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Julie London – Julie Is Her Name
88,00 €Add to cart"Any reissue of a reissue of a reissue needs to add to the canon. This is a new version of the BoxStar edition in 2009, but as that was a truly spectacular release, how could it possibly be bettered? God knows what magic Bernie Grundman managed in remastering this from the original 1955 tapes, but it's even more open and detailed. The brilliance of this mono LP is that its minimalism — just Ms. London backed by Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass — needs no directional component to up its presentation. You'll soon forget it's mono. 'Cry Me A River,' 'Can't Help Lovin' That Man' and ten more from the huskiest, sexiest voice... ever." Sound Quality: 90% — Ken Kessler, Hi Fi News, June 2019 It's back. Our 45 RPM, 2LP version of the great Julie London debut on Liberty Records. Mastered by Bernie Grundman on his all-tube cutting system and now plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings. This 45 RPM spreads the 12 tracks over two LPs for even better cartridge tracking and superior sound quality! Much like Dean Martin's 1954 debut LP (Dean Martin Sings), Julie London's recording career started on the silver screen in the 1940s. In 1955 she made her debut LP on the newly formed Liberty Records. Recorded in August of that same year, in state-of-the-art mono sound, Julie Is Her Name is regarded by jazz buffs and '50s pop enthusiasts as a genuine classic! This LP features the hit single "Cry Me A River" and her stellar performances of "I Should Care" and "No Moon At All." Supported by the legendary Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass, this LP release brings back memories of the cool '50s. Whether you were a cool swinger in the '50s or you're a cool hi-fi lovin' swinger today, you will be transported to a time when a 15" coaxial speaker, a 20 watt amplifier and a girl who looks like Julie were all that mattered.
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John Lee Hooker – The Healer
82,00 €Add to cartThe Healer is a critically acclaimed album by the legendary blues musician John Lee Hooker. Released in 1989, it stands as a testament to Hooker's profound influence on the genre and his ability to evolve his sound while staying true to his roots. The album showcases his distinctive guitar style, gritty vocals, and masterful storytelling, creating an immersive and emotionally charged musical experience. The Healer features an impressive array of guest artists, each bringing their unique talents to the table. Renowned musicians such as Carlos Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Canned Heat, and Los Lobos join forces with Hooker, creating a rich tapestry of blues, rock, and soul. On the title track Hooker's deep, resonant voice combined with Santana's searing guitar work creates an unforgettable blues anthem that speaks to the power of music as a healing force. The lyrics are introspective, introspective, and poignant, reflecting on the struggles of life and the solace found in the blues. Throughout the album, Hooker explores a range of themes, from love and loss to societal issues and personal introspection. Tracks like "I'm in the Mood" and "Baby Lee" exude a raw sensuality, showcasing Hooker's ability to infuse his music with passion and desire. Meanwhile, songs like "Cry Baby" and "The Healing Game" delve into deeper emotional territory, capturing the pain and resilience of the human spirit. Hooker was 73 years of age when The Healer came out and earned his first — of many future — Grammy accolades, winning Best Traditional Blues Recording for "I'm In The Mood." This edition features lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman, and pressing on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, for superior sound. With its exceptional musicianship, thought-provoking lyrics, and powerful collaborations, The Healer remains a standout album in John Lee Hooker's discography.
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The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (Mono)
95,00 €Show item"It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water…I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life. I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album." – Paul McCartney "All of us, Ginger (Baker), Jack (Bruce), and I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one." – Eric Clapton A musical legacy that began in Hawthorne, California and went on to conquer the world. Analogue Productions presents the ultimate pressings of 14 essential Beach Boys albums! Mastered by Kevin Gray, most from the original master tapes, and plated and pressed by Quality Record Pressings, the finest LP pressing facility in the world, these are awesome recordings to experience. And the look of each album befits its sonic superiority! Presented in "old school" Stoughton tip-on gatefold jackets, these time honored favorites shine brighter than the originals! For the early part of the Beach Boys' career, all of their singles were mixed and mastered and released only in the mono format — they didn't release a single in stereo until 1968. In those days, hits were made on AM radio in mono. And the mono of those times worked well for Brian Wilson — famed co-founder, songwriter and arranger — who suffers from partial deafness. Still, apart from Surfin' Safari, which was mono only, the Beach Boys did turn in stereo masters on all of their early albums up until 1965. All of the newer stereo mixes on these remastered albums (The Beach Boys Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), The Beach Boys' Party, Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile) were all done by Mark Linett on behalf of the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds is famous for its use of multiple layers of unorthodox instrumentation as well as other cutting edge audio techniques for its time. It's considered the best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me," "Don't Talk," "I Know There's an Answer," and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). VH-1 named Pet Sounds as the No. 3 album in the Top 100 Albums in Rock 'n' Roll History, as judged in a poll of musicians, executives and journalists. It's been ranked No. 1 in several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time, including NME, The Times and Mojo Magazine. It was ranked No. 2 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
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The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (Stereo)
95,00 €Add to cart"...the 2006 'Capitol Stereo LP' allowed a plausible argument that Wilson only mixed to mono because he ran out of time. It lacks the mono's dynamics and shares the 'Passions' LP's somewhat thin tonal quality. Analogue Productions' 45RPM stereo cut resolves these issues, presenting a continuous soundstage with a tonal signature similar to the label's mono version — even if the soundstage sounds quite different in stereo." — 5/5 stars, Dennis Davis, vinylreviews.com. Read the whole review here. "Produced, composed and arranged by Brian Wilson, Pet Sounds stands as the Beach Boys' pinnacle. The album is brimming with beautiful ballads, exotic instrumentation, lush five-part harmonies, and aching sentimentality. Recorded largely with session players from L.A.'s fabled Wrecking Crew, Pet Sounds was Wilson's chance to step away from songs about surfing and cars, instead crafting tender songs about adolescent love, both newfound and lost, as well as innocence and bewilderment. Analogue Productions' two-disc 45 RPM, 180-gram stereo album boasts exceptionally detailed separation and aptly showcases Pet Sounds' shimmering sonics. Mark Linett produced this stereo mix with an assembled digital multi-track master that synched the original four-track instrumental master with the four- and eight-track vocal overdub master. It was then mixed to 15 ips 1/4-inch analog tape with SR noise reduction. How good is it? Carol Kaye's picked Fender P-Bass is tight and punchy on the intro to "God Only Knows," and the clarity reveals the swelling emotion of Carl Wilson's angelic lead vocal to announce that you've entered the Church of Rock 'n' Roll. Say amen." — Music 5/5, Sonics 4.5/5, Greg Cahill, The Absolute Sound, December 2017 "It was Pet Sounds that blew me out of the water…I love the album so much. I've just bought my kids each a copy of it for their education in life. I figure no one is educated musically 'til they've heard that album." – Paul McCartney "All of us, Ginger (Baker), Jack (Bruce), and I consider Pet Sounds to be one of the greatest pop LPs to ever be released. It encompasses everything that's ever knocked me out and rolled it all into one." – Eric Clapton A musical legacy that began in Hawthorne, California and went on to conquer the world. Analogue Productions presents the ultimate pressings of 14 essential Beach Boys albums! Mastered by Kevin Gray, most from the original master tapes, and plated and pressed by Quality Record Pressings, the finest LP pressing facility in the world, these are awesome recordings to experience. And the look of each album befits its sonic superiority! Presented in "old school" Stoughton tip-on deluxe gatefold jackets, these time honored favorites shine brighter than the originals! For the early part of the Beach Boys' career, all of their singles were mixed and mastered and released only in the mono format — they didn't release a single in stereo until 1968. In those days, hits were made on AM radio in mono. And the mono of those times worked well for Brian Wilson — famed co-founder, songwriter and arranger — who suffers from partial deafness. Still, apart from Surfin' Safari, which was mono only, the Beach Boys did turn in stereo masters on all of their early albums up until 1965. All of the newer stereo mixes on these remastered albums (The Beach Boys Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), The Beach Boys' Party, Pet Sounds and Smiley Smile) were all done by Mark Linett on behalf of the Beach Boys, with Brian Wilson supervising. Pet Sounds was mixed from an assembled digital multi-track master that synced the original 4-track master instrumental with the 4 or 8-track vocal overdub master. The stereo mix was mixed to 15 ips 1/4" analog tape with SR noise reduction Pet Sounds is famous for its use of multiple layers of unorthodox instrumentation as well as other cutting edge audio techniques for its time. It's considered the best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me," "Don't Talk," "I Know There's an Answer," and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times." It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). VH-1 named Pet Sounds as the No. 3 album in the Top 100 Albums in Rock 'n' Roll History, as judged in a poll of musicians, executives and journalists. It's been ranked No. 1 in several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time, including NME, The Times and Mojo Magazine. It was ranked No. 2 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
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Sam Cooke – Night Beat
88,00 €Show item"...Thanks to Analogue Productions' 45-rpm reissue of Cooke's 1963 RCA album Night Beat he still speaks to us - eloquently. The sound is opulent; the songs excellent; the singing nonpareil; the mood, oh-so nostalgic." Music = 4.5/5; Sonics = 4/5 - Jonathan Valin, The Absolute Sound, September 2010 "...The recording by Dave Hassinger is a masterpiece of immediacy, transparency and harmonic complexity...This is a big, juicy, wet and intoxicating recording comprised of richly drawn instruments, particularly Billy Preston's shimmering Hammond organ and Hal Blaine's woody percussion...A knockout of a reissue and essential." Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, Musicangle "Whenever I think of Night Beat, I wonder how many records as perfect have been made since 1963. Listen anew to Sam Cooke's vocal honey on this Soul Blues album and I doubt you will come up with any worthy contenders...This 45 RPM issue was remastered at Sterling Sound and brings out the backing musicians including organist Billy Preston and guitarist Barney Kessel better than the ABKCO release, and makes it sound more like Sam was in the same room with the band. The definitive Night Beat." Recording = 10/10; Music = 10/10 - Dennis Davis, Hi-Fi+, Issue 69 Clearly Sam Cooke’s most intimate, most soulful and ultimately most real recording. This one has the feel of a private performance captured after hours when the audience had gone home and the singer was singing purely for the love of his songs. The performance put forth is simply straight from Cooke’s soul. His selection of songs include spiritual, bluesy ballads and gospel classics. Cooke owns these songs, making each interpretation all his own. This is warm music that’s easy to connect with. Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original three-track masters. Originally released in 1963.
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Fritz Reiner – Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition/ Moussorgsky
88,00 €Add to cartKudos for our 33 1/3 version: "Grade: A+. Once again, as good as I've heard this record sound. Gorgeous strings, superb bass, avalanche dynamics with that same tape-like ease, sensational inner detail. The authority of the CSO is really something on fortissimo tuttis, of which there are many in Pictures." — Jonathan Valin, The Absolute Sound.com, June 11, 2013. To read the full review click here:To read the full review click here: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/sneak-preview-acoustic-sounds-rca-reissues/ Another sonic and musical blockbuster from the unbeatable combo of Reiner and RCA (and Mohr & Layton). Recorded in 1957 at Chicago's Orchestra Hall; the original analog session tapes were used in mastering for LPs and SACDS. Mussorgsky's inspiration for Pictures was the death of his dear friend, the architect and visual artist Victor Hartman. Having died at age 39, Hartman had not yet had the opportunity to realize any of his architectural visions, and Mussorgsky was angered that his friend would have no legacy. The Architects' Society arranged an exhibition of some of Hartman's sketches — some of architecture, others of characters or scenes from everyday life. The tribute was enough to give Mussorgsky ideas for his composition, but not enough to give Hartman any lasting place in history. Today, of all of the sketches that were captured in music, only six can be positively identified. The piece is known today primarily through the orchestral version created by Maurice Ravel in 1922. In fact, the work had already been orchestrated multiple times, by a variety of lesser names. Some conductors today find that Ravel's version, in spite of its color, sacrifices some of the coarse nature inherent in Mussorgsky's piano original. Furthermore, Ravel worked from Rimsky-Korsakov's edited version of the piano part - the only one available at the time - which changed some notes and rhythms. None of the orchestrations, however, change the fundamental spirit of the piece. Mussorgsky imagines himself making his way down the hallway that showcased his late friend's work, with his stately procession represented by the Promenade that opens the piece and returns several times. Upon stopping at each image, he reflects on what he sees. Between the early movements, the promenade returns regularly, as Mussorgsky is conscious of moving from one scene to the next. As the work progresses, however, he becomes less aware of the interval between pictures, and more immersed in the continuous psychological experience of moving from one state of mind to the next. By the end, the composer sees himself transformed by the connection with Hartman through his visual expressions of Russian pride and humanity.
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Cowboy Junkies – The Trinity Session
88,00 €Show item"Regardless, sonics are first-rate, as is Analogue Productions' knockout reissue. The sound is exceptionally ambient and airy, with a remarkable sense of depth and a seemingly endless stage. Instruments are creamy-rich in texture, as is Timmins' come-hither vocal style. If you love Trinity Sessions, you'll want this edition." — Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, February 2017. Read the whole review here. Read about the making of this spectacular album in Tom Doyle's October 2015 article for Sound On Sound magazine here. Cowboy Junkies recorded this spectacular LP as a "live" event Nov. 27, 1987 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto. It was recorded with a digital R-Dat and using only a Calrec Ambisonic Microphone. What this means is the record sounds like the band was playing right in front of you with the perfect ambiance. Yes, this is a digital recording. True to our company principles, Analogue Productions in almost all cases reissues recordings only where the analog master tape is available. However, there are rare exceptions that whether digitally recorded or otherwise, a recording is so outstanding it's worthy of the highest quality vinyl reissue. Featuring the sultry voice of Margo Timmins, the precise musicianship of her brothers Peter (on drums) and Michael (on guitar), and bassist Alan Anton, The Trinity Session is a spare, evocative, countrified-rock classic. First released in late 1988, The Trinity Session was named "Album of the Year" by The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times described it as "a quiet, special record that challenges traditional music." Rolling Stone declared the album to be "as important as it its inspiring." Today, it remains much more than a snapshot of a single day's work captured on tape. So for this deluxe Analogue Productions reissue, we pulled out all the stops. Starting with new mastering from the original session digital tapes by the original recording engineer, Peter Moore. And lacquer cutting by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. The church where the album was recorded was selected on the basis of work Moore had done there with other jazz and classical artists. Using a single Calrec Ambisonic microphone, the results are stunning. Next, we kicked up the packaging and content several notches. You're holding a heavyweight old-style tip-on Stoughton Printing jacket, and it has brand-new liner notes by author and music editor Jason Schneider. Schneider is the author of Whispering Pines: the Northern Roots of American Music from Hank Snow to The Band. He's also the roots music editor at Exclaim! and his work has been published in Paste, The Word, The Toronto Star and other publications. The liner notes share space with additional recording session photos, inside and on the back cover. Additionally, the cover has been redesigned to remove the lettering and photo distortion originally applied and make it appear as the musicians/artist originally intended. Lastly, this sonic treasure has been pressed on 180g vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, maker of the world's finest LPs, with stampers plated by master plating technician Gary Salstrom. The inspired reworking of both "Blue Moon" and "Working On A Building" reveal the Timmins family to be talented interpreters and insightful neo-traditionalists. Mixing the ambitious songwriting of Margo and Michael Timmins with subdued covers of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," The Trinity Session is an exquisite collection that holds up quite well under repeated listenings. "The main appeal of The Trinity Session, the Cowboy Junkies' second album, remains its lo-fi sound. The ambient buzz of Toronto's Church of the Holy Trinity, where the Junkies recorded the album around one microphone, colors every song, reinforcing the live setting and generating vinyl intimacy even on CD. It's as if the church itself was an instrument, one that Junkies could play pretty well. It allows Margo Timmins' voice to fill your field of vision, simultaneously soothing and unsettling, while her brother Michael's guitar rumbles through the songs, a little louder and sharper than anticipated." — Pitchfork
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Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets
88,00 €Add to cart"The idea of two-disc, 45 RPM 180-gram audiophile LP reissues of Lynyrd Skynrd's first and next-to-last studio albums, each selling for $55, may seem an odd mix of high-brow sound with low-brow music, but doubters should suspend judgment until they hear the results. ... First released in February 1976, the perpetually underrated studio album Gimme Back My Bullets, which has yet to sell itself into platinum status, had much-improved sound over Skynyrd's earlier studio albums, due to the engineering skills of producer Tom Dowd, who served in the same roles for the original band's last studio album, Street Survivors (1977). By the fall of 1975, when Gimme Back My Bullets was made at the Record Plant, in Los Angeles, and Capricorn Studios, in Macon, Georgia, the sextet had also become a far more professional band. The arrangements were tighter, the playing more focused, and their mix of country and rock, tilted forever toward rock in tunes like 'Cry for the Bad Man,' had been honed to a fine edge. The newly vivid, intense sound is thanks to the remastering by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. While all the live tracks included on the 2006 CD/DVD reissue were genuine bonuses, this LP reissue will always be the way to hear this album. As is usual with Analogue Productions reissues, the heavyweight packaging is lush — and the pressing quality, from AP sister company Quality Record Pressings, is excellent. Best of all, these editions are the final sonic words on these albums. ... These albums have never sounded better, and it's not much of a leap to say they never will." — Performance = 4/5; Sonics 4/5 — Robert Baird, Stereophile, May 2017 What would American southern rock be without the scorching sounds of Lynyrd Skynyrd? Analogue Productions and Quality Record Pressings have already brought you exceptional reissues of Second Helping and Nuthin' Fancy. Back to the well then, we go, for two more Skynyrd favorites — the epic Gimme Back My Bullets and the band's bluesy, hard-rocking 1973 debut Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd. This 1976 Tom Dowd-produced classic, Gimme Back My Bullets, the fourth studio album from the legendary southern rock band, features the original line-up of Ronnie Van Zant on vocals, lead guitar great Gary Rossington, Allen Collins on guitar, Leon Wilkerson on bass, Billy Powell on piano, and Artemus Pyle on the drums. "Other records from the late, great, and original Lynyrd Skynyrd were more barroom raw (Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd), indelibly rocking (Second Helping), and radio-ready (Street Survivors), but none was as endearing and cohesive as Gimme Back My Bullets). The 1976 LP, whose title referred not to ammunition, but to the Billboard term 'No. 1 with a bullet,' found the normally three-fisted Florida guitar army one axe short. But it allowed Gary Rossington and Allen Collins to work more intuitively on the songwriting chores with vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, while providing room to groove in the process. The results, though underrated in the band's epic pre-crash catalog, sweep into rock ('Trust,' 'Searching'), blues ('I Got the Same Old Blues'), folk ('Every Mother's Son'), and country ('All I Can Do Is Write About It')." — Amazon.com
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Julie London – Julie Is Her Name Vol. 2
88,00 €Add to cartShe was the sultry film starlet-turned-torch singer-come-TV actress whose dusky alto captivated a generation. Julie London was "discovered" while running a department store elevator in Hollywood. Just three years earlier the bountiful 15 year old, born Julie Peck to her parents, a song-and-dance duo of the vaudeville era, was singing on her parents' radio show. When she started working in the movies in the 1940s, she changed her name to London. During the course of a celebrated career in acting and music, she made more than 30 albums. The sultry-voiced actress, who was once married to "Dragnet" producer-star Jack Webb, had a hit record with the 1950s single "Cry Me a River." The single debuted in 1955, sold three million copies and remained in demand into the 1960s. Analogue Productions has brought back Julie Is Her Name Volume 2, making it an undeniable classic in every sense of the word. Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and plated and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, the result is a memory-stirring masterpiece. And we've cut this version at 45 RPM, meaning the 12 tracks are spread over two LPs for even better cartridge tracking for superior sound quality! Julie Is Her Name — Volume Two, has all the sincerity and warmth of her professional album debut, the best-selling Julie Is Her Name, from Liberty. An untested singer with uncompromising musical faith, an unknown record company, sophisticated, tastefully presented standards presented simply backed by just a bass and guitar — Julie Is Her Name faced long odds of success. Yet it soared to become a best-selling hit. Julie London rose to the Top 10 of every list of female vocalists. And as to the cover, expect only top-notch reproduction for our Analogue Productions reissue. Originally a single LP jacket, we've upgraded to a gatefold incorporating more original photographs provided by Universal. London appeared in nearly two dozen motion pictures during the 1940s and '50s; she was best known to TV audiences as nurse Dixie McCall on the 1970s hospital drama "Emergency!" She was hired on "Emergency!" by Webb," her then-former spouse, to co-star with her second husband, jazz musician Bobby Troup. Troup, who composed the iconic musical hit "Route 66" played a doctor on the show and it was he who helped sign Julie to the Liberty record label. Describing her smoky vocal style, London once said, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to a microphone. But it is a kind of over-smoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate." A style inimitable, in our estimation.
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Ernest Ansermet – The Royal Ballet Gala Performances (2 LP + Book)
108,00 €Show item"Analogue Productions' Classic Records buyout brought with it metal parts for many albums, cut by Bernie Grundman, including for this record. ... AP chose to produce a new stamper using the "mother" cut from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman. ... I compared this 33 1/3 reissue to the Classic 33 1/3 reissue and to an original pressing that I'm lucky to own. ... The QRP pressing was definitely more open, extended and focused on top and transients were sharper though in a completely natural way. The Classic sounded somewhat softer and veiled. If you've got both, you'll hear it in the percussive transients first and then consistently throughout. ... If this is one of your "go to" sonic spectaculars and you have other versions, you ought to consider adding this one, though you'll have to wait for the re-re-press. Both the sound, including dead quiet vinyl, as well as the packaging are first-rate." — Music = 11/11; Sound = 11/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here. In the hearts of thousands, No. 1 on the Top RCA list. While the bulk of Ansermet's recordings were made with L'Orchestre de la Susise Romande, there were a few with the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra and the very occasional foray into recordings with London orchestras, one of these being with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1959. Analogue Productions is proud and excited to be bringing back such a classic. Not just for the music, which is superb, but also for the detailed packaging, which in this case takes the form of a 22-page lavishly illustrated book that's integrated into the tip-on gatefold jacket. If you're new to ballet, this pictorial history will introduce you to some of its most famous productions — old favorites such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty, for example — but also less familiar tales such as Carnaval, Les Sylphides and Coppélia. You'll also make the aquaintance of famous ballerinas of the Royal company, such as Margot Fonteyn, Nadia Nerina and Beryl Grey. as well as choreographers such as Jules Perrot and male dancers Alexis Rassine and Michael Somes. Musically you can't get better than the 180-gram dead-silent platters pressed by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. Of course the best vinyl reflects the best mastering, and that's accomplished here by Bernie Grundman working from the original analog tape. Stoughton Printing expertly handled the intricate gatefold tip-on package. Audiophilia Online Magazine wrote: "This is the stuff of which dreams are made. The Royal Ballet Gala is one of the finest RCAs recorded in London's Kingsway Hall. The chunks of great ballet music are well served by orchestra, conductor and engineer. Performances are executed to a very high standard - the Royal Opera House Orchestra, both then and now, rank as one of the finest of opera orchestras. "Conductor Ansermet keeps the pace moving, giving the listener the impression of a dance event rather than a dramatic concert hall reading. With the exception of some of the Tchaikovsky scenes, the music is light and remains so under Ansermet's gentle touch. Each ballet is given full attention by the players, something not always attained at Covent Garden during long ballet nights! The threat of eternity does have it's merits. The recorded sound is simply amazing! Lustrous is one word that comes to mind, accurate is another. "Tonally, Messrs. Williamson and Wilkinson have used their considerable talents to capture the orchestra superbly. Woodwind and strings glow and resonate, transporting this listener to a time when simpler recording was better. Brass ring out thrillingly and percussion effects are very musical. Be it a bang, swish, rattle, crack or snap, each percussionist is situated perfectly within the beautiful Kingsway soundstage. Even the difficult-to-record sound of the celeste is captured in it's purely mechanical form. It's delicate sound is heard to great effect during the Nutcracker - originating stage left, the sound decays across the stage of Kingsway with sparkling beauty. Wonderful."
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Elvis Presley – Elvis is Back
88,00 €Add to cart“…His voice was in superb form, he was backed by the most sympathetic line-up in his career – including Scotty Moore, the Jordanaires, Hank Garland and DJ Fontana – and the repertoire included ‘Fever,’ ‘The Girl Of My Best Friend,’ ‘Reconsider Baby,’ ‘Such A Night.'” Sound Quality = 95% out of 100% – Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News, December 2010 “…This 45 RPM mastering by George Marino at Sterling Sound is astonishing. Yes, the double 45 RPM format is bound to yield a sonic improvement and I’d never bet against Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at AcousTech, but this sounds so far superior in almost every way.” Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 – Michael Fremer, musicangle The ultra-hyped, hugely celebrated return of the King most certainly did not disappoint. Elvis Presley’s first full-length release after leaving the Army, aptly titled Elvis Is Back! was the answer to Elvis fans waiting anxiously for new material. Record label executives worried about whether he’d still be able to crank out the hits. Radio stations were dying for something new for their most requested playlist. It all combined to mount tremendous pressure on Elvis and all involved to deliver something that lived up to expectations. As it turned out, it was worthy of a giant yellow exclamation point on the front cover! Almost immediately after his service time had ended, Elvis entered the studio in March 1960 to record a batch of songs that would go on to become monumental worldwide hits. The singles “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and “It’s Now Or Never” created a tidal wave of excitement. And the LP tracks like “Fever,” “The Thrill Of Your Love,” “Dirty, Dirty Feeling” and “Like A Baby” confirmed that the King was still able to deliver a whole program worth of incomparable material. Listen to “Fever” at 45 RPM if you want to show someone what this hobby of yours is all about. Just vocals, bass and finger-snapping, it sounds so dark and haunting. It’s worth the price of admission for just this one track alone. While Presley’s records, in the eyes of some reviewers, yielded inconsistencies (mostly songs he recorded at the suggestion of others to appeal to a certain audience or tie-in with a film), there’s not one example of musical filler or a single forgettable performance on this 1960 gem. Until now, Elvis fans have satiated their desires with the prized DCC double LP edition (regularly commanding upwards of $200 on eBay) as well as the DCC gold disc (a rare find fetching $150 and more). Now no longer do you have to pay a premium to enjoy the magic of Presley’s voice, rhythms and foundation-paving melodies. Mastered by George Marino, the King’s best work has never sounded so intimate, detailed, present and alive. Images are true, tones are balanced, and the unbeatable warmth that only analog provides comes through unabated on every cut. Recorded over the course of two marathon sessions (one taking place in Hollywood and the other in Nashville), the sound is wonderfully natural and present. Every alluring shade, texture, and contour of Presley’s voice comes into your room with sheer transparency. Buy a copy and order another to keep sealed as an investment for when these sought-after platters go out of print. You won’t be sorry.
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Stevie Ray Vaughan – Couldn’t Stand The Weather
88,00 €Add to cartThe 45 RPM Analogue Productions reissue of Stevie Ray Vaughan's Couldn't Stand The Weather is so good, as are its 45 RPM companions — Texas Flood and Soul To Soul — that they truly represent what Gregg Geller, producer and A&R representative described as "the best replication of the master tapes to date." We've already brought you the 33 1/3 RPM box set Texas Hurricane featuring the greatest Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute ever reissued — six of Vaughan's most classic album titles remastered for ultimate blues and guitar fanatics. We've now taken the extra step and done 45 RPM versions of these three standout LPs. We've used the original 30 inches-per-second, half-inch analog master tapes for all of these albums. Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound cut the lacquers for the LPs using the ultimate VMS 80 cutting lathe. Gary Salstrom handled the plating and the vinyl was pressed of course at our Quality Record Pressings, maker of the world's finest-sounding LPs. Couldn’t Stand The Weather is the remarkable sophomore album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. It follows their critically acclaimed debut, Texas Flood. Incorporating the same winning formula of musicianship and songwriting, Couldn’t Stand The Weather cemented Vaughan’s place as one of music’s greatest. It is their first to earn gold certification and their first platinum-seller. It includes breathtaking renditions of Clark’s “Cold Shot” and Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child.” A staple on the Billboard charts, this definitive masterpiece received praise from Entertainment Weekly, Q, Down Beat and many others. There's not a link in this production chain that wasn't absolute first-rate. The absolute best that money can buy. But beyond that we've poured our passion into this project. Acoustic Sounds is a big fan of the blues and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's a big dream come true to work on this project and to make these records sound and look the best they ever have.
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Harry Belafonte – Belafonte At Carnegie Hall
88,00 €Add to cart"Belafonte brought 'world' music to the masses, starting with 'Calypso.' ... By the time these two benefit concerts were performed on April 19th and 20th 1959, Belafonte had amassed a catalog of hits familiar to a wide swath of Americans. ... One can argue that originals are the best but not here. No way! Unlike the original pressings mastered from 2-track mix down from the 3-track original tape, Classic Records' reissue on both 33 1/3 and single-sided 45 RPM records and this new mastering are sourced directly from the 3-track tape. ... However, while I didn't think there was more to get from the tape than what Bernie Grundman got for Classic Records, I think Ryan K. Smith and the Sterling team have done just that, showcased by the utter black QRP backgrounds. ... it is among the greatest, if not the greatest live concert recordings ever made and Belafonte's and the orchestra's performances make it well-worth revisiting." Music = 10/11; Sound = 11/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here. AllMusic.com writes: "The grandaddy of all live albums, this double LP set captures the excitement of a Harry Belafonte concert at the height of his popularity. Sampled from two consecutive performances of identical material, Belafonte at Carnegie Hall was an anomaly at a time when only comedy albums were recorded outside of the studio environment. It wasn't the first live album ever made, but it was certainly the first to be a major financial and artistic success. It stayed on the best-selling album charts for over three years and remained in print until RCA discontinued pressing LPs." Well, wait no more if you haven't heard this marvelous record. We've gone all out for this deluxe reissue. Starting with premier mastering by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes. Then plating and presssing by Gary Salstrom and the crew at Quality Record Pressings, where the finest quality LPs in the world are pressed. But it doesn't stop there: We've enhanced the original studio photography and wrapped up the whole package in a deluxe "old-school" tip-on gatefold jacket from Stoughton Printing! Belafonte's mastery in front of an audience was never better displayed than here, a mastery that resulted in him becoming one of the most popular concert draws in history. Producer Bob Bollard and orchestra leader Bob Corman deftly integrated the 47-piece orchestra into the performance but knew when to lie back to let Belafonte sing, accompanied by a small combo of two guitars, bass, and percussion. The concert is divided in three sections: "Moods of the American Negro," "In the Caribbean," and "Around the World." All the hits are here: "Day O," "Jamaica Farewell," "Mama Look a Boo Boo," and others, plus calypso, folk songs, chain gang songs, spirituals, and songs from other lands, representing a veritable best-of package of Belafonte's first decade with RCA Victor. From the opening trumpet fanfare and brief orchestral overture to the epic 12-minute version of "Matilda" (which set a standard for audience participation), the album never lets up. It is exciting, poignant, thrilling, intimate, and at times, spontaneously hilarious. Have a seat, sip a beverage and enjoy!
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Roger Waters – Amused To Death
88,00 €Add to cart“In some ways, this is even better than The Wall. Waters got a lot of top performers to play on the album, usually behind his singing and speaking of the lyrics …. Guitarist Jeff Beck is heard frequently in the album, with his special virtuosity on eight of the tracks. … (Waters is) certainly at his cynical best here – and without him Pink Floyd — never mind the general doom and gloom — wouldn’t have been the top rock group it is and was.” — Audiophile Audition, Jan. 12, 2016. “Despite the bombast and conceit, this long-time audiophile favorite sounds outstanding in this 200-gram vinyl edition. Back in the day you needed some pretty heady drugs to make DSOTM sound this good, and the stellar line-up of musicians, with Jeff Beck on eight tracks, makes for a pharmaceutical-free audiophile amusement ride. The LP surfaces are dead quiet too, allowing you to hear every nuance of cricket chirp and dog bark.” Recording = 9.5/10; Music = 8.5/10 – Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi +, Issue 128 “I have the original double vinyl issue of this, that until recently went for upwards of $600, and this reissue beats that one in every possible way … The QSoundTM “surround sound” is more intensely drawn, dynamics are staggering, deep bass is monumental and the depth and width of the cinematic soundstage is beyond that of every other record I can think of in my collection. The 200g QRP pressing I got (sealed) was perfectly quiet and flat and after sitting through all four sides I felt as if I’d experienced a 3D IMAX movie, only with greater sonic intensity and dimensionality.” — Music = 9/11; Sound = 11/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. Read the whole review here. “Even if you have one of the original issue vinyl LPs, the new version of Amused to Death on the Analogue Productions label is an essential upgrade to your listening experience. Like The Division Bell and The Endless River vinyl LPs before it, Analogue Productions has kept their commitment for quality meticulously high with Amused to Death. The record pressing is uniformly excellent…” Paul Powell Jr., Brain Damage U.K. Pink Floyd News, August 2015. An unblinking look at an entertainment-obsessed society, Amused to Death addresses issues that have only grown in complexity and urgency over the past two decades. With Amused to Death, Roger Waters sounded the alarm about a society increasingly — and unthinkingly — in thrall to its television screens. Twenty-three years later, Amused to Death speaks to our present moment in ways that could scarcely have been anticipated two decades ago. In 2015, television is just one option in an endless array of distractions available to us anytime, anywhere, courtesy of our laptops, tablets and smartphones. With eyes glued to our screens, the dilemmas and injustices of the real world can easily recede from view. The 2015 2 LP 200-gram vinyl edition of Amused to Death features remastered audio completed by longtime Roger Waters / Pink Floyd collaborator and co-producer, James Guthrie, and has been pressed at Quality Record Pressings. The cover and gatefold art has been updated for 2015 by Sean Evans, the creative director of Waters’ 2010-2013 “The Wall Live” tour and movie.
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Patsy Cline – Greatest Hits
88,00 €Show itemReviewer Michael Fremer says of the 33 1/3 RPM version: "Cline's powerful, resonant voice and her unerring, more-generic-than-Southern diction and phrasing plus her ability to express hurt and vulnerability (without inducing too much self-pity) helped her cross over during her lifetime. Those qualities have also helped assure her continued popularity fifty years after her death. ... All of that will become apparent as you play this direct connection to the recording studio reissue from Analogue Productions. ... The original master tapes were transferred to lacquer at Sterling Sound by connecting the playback deck's output directly to the lathe, thereby bypassing altogether the mixing board. The sonics are sensational, particularly in terms of transparency ... Everything from the silent 200g pressing to the "tip-on" (paper on cardboard) gatefold jacket and the center portfolio of great full color Patsy shots screams HIGH QUALITY! This reissue, from the AAA production, to the pressing and packaging quality epitomizes the purpose of the current return to vinyl." - Music = 9/11; Sound = 9/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here: http://www.analogplanet.com/content/patsy-clines-greatest-hits What praises haven't been lauded the immortal singing talent of the late, great Patsy Cline? She died at the height of her career, at age 30, with two other stars of the Grand Ole Opry, and her manager, in a private plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, on the group's return to Nashville from Kansas City. Before that ill-fated flight, though, she left a musical legacy as one of the most influential and successful female vocalists of the 20th Century. In the late 1950s and the '60s, country music was essentially a singles medium. This album, first released in 1967, collects a dozen of Patsy's biggest hits — all of them from the country singles market — including "Walkin' After Midnight," "Sweet Dreams (Of You)," "Crazy," and "I Fall to Pieces." Producer Owen Bradley surrounds Cline's full-throated, emotionally charged vocals with lush, sophisticated arrangements that set the standard for Nashville's "countrypolitan" sound. And trust us, on this 200-gram QRP pressing, mastered by Sterling Sound, Cline's seductive vocals have never sounded clearer or richer. And the packaging on this release is as deluxe as the audio. Analogue Productions has reissued this classic LP in a new deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket. Inside you'll enjoy a spread of vivid color studio publicity shots of Patsy, courtesy of the Universal Music Archives. Cline's life and career has been the subject of numerous books, movies, documentaries, articles and stage plays. She has sold millions of albums through the past 50 years, giving her an iconic fan status, similar to that of country artists such as Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. In 1992, the U.S. Postal Service honored her, along with Hank Williams, on a U.S. postage stamp. And in 1995 she was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Cline was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Before Shania Twain found a new (though not necessarily improved) way to combine country and pop in the 1990s, this was the top-selling country album of all time by a female artist.
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Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin
88,00 €Show itemLady in Satin was released in 1958 on Columbia Records, catalog CL 1157 in mono and CS 8048 in stereo. It is legendary singer Billie Holiday’s penultimate album completed by the singer and released in her lifetime (her final album, Billie Holiday, being recorded in March 1959 and released just after her death). AllMusic says: “The feeling and tension she manages to put into almost every track set this album as one of her finest achievements. ‘You’ve Changed’ and ‘I Get Along Without You Very Well’ are high art performances from the singer who saw life from the bottom up.” The song material for Lady in Satin derived from the usual sources for Holiday in her three-decade career, that of the Great American Songbook of classic pop. Unlike the bulk of Holiday’s recordings, rather than in the setting of a jazz combo Holiday returns to the backdrop of full orchestral arrangements as done during her Decca years, this time in the contemporary vein of Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald on her Song Books series. The album consists of songs Holiday had never recorded before. Bandleader Ray Ellis used a 40-piece orchestra, complete with horns, strings, reeds and even a three-piece choir. It would turn out to be Holiday’s most expensive music production. Soloists on the album included Mel Davis, Urbie Green, and bebop trombone pioneer J. J. Johnson. Now with our 45 RPM release, mastered from the original analog tape by Bernie Grundman, and pressed by our own Quality Record Pressings, the best-sounding version of this historic album gives listeners an even richer sonic experience. The dead-quiet double-LP, with the music spread over four sides of vinyl, reduces distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately. Original album produced by Irving Townsend, and engineered by Fred Plaut.