All 9 Steely Dan albums to be released on Hybrid Stereo SACD courtesy of Analogue Productions

[jaybird100]

I thought about ordering these, but since they're not multichannel, why bother? I'm not willing to support Analog Productions' bias against surround sound.

 

[marpow]

Just getting my feet wet here and trying to understand.
I see Amazon has a 1999 pressed RBCD for $42.99, The Royal Scam.
No production notes.
Are the 1999 CD's the Nichols/Hoffman releases?

https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Steely...sic&sprefix=the+royal+scam,popular,152&sr=1-3

 

[fredblue]

Just getting my feet wet here and trying to understand.
I see Amazon has a 1999 pressed RBCD for $42.99, The Royal Scam.
No production notes.
Are the 1999 CD's the Nichols/Hoffman releases?

https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Steely...sic&sprefix=the+royal+scam,popular,152&sr=1-3

the 1999 CDs are Roger's last set of remasters. i prefer to stick to the original CDs he remastered from fresh digital transfers he did circa 1985

 

[marpow]

OK, 1985, I'll give a look to see if I can find either Amazon or Discogs, not saying I am buying, just looking.
BTW, Adam, you are awesome. When it comes to Steely Dan you "walk the talk", what an outstanding collection.

 

[Dynamic Editor]

If you have the patience, there's also this thread at Hoffman:
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/steely-dan-cds-different-masterings-the-summary-thread.561226
And I would recommend all of Josh Mound's painstaking "TBVO" columns, several of which are Dan-centric or Dan-adjacent:
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/the-best-version-of/

Aka "Rikki, Don't Lose Those Weblinks"

 

[fredblue]

OK, 1985, I'll give a look to see if I can find either Amazon or Discogs, not saying I am buying, just looking.
BTW, Adam, you are awesome. When it comes to Steely Dan you "walk the talk", what an outstanding collection.

thanks Markie mate i didn't include everything in that pic tbh as i ran out of room on the table there are variations on the earlier MCA CDs but in most cases i've found the differences scant. i'll grab the 80's CD catalogue info for you for each of the albums from Can't Buy A Thrill upto Aja (for Gaucho i just always play Scheiner's magnificent 5.1) and post back

 

[marpow]

Aka "Rikki, Don't Lose Those Weblinks"

OK, this is a great source, I of course do not know what the numbers mean, but as an example.
The thread starter on SHF, obviously knows, everything?
Can't Buy A Thrill, he says the preferred version is Mastering 3.
I copied his US choice: MCA MCAD-31192 USA (full artwork) / Matrix: 1AMCD31192 02 B
In Discogs I pasted MCA MCAD-31192.
THIS LINK POPPED UP
Then went to SELLARS PAGE and found significantly inexpensive prices for what is likely the best version?
Very interesting, need to do a deep dive into this.

Thanks all.

 

[dadregga]

There are tons of really good, really cheap masters of pretty much ALL these albums, so no, these SACDs aren't necessary for anyone to own if they already have those.

(I don't have all of them and I'm something of a SACD fetishist so I will be picking them up)

 

[fredblue]

OK, this is a great source, I of course do not know what the numbers mean, but as an example.
The thread starter on SHF, obviously knows, everything?
Can't Buy A Thrill, he says the preferred version is Mastering 3.
I copied his US choice: MCA MCAD-31192 USA (full artwork) / Matrix: 1AMCD31192 02 B
In Discogs I pasted MCA MCAD-31192.
THIS LINK POPPED UP
Then went to SELLARS PAGE and found significantly inexpensive prices for what is likely the best version?
Very interesting, need to do a deep dive into this.

Thanks all.

you can't go wrong with any of these for the Classic albums on CD upto & incl Aja

 

[fredblue]

you can't go wrong with any of these for the Classic albums on CD upto & incl Aja

View attachment 96055

Can't Buy A Thrill
MCLD 19017
DMCL 1769
MCAD 37040

Countdown To Ecstasy
MCLD 19018
DMCL 1654
MCAD 37041

Pretzel Logic
MCLD 19081
DMCL 1781
MCAD 37042

Katy Lied
MCLD 19082
MCAD 37043
MCAD 31194

The Royal Scam
MCLD 19083
MCAD 37044

Aja
MCLD 19145
MCD 01745 DMCL 1745
MCAD 37214

 

[stoopid]

I thought about ordering these, but since they're not multichannel, why bother? I'm not willing to support Analog Productions' bias against surround sound.

Not sure I follow the bias part, other than Gaucho I don't think any of the studio master tapes survived/are available for remixing into surround.

But I'm 100% sure I'm not buying the catalog again for more stereo mixes. The original mixes were good (great even), these guys set the standard for quality studio production and are still heralded to this day for meticulously produced albums. I can't fathom what needs improving on. This has the strong odor of money grab.

 

[4-earredwonder]

NOT that I'm board with purchasing AP's Steely Dan SACD remasters but I will say that in all the years I've been purchasing their Stereo SACDs, they have DELIVERED some sonic marvels. On a few occasions, they've even taken former 16 bit/44.1 original digital masters and have actually improved immensely on the sonics when even their former RBCD replications sounded FANTASTIC [The Cowboy Junkies' [Stereo SACD] TRINITY SESSIONS being one of them And bassist Rob Wasserman's DUETS being another].



I only wish they did include the extant multi~Channel remixes on some of them ...but alas NOT!

 

[fredblue]

Not sure I follow the bias part, other than Gaucho I don't think any of the studio master tapes survived/are available for remixing into surround.

But I'm 100% sure I'm not buying the catalog again for more stereo mixes. The original mixes were good (great even), these guys set the standard for quality studio production and are still heralded to this day for meticulously produced albums. I can't fathom what needs improving on. This has the strong odor of money grab.

multitracks for all their Classic albums were said to be held in the vaults, with the exception of the multi's for the Aja album which were incomplete, with Black Cow and the title track unaccounted for, although it was suggested Black Cow was subsequently found leaving "just" Aja at large.. what a track to have mislaid!

 

[stoopid]

multitracks for all their Classic albums were said to be held in the vaults, with the exception of the multi's for the Aja album which were incomplete, with Black Cow and the title track unaccounted for, although it was suggested Black Cow was subsequently found leaving "just" Aja at large.. what a track to have mislayed!

Nice, even more reason to hold off on any more SD purchases pending the eventual dusting off of that material. Has Fagen sold the catalog yet like so many of the aging out artists have? You know whoever buys those tapes is diving into them first thing.

 

[humprof]

multitracks for all their Classic albums were said to be held in the vaults, with the exception of the multi's for the Aja album which were incomplete, with Black Cow and the title track unaccounted for, although it was suggested Black Cow was subsequently found leaving "just" Aja at large.. what a track to have mislayed!

Do you remember when and where that suggestion surfaced...?

 

[fredblue]

Do you remember when and where that suggestion surfaced...?

think it was D.F. himself who said it turned up in a drawer in Gary Katz's office or something? maybe he was just 'extracting the urine'.. Donald Fagen? naahhhh.. it's still missing isn't it!

 

[bookofsaturdays]

OK, this is a great source, I of course do not know what the numbers mean, but as an example.
The thread starter on SHF, obviously knows, everything?
Can't Buy A Thrill, he says the preferred version is Mastering 3.
I copied his US choice: MCA MCAD-31192 USA (full artwork) / Matrix: 1AMCD31192 02 B
In Discogs I pasted MCA MCAD-31192.
THIS LINK POPPED UP
Then went to SELLARS PAGE and found significantly inexpensive prices for what is likely the best version?
Very interesting, need to do a deep dive into this.

Thanks all.

Surprisingly, that’s true for a lot of band’s catalogues. The original 80s pressings usually available for pennies nowadays have superior mastering than to modern remasters.

The trick for SD is trying to find the Hoffman mastered CD’s for Katy Lied and Aja. They look almost identical to the Nichols master (which actually isn’t too bad at all FWIW) other than a few distinct identifiers.

 

[marpow]

you can't go wrong with any of these for the Classic albums on CD upto & incl Aja

View attachment 96055

You the man, we got to get you in the ie club.
Rickie, Ralphie and Markie.
What you guys think?
@4-earredwonder
@cbmmm3

 

[key_wiz]

Surprisingly, that’s true for a lot of band’s catalogues. The original 80s pressings usually available for pennies nowadays have superior mastering than to modern remasters.

The trick for SD is trying to find the Hoffman mastered CD’s for Katy Lied and Aja. They look almost identical to the Nichols master (which actually isn’t too bad at all FWIW) other than a few distinct identifiers.

Is there really any discernible difference between the Hoffman and Nichols masters? Everyone seems to only look for visual identifiers rather than what they can hear.

Sometimes excellence can’t be improved upon.

 

[fredblue]

You the man, we got to get you in the ie club.
Rickie, Ralphie and Markie.
What you guys think?
@4-earredwonder
@cbmmm3

i'm already there!

yours Quadraphonically,
Freddie B.