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Analogue Productions announces May 21st release of ultimate Kind Of Blue LP

What makes this version the ultimate Kind Of Blue?

- Source is the 3-track master tape.

- The three songs recorded at a slightly incorrect speed (the multi-track recorder, unbeknownst to the recording engineer, was running slow!) have been speed-corrected. The speed issue was not noticed until Classic Records did their release of the album, back in the 1990’s. All pressings prior to that have the three songs playing slightly out-of-tune!

- Mastering done by Bernie Grundman.

- Analogue productions owner Chad Kassem acquired the rights to the UHQR name and process from MoFi awhile back. This LP is manufactured in the UHQR fashion at QRP, each LP being 200 grams of Clarity vinyl. Clarity vinyl LP’s have a opaque milky white appearance, the vinyl being 100% free of the carbon element in non-Clarity vinyl. The quietest LP’s in the history of LP manufacturing. The LP pressing cycle is a very long (by LP manufacturing standards) 1.5-2 minutes, allowing the warm vinyl to cool before being removed from the press. That time minimizes the chance of warped LP's.

- The album is a single disc that plays at 33-1/3. Hallelujah! I think breaking up an LP side into two halves destroys the flow of the music as it was meant to be heard. I prefer to sacrifice the small increase in sound quality that 45 RPM affords to keep the music intact.

- The LP is packaged in a deluxe box (each copy numbered), with a booklet containing historical information about the album.

The album is limited to 25,000 copies worldwide. MoFi’s 1-Step pressing of Carole King’s Tapestry album, announced a coupla months ago at a retail price of $125.00, has sold out prior to release date. Kind Of Blue is a much more sacred album in the minds of many music lovers, so if you are interested in this new AP pressing of the album, I wouldn’t wait too long to order it. It is listed on the Acoustic Sounds and Music Direct websites, but not on Elusive Disc.
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bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,393 posts
 

Sheesh, what grouch.

There's no reason one can't buy this LP, and as many other albums (on LP or CD) as one wishes. Since when is it one or the other?

Plus, some people don't have ANY copy of KOB, and want the version that will get them as close to the musicians as possible. Do they have your permission to buy this LP?

And, this LP is cheaper than a Better Records White Hot Stamper LP (look it up if you aren't familiar), and I'll make a wild guess than this version is superior to a WHS KOB.

Have you heard of The Electric Recording Company in England? They make limited-editions of extremely rare LP's, made using a completely valve (tube) system, and pressed in quantities of 100 or so. Priced at around $350 I believe, each release sells out in a matter of hours. The $350 price is a bargain, an original LP of the same title costing many thousands.

The KOB Classic Records issued in the 90's is an extremely sought after LP, fetching many times it's original price. Classic issued all the Led Zeppelin albums, and those LP's now command multiple thousands of dollars each. Their Zeppelin boxset (all the albums on single-sided LP's) trades hands for $30,000.

I guess you're just not a record collector, ay? It's okay, there's no shame in that ;-) .
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,247 posts
 
I think they have already milked “Kind of Blue” to death.  I have 3 versions and three is more than enough for me.  However, everyone is different. For example, I have 13 versions of DSOTM. Am I crazy?
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
Do I lose all audiophile cred by admitting I only own one copy of Kind of Blue, a regular production LP I bought in the 1970's? Which I still play more often than I should?
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,052 posts
 
Thanks for posting but I’ll pass, already own two great sounding (import) copies. 
audiodwebe's avatar
audiodwebe
207 posts
 
I don't know why people keep rebuying KOB in every new and improved format.  Count me out.  I've already got far too many copies (yeah, I know.  I was one of those who kept rebuying.)

The tapes are 60+ years old.  I can't imagine it hasn't degraded to the point where the earlier pressings will sound better.


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