I was looking ALL OVER for your channel on here just a couple of weeks ago especially since I've been an avid watcher for 6 YEARS now. I'm glad that I've found you.
For this series, we absolutely need your take on Cut at Half-Speed at Abbey Road ( Roxy Music, The Police Greatest Hits, Velvet Underground, some McCartney titles) - please?
Paul, I wouldn’t mind that either. I’ve bought my share of them, and find them to be hit or miss. Some great. Some awful. The difference is kind of odd
So you guys are hitting on something I do plant to attack with this series ;) While I don't a have all of the albums you're calling out Steven, I do have several of Abbey Road's masterings which, if I can get away with it, I will try and do a sound comparison. It can really be hit or miss what I can get away with on RU-vid. Many artists/labels will outright block you when you try and post samples. Thankfully, I could get away with these two in this video. The artists/label might get a little bit of ad revenue from it. I don't monetize my channel's content so I don't care but I am happy if they get a few bucks or sales from my postings.
@@BarakaPDub That’s great, Paul. I’d love to see you look into this difference in quality between 1 to another, and how it just doesn’t make sense or add up. On a positive ending note, the 33rpm Abbey Road half speed mastered mono Disraeli Gears and the two discs at 45rpm of INXS’s Kick album sound fantastic, but I think we’re all aware of the unfortunate Sticky Fingers debacle. lol
@@BarakaPDub I’d happily send you one on my dime, perhaps the Velvet Underground half-speed master and/or a Rolling Stones half-speed master…but would need to know where to send…
Right now, the first thing is trying to figure out what I might be able to get by with a sound sample on RU-vid. I have one of the Stones Half Speeds but the last time I tried to use them, the video was blocked.
I have a Friday Music copy of Boston's debut album cut by Joe & Kevin Gray and in my opinion, it beats the original Wally version as well as my Japanese pressing. I would buy any Friday Music release with Kevin Gray attached to it all day long. Another great video. This series is awesome.
Thanks Melinda and I am super jealous of your Boston debut. That's one that's on my want list and I already have three copies of that record ;p It already sounds great to begin with but having the Kevin Gray touch would make it extra special.
This is a super Saturday evening special surprise. Great to see you back Paul. Friday Music Pressings. I think Ron Beaudry did a video on these pressings a while back. I cannot remember how I commented on it. I can't even remember if I have any of them. I will check. But first. I will let you fill me in on them. It sounds like the Kevin Grey pressings are the ones that sound the best. Anyways. Time to check out the video. If anyone can convince me that these are worth grabbing it would be you Paul~ Rob/Boston
Ha ha...I vaguely recall Ron covering this ground too. I will have to go through his back catalog to see what he says. To me, these pressings are a nice alternative for anyone that can't find a good clean original. While the sound is different to the original, I wouldn't say there is a big night and day difference between the two. Thanks for watching, as always, Rob!
The second disc sounds brighter on the LRB album. Moreover, Friday Music 🎵 titles are made equal as those cut in Europe. I do like bright, clean sounds on vinyl.
Thanks Karl. So far, if I pick one of these up, I feel pretty confident that the sound on it is going to be reasonable. Especially, if Kevin Gray cut the record!
Hi Paul, always nice to see you posting a new video! I was lucky to find a very clean original copy of Dreamboat Annie a few years ago. It’s such a great album… Wow, I’m wondering when Kevin Gray takes the time to sleep; this guy seems to be involved in every ‘’audiophile’’ vinyl reissue 😂😂. It was nice to get an audio comparison (great needle drops BTW). Both of the original pressings and Friday Music’s reissues sound pretty good IMO. Thanks for sharing and hope you’re well 😊
The good thing about Kevin is he is passionate about his job so I am sure he works long hours. But if I was surrounded by such good music everyday, I would have a hard time leaving it too. I am happy to hear you found a good clean original of Dreamboat Annie. I find them about a third of the time when I am digging and every time I have found one, its shown the signs of being well loved. Take care Eve and I am enjoying your joint videos.
Morning Paul 👋🏻☕️....I was always a little suspicious of my first few Friday music albums, very good to see you, I have that Guess Who comp too! And I agree w all you say here......NO one covers these topics like you do Paul 👏🏻thank you for all you share here about said album, hoping all is well sending peace and light- Lis 😎🎶✊🏻
In general, I would say the ones I have haven't been too bad LIs. For me it's a nice alternative if you can't find a good clean original. The Heart album is one that I always keep an eye out for when I am digging. Every single copy I have found of Dreamboat Annie has been at best VG. To me, that really speaks volumes of the album in question if you have a hard time finding a clean copy. Thanks for watching and glad to know you have that same Guess Who compilation.
Hi, Paul, love your channel! I have Bat Out of Hell (KPG, red wax), Mr. Tambourine Man (RM, clear wax), Fifth dimension (RM, red wax), and Beck Ola (RM, green wax), and they all sound very good to me! The only comparison I can make is for Mr. Tambourine Man as I also own the original mono copy. The mono copy is more punchy but the FM stereo is not a slouch. I do have to say that I have only bought these records because of the mastering by KPG and RM. Otherwise, I would probably pass on the FM titles, just like I do on most of the pre-1990 music titles by MOV. Cheers!
Honestly, I am taking the same stance now with Friday Music. If I don't see the KPG in the deadwax or hear he cut the lacquers for the record, I am going to take a strong pass on it. I wish Capitol hadn't cut their lacquer cutting division. No more RM cuts which is just sad. Thanks so much for watching and commenting Richard.
Hey, Paul! Great to see you back. Hmm….also a mastering engineer? Suspicious. I only have 2 Friday Music records, and they sound fantastic to me, but I also have no reference. In your recordings, the Wally did sound more dynamic with a bit more bite, but the Friday Music had a kinda bounce to the music. I’d also say that an original / WB or a Friday Music pressing would likely be fine based off of your needle drops, which were excellent as always. Thanks, Paul
Thanks Nick. For me, I heard marginal differences in both but if I had only one pressing, I would be satisfied with an original or the Friday Music pressing. I am finding these to be a nice alternative if you can't find a good clean original. I should kick myself though for not trying harder to find a good clean Fogelberg in the dollar bins ;)
Hey Paul! So sorry again this took me so long to get here! I did not know about those SPARS codes before. Yes, with vinyl, this should be a requirement to list the source! I'll have to see what pressing I have of Heart's Dreamboat Annie. I have a feeling it might not be original but it's one of my favorite LPs. Ah, that best of the Guess Who is essential. I have a copy that is somewhat beat up. I'm happy with just that comp from them, too! LOL, that Dan Fogelberg poster addition! Kevin Gray is the man! I think I maybe have 4 or 5 of his in my collection. Very nice spotlight on Friday Music pressings!
So the Guess Who might be making a return of sorts if all works out ;) And another crappy poster is in store ;) It's up there with the Fogelberg which I wanted to pin to the bedroom ceiling but the wife said hell no! To me, have a creepy beardy guy look down at me would keep me honest ;p Sort of like God looking down at you. As for Heart, I would take any pressing of that album because it's one that I pick up every once in awhile to rock out too.
Liking the new series you got going on ........ like a continuation of the "Tales of the Dead Wax" series. ..... liking everything from Fridays so far, except for the Foreigner Greatest Hits.... but hey !! its greatest hits and not made from the original master tapes is my guess..... The Meat Loaf Bat out of Hell skyrocketed in price after he passed away....... I just did a video on the three Ohio Players albums Fridays recently reissued, but that Montrose you're holding there.... is one stellar sounding record ..... when I first got it, thought my neighbors were going to have our block renamed ..... "Rock Candy". Only thing, like you were saying the jackets aren't what you'd expect from Analog Productions or something of that nature.... but still a quality product.
Thanks for letting me know you're making videos! I just subbed you. I may not be able to watch all of the time since I can only do about 30 minutes of RU-vid at best in a given day for work and family reasons. I guess I am not surprised about Bat Out Of Hell. I missed out on that one and I am curious if Gray cut that one. Don't know how long I will be able to continue this one since the source material will only let me go so far but I think I have a couple of more videos in me for this run.
@@BarakaPDub Thank you for subscribing. I try make some more videos soon when get the new GIK acoustic panels. Always love your video series. fantastic job !!
I have that Dreamboat Annie- it is really good. Great video. I thought the samples were close, maybe a little more top-end in the Friday Music versions.
Thanks Paul RS. So good you have a copy of the Dreamboat Annie. Since it's been out of print and has Kevin Gray tagged to it, the prices have gone up. I thought the sound samples were pretty darn close in both cases.
I am a good 'acquaintence' with the President / CEO of Friday Music (Joe).... I have always felt the exact way that you described everything about the label and about him, that you described LOL. Hes a nice guy and very talented, but he exagerates a bit. To me Friday Music rides-the-fence. I don't hate their product - it's not bad at whatsoever, but it does not live up to the hype the label markets itself with. Their CDs sound really good. I agree with the idea that SPARS Codes should also be put on vinyl packaging like it is on CD packaging. It's a "WALLY" in the deadwax!!!" hahaha. If I had to come to a conclusion, I think that Friday Music puts out super high quality pressings and I like them, but I don't think they should be placed in the same category as AP, MoFi, IMPEX, ORG, Hi-Q, MPS, Reference, Groove Note, etc. - I think they they are more on the level of Sundazed, Now-Again, Dusty Groove, Light In the Attic, Ryko Disc, etc. - reissue labels that put out 'above average' pressed and packaged Reissue/Remasters but aren't quite tip-top audiophile. Whata you think? - TONE
I am really curious about the Friday Music CDs. One of my COVID, lockdown chores was to put all of my CDs in Discogs and do a hi-res FLAC rip of them all in the event of a hurricane. When I scanned through my collection, in prep for this video I found that I didn't have one at all. I might pick one up for curiosity. You're absolutely right about the other labels you mentioned like AP and MoFi. It just makes me wonder what's holding them back from going there as I think they could end up selling better in the end. Put it on a Stoughton Jacket, be transparent about your sourcing, hype your mastering engineers name and it's bound to sell better. IMO, Joe should just put his name down as the Friday Music Reissue Producer. Sundazed is a label I want to cover in this series and they are comparable in quality.
Paul, man it is always great to see you throw up a video! Im a give me comparison samples kind of guy so I truly appreciate your efforts. I came to the same conclusions after listening as you have. Ones I can recommend are the Boston and the Bat Out Of Hell. The later is difficult to find now unfortunately. Im with you on I wish Joe would just get KG to do all of these. Or Ryan, Chris or Bernie. What I would really like to see also is a complete Friday Music list of all the ones KG cut. Ive never seen anyone break that down. If I might make a request. I would love it if you would do a comparison video of the new mono/stereo reissue of John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" (Bernie has confirmed this reissue is done from the masters and that KG was the mastering engineer). Still Id be interested in a comparison video from you. Thanks man. My favorite type videos in the VC and you do them the best!
Hello john. Thanks for such a great comment and kind words! So I have sought out that pressing of the Boston album because KG cut it but man o man, it has skyrocketed in price. While I would love to have it, I already have three copies of that record ;) On your request, I'll consider it. I have Bernie's ORG cut of the album and I am curious to hear what they did with the Mono. I also have the ERC Mono cut which is something I would love to see how it compares to Bernie's cut since they are both using tube amplification. I don't have an original though...which I would love to get but like the Boston...I question myself if I want to pay the price for it.
Good to see you again! I have Friday Music pressings of the Moody Blues core 7 and early Mountain (Climbing! and Nantucket Sleighride) along with other artists and bands. I didn't pay attention to the mastering, so I need to go back to them and check that. I have not been disappointed with Friday Music so far. I haven't bought any in the past two years in fact, my last purchase was the remastered "All Things Must Pass" (which I like but phil spector ruined me! The ethereal sound of the wall of sound seemed to me to give that album a more spiritual perspective) which I got for myself for Christmas this past December. Thanks for the heads up on Kevin Gray.
I think I have read somewhere the Moody Blues albums have been really well done. I may have to check one of those out sometime as I do like the Moody Blues. I picked up the CD version of the remaster as I wasn't sure how well the new remaster was going to be received. I have a good clean original of that one and I didn't want to spoil it from how I remember hearing it. Thanks for watching Ole Rocker.
@@BarakaPDub the only core 7 album that I have that is not Friday Music is "Days of Future Passed" which I have an original MoFi and a Decca British pressing. Those early Moodies albums were great prog and psych rock. After Mike Pender (keyboard, mellotron) left after "Octave" they got really pop. Good talking to you again.
Love this new series, Paul! Soft rock, huh? HA! That's not easy for any guy to admit! That Muddy Waters album is AMAZING! Kevin Gray is truly the master! Looking forward to some more videos with these type of comparisons.
Thanks Terri. I like a lot of things that would be deemed uncooled by the mainstream but I really don't care and I am not ashamed either. I would be ashamed if I did hang up the Fogelberg poster on my wall though ;p. I am thinking about where to go next.
Paul, always good to see new stuff from you. Agree Friday Music doesn't get enough of a good look, not sure if that is a lack of full transparency. Anytime you do an A/B I always listen with my eyes away from the screen as to not be swayed. LRB, I can hear that wider dynamic range in Wally's cut, which keeps a great fidelity but I did think the harmonies weren't as clearly defined as they were in the FM copy. That could be from age/wear or truly in the mastering. Montrose, that was close. A touch more clean tone in Ronnie's guitar on the FM, but that may or may not be a good thing. I think that one was pretty hard to call a favorite on. Totally agree I would love to see more of a rating on the mastering/cutting on these newer presses, but with so many having issues with "digital sources" that might be a bad thing. I talked about that too on my reissue video, and there are arguments for both sides.
Hello Tim! Hope you are doing well. Yeah, the lack of transparency is likely deliberate but I think if they made a few tweaks to their model, I am betting it would garner more sales by those that are skeptics. Honestly, I think the Friday Music pressings are a good alternative to those that can't find a decent used copy. With the LRB, I probably could have survived without it but I bought it not knowing I had an original Wally on my shelves already. The Montrose I picked up thinking the KG cut would be better than my OG but it turned out it really wasn't that far off of the WB pressing. I think many people freak out on digital sourcing and while it is true some can be terrible, the same can be said of analog. Sometimes, labels really are using the master tapes. They are using something that might be 3 or 4 generations removed. To me, if the mastering and pressing is well done, it shouldn't really matter if it's digital or analog. If the either the mastering or the pressing is screwed up, even if you're using the original analog tapes, then those two can be deal breakers. I am happy Friday is hitting some of the late 80's and 90's metal records as OG's of that material can fetch high dollar and in that era, vinyl was not the priority to have done right. Something I hope to hit on in the next video ;)
Great video Paul! The Friday Music pressing of Boston and Don’t Look Back (both mastered by Kevin Gray) are phenomenal. I have the Wally of both and I think the Kevin Gray cuts sound better
Brilliant suggestion: SPARS Code for vinyl. Until that happens, if you want to hear a new vinyl LP that is all analog ....check out "Calling Cadence." The band's self-titled LP is all analog: recording, mixing, mastering - just like they used to do it back when I was a teenager in the 1960s. Great channel Paul. Love your videos!
@@BarakaPDub Also, check out "No Filter" by Jerome Sabbagh & Greg Tuohey. Recorded live to 1/2" two track analog tape in 2017. No edits or overdubs. Cut by Bernie Grundman directly from the analog tape.
Never heard of Friday Music but judging from your examples I’ve missed nothing. Good to hear from you again Paul, much appreciate the effort that you make.
To be truthful, the pressings haven't been a night and day difference but it is a nice route to get a new clean copy if you can't find a good original.
@@BarakaPDub Not quite my meaning , I was thinking that I’d missed nothing on the music front 😂 Soft rock, equally as bad as West Coast rock, Eagles, Steely Dan, CSNY etc. All terrible (to me anyway) Great to hear from you but let’s have some proper music next time! Not audiophile but anything from Rocket Recordings, Fuzzclub, Coldspring, etc. Apologies for my prejudices.
Ha ha. No worries Ron. I'll have to figure out how to work in a newer finds video to cover that territory but the next one will feature some 90's grunge albums if that's more to your liking.
I only own one Friday Music release. I recently bought a new copy of Linda Ronstadt's Mad Love on hot pink vinyl. I'm not sure if its actually from the analog tapes or digital, but it's gorgeous, flat, thick, quiet and dynamic. I was skeptical, but quite pleased.
I really don't think they are bad for what they are. Especially, when trying to find a good NM original can prove difficult with some titles. Thanks for commenting on your experience with the Ronstadt album.
Cool little series you have here. Friday Music pressings, I got Alice Cooper/Hey Stoopid, Poison/Look What The Cat Dragged In, Deep Purple/In Rock and David Lee Roth/ Eat ‘Em and Smile and they sound great. The packaging I must say it’s pretty nice especially that they are gatefolds. I actually prefer the meddle drop from the Montrose “unknown master”. Cheers bro JC/Miami
Thanks JC for watching and commenting. I am tempted to pick up a couple of those that you mentioned. Deep Purple in particular because most of the early Deep Purple LPs I've found in the used bins have all been beat to hell. The gatefolds are a nice touch so I am content, for the most part, with what they are putting out. Cheers!
I have the first US press of Yes 90125 and it sounds friggin fantastic. There’s something about that record, I always had it on cassette and that sounded exceptional, then I got a Rhino remaster on CD, and that sounded just as good, then i picked up the LP first pressing, and man, that is the stuff. My favorite modern Yes album, then Close to The Edge, and 69’ Self Titled. I’m not sure what to think of Friday Music. Thanks for exploring this topic and requesting the 3 box Spars code for vinyl. Great idea.
So the funny thing about 90125 is my father bought it on cassette to play in his truck on long drives. He bought it shortly after the video for Owner Of A Lonely Heart broke on MTV. I think the cassette stayed in his truck for a couple of months before I snuck it out there and played it non-stop for myself. It was such a well produced album that anyone that has a little bit of mastering knowledge should be able to do it no harm. I am with you on Close To The Edge being their magnum opus. Thanks for watching Mark.
Paul I have a clean original of dreamboat Annie and a nautilus pressing both sound great the nautilus is always available on ebay usually priced reasonable, worth hearing
Thanks for commenting Joe and it's funny you mention the Nautilus pressing. I have bid on several on eBay and have always lost at the last minute. Dreamboat Annie, after hearing this pressing, was one I wanted to do an extensive comparison of but I gave up on the idea after running out of space for new records in the house. Maybe I need to go back and seriously pursue a copy of that pressing of the album.
Dreamboat Annie is a stellar album. I got lucky and landed a flawless original before the big vinyl explosion. I dig the Guess Who but don't need the catalog. The Best Ofs Vol. I & II cover the heavy hitters. I'd like to see some Chess get a topnotch treatment.
Hello Eric. First of all, how are you doing? How has your recovery been going. I do enjoy it when you've found the time to make a video. Glad you were able to find an original of Dreamboat Annie. I've always kept an eye out on digs but the best I've found is a VG copy and call me a snob, I can't cross into VG territory, no matter what the album is. It does speak volumes as to how well regarded the album is though. Glad you feel the same way about the Guess Who ;)
I don't know what they were thinking with the poster. Even back in the day?!? I mean KISS...sure, why not. Yes or Kansas, you have the killer artwork that's suitable for a poster but Fogelberg??? What the hell?!? Even the Fogelberg fans wouldn't put it up on their wall.
@@BarakaPDub my 8th grade shop teacher loved Fogelberg..i used her screen printing set up to make Rock and Roll Over T-shirts that she made me promise I wouldn't wear to the show😁❤
@@BarakaPDub my Mom has Keith Urban posters and framed pics all over her house, to me that's more horrendous than ten Fogelberg or even Eddie Rabbit posters..
The Music On Vinyl pressing of the Best of The Guess Who is absolutely Fantastic! No need for an Analogue Productions or Mofi on that one. I don’t really care for Friday Music pressings. I have a few of them and they all sound sterile and lifeless and obviously digital to me. With the exception of the Dreamboat Annie. That does sound excellent.
Dreamboat Annie is my favorite thing that they have cut. I don't know if you saw my MOV video but I do a shootout between their Guess Who and the Friday Music pressing. Thanks for watching Thomas.
Hi Paul. Very informative video. I do not own any Friday Music edition. But a friend of mine, owner of a record store here in Lyon, says very good of these. I am a big fan of Yes and of course I think « Close to the Edge » is a masterpiece BUT I really love « 90125 ». It’s, for me, one of those albums that are good from start to finish. I also love « Talk » very much. As for your comparison ; I do find the FM a little crispier for both records. But not as much as to de-naturate the original. Waiting for the next video, now. Peace -Patrick
Closer to the Edge...hell yeah! I love that one and Talk too. Talk was actually the last album that I did pick up from Yes. I am hoping I might be able to get out one more video at the end of this week. Thanks for watching and commenting as always Patrick.
Soft rock yeah but Fogelberg😵💫🤓😎. I’ll cut you some slack. Great feature. Friday is a label I keep forgetting about even thought I have some. Can’t wait for your overview of Three Men with Beards. I’m partial to Wally T. Welcome back ❣️
Thanks Mazzy for cutting me some slack ;) I am waiting for the tomatoes to be virtually thrown on the Fogelberg but I make no apologies. Wally is just like Ludwig to me. If I see one of his pressings in the used bins, I grab it and know that I have a good record. By the way...watching you Jazz Vinyl Tag response in parallel to responding.
Thanks for the info on Friday Music, I don't think I have anything from them in my collection. They sound like generally decent reissues but maybe not Audiophile. I hope you are doing well.
Thanks Wes. I think they're a good alternative if you can't find a particular classic rock album. But in the case of the Fogelberg, maybe I should have hunted around in the dollar bin a bit more ;)
Ive had that Dreamboat Annie KPG cut in my wantlist for years, hope it gets repressed or redone by him someday. Would love to hear the Kansas Leftovertures as well. I do have the Yes Album Friday Music 45 Box which sounds great.
Hello Leon. I am betting the Dreamboat is going to be repressed as I've noticed the Friday Music titles usually have a come back. The Montrose album is the perfect example of it. It had been out of print for several years and then it just received this repressing on red wax. I too would like to get the Leftovertures album repressed again as I would pick that one up for sure.
@@BarakaPDub me too. I think they are very good, but when I compared the VMP Meters - Rejuvenation to the orig I was disappointed, so who really knows. They certainly go for ‘audiophile’ prices!
There was definitely a difference in the Montrose, especially in the lower end.,but I agree that both versions sound good. The LRB I really heard no difference.
Thanks Bill. I am happy that the ones I could compare, to my ears, the differences have all been marginal. It makes me feel good that I am not wasting my money on a bad pressing of the album.
I thought the "originals" sounded better in both cases. I have four but none of the ones you showed. Hey the SS has been busy lately it was a very pleasant surprise to see you.
Hello Richard and you're right about the SS. I have been busy with a lot of things in the background and had my hands in a lot of the recent things, including the launch on Thursday. For the Little River Band, I do give the edge to the original. The Montrose for me was a bit of a toss up.
I have Ray Charles - What Can I Say on Friday Music which is also mastered by Kevin Gray. It’s decent. I think they are fine if you can’t find an original as you said but I always prefer the original label.
Yeah...I have a few OG Ray Charles but like Heart, most of the ones I've encountered from that era are pretty beat. Call me a snob but if a record isn't at least VG+, I typically steer clear of it. These are a nice alternative. Thanks for watching and commenting Matthew.
Hey Paul, Great video. Friday Music....these guys are pretty hit and miss I find. It's all dependant on who does the cuts. Kevin Grey obviously is the "go to" guy...but you bring up a fantastic point. ..source material. Now you just said that your Dream Boat Annie sounds incredible. ..chances are it's cute from a 192/24 bit digital source. Now at the end of the day does it really matter? You said it sounds great. That sound be the bottom line. There are plenty of albums that were cut from analog tapes that sound terrible..again ...it depends on the guy who is cutting it. Oh and I have US 1st pressing of Yes 90125 cut by Robert Ludwig. Sounds fantastic. I can't imagine Kevin Grey doing a better version to be honest. Oh and Joe Regosi (not sure if I spelt that right) ... I find that his name usually comes up on CD reissues from Friday Music. I got a Yes shows CD from Friday Music and it sounds decent. Nothing earth shattering but decent. Anyways looking forward to more videos. Hope you are doing well. Mark Anthony K Projekt Gemineye
I didn't know that Bob Ludwig cut 90125. If he did, then I am going to have to seek out an original if I can find one. I am happy Friday has put out a few more Yes titles. I am pretty sure they did Talk and Union which were pretty rare to find on vinyl. I don't have any of the Friday Music CDs at all and that's really where he started was the CD realm. I hope you are doing well Mark! Thanks for watching and commenting as always.
I have a few Friday Music pressings. The ones where Kevin Gray is involved are all great. A couple of the Ron McMaster ones are great too. That is the only thing I can definitively say about Friday Music.
Thanks Kevin for watching and commenting. The Kevin Gray cuts are pretty renowned and the after market proves it. The Heart record is triple the price now on Discogs. Thankfully, Friday has been pretty good at doing repressings of their older albums.
@@BarakaPDub Thankfully I have a mint original Canadian pressing of Dreamboat Annie but I’d love to hear the Kevin Gray. Interesting that a lot of the albums we are talking about with Kevin Gray masters seem to be really well recorded in the first place. The Heart album is a perfect example.
I would say give a little time. Friday has been doing a repress cycle of many of their older records. I am thinking this one has to be on their list to redo.
I have some of the Byrds albums that were done on Friday. While I think they sound ok, I personally think the ones done by Bob Irwin at Sundazed sound better. All subjective, I suppose.
Interesting David. I find that Friday isn't transparent about their source material but Sundazed is. Both companies have used a variety of mastering engineers so I think those two factors will play into what you're hearing. Sundazed is a company I plan to cover in my next video.
Good stuff Paul, I remember the SPARS codes were a 'thing' CD-wise back in the day, but I eventually got frustrated trying to focus on AAA CDs. 😜 I doubt my ears or gear are on par with yours, and I'll agree that AAA record reissues are likely to sound great, but I think some folks get too obsessed with the pedigree. I don't have anything by Friday Music, but I always thought favorably of them. Cheers, Tom
Thanks Tom. Yes, people do get obsessed with the pedigree of the records and it's funny, back in the day when CD's were being released, my opinion of the SPARS Code was completely reversed. If I didn't see an all DDD recording, I thought it was going to be crap. Now that I am much older, I am not sure wiser, I thinking a digitally sourced album on vinyl can sound good but it's all in how it was recorded, mixed, mastered, and pressed. If someone screws up in one of those links in the chain, then there is no saving the record; sort of like the Clash set you just covered.
@@BarakaPDub Completely agree. The Hoffman Forum can be entertaining though; you can have ten people in a row say a particular pressing sounds great, but then someone always chimes in to ask if it is all-analogue. How it *sounds* doesn't even seem to matter to some - the pedigree determines their opinion.
I agree completely and that's one of the reasons, I don't pay attention to the Hoffman forum as I once did. It's all going to boil down to personal preference. And even still, most of these are just a hair apart from one another in terms of their overall sound quality.
Interesting review. My experience with Friday Music was very different. I had heard good things about the label and picked up "Close to the Edge" and found it flat and overall disappointing. I guess they all can't be winners, eh? However, it sounds like if you get a release from a mastering engineer like Mr. Gray, you may end up with a good LP.
With them I do think it's key to find out who did the mastering. Usually, with Kevin Gray, you can bank on getting something good but sometimes the pressings are missing the true mastering engineer credit. Even Discogs is lacking on some releases which is frustrating.
My complaint with Friday Music records is the quality of the vinyl its`self. It seems every time I purchase a Friday Music release the vinyl is noisy as can be with pops (even after deep cleanings.
I hear you there! A lot of their earlier pressings they used Rainbo to plate and press their records. Rainbo was just down right awful. If you see a S-XXXXX number in the deadwax, then you know it's a Rainbo press.
Ive got to tell you "Music On Vinyl" is the best audiophile pressings and many titles are better than Craft and Mofi!!! The attention to detail with the artwork, the poly-lined sleeves and the recordings themselves are beyond reproach!!! I have an original DBX pressing of the Dreamboat Annie and it is so incredible its like the band is in my house!!! DBX Discs are the real deal and over 100db of dynamic range is for real! If you have the system to reproduce it well worth the money!!!
Music On Vinyl can be good and incidentally, I may be hitting on them in the next video. I have mixed feelings about them and their business model which I hope to go into a little more detail in the vide. As for the DBX recording, I am betting it's pretty killer. That's one I would love to come across.
Friday Music has been hit or miss IMO. All of the albums that I've bought have been good quality; but the I would only consider about half of those I have to have audiophile sound. Many are blown away be their original pressings. The couple of Yes albums I have from Friday sound amazing, as do the Bowies from about 10 years ago. I put them on the same level as MOV. Better quality wise than your average record, but I would definitely put them a few steps below AP, MoFi, etc.
Great comment. They are definitely not AP or Mofi and I do equate them to MOV. The good thing about MOV though is that they never claim to use the original master tapes. 99.5% of the time with MOV, your getting digital sourcing.
Does “Music on Vinyl “ Audiophile?? I’m thinking NO! Would love you to delve in here because I would like to know more I won’t buy from them anymore because I feel they gauged me once but!! Never again until I know “the know” thank you - Lis 😎🎶✊🏻
I love their Dreamboat Annie. Even though I haven't been able to find a clean original, I haven't been too hard pressed to seek it out because I've been so satisfied with their release. For Empire, I have nothing to compare it to as I've only had it on CD for the longest time. Thanks for watching The Vinyl Archivist.
I saw a picture of him with Mike Love, so I am already dubious. From what I understand, the cutting head loop is almost always digitally at this point (if that means anything). I am flabbergasted any of these were re-released when they all sounded fine when they came out and can be gotten cheap even today. Ooh, I actually didn't like the Kevin Gray cut.
I don't mind digital sourcing so much at all as long as the mastering is done well. Yeah, part of this take away was for myself to see was it really that much more and it wasn't. With the Fogelberg, I could have dug around in the dollar bins a bit and I am betting I could have found a NM copy. The Heart on the other hand, I have no regrets. Everyone I've ever found in the used bins has been extremely well loved. I've never been able to find one here that rated a straight up VG. Thanks for watching Kris.
Hey Paul. Good vid. Now what would you do with a Heart poster? There isn't enough of a difference in sound on those particular albums for me. Some classic albums I will take some pops n clicks if it sounds great besides since I'm okay with going for quantity as well as quality. Heres my take on a Boston Friday Music comparison: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rqdtra2DhN4.html
Thanks for forwarding me your comparison Steve. Incidentally, I got confused there for a second after responding to so many comments on the MOV video. I am really hoping Friday will do a repress of the Boston albums. I really want the Kevin Gray cuts but I think I already have three copies of their first record. I am okay with a tick or pop here or there but when it starts to detract from the music, I get a bit annoyed.
If you read a bit more of the opinions of them online, they have been accused of using the smiley face E.Q. on their masterings. Thanks for commenting Justin.
I wonder who did the Skynyrd album for Friday??? I've heard the surviving members of the band were pretty reserved on letting the masters out. Thanks for commenting Brio 5150.
3 Friday Music Titles. Here in Europe pricey as hell, Records with a lot clicks and pops and soundwise o.k. but not more. Several of there Records are did by Music on Vinyl and they sound much better, better vinyl quality and better price. Here in Europe Friday Music interests not many collectors. IMO that are not audiophile Records and what Kevin Gray makes good, the Pressings sucks.
Most of FM stuff is awful... for one its a massively overpriced label, their stuff is all priced above a Tone Poet release. For two, the "mastering engineer" Joe Reagoso is not a real mastering engineer and has no cred. Alot of their stuff was pressed at Rainbo and is awfully pressed as a result. Now if its cut by KPG and pressed at RTI it has a chance to be decent enough and ive got a few of these im happy with from Kansas and Traffic but i learned my mistake buying their other releases and sold em quick fast. Ron McMaster didnt do much but yes has done good work for FM and others
KPG and RTI are the ones I look for too Tom. I am glad that Joe has evolved to getting out of Rainbo and United of doing the pressings. If KPG cut Kansas, I may have to look at it. I have a couple of OGs but they've seen better days.
@@BarakaPDub yes Kevin definately cut Leftoverture and Point of Know Return albums for FM and they sound good to me. The other titles in Kansas catalogue that FM released are by an unknown or maybe Joe himself and they soubd inferior to the Music On Vinyl reissues while being almost twice the price (in the UK!) so i promplty moved them on
