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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.
128x128bdp24
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,411 posts
 
@jafant: Sounds like Kind Of Blue is to you what The Band’s s/t (brown) album is to me, or Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks’ Smile album---even in it’s uncompleted, aborted form. I have a half dozen copies of each, Smile on bootleg LP’s before the 2011 boxset was released.

Pet Sounds is another album whose multiple copies take up considerable space in the record rack. I found my first copy (mono) as a sealed/punched-hole cut-out in early ’68, in a drug store for 59 cents! After the success of Sgt. Pepper, all the record company's were dumping their mono LP’s.
tablejockey
3,771 posts
 
"Well gents, the Analogue Productions UHQR Kind Of Blue LP sold out yesterday. 25,000 copies in less than a month! 25,000 copies of a $100 record; AP generated 2.5 million dollars in sales with one release!"

It would be interesting to see how the $ number break down. Who gets paid along the way, and the final net in C.K.'s wallet? 

Also  will be curious to see in the coming months listings the  LP flippers 
will be posting.
jafant
18,798 posts
 
bdp24

I do own the Smile box set plus several copies of Pet Sounds as well.

Happy Listening!
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
@bdp24 I'm excited for this, but confused and a bit anxious over whether or not I'll be receiving a copy. I ordered from AS on 5/12. My order confirmation and online account list it as "BACKORDER". The page to order the album (as of right now) still says "PREORDER". So where does  "Sold Out" fit in? 
Can anyone explain, how their new backorder policy applies to this situation? If I ordered on 5/12, paid $100, have a "BACKORDER" confirmation, and now shipments are going out, should I be expecting a shipping confirmation or an order cancellation soon? Cheers,
Spencer
bdp24's avatar
bdp24 OP
9,411 posts
 
@sbank: Your anxiety is understandable! I just looked on the Acoustic Sounds website, and, sure enough, it is still possible to order a copy of KOB. If the album is sold out, why would they allow another copy to be ordered? Makes no sense!

However, as you ordered your copy on 5/12---way before the sold out announcement was made, I’m sure you’ll get a copy. You could give them a call tomorrow (Monday) and ask.

You (and I) won’t get a shipping notice until our copies actually go out. QRP continued pressing LP’s (about 300 per day), but what is holding things up is the delay in getting the covers in from Stoughton Printing, who are running a few months behind. I believe Acoustic Sounds ships in the order received, so first-day buyers will get their copies first. I ordered from AS on the second day, so it may be a few weeks or more ’til my copy is shipped. The copy coming from Music Direct will be even later, as I suspect AS is filling their direct customers’ orders before shipping to other retailers.
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