the feedback on your impression of the channel. Glad you are liking what I'm trying to do!
Another wonderful video, Scott. Love the musical details. Intrigued. Will stream. Never heard the album before. Thx
Anthony! Where were you during the hippie era 😂!
Thank you for pointing out its flaws from the time period. I love how you break these recordings down and compare the multiple pressings.
Thank you for checking out this video! Always good to get some positive feedback!
Interesting. I have about 5 pressings of this now. The A75 is probably the winner here i agree. I could see me going back and forth on this. But the mofi is so darn clean and clear. Clarity clarity. I don’t hear the “distortion” in the voices you are hearing. The standing around the mic was the way they did it as they needed each other to keep it together. I remember Nash saying they did it this way purposely and didn’t use headphones because it messed up the harmonies. Recently I have been experimenting with several phono stages. These make such a huge difference in the presentation of the music. If I listen to em both on headphones….i almost edge to the mofi. The depth and sound stage is deeper on the mofi. I think a lot of this comes down to the artistry of the mastering engineer. Bernie’s stuff is always so smooth….rounded and full. Almost to its detriment. Not what the tape is. But the mofi is a lot drier and probably more like the tape. I didn’t hear this oddity with the organ. The organ to me sounds like it exactly should. If I listen with the speakers they all are a great listen. I originally thought the mofi had the balance wrong when I got it about 1 year ago. But it does sound pretty good. This is all subjective. But if I want to hear details. Which I normally want….mofi is the way. If I want something more full then the A75.
We're pretty much in agreement. My opinion of the MOFI is higher than when I first heard it. The clarity lends it a see into quality I can appreciate. I'm glad to have both now for all the reasons you mention. Not sure which is more faithful to the tape. It's great to have a choice in this case.
Thank you so much for commenting about this.
@@ThePressingMattersok. I listened again at high volume. I may prefer the mofi. The voices are so crisp and more real. I feel Bernie has too much bass. The mofi wins. sorry Bernie. In cans they are much closer. But with a proper speaker setup the sound stage is huge and deep with the mofi. Bernie’s is all too crowded. Mofi definitely focused on voices and brought them forward. Which we all want to hear. Also the mofi has much higher DR ratings. Bernie is kinda like dvd+ the mofi is like 4K. They are both great. But I think mofi using speakers. Both great. It is like 9 for A75 and 9.5 for mofi. They are close. But the mofi has more definition and spatial depth. Mofi tames that bass. Bernie bass overpowers the voices.
@@revelry1969I'll give both another listen. As I said, I found certain aspects of the MOFI to be superior, the clarity and separation in many parts is great to hear. I'm not parting with mine, and I hold it a bit higher than my original assessment. For me it's an alternate take on it.
I'll listen again and see if I can give a bit more detail in my observations.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it.
Excellent presentation, Scott. You really go into this recording's strengths and weaknesses in a knowledgeable and respectful way. Also, I have to give you kudos for your channel...stylish name and great vignette. Harald
Thanks for this comment! Good to get feedback that I'm on the right track.
All you said is so true about this classic record that has such an uneven technical presentation. Really a shame given the content. That said, this AP45 finally brings a best possible solution to us for $60 and the gatefold is stellar quality as well. Thanks Scott!
Thanks David,
To anyone reading the comments, David has an excellent video on this release as well. Please check out Safe And Sound Texas Audio Excursion to view it!
Really enjoying this new Atlantic 75 reissue. Looking forward to your take.
This was the first LP I ever bought as a kid! I still have that old pressing. As a kid, though, I didn’t handle it very carefully, it’s all scratched up.
Scratches aside, the A75 2x45 sounds way better. The jacket & packaging are gorgeous, as well.
l’ll be tuning in tomorrow after work. See you then!
Hi Ron,
So glad you stopped by and let me know how you are enjoying the new Atlantic. I won't give away any conclusions tonight, but I think you'll find it a very interesting video. Take care my friend and I'll see you tomorrow!
Fantastic review & comparison, Scott! Everything you said about the original recording rings true, and I’m happy to know your take on the different reissues.
I saw them at thé Olympia in Paris in 2015 and i was in à front seat. At thé end i put my LP on thé scène gâtéfold open that i had thé idea to bring it at thé concert, With à large ink pent . Nash made a sign to a Roadie to take it and they went With it Backstage and then they gave it back With thé three large signatures and Stéphan Stills gave me his guitar pick .. what a night!! I was thé only one in the audience to have that big big gift
Hi Micheal,
Thank you for sharing that wonderful story. What a gift!
I watched a video telling the story behind this album cover taken by photographer Harry Ditz (he also did Morrison Hotel, along with many others). I’ve copy/pasted from Wikipedia to save me typing out as this was the story he told. Great video as usual, Scott.
The photo was taken by their friend and photographer Henry Diltz before they came up with a name for the group. They found an abandoned house with an old, battered sofa outside, located at 815 Palm Avenue, West Hollywood, across from the Santa Palm car wash, that they thought would be a perfect fit for their image. A few days later they decided on the name "Crosby, Stills, and Nash". To prevent confusion, they went back to the house a day or so later to re-shoot the cover in the correct order, but when they got there they found the house had been demolished.
Hi Robert,
What a cool story, and to think we would still be talking about the image years later. A true "moment in time" that literally could not be duplicated.
Thanks so much for sharing that here. I'd never heard the story behind that image.
@@ThePressingMatters glad you enjoyed that, Scott. These little asides always add something to the album, I feel. I wish I could remember the video/documentary it was from as it had an interesting piece about the Morrison Hotel shoot too.
Also I must apologise to Mr Diltz for referring to him as the typing error, Ditz 😄
Finally got to listen to my copy last night and was highly impressed. I used to own the classic 33, but avioded the Mofi. Glad I did, as this is the warmest and most detailed copy I have yet to hear. Maybe not the best recording but the mastering does wonders in my opinion .
I agree, it is the best presentation overall on my system. Some do like the MOFI, and in certain aspects it is good. But for overall impact and natural sound the AP wins around here.
How fantastic are this series of Atlantic 75th series …most have really surprised me with how into them I am . I don’t have all but will probably get about 75 % of the series . How smart is that . I thank God I’m a non completest!
I'm very pleased with the several I have. Not planning to be a completist either but boy are these a dream come true.
I have the regular European Atlantic release, mastered by Bernie. There's so much bass, I have to put foam bungs in the rear bass ports of the speakers when I play it. The only record I have to do that with, I think. Sounds good then I do that though.
I have heard about this issue with that release. There are a few very low bass notes in the record, but it shouldn't boom throughout the record. Bernie's Classic 33 has this as well but the 45 is much better in that regard. Strange.
Congratulations! Very objetive and sythectic review!! Tô be complete, maybe the Rhyno edition should be taken in consideration.
Thank you Antonio! That release really wasn't in my radar until recently. I am curious about it. Do you have any thoughts on if it would be a contender?
Interesting review of my favorite album of all time. I respect your view of the sonics but must admit that the problems you mention rarely took away from my enjoyment of the music over the years, Looking forward to the AP version (on order) to compare to my other 4 copies , including the MoFi. Currently an OP Monarch pressing from 1969 is my favorite, but sincerely hope the new one earns that spot after your thoughtful review.
Thank you! Oh I still love the music, it's just that I'm more aware of recording quality than I was when I first heard this album. It's a timeless masterpiece, you will love the AP I'm sure
Well Done Scott. I have the same B.G. copy that you have and ordered the double 45 from Atlantic 75th Series last week. If the A.P. version is an improvement I will take that. Some other channels are giving it rave reviews, but I prefer your honesty. I hope when Deja Vu comes out it will become the go to copy. The addition of Neil Young makes that my favorite version of CSN OR CSNY. Take care.
Thank you, Tony. I'll be interested to hear what you think about it. In my opinion, theres no question it improves on the Classic 33, while retaining its tonal character.
This also has me excited for Deja Vu, another album of great material that could use a bit of help. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Great review Scott! Interesting words you use to describe these albums! Sadly the tapes are the tapes and yes that distortion you talk about is sadly evident! Also, as you said, if you don’t get too wound up in critically listening to these albums, you will have a beautiful, enjoyable experience! If you’re hung up and you can’t get past the anomalies of recording back in the late 60’s and 70s, especially when other instruments are present before multi tracking was around you will forever be disappointed! It is what it is🤣
Certainly is a case of "it is what it is!"
I feel my search is done on this one. Probably more than I need to spend on this album but it holds a special place and the beautiful moments are extraordinary. Thanks so much for watching, Matt.
Thanks!
Hi Tom,
Thank you for trying out the Super Thanks feature! I appreciate your support and am glad you liked the CSN video.
Hi Scott I do like your honest approach to these releases and this maybe one for the future , as I am snowed under with releases at the moment and catching up with ones I have missed . Chad has said in the past that the releases are going to be amazing for the next 10 years 😁👍🎉. Would like to know we're the UHQR are going to go after Steely Dan , we all had Ballads as a future release but what's next
Hi Tony!
Thanks for watching this one today. I hear you, too many great releases from every which way. Need more listening time rather than more records! But this release is a good one to keep in mind. I'm sure these will be repressed often and available throughout the campaign.
Not really interested in Ballads. I'm happy with the 33 that came out in the Acoustic Sounds Series. I'll get Gaucho for sure, and then who knows what they'll come up with. I expect they'll be a classic rock release soon enough. I hope it's something that hasn't been done to death!
@@ThePressingMattersthere are so many rock releases to do and like you I hope not something with 20 previous releases . Ballads is great at 40 pounds not sure I need to spend £200 for it again 😁
I have the Bernie Grundman autographed by the three Crosby,Stills and Nash
I've never even HEARD of that!! Wow!
Hey Scott,
I'm glad that you realize that the new AP version of CSN was pressed from the Classic Records metal masters, which Chad got when he bought Mike out and got all the CR masters. When is the last time you saw where Bernie Grundman scribed out his entire name in the deadwax? He's done just BG for years.
I have the original 1969 LP of CSN, plus other releases, including the CR 45 rpm version. If you go back and compare the CR 45 rpm version to the new AP 45 rpm version, you will probably notice that the CR version edges out the AP version. Why? Better vinyl and better pressing. The CR's 200g single-sided discs don't really have anything to do with it. I believe that when the CR version came out, they had already gotten in trouble with RTI, who would no longer press 200g 12"-ers. It was when CR resurrected an old So. Cal. pressing plant and took Gary Salstrom from RTI. I did have a problem with my CR version when I first got it. One of the record labels was wrinkled. After paying $55.25 to get the album to me from CR in 2005, I wasn't going to stand for imperfections. After that, CR inspected every record before sending them to me and they would also run the records through their record flattening machine. Normally, they charged $1. for all this, but they didn't charge me. Return and replacement postage would have cost them alot more. lol-Dan S.
Interesting. I haven't seen a comparison of both versions of this mastering but I believe you.when RTI got it right it was great! My AP was flawless so I'm finished with this particular album. Thanks for letting us all know about the original Classic 45.
@@ThePressingMatters I just remembered that I do also have the Mofi One-step of the album. I could immediately tell that the CR version was superior to the Mofi last March when I played it. I bought it from Music Direct. They sent me 2 replacements for the album covers inside the box because of sliding around during shipment, the spines of the covers were split. I have had this problem multiple times with the one-steps. When RTI packaged these, all they would have had to have done was to put the inner Mofi record sleeve that the records were in with the opening facing the old heavy paper folded piece. The records will still split the bottoms of the Mofi inner sleeves, but atleast it wouldn't split the inner album cover spines.
Oh, I don't think that RTI pressed the CR 45 rpm version as none of those records have the RTI numbers in the deadwax of my set.
@@ThePressingMatters Also, you spoke about the distorted organ. Right. CSN and about most every other recording artist uses the Hammond organ. Do you know how the Hammond organs work? They are electro-mechanical. There is a long spinning shaft with a bunch of gears on it. It is spun by a synchronous motor. There is a magnetic pick-up for each gear. The number of teeth on each gear determines which musical note it would make. So, because of this set-up, Hammond organs have a coarse sound. This can be noticed even more if the percussion switch it on. Like a piano, if you just tap on each key, the sounds ends the minute the key is released. If the vibrato switch is turned on, it machineguns each note. Then the organ is played through a Leslie speaker which breaks up the sound even more.
Because of it's unique sound from the operating system, a Hammond organ is easy to pick out in a recording.
It is common for the Hammond organs to be overdriven in especially rock music. There is no way that the organ won't be distorted.
I went to a Rolling Stones concert during their "Big Bang" tour. They had 3 absolutely huge Leslie-type speakers on stage. I don't know if they were all used by their Hammond organ, but it is common to run the guitars and vocals through them.
@@automatedelectronics6062 Regarding the pressing of the original Classics, it was an assumption that the were RTI. I thought most of the pressing for the label was RTI, maybe this was released during the "hand pressed" period?
@@automatedelectronics6062 Thank you for the information on the Hammond. I do realize this of course. I made sure to mention it is a built in distortion, inherent in the sound of the organ which you hear on countless recordings in jazz, gospel and rock. The rock music from this particular era did drive it hard and made it ecen more of a feature of the sound. To clarify, I didn't say it was recorded in a distorted manner, but that the inherent distortion combined with other distortions that are in some vocal parts add to the overall impression of distortion. There is nothing wrong with using instruments with distortion or using it for an effect such as the heavy distortion effects on electric guitars in this period. I was only trying to convey in combination with a less than pristine massed vocal sound, it didn't help the feeling there is a ball of dust collecting in the stylus LOL. I have to admit whenever I played this record over the years, at certain points I'd lift the stylus and check it!
Hey Scott, great review as always, I’m sure everything you say about this classic album is spot on and sounds wonderful, but for me the thought of changing sides after two or three songs on this recording is a deal breaker, it just spoils the listening experience. I was wondering if you knew if they will be releasing a 33 1/3 version of this mix, thanks for your thoughts, keep up the good work, honest and concise reviews, stay well
Thanks for watching! It seems when there is a simultaneous release at 33 in the Atlantic series, they are using some previous remastering. I don't think there has been one instance yet of a parallel remaster to a AP45. Judging on what I heard here, I don't think any 33 can match the 45. I totally understand the issues with 45 interrupting the flow, but it works well for me here. There are no segues or songs that were so long they had to be cut in half. It's just a bit of flipping to get the bump in SQ.
@@ThePressingMatters Thanks for your reply Scott, The more I hear how much better the 45 is then anything before it I’m getting tempted to flip, It’s such a classic piece, thanks again.
I'm not a fan of this band and don't own any of their music and never will. I gave you a thumb up for your very good presentation technique and your nice tube amp. 👍👍👍 Have a good week, Scott.
Thank you for watching anyway! I will have a good week, you too my friend!
So many thanks for this. Another channel reviewed it but only against the Classic version, no OG, no MoFi, etc. What's so good about that? As I have the OG (I'm old, what can I say?), and knowing its issues I have held off. Maybe this'll make me pick it up. But, I am looking forward more to the CSN&Y. I reviewed the 50th anniversary pressing, from a 24/192 file, and found it more or less was the equal to my OG, very nice, can't remember who did the master, Sterling? And while I am at it, I watch your vids because they are not only insightful with an extremely nice presentation, but you have very nice equipment. I stopped following some other folks when they revealed what their system was comprised of. Before I plunk down $60 or $150 I want to know how much better it's likely going to sound on my system. So, only by listening on a system that's comparable to my own can I get a sense of how it really sounds.
Thank you so much for your comments! I really do try present these videos in a casual, relatable manner, while being as thorough as possible within a limited timespan. I value people's time and keep them to 8-12 mins generally. Having key copies of these records is a challenge of course, and a very good system is a must. Certainly revealing what you are listening on is key for a viewer to know. There's a system upgrade coming soon that will give me even more insight into these shootouts.
I have a CTH '69 pressing that has sibilance in some passages. Did you notice that on the A75? Thanks for your detailed review. That's 2 (reviews) for 2, now. I really don't want to have to buy another copy... 😆
Hi! I hope you are doing well! I did not find anything to stand out in that regard, but I will take it for another spin and see if I can detect anything I may have missed and get back to you here.
Could you go into more why you think the AP 45 is the best way to go? You mentioned how much you liked the original, particularly its freshness. And you compare the Classic 33 and the two 45s, but I think you neglected to go into comparing the AP 45 to the original. Correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm trying to ascertain as to whether I really 'need' to spend $60 on this, whether it's more of an incremental improvement or a large one. Thanks Scott.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for your question. I should have been more specific on the differences between these two. Simply put, I do rate the original or early press I have highly because of a quality of presence and freshness. It's very natural sounding. Yet when compared to the 45, you can sense that it doesn't fully open up like the 45. The 45 still has most of that presence but more space and detail can be heard. It's more relaxed and just flows in a more beautiful way. The balance tips slightly to the warm side yet the clarity is still there. I would guess there's more compression on the original, and it works in some spots but for overall balance of all factors mentioned in the review, it edges out all others as a satisfying listening experience. I don't imagine most early pressings are as good as the one I had here. I think it was from 1975. It boils down to how important this album is to you I suppose. For me, it strikes the perfect balance and makes me want to listen to this album, and makes it a bit easier to overlook the shortcomings in the recording. The super clean pressing, absolutely perfect, certainly enhances the experience.
That early pressing was loaned to me and I'll put it this way - I don't feel compelled to go on a hunt for it. Not because it's not very good, it is, but I was more enamored of the 45, even at the steep price. When you consider what MOFI charged for the inferior One Step, the cost of the AP is a lot easier to digest.
Chad could have easily made this a UHQR, but we're fortunate this is appearing in this series instead. I think it fits better in the Atlantic 45 series, as it's not an audiophile recording to begin with. Considering also the prices of the out of print Classic 45 which if from the same plates, I think we have a winner.
Wait, you lost me right at the end. Did you say Classic Records issued this?...
Anyway, I own just an og and none of the others.
I stopped buying One-Steps after the digital fiasco.
I just can't buy $125 digital records, especially when I'm landing $30 all analog records left and right these days that are drop dead gorgeous sounding.
That said, I still have a couple One-Steps left after selling what I had...I was kind of angry at the time and wanted them gone 🤣
This new issue though, I think you didn't quite convince me to take the plunge. It is what it is!
I very much enjoy your channel. Don't know why I miss them. Need to check and make sure I'm subscribed.
Your system makes me envious...as I stated to you what I had on your Aja UHQR video.
But it's good enough for a poor boy like me.
Recommendation for you...
Chet Baker In New York on Craft Records 🙌
I do have Chet Baker In New York! Bought all four Craft reissues after hearing "Chet"
I agree we have a wonderful selection of reasonably priced reissues nowadays. Although this recording has issues, I'm not aware of any but an original that could begin to rival the Atlantic. It's a bit more than I comfortable paying, and I'll only do it for favorite albums. In this case I knew pretty much how this would sound from descriptions of the original Classic Records mastering.
This is a repress of that 45 from Classic
@@ThePressingMatters ahhhh....gotcha....thanks.
While I am aware that this is all subjective, I have a clean 1969 1st Monarch pressing and the Classic SVP/Quiex 33 RPM version. Regardless of volume matching, the classic sounds dead , veiled, diffuse in comparison - at least in my system. Its hard to imagine (and I don't feel the need to buy the 75 series to make this conclusion) that the 45RPM mastering by BG at the same time he cut all of these for Classic, and now revived as the 75 series would sound any better today even with QRP's great pressing. Nothing against QRP/AP/BG/Etc., but comparing this to the original , even in terms of vocals is not a good comparison, specially not with the Monarch cut - I don't have any other 1969 pressing to say that Monarch is the definitive version like many Atlantic releases of that time, but wouldn't rule it out either.
I would not rule it out either, especially if it's even better than the later 1975 pressing, which has many good qualities. Although I think the 45 is a great improvement over the Classic 33, which does have some issues, you might not appreciate it, as they share a similar tonal balance. I can say in my system it was the best listen. I would never describe it as dead, but the earlier "75 pressing as more lively, and the 45 as more relaxed. I hope you get to hear it some day, without having to buy one to find out it might not be to your liking.
@@ThePressingMatters In the absence of another copy, any one of these would be an end-game to some. It would certainly be fun to hear the 75Atlantic but the price of entry for experimenting isn't all that attractive at the moment. It is an incredible album regardless of pressing.
Thanks for the review. I’m torn about getting this release. I have the Audio Fidelity gold CD from a few years back and it sounds decent to my ears, but don’t own an analog copy of it. Just wondering if you think it’s worth the $60 in this case?
Hi Chris, I happened to be reading a bit last night on a forum about the digital versions and that particular release was praised by more that a few commenters. The recording is never going to sound much more than decent, so I think you may be all set with this one. If it's a favorite, and you want an analog copy I feel this is the best of what I've heard. Great pressing quality and jacket are icing on the cake.
@@ThePressingMatters thank you! I have a friend who just bought this release so I think I’ll bring my digital copy over to his place for a shootout.
That's exactly what I was going to suggest. Please let me know the outcome!
I just read a comment on the Hoffman forum regarding a comparison between the AF and the AP. It's on page 165 of this thread
Chad's Big Announcement -
I'll copy here what was said:
"I just received #706, Crosby Stills & Nash and quite frankly can't believe my ears. On CD I have the Audio Fidelity gold, Joe Gastwirt and the Rhino HDCD; on vinyl: the Rhino and the Summer of '69 series burgundy vinyl release. When I played this album up until now it was pretty much always the AF, the best by far; until now imo.
First off the front cover is not that bleached out photo that seems to be on every release now. It's also textured with the folded lyric insert which is nice touch. Dead flat vinyl and quiet.
Sound-wise I was literally blown away. That Leslie guitar coming from the right side on Suite is perfectly articulated. Percussion on Suite will bring a smile; it's snappy and in the room. Vocals on Guinnevere sound like a veil that I never thought was there has been lifted. The gnarly guitar fills on Long Time Gone have even more growl; you can hear every nuanced movement of Stills left hand as he's thinking of what to play to make the song. OMG the clarity; it's not like I'm "hearing new things", it's more like everything has been dusted off and shined just a bit. This release is a revelation imo; where a release breaths new life into a recording making it fun all over again."
Can't wait to hear about your shootout!
@@ThePressingMattersdid the shootout last night with my AF gold CD and the new AP 75th release. I still think the AP is a great digital presentation of this album but after three run throughs of the album, I was forced to bow down to the AP vinyl. It had more breadth and air, the vocals were cleaner and boy, was the bass punchier. I dont think it was an absolute night and day improvement over the AF gold CD, but it was enough to convince me to buy the vinyl. At least now I can continue to compare at my leisure! Thanks again for your review.
Unfortunately Crosby and Stills were heavily involved in producing this Album and David's drug use was over the top. There was arguing back and forth with all three of them and the sound of the record suffered a little bit. Awesome Review!!!!!!
Great comment. I suspected as much. It's interesting to compare the great leap in production and vocal quality by the time of the 'boat' album. Putting it in the hands of professionals made those harmonies sound better than ever.
I disagree with your characterization of CSN ‘s working relationship on this album. They in fact were in their honeymoon period during the recording of the record and got along extremely well throughout. They did have major personal conflicts later in their career, negatively effected releases like “Daylight Again” - with Crosby’s drug use a major factor. But the couch album was a labor of love. Even though they were very new in the producer role, their lead engineer, Bill Halverson is known for his excellent work in the studio and certainly captured the sound they were looking for.
Finally had the chance to compare the AP Atlantic 75, the MOFI One Step and the Nautilus No.48.
The music itself from this album is really very good, but the recordings are not great and certainly not audiophile.
I am very disappointed in the Analogue Productions version. This one sounds muffled and to my ears there is little detail. The MOFI, on the other hand, does sound detailed but has way too much treble. that doesn't really sound great either. Maybe in my opinion the good old Nautilus is still the best!
My friend Oswaldo would agree with you. I never had the chance to hear it but he came across it in his warehouse last week so I'll give it a listen.