Atlantic 75 series – SACD

Steely Dan's gold-selling third studio album Pretzel Logic, charted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and restored the group's radio presence with the single "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," which became the biggest pop hit of their career and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1974 album was produced by Gary Katz and was written primarily by Walter Becker (bass) and bandleader Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards). The album marked the beginning of Becker and Fagen's roles as Steely Dan's principal members. They enlisted prominent Los Angeles-based studio musicians to record Pretzel Logic, but used them only for occasional overdubs, except for drums, where founding drummer Jim Hodder was reduced to a backing singer, replaced by Jim Gordon and Jeff Porcaro on the drum kit for all of the songs on the album. Steely Dan's Jeff "Skunk" Baxter played pedal steel guitar and hand drums. Pretzel Logic has shorter songs and fewer instrumental jams than the group's 1973 album Countdown to Ecstasy. Steely Dan considered it the band's attempt at complete musical statements within the three-minute pop-song format. The album's music is characterized by harmonies, counter-melodies, and bop phrasing. It also relies often on straightforward pop influences. The syncopated piano line that opens "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" develops into a pop melody, and the title track transitions from a blues song to a jazzy chorus. Rolling Stone praised the album, calling Steely Dan the "most improbable hit-singles band to emerge in ages." "When the band doesn't undulate to samba rhythms (as it did on 'Do It Again,' its first Top Ten single), it pushes itself to a full gallop (as it did on 'Reelin' in the Years,' its second). These two rhythmic preferences persist and sometimes intermingle, as on 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number,' which jumps in mid-chorus from 'Hernando's Hideaway' into 'Honky Tonk Women.' Great transition." — the review said. AllMusic gave the album 5 stars, with reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine noting that "instead of relying on easy hooks, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen assembled their most complex and cynical set of songs to date." Dense with harmonics, countermelodies, and bop phrasing, Pretzel Logic is vibrant with unpredictable musical juxtapositions and snide, but very funny, wordplay. The album's cover photo featuring a New York pretzel vendor was taken by Raeanne Rubenstein, a photographer of musicians and Hollywood celebrities. She shot the photo on the west side of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street, just above the 79th Street Transverse (the road through Central Park), at the park entrance called "Miners' Gate." After a brief battle with esophageal cancer, Walter Becker died on September 3, 2017 at the age of 67. Steely Dan has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. VH1 ranked Steely Dan at No. 82 on their list of the 100 Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone ranked them No. 15 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

Recorded in August 1973 — the tour for Foxtrot (1972) having ended in May of that year — Genesis' members joined for a short time to write new material which covered a number of themes, including the loss of English folk culture and an increased American influence. Hence the inspiration for the title Selling England by the Pound. Several tracks from the album became fan favorites and were featured as a regular part of the band's live setlist well into the 1980s. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)," was released in February 1974 and became the band's first Top 30 hit in the U.K. In 2012, the album ranked seventh in Rolling Stone's "Readers' Poll: Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time." Selling England by the Pound reached No. 3 on the U.K. charts and No. 70 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums chart. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Genesis hadn't sacrificed its newfound immediacy of Foxtrot with that album's follow-up. They found ways to infuse with the delicate whimsy that was their calling card since the group began. "This, combined with many overt literary allusions — the Tolkeinisms of the title of 'The Battle of Epping Forest' only being the most apparent — gives this album a storybook quality. It plays as a collection of short stories, fables, and fairy tales, and it is also a rock record, which naturally makes it quite extraordinary as a collection, but also as a set of individual songs. Genesis has never been as direct as they've been on the fanciful yet hook-driven 'I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)' — apart from the fluttering flutes in the fade-out, it could easily be mistaken for a glam single — or as achingly fragile as on 'More Fool Me,' sung by Phil Collins. It's this delicate balance and how the album showcases the band's narrative force on a small scale as well as large that makes this their arguable high-water mark."

Arena rock heroes Foreigner crushed with their 1977 self-titled album debut, spawning some of the biggest FM hits of that year, including the anthemic "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice," both of which were anchored — like most of Foreigner's songs — by the muscular but traditional riffing of guitarist Mick Jones, the soaring vocals of Lou Gramm, and the state-of-the-art rock production values of the day, which AllMusic reviewer Andy Hinds says allowed the band to sound hard but polished. The architect behind Foreigner's extraordinary catalog, Mick Jones has crafted some of rock music's most enduring songs. Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter, performer and producer and winner of the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriter award in 1998, Jones first began playing guitar in his early teens. After starting his own rock band and opening for the Rolling Stones in pubs across South London, Mick's first big break came in 1964 when he moved to Paris and was hired to play with French singer Sylvie Vartan. After a brief stint in England to reform the band Spooky Tooth, Jones moved to New York City and formed Foreigner with Ian McDonald and Dennis Elliott and Americans Lou Gram, Alan Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi. Foreigner defined a generation of rock music to people across the globe. From its iconic debut album, the band moved on to record-breaking hits including "I Want To Know What Love Is," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Double Vision," "Hot Blooded," "Juke Box Hero" and many more. Now on 180-gram 45 RPM double LP you'll hear Foreigner in all its phenomenal glory. Mastered from the original tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, this reissue rocks. Double LP cut at 45 RPM, pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and housed in a Stoughton Printing tip-on old style gatefold jacket. That's how you upgrade a classic.

These SACD jackets feature printed wraps mounted to chipboard shells, producing an authentic, "old school" look and feel. Some people call these "mini LP" jackets. Here is one of the musical giants of the 20th century, poised on the precipice of greatness. Between the spring of 1957 and the winter of 1958, during which time Lush Life was recorded, the music of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane (1926-1967) was developing in giant steps, thanks in great part to a six-month 1957 stint with Thelonious Monk that had much to do with sharpening Coltrane’s harmonic conception and torrential attack. Lush Life contains Coltrane’s first recordings as sole leader, his initial date fronting a pianoless trio, and one of his first extended readings of a ballad, Billy Strayhorn’s resplendent title track. We also hear him at the helm of a quartet and quintet, featuring pianist Red Garland, with trumpeter Donald Byrd, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Louis Hayes added to “Lush Life.” Coltrane handles the tune’s delicate complexities with infinite style and finesse. Coltrane and jazz would never be the same.

These SACD jackets feature printed wraps mounted to chipboard shells, producing an authentic, "old school" look and feel. Some people call these "mini LP" jackets. When Jay Jay Johnson toured Sweden in the summer of 1957, his pianist, Tommy Flanagan, drew accolades. Flanagan’s playing on Miles Davis’ tunes such as "Vierd Blues," and "In Your Own Sweet Way" had made hipper Swedes already aware of his abilities. Among these were executives for Metronome Records, and the result was Flanagan’s first recording date under his own name, in Stockholm on Aug. 15, 1957. Flanagan later in his career became known as the "Jazz Poet," an artist whose consummate lyricism and remarkably smooth swing feel have long captivated listeners. Happily, the complex, pliant lines, the rhythmic snap, and that great taste in tunes were already in place when the Detroit-born, Bud Powell-influenced Flanagan arrived in New York in the late 1950s. No wonder he soon played and/or recorded with Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, J.J. Johnson, and others. This choice album — Flanagan’s first — was made in Sweden while the pianist was touring with Johnson’s quintet, which included bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Elvin Jones. The appealing program boasts Billy Strayhorn’s lulling "Chelsea Bridge," Charlie Parker’s lively "Relaxin’ at Camarillo," the crafty original "Eclypso" — part calypso, part swing — a blues, and two numbers dedicated to Swedish climes.

  "...experiencing (the album) in both stereo and 5.1 is exciting, each version having a particular appeal. The stereo mix is a chance to finally experience the album at its true potential, imbued with energy and nuance. The 5.1 is akin to pentimento, the high-resolution format and expansive elements revealing the entire widescreen vista of the world which the album creates, the depths of emotional and musical impact. As is characteristic of a Guthrie mix, the 5.1 is not gimmicky but dynamic and immersive, revealing a wealth of detail which existed within the recording even if we were unable to fully discern it until now. The pleasure of it is in finally hearing Animals elevated to those heights which the Golden Era recordings had previously established. The album is no longer an outlier but yet another piece of that classic mosaic, the works which established Pink Floyd as not only one of the most successful bands of the era, but also one of the most creative and impactful." — Julie Skaggs, pinkfloydz.com, Sept. 9, 2022. Read the entire review here. The time for the SACD release all Pink Floyd fans have coveted — Animals in 5.1 surround and stereo — is here. Another classic Pink Floyd title receives the multichannel reissue treatment and Acoustic Sounds and Analogue Productions is here to proudly handle exclusive distribution of this monumental disc. The SACD also of course includes a stunning stereo mix. And as this is a hybrid disc, the album is of course also playable on a standard CD player. The SACD features the 2018 remix of the iconic 1977 Pink Floyd album for the first time, by long-time producer/engineer James Guthrie. Animals is a concept album, focusing on the social-political conditions of mid-1970s Britain, and was a change from the style of the band's earlier work. The album was developed from a collection of unrelated songs into a concept which describes the apparent social and moral decay of society, likening the human condition to that of animals. Taking inspiration from George Orwell's Animal Farm, the album depicts the different classes of people as animals with pigs being at the top of the social chain, dropping down to the sheep as the mindless herd following what they are told, with dogs as the business bosses getting fat on the money and power they hold over the other. Although it's been a long time since 1977, the narrative of the album still resonates today as our social and economic situation mirrors that of the time. Producer/engineer James Guthrie on his new stereo mix of Animals: "Animals is one of my favourite Pink Floyd records. The original direction of the album was extremely commanding, and it worked on so many levels. Roger, David, Rick, and Nick painted a dark, dystopian landscape that was frightening and somehow inspiring at the same time, so it was important to retain the dramatic shape of the project. "My first goal with the new mix was to try to achieve a better musical feel. There's some really great playing on the album and I felt there was more potential in the recorded material than had been realized during the original mix. Mixing is so important because you can really influence the musical groove of a song. It determines the emotional impact of a piece of music. A good mix can really bring a song to life, or, if you miss the mark, you can actually inflict a lot of damage. Working on that musical interaction is crucial and, for me, I think the songs all groove better now than they have before. There's more emotion behind those powerful lyrics. "The recording of this album is kind of Lo-Fi, but in a cool way. The LP will always retain a lot of its original flavour, but I've attempted to increase the dynamic range and extend its fidelity in all directions too. I've tried to create a more 3-dimensional soundstage. This brings the album more in line with other Pink Floyd records and hopefully draws the listener in, compelling them to become more immersed in the journey. "I feel there is renewed life in the music now, in stereo and in 5.1, and I really hope that everyone enjoys the new mixes."

"You might wonder why 1) I'm giving this our Album Choice, and 2) the ace score of 95% if, like me, you'd rather pass a kidney stone than listen to Pink Floyd, and I've done both. But I rate it without contradiction because this page is focused as much on sound quality as content. So while not to my tastes, it's still sold over 45 million copies and is regarded as one of the greatest ever, permanently sited near the top of any polls. What Chad Kassem's crew delivers here is arguably the best-sounding digital transfer yet — in both stereo and 5.1 surround — even matching MoFi's 1981 UHQR LP for richness. Seconds into 'Money' or 'Time' and you'll click 'Buy Now,' whatever your preferred supplier. Astonishing, especially in 5.1" — Sound Quality: 95% — Ken Kessler, Hi Fi News, March 2022 Another classic Pink Floyd title receives the multichannel reissue treatment and Acoustic Sounds and Analogue Productions is once again proud to handle exclusive distribution of this monumental SACD. How lucky we all are to hear this legendary studio recording realize its full potential. The SACD also of course includes a stunning stereo mix. And as this is a hybrid disc, the album is of course also playable on a standard CD player. This is Pink Floyd at its collective finest, with everyone contributing. David Gilmour took a huge chunk of the music — writing, laying down the chord progressions on "Breathe," "Time," and "Any Colour You Like," plus the singing on the album's best songs, Water conceeding to David's far superior voice. Gilmour also pumped out what would later be hailed as some of rock's most influential lead-guitar riffs on "Money" and "Brain Damage." By all industry standards, The Dark Side Of The Moon is a phenomenon. Known for its complex instrumental textures, the album firmly established Pink Floyd as one of the most innovative bands in rock history. A concept album, its themes explore conflict, greed, time, and mental illness, the latter partly inspired by the deteriorating health of founding member Syd Barrett, who left in 1968. The Dark Side of the Moon produced two singles: "Money" and "Us and Them." The album topped the Billboard chart for a week, and remained on the chart for 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. Following a change in how Billboard counts sales in 2009, it re-entered the chart and has since appeared for over 900 weeks. With estimated sales of more than 45 million, it is Pink Floyd's bestselling album and one of the bestselling worldwide.

The fourth studio album by the American rock duo the White Stripes was an extraordinary success. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard charts and topped the U.K. Albums Charts. To date it's sold 4 million copies worldwide, achieving platinum-sales certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and 3x platinum from the British Phonographic Industry. It spawned the hit single "Seven Nation Army," the band's signature track that's become a sports anthem, plus the hits "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself," "The Hardest Button to Button" and "There's No Home for You Here." Elephant has received critical acclaim and it's often cited as the White Stripe's best work, including receiving a nomination for Album of the Year and a win for Best Alternative Music Album at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004. Rolling Stone ranked the album No. 449 on its 2020 list of the 500 Best Albums of All Time. The Stripes, it said, exploded out of Detroit with a minimalist garage-blues attack: just Jack White on guitar and Meg White on drums, taking on the world. To give Elephant the sonic perfection and signature packaging it deserves, Analogue Productions and Third Man Records have teamed up for the ultimate reissue edition. We present in UHQR format on Clarity Vinyl this rock masterpiece, limited to 10,000 copies. It comes with gold foil numbered jackets, housed in a premium slipcase with a wooden dowel spine. Jack and Meg insisted they were a brother and sister, even after people learned they were secretly a divorced couple. But against all odds, the low-budget duo became a global sensation for their sheer rock power. Rolling Stone says Elephant "seethes with raw desperation and lust" in "Seven Nation Army," "Hypnotize," and "The Hardest Button to Button." Jack plays guitar hero in the seven-minute jam "Ball and Biscuit." More About Clarity Vinyl The off-white color of the record you are receiving is the color of raw vinyl in its purest form (un-tinted vinyl). To make the ultimate record, we decided to enhance sound quality by removing potential sources of noise contamination or sonic interference. By not adding traditional carbon black colorant, we eliminate that potential due to carbon black particles, instead allowing your stylus to effortlessly slide down a silky smooth groove wall.