What's the Latest MATRIX LP/CD Added to Your Pile? SQ, QS, RM, EV

[MyCuff]

Nice find for the money! Which country is yours pressed in? I see Quad LP pressings for this one from UK, Germany, Australia, all over!

It was listed as the UK pressing EMI Harvest Q4SHVL 781. Makes sense as other UK pressings of this album seem to be "clean" on the front cover and the SQ quad info identified on the back side of the cover. I am not sure which version is regarded as superior but UK pressings in general trump everything else for me. MY DSOTM is also a UK Harvest pressing - Q4SHVL 804.

As a side note, I find it interesting that deadwax info is much rarer on quad pressings. I am always critical of stereo pressings based on who the cutting master was (love those wally pressings and porky prime cuts) but hard to apply that standard to quads.

 

[fredblue]

John Dawson Winter III - Johnny Winter (SQ LP).

 

[fredblue]

John Dawson Winter III - Johnny Winter (SQ LP).

View attachment 22365

View attachment 22366

View attachment 22367

View attachment 22368

View attachment 22369

Wow.. this pressing is so bright and shy of low bass, its quite a shock how skewed towards the top end it all is..

I may have to EQ it when I get round to Motu-ing it, which I hate the idea of doing any sort of tinkering to these old records, its a bit of a last resort tbh, I like to hear them "as is" you know..?
..but this is just too upfront for my liking, its painful in places.. possibly my speakers are resolving more of the mid and higher frequency information than old 70's speakers or maybe the monitors they mastered this record on back in the day.. i dunno?)..

..so, more bad news.. side 2 is badly pressed off centre (GRRR..!! side 1 seems fine.. but the arm moves horizontally/laterally back and forth wildly with the grooves on side 2.. how does this happen where one side is ok but the other not? I don't know anything about how you press LPs, I just know how to play them!) ...anyway, sadly, what it means is just about everything with sustained notes on side 2 (and there's a surprising amount of things apart from his guitar work which it generally doesn't have much if any audible impact on) has so much speed wobble on it, it totally does my chuffing noodle in (guess I'm mega sensitive to it).. ah well..

..now onto the good stuff.. the sensation of space around his (at times extraordinarily fluid, it literally just pours out of him, even on a throwaway piece of fluff like "Love Song To Me") guitar work is remarkable compared to the stereo..

I've no idea if this was a big seller back in the day (something tells me it wasn't?) but AF should seriously consider this one for Surround SACD, the mix is fabulous and the whole album has such hugely infectious energy (no doubt bolivian marching powder fuelled!) it gives you the world's biggest smile while it roars away..!

..even though there's not that many layers of things going on musically the mix is lovely and active (vocals hard in the rears on "Raised On Rock & Roll" are wonderful and the mix on that track itself is one of those old Quads where - and this is even thru "lowly SQ" - the front and back are so wildly discrete its almost like two different records are playing at once in each pair but somehow it all comes together as a wonderful whole.. superb)..

"Stranger" is a good SQ test with the reverb on his vocal doing its thing nicely delayed from front to back seemingly with no problems thru the Surround Master (and what a guitar solo.. gorgeous)

oh and "Mind Over Matter" may be bright (like everything else on this record) but its so beautiful, so much so you can screw the speed wobble -- I don't mind and it don't matter..! haha.. keep on rocking up there Johnny.. one great tribute to you now you're gone would be for Audio Fidelity to release all your Quad mixes in stunning new Surround SACD quality for the first time. I'm wishing hard.

 

[Quad Linda]

It's entirely possible that the cutting head was way out of adjustment when they did the side 2 laquer.

Here's how vinyl records are made:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/record-player3.htm

I've found lots of SQ records that were bass deficient.

Raised on Rock was also done by Helen Reddy on her Free & Easy album, which I also have in Quad.

Mind Over Matter is a KILLER track, although I prefer the King Biscuit Boy (aka Richard Newell) version, which came out a year earlier in '74. It wasn't mixed in Quad, but it was produced by Alan Toussaint, who wrote Mind Over Matter. I have a 2ch LP and a Japan CD of it, which to my knowledge, was the ONLY CD release. Toussaint also played the same role on Labelle's Nightbirds. Newell is backed by Toussaint, The Meters and Dr. John on the album. :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJAXkggXHx0

View attachment 22371

Musically, JDW III has its' moments. Still, there are several JW records I like better, including the Quads Still Alive & Well and Saints & Sinners. His eponymous Columbia album is my favorite. It was mixed for Quad, but never released. My favorite track is Dallas, which is just him and his guitar. How the hell do you mix that for Quad?!?! Those kind of tracks are the reason the Quad never got released, even though others like Drown in My Own Tears that have a horn section and are easy to mix in Quad.

View attachment 22372

View attachment 22373

View attachment 22374

"So much shit in Texas, you're bound to step in some. Going down to Dallas, get my razor and my gun..."

 

[fredblue]

Thanks for all the great info as ever Linda, you're a legend :upthumb

 

[fredblue]

Lotus - Santana (Japanese SQ Quadraphonic 3 X LP set).

 

[fredblue]

More pics of the Lotus SQ Quad package..

 

[fredblue]

Oh and would you believe it, there are actually records inside this thing.. (Phew! )

 

[fredblue]

Various bits of paperwork inside the Santana "Lotus" SQ package all in Japanese, with explanation of SQ Quadraphonic system and other titles available on the format..

 

[Quad Linda]

The Lotus LP's fade out/in as you transition from one LP side to another. The CD's, which are also SQ encoded, do not fade out and in at what would be the end of the LP sides.

LP=Latin Percussion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Percussion_(company)

A wonderful live snapshot of my most favorite 70's group (along w/ Loggins & Messina.) I've seen Santana live at least 8 times.

A great package. It looks like you have everything but the OBI strip.

The only thing this set is missing is video. Then, you could have seen Armando Peraza flip his cap while he soloed on his congas. RIP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armando_Peraza

 

[quicksrt]

It's entirely possible that the cutting head was way out of adjustment when they did the side 2 laquer.

Here's how vinyl records are made:
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/record-player3.htm

I've found lots of SQ records that were bass deficient.

Raised on Rock was also done by Helen Reddy on her Free & Easy album, which I also have in Quad.

Mind Over Matter is a KILLER track, although I prefer the King Biscuit Boy (aka Richard Newell) version, which came out a year earlier in '74. It wasn't mixed in Quad, but it was produced by Alan Toussaint, who wrote Mind Over Matter. I have a 2ch LP and a Japan CD of it, which to my knowledge, was the ONLY CD release. Toussaint also played the same role on Labelle's Nightbirds. Newell is backed by Toussaint, The Meters and Dr. John on the album. :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJAXkggXHx0

View attachment 22371

Musically, JDW III has its' moments. Still, there are several JW records I like better, including the Quads Still Alive & Well and Saints & Sinners. His eponymous Columbia album is my favorite. It was mixed for Quad, but never released. My favorite track is Dallas, which is just him and his guitar. How the hell do you mix that for Quad?!?! Those kind of tracks are the reason the Quad never got released, even though others like Drown in My Own Tears that have a horn section and are easy to mix in Quad.

View attachment 22372

View attachment 22373

View attachment 22374

"So much shit in Texas, you're bound to step in some. Going down to Dallas, get my razor and my gun..."

I seriously doubt the cutting head was out when they cut that side. Most likely the stamper was simply not screwed down correctly for that one side before they pressed up that batch, and so one side is off center for that one run of this title.

If I am transferring an LP to digital and a side is off, I take a pocket knife and scrape the inside of the spindle hole until enough of it is worn away and I can drop the LP on the platter and straighten enough that it plays without drift.

This album is mixed or and mastered brighter than most, but it's a great album IMO, many don't think so. It's the last of his rock & roll albums before he would get totally into the white hot and blue blues almost for good.

 

[quicksrt]

Lotus - Santana (Japanese SQ Quadraphonic 3 X LP set).

View attachment 22392

View attachment 22393

View attachment 22394

View attachment 22395

View attachment 22396

Lotus is a collector's status symbol sort of. Every good rock collection needs this album in the collection. The last run of these in Japan was the "Rock 100" series, I remember seeing them at Tower Records for $17.99 new in mid 90s. I should have bought several extra sets to flip later. Such a stunning and extravagant package.

One poster in another forum mentioned that he put it on in the hi-fi store he worked at in the mid to late 80s because Carlos Santana was coming into the store. Carlos was a regular. But instead of being flattered, Carlos asked him to never play that album again in the store, and that he can't stand to listen to it because all he can hear are the mistakes and bum notes all over it!

Lolololol!!!!!

 

[fredblue]

The Lotus LP's fade out/in as you transition from one LP side to another. The CD's, which are also SQ encoded, do not fade out and in at what would be the end of the LP sides.

LP=Latin Percussion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_Percussion_(company)

A wonderful live snapshot of my most favorite 70's group (along w/ Loggins & Messina.) I've seen Santana live at least 8 times.

A great package. It looks like you have everything but the OBI strip.

The only thing this set is missing is video. Then, you could have seen Armando Peraza flip his cap while he soloed on his congas. RIP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armando_Peraza

Oh I love a good fade in (not fade away..!) ..indeed, well spotted, it is missing the obi sadly.. ah well.. it was £7.99, I can't complain if its got all the other superfluous bits and bobs.. it would be a nice bonus if the records themselves play alright, they look to be in decent shape but if they're not I'll just put on the SQ CD and pretend its the LP by fading out every 4th track.. :ugham:

 

[fredblue]

I seriously doubt the cutting head was out when they cut that side. Most likely the stamper was simply not screwed down correctly for that one side before they pressed up that batch, and so one side is off center for that one run of this title.

If I am transferring an LP to digital and a side is off, I take a pocket knife and scrape the inside of the spindle hole until enough of it is worn away and I can drop the LP on the platter and straighten enough that it plays without drift.

This album is mixed or and mastered brighter than most, but it's a great album IMO, many don't think so. It's the last of his rock & roll albums before he would get totally into the white hot and blue blues almost for good.

Oh I always make sure the stampers screwed down properly before I press up that biyatch..

Yes, the hole enlarging trick.. I must try it someday... a knife sounds like a painful tool for the job, maybe I'll drill it

 

[fredblue]

Lotus is a collector's status symbol sort of. Every good rock collection needs this album in the collection. The last run of these in Japan was the "Rock 100" series, I remember seeing them at Tower Records for $17.99 new in mid 90s. I should have bought several extra sets to flip later. Such a stunning and extravagant package.

One poster in another forum mentioned that he put it on in the hi-fi store he worked at in the mid to late 80s because Carlos Santana was coming into the store. Carlos was a regular. But instead of being flattered, Carlos asked him to never play that album again in the store, and that he can't stand to listen to it because all he can hear are the mistakes and bum notes all over it!

Lolololol!!!!!

Ah.. collectors items are great to look at.. but how does it sound..! Time will tell..

Great story about Santana btw..! :upthumb

 

[atrocity]

If I am transferring an LP to digital and a side is off, I take a pocket knife and scrape the inside of the spindle hole until enough of it is worn away and I can drop the LP on the platter and straighten enough that it plays without drift.

While they may not have been the best record players, I do miss the old Garrards (and probably others) that allowed your choice of single-play or changer spindles. Because, of course, that also gave you the choice of NO spindle. It was frustrating and tedious to try to get everything lined up, but it only had to be done once while recording the tape...

 

[fizzywiggs41]

A little Nektar on the German label.These two discs were issed in separate stereo and quad editions back in the day.It may be that they went single inventory quad later but I am uncertain.If your a collector you should be aware of this.And in Britain, this disc was released in quad single inventory on the United Artists label, however I found that Down To Earth was SQ one side and stereo the other.The copy I had (British) used the BELLAPHON BACCILUS metal stamper, plus an etched in UA #.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

And some QS PYE discs





Worth noting The Top Brass disc has some tracks quad and some just stereo.

 

[krkier]

I have never seen Bellaphon Bacillus stereo copies of quad releases here in Germany.

-Kristian

 

[quicksrt]

And some QS PYE discs

View attachment 22451View attachment 22452View attachment 22453View attachment 22454View attachment 22455View attachment 22456View attachment 22457View attachment 22458View attachment 22459



Worth noting The Top Brass disc has some tracks quad and some just stereo.

Is it possible that the Gilbert O'Sullivan also has a track or two not mixed to quad? On never mind, it's not a Gilbert album, it's covers of his tunes.