Harry James, The King James Version


Due to someone who recently mentioned this LP, and what a great recording it is, I decided it was time to give it a listen. I hooked up my SET 300B, tube preamp and phono stage, Garrard 401, Dynavector arm, and Zu Denon 103R, and was just floored at what I heard. Since I've been terribly lazy lately, I haven't listened to vinyl much at all recently, so it came as a shock to hear again how good a great slab of vinyl can sound.

I don't recall my digital front end ever getting my attention like this did. Shame on me for being so lazy. I've learned my lesson, and I will treat myself to much more analog in the future.

Regards,
Dan
Ag insider logo xs@2xislandmandan

Showing 7 responses by rodman99999

btw: I was just kidding about the wall, but- that album’s no joke.  Happy listening, all!
Would that all in the music recording/mastering/pressing industry, inherited the ears and talents of Doug Sax(RIP). Sheffield’s I’ve Got The Music In Me, Growing Up In Hollywood Town and The King James Version, are my most prized/cherished vinyls(love those boxes, too). Especially, when I’m in the mood to test my system’s dynamic range. They were limited/numbered editions(the Direct To Discs, anyway). Sucks, that you lost them(divorce can be akin to virgin rape). Just about impossible to find unmolested/cherry replacements, for a lot of things. Sheffield made tapes of their D2D sessions and when the D2D stampers wore out, released some of what they called their Sheffield Treasury records. Perhaps you can find some of those and get back most of the enjoyment. ie: https://www.discogs.com/label/226373-Sheffield-Treasury
Here’s another excellent, extremely dynamic(virtually 0 compression) recording(D2D/45 RPM), from Crystal Clear(remember them?): https://www.discogs.com/San-Francisco-Ltd-San-Francisco-Ltd/release/638481 If you want to test your system’s Bass response, find Crystal Clear’s, ’The Fox Touch’, Vol 1. The Ruffatti pipe organ, in Garden Grove, Calif. is KILLER(Especially on Toccata and Fugue in D Minor).
@rauliruegas -  I love the way they captured the auditorium's acoustic, too.   Immense, with glorious Sabine Constants(a well designed venue).   If you care for New Orleans style Jazz, at all, try the San Francisco Limited vinyl.
@marqmike - I haven’t raised the roof yet, with Thelma/Pressure Cooker, but- I did manage to crack a plaster/lath wall. It was probably a little weak, to start with, though. No lack of dynamic bottom, on that disc, either!
@mr_m - ".... I found the Treasury Lp’s somewhat lacking. Especially, in dynamics." YEP, not quite as good as their D2Ds, but- still had much of the Sax/Sheffield touch intact. I have couple of their demo CDs, but- prefer the Treasury presentations. No comparison(CDs), to the D2Ds(alas). I certainly do miss that excellent team and their vinyls!
Just an observation here, but- I’ve always found this an interesting phenomena: https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2015/05/is-it-live-or-is-it-edison/ (Then again, those WERE Direct to Disc recordings!)