latheofheaven

Sad reality is that mediocrity has become the norm whether it be the record producers or the radio producers. These two groups are most risk adversed Is that the Japanese pressing you like Vapor Trails Remixed (WPCR-14997) or the original (AMCY-10015). Is there actually a little more headroom or is it just a slightly different EQ? I use this website: http://www.southtexa...cd_masters.html as a tool to get information on versions of albums I do not have and as you can see they seem to think that the Japanese Clockwork Angels (WPCR-14471) is identical to the US Roadrunner version. I have three versions of Clockwork Angels (Canada 6682521722, UK CRP10-06-12 (which has a different sleeve), and the US Vinyl 1686-176561). They all sound the same to me, with obvious variance between vinyl & CD. I also have the 24 bit digital files, which are mastered similarly. That website looks like a Rush Stoner's paradise!������ Well, it has been a LONG time since I've visited this thread, but in my lowly and wretched way I have honestly learned a LOT about Rush pressings on vinyl by now :) I have the remastered / remixed version of Vapor Trails, and although not necessarily the ultimate job in mastering, I can say that on my system, which is pretty discretionary, it sounds quite good and a HELL of a lot better than the original, so I highly recommend the newer remastered pressing on vinyl if anyone is interested. FWIW, here are some of the better (best?) vinyl pressings of theirs that I have acquired since I've been here and that I can remember off the top: S/T: try to get the G.K. mastering (it's in the deadwax runout) Fly By Night: (same) Caress of Steel: Now, THIS one almost gave me a nervous breakdown since tracking down the 'best' vinyl pressing on this particular album and it's first pressings are EXTREMELY difficult. IF you can track down a bonafide very early US pressing, that is one of the best ones (I got SO bloody obsessive with finding the 'best' pressing of this album, I ended up buying like 5 different ones! :D) The newer remaster that was released is not too bad IF you turn the volume up very high. The way Sean Magee mastered these, he applied kind of an odd balance tonally between lows & highs. On my system (which is tri-amped with two Dual-Mono amps running the highs individually for maximum separation, and a Crown running the subs) I have to set the Crown a tad higher and boost both above normal settings in order (for me anyway) to get the right tonal balance. 2112: JAMF pressing is considered the best (either from Canada or the US) although I also have an odd 'Truetone' pressing (it's stamped in the deadwax) that I feel is also quite good. AFTK: JAMF pressing Hemispheres: I do not have a specific opinion on this one. Many like either the 1st UK pressing ('TRIDENT' in the deadwax) or the new remaster. Permanent Waves: 1st UK pressing Moving Pictures: Any double 'RL' pressing (it's in the deadwax) I have the 1st Dutch pressing and it frigg'n ROX!!! :D Signals: 1st US (possibly the new remaster; I've not heard it...) Grace Under Pressure: New remaster Power Windows: 1st US Presto: New remaster That's about as far as it goes for comparative pressings on vinyl. I have the newer remasters of some of the later albums, like the 2-LP versions of both Counterparts and Test for Echo, and again, with tweaking the increasing the volume somewhat, they both sound pretty good. And, of course as I mentioned above, the newer remix of Vapor Trails is a BIG improvement. I hope that helps... :)

Ah, I'm glad you posted these. They're not showing up properly here on the board, but the links are in my notification e'mail :) ***EDIT Ah, there they are now! I'm ashamed to say that even though I have over 2100 albums on vinyl and around 10,000 albums in FLAC on HDDs, AND even the fact that I'm a frigg'n guitarist!!! I've never ever really checked out his stuff. So, this will give me an excellent though WAY overdue opportunity. Thanks mate! :D

GEEZ! I must be going senile...! YES, of course; I have every one of their bloody albums! I've seen Tony Levin both with and without King Crimson and he frigg'n ROX in this (did you forget to mention him....??? :D )

Heh... you can say THAT again!

Good point! Probably because it is kind of a one song anomaly rather than a group to recommend for primarily instrumental stuff.Frigg'n AWESOME song though! http://lathe-of-heaven.com/Rock%20On2.gif

DUDE!!! How could I POSSIBLY have forgotten them...???!DAMN STRAIGHT! Seriously, out of all of these mentioned here, including my own suggestions, you just can NOT go wrong with Ozric Tentacles! I have just about ALL their albums in FLAC and I have yet to hear ONE bad song! :D THE GREAT PROGHOLIO indeed! You bloody deserve that title mate! http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif

And, yes, thank you SO very kindly for your helpful input... http://lathe-of-heaven.com/I%20Fart%20in%20Your%20General%20Direction.gif

IIRC, their stuff sounds REALLY great!

Keith Richards @ #4...???!! I'm sorry... I didn't realize that this was a POSTHUMOUS list of greatest guitarists... http://lathe-of-heaven.com/laughter.gif

Oh, and for Zappa, of course THE album to get would be 'Shut Up and Play Yer Guitar', but on the album 'Ship Arriving too Late to Save a Drowning Witch' (the one with 'Valley Girl' on it) there are two songs that are among my very favourites. One called 'Envelopes' and the Title track is indeed one of his most outstanding!

DAMN! I frigg'n meant to mention them and I forgot!!! :D YES! YES! YES! For those who are unused to their jazzy style, I would recommend starting with 'Procession'; it has a bit more of a modern sound to it.

Heh... too bad this is ALL about digital... Sadly none of this helps me personally.ONLY interested in vinyl pressings, sorry... Seems like many here, though, ARE indeed finding this helpful, so that's good! :D

Hmmm... well sorry guys if I wasn't supposed to do this. Just figured that since this is a RUSH forum, that maybe someone here would want it. I have no use for it, so I thought if someone wanted it for their collection and wanted to trade something. I wasn't really trying to 'Sell' it here, just offered it if anyone wanted it. I have no interest in making a 'Profit' on it, thus my offer to trade. If someone has, say, a duplicate of a pressing that I may want, and they happen to want this one, then I thought that way we can both get something that we want and don't have, that's all. Just seemed logical and practical. I've always been one to 'Trade' movies, Blu-rays, albums, whatever. Never really been interested in selling albums. Again, my humble apologies. Probably won't ever come up again :)

OH HELL YEAH!!! http://lathe-of-heaven.com/zappa.gif

http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif YES!!! http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif http://lathe-of-heaven.com/yes.gif

ABSOFRAGG'NLUTELY! :D

Hello! Well, I went ahead and ordered (from Amazon - they sent it in a nice, big protected box) the reissue of this album. It is brand new; I only just now opened it and played part of Bastille Day. I don't really care for this particular mix as compared to my other pressings of it. I have NO idea at all it is is okay to mention trading albums here; so, if it isn't, please by all means let me know. Sooooo... I don't quite know what to do with it. I paid about $26 for it at Amazon, which is pretty normal and what anyone would basically pay for it new & sealed. I was thinking that if anyone here would want it, that perhaps if anyone happened to have a duplicate pressing of, say, 'AFTK', or 'Moving Pictures', for example, where it is in like Near Mint condition (since mine is brand new) but of course nothing that would be extremely valuable or expensive, but maybe a UK, Japanese, or German pressing in excellent or better condition (don't care quite as much about the condition of the cover, necessarily...) But, something that would be a nice upgrade for me for another U.S. Rush pressing that I have, or even perhaps a UK or Japanese or German pressing of another group that is in excellent or better shape where you would have either another pressing that you like more or where you have duplicate pressings and can part with one in trade for this one (King Crimson would be nice, for example - would LOVE a nice Import pressing of 'Discipline') So, I thought I'd throw that out here to see what you guys think. Any suggestions of course are fully welcome. Thanks guys!

Thanks! Yeah, I've found after collecting vinyl for over 35 years that mostly UK, Japanese, and German pressings are almost invariably always better. But, that's why I just wanted to make sure and check here where I'm sure a number of you avid Rush fans will almost certainly have some of these and will be able to let me know, or even specifically give your impressions on how the new reissues compare sonically to the original or older vinyl pressings. And, YES, just from an aesthetic viewpoint, all this frigg'n STREAMING and 'Instant Media' crap is HUGELY annoying! I know, it honestly does indeed have it's place and is very useful for many people. But, like David Lynch said, 'I don't want people watching my movies on a F-----n telephone!' :D I'm quite an avid movie collector and videophile too. I am more forgiving with video in the sense that in this case I don't mind some augmentation or what I may personally perceive as 'bettering' the image, which I have done a number of times, even with Blu-rays using AVS script, etc. With Audio though, I am much more of a purist. For serious listening, NO digital, NO EQ, no NOTHING in between the signal and the drivers, or as little as possible. Not sure. I've got a bunch of German, Dutch and Japanese pressings and some 2015 pressings, but not a full set to be able to compare much. In general I've always thought Japanese pressings were superior to everything, but I don't know if that holds true over the last 15 years or so because I don't have much pressed that recently. I also don't have anything close to state-of-the-art equipment so my experience likely won't be able to help you much anyway. Well, hey... it sure sounds like you still have a LOT of pressings mate! :) All the major stuff was done over 15 years ago anyway... I appreciate ALL the input and help I can get, believe me! :D

Hmmm... I had no idea that in Europe it was harder to figure out where something was pressed... That would really make it tough all right!

Oh yeah... I was just going through my list, and I had forgotten that I have a Blu-ray-A of Alan Parsons' 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' I had forgotten :) I THINK I also have an import of it, but I will hafta check.

Oh yes! I have many MOFI discs, mostly the original ones that came out 25+ years ago :) Recently though, I went down to San Diego (I live about 30 mile north of there) to a record store that I really like but that I hadn't been to in a few years (it's called 'Record City') and darned if a guy hadn't JUST brought in a brand new, sealed Mobile Fidelity Miles Davis 'In a Silent Way'! IMMEDIATELY before taking a single breath I yelled, 'HOW MUCH!' The guy is a friend of mine, so he actually gave me what I felt was a surprisingly good price. Only $20! Needless to say, I think I heard a thunderclap when I broke the sound barrier getting my wallet out! :D I have a frigg'n BEAUTIFUL print of Alan Parsons' 'I Robot', which in my lowly and wretched opinion is the best album he ever did. I believe I have a Japanese pressing of that (my friend also had a MOFI of it too, IIRC) But, I still do have quite a few of his albums. Seems like I have his first album, the 'Poe' one in some kind of special pressing, but I don't remember off hand.

Oh yeah...!

Lathe and I must have been separated at birth! LOL!Yeah, and YOU got all the money and good looks you B@stard!

Good point! Usually LOTS of Xtra excellent stuff on the CDs. I have TONS of it on my HDDs :)