Scott, your reviews of the Living Stereo records are so much fun. Your passion for both the music and the pressings is very evident. When I watch these reviews, I want to go back and listen to the records. That's about the highest compliment I can give to a review. Looking forward to future reviews -- and I'm now subscribed!
Welcome! I'm so pleased you enjoy the channel enough to subscribe. We're going to have a lot of fun as we cover the whole series! Thank you for your kind words and taking time to message me.
I bought the AP pressing a couple years ago and absolutely love it. I’d never purchased nor heard any other pressings of this recording. Sounds like I have the only one I’ll ever need. Warm wishes as always and thanks for another great video! R.
Great video Scott! I purchased the AP pressing a couple weeks ago and was floored by the sound and packaging. One of my favorites in this amazing series.
I'll definitely be getting "The Sea" and the Chopin/ Rubinstein disks! Excellent review on the Munch comparison. There a few copies left at the AS Amazon store as of Tues. Jan 7th on the Nevsky!! Get them while they last!
Thank you. I've heard they are difficult to get there, or very expensive to import. That is unfortunate. Take heart! You have all those beautiful UK ORIGINAL Decca, EMI, and Lyrita that are harder to get here.
Ive got a 16s/11s shaded dog from indianapolis and a mid-60s white dog. The original is my favorite record of all time. It started my obsession with pressings haha. I was flabbergasted that they could sound so different. White dog is exactly how you described. It's a B+ at best (i have a super clean copy). A little hard, a little hazy. OG is perfection, even in VG+. Well, except for limited dynamic range in climaxes on the Debussy side. Everything sounds so REAL. The thing glows. I can almost feel the wood of the instruments resonate, the hall even. Only an occasional distorted cymbal splash breaks the illusion. Would be so interesting to hear a shootout with the AP pressing.
Ok, send me your pressing and I'll do it 😀 You might not get it back if it's as you describe! I had a feeling that it could be the case. Thanks for shedding some light on the Shaded Dog! Sounds lovely!
The White Dogs sound like early solid state was used in the mastering. Never heard a white dog that I liked better than the shaded dog original. It was rumored that the Reiner Scheherazade white dog had better sound than the SD....No; not even close! The original Munch La Mer shaded dog is known to have some of their best string sound ever, along with Also Sprach, Venice and a few others. The plum Victrolas I have heard (many), seem to lack the tonal colors of the shaded dogs to a great degree, but still are very good.
In this case, the pressing doesn't just matter; it sounds like it shatters. I've always found these thematic compositions to be really interesting. Holst The Planets is another one. Thanks for this fine review! 👍👍👍
@@ThePressingMatters It's always very sweet to find a really well made vinyl record. I have some Sheffield and other label D2D classical vinyl records. The sound of those records is simply astonishing; it's beyond anything mastered and pressed from tape. 😻 You can still get some of these at Acoustic Sounds and likely elsewhere.
@@ThePressingMatters As Chad likes to say, that'll be a diaper moment. By the way, AS has a Sibelius album and Vivaldi album in D2D. The Vivaldi album is backordered, but the Sibelius album is in stock. I have the Vivaldi; it's just excellent, like Fremer says in his review. 😻
Hi Scott, My copy should be delivered today! I had previously purchased AP’s SACD version along with some other living stereos when they went on sale at Acoustic Sounds. I liked them all so much I ordered each release in vinyl. I’m an analog girl at heart. ❤️
I really hope so. That's why I added an urgent warning to act as soon as possible. It's a gorgeous version, so much better than what I heard on the others.
@ I have a 16s/9s shaded dog copy that I haven’t listened to for many years. Apparently I didn’t think much of it. But I need to listen to it again before the AP copy arrives.
I have a feeling you might react the same as I did, even with the earlier pressing. You just never know. Someone else mentioned that the Shaded Dog was far better than the White Dog, but I'm not sure how early it was. I have no doubt you'll be very happy with the Analogue Productions.
Again, great review! As I have versions (full series) from first press and repress, the represses are def better sounding hence go and get the represses and if on discogs et al check the date of release to make sure.
Hi Mike! This is very interesting. Are you saying the 180gm represses are better sounding than the original 200gm series? I haven't heard that before and I think most people don't have the opportunity to compare them as you do. What are you hearing and why do you think that is?
@@ThePressingMatters Better dynamics, clarity and separation, less distortion/background noise. More prominent on some titles but in general better. I guess that the (new?) vinyl formula and pressing setup are the reasons for the increased SQ or is it just some Chad magic. I do not have all titles from first pressings but enough to sure notice the difference on the repress versions. The last press Prestige B Evans box sounds best to me to mention some and all the 33 rpm repress (QPR) jazz prestige sound top ie 2022 (200gr) and 2023 (180gr), so later press 200 or 180 gr seems not differ but I will dig deeper.... At least in my system later press is better!
Great comparison as always. I have an original shaded dog of this one; I haven't spun it yet and I need to check the stamper numbers. I thought I was the only one who noticed the dramatic increase in tape hiss on Victrola discs; they must have been made from copies of the mix-down masters.
Thank you! I wonder if you'll find that pressing veiled as I did with the White Dog? Please let us know. Another viewer said the earlier Shaded Dog was not veiled and hazy. The more I do close auditioning with the Victrola, I realize this is the case - more hiss. There are exceptions thigh, and I'll find them!
Scott, sorry, this is off-topic, but in case it might be helpful to know: Elusive Disc has The Lark by Jascha Heifetz on sale for $29.99. I remember your excellent review of this amazing record last year. Elusive has some other AAA Impex titles that are strong buy recommendations, like Bud Shank Barefoot Advertures, Kenny Dorham Matador (both on sale). Not on sale but well worth paying full price are Streisand Live at the Bon Soir and Duke Ellington Indigos. Ellington Indigos seems right up your alley. The Impex 2x45rpm is 11/10 for music and 11/10 for SQ (using on my own highly proprietary, extremely scientific, peer-reviewed rating system) (just kidding, my opinion). Elusive sells the regular Impex 1x33rpm version of Sinatra Sing & Dance, which I own and highly recommend, for those who missed out on or can't afford the OneStep of it. I thought of this because you've been highlighting RCA LS titles that your viewers can still get but probably not for long. That is probably true of The Lark and Ellington Indigos on Impex, and perhaps the excellent Streisand title, too. I know you appreciate Impex's great work on these amazing titles.
I really appreciate that you've let us know about this sale! I'm not always up on the latest and every title you mentioned are favorited of mine! The Lark is a great deal. Such a gem. I do have the 33 they did of Indigos and love it. I'm sure the 45 is great. And yes, the Sinatra in either edition is very special. I'll take a look over there tonight. Thanks for the information! Take care, Scott
I have the Heifetz The Lark album; it's just excellent. 😻 Ellington is my favorite big band jazz artist. Not to long ago, I looked at the Indigos album and really thought it would be a nice one to add to my collection. Thanks for the heads up on the sale. 👍👍👍
I only have two recordings of this piece, one conducted by Ansermet on Decca and the other is Previn conducting the LSO. I do like the latter even though it’s a DMM pressing on EMI but then I like all the Previn recordings I have.
The Previn may be a more technically perfect recording. EMI from that era usually are. I'm sure his interpretation is great too. I look forward to covering the EMI records at some point. Still there's something to be said about Munch's reading of this. There's something really magical going on here and now we can hear it in all its glory!
@ I always trust your opinions, Scott and I’d love to hear this version as I know it’ll be amazing. Now you’ve got me salivating at the prospect of you reviewing EMI recordings as they are second only to Decca in my modest collecting of classical recordings.
La Mer has always seemed to me like the prototype for all "deep sea" or maritime themed movie music. Think Jaws, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, or Hunt For Red October. Are there other works that pre-date La Mer with a similar sound?
I have not yet done Reiner's Pictures yet, but I will get to it, and I think it will be very interesting. I have a few originals, a .5 Series, Classic 33 and Classic 45. I should be getting the Analogue Productions 45 very soon. Glad to hear some feedback on it. Thanks so much for watching!
@@ThePressingMatters another cool one I found recently was Esquivel: Strings aflame…and it sounds amazing. I also found a -1s of the comp “Destination Stereo” paid $8 and it sounds amazing too!
The Sugarcube is a device made by SweetVinyl, which removes clicks and pops in the fly. A different mastering can sound more modern because of different EQ choices, but also more modern mastering equipment.
If the Sweetvingl Sugarcube sound interesting - it is! I did a short video on it long ago and a written review recently at Audiophilia www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2024/11/11/the-sweetvinyl-sugarcube-sc-1-mini
Luckily I have all of these after going on my panic buying spree last summer caused by the unavailability of Petrushka, darnit. The Rubinstein is to die for of course, but the 1812 Overture disappointed me due to the lack of cannons. One of the first classical LPs I bought back in the early '70s was the 1812 by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra on Columbia Masterworks, and it has cannons by golly.
I haven't heard the 1812 yet but I know it wasn't popular because of the lack of artillery! I'm more interested in what else is on the record. I may bring in the famous Mercury for that one, as it knocked it into oblivion!
Yes, it's nice when that happens! Now I hope I've inspired you to give it another listen 😀 Seriously, I'm glad you got this. It won't be around too long.
I'm sure it has been! It's a very famous composition. I'm not able to research at this moment, but a google or Discogs search should bring up dozens of options. Search by the French name La Mer.
A beautiful version from 1963 is Guilini/Philharmonia/EMI the recent repressing was by HiQ Supercuts. Another audiophile classic is Haitink/Concertgebeow/Philips from 1977 can be expensive however worth looking out for the 1981 Haitink boxset Debussy orchestral works as often overlooked by people just searching for the single lps and can be very reasonably priced.
@ Thanks Scott Happy New Year. It’s great to see that you’ve found a pressing of the LS Munch Mer you can really connect with. The Guilini originals are fiendishly expensive but there have been loads of rereleases over the years. One I can vouch for is the Concert Classics edition which uses pretty early YAX stampers and what you lose from not having the iconic cover you gain by still having access to some quality tubiness you can luxuriate in while navigating La Mer!
Scott, your reviews of the Living Stereo records are so much fun. Your passion for both the music and the pressings is very evident. When I watch these reviews, I want to go back and listen to the records. That's about the highest compliment I can give to a review. Looking forward to future reviews -- and I'm now subscribed!
Welcome! I'm so pleased you enjoy the channel enough to subscribe. We're going to have a lot of fun as we cover the whole series!
Thank you for your kind words and taking time to message me.
I bought the AP pressing a couple years ago and absolutely love it. I’d never purchased nor heard any other pressings of this recording. Sounds like I have the only one I’ll ever need.
Warm wishes as always and thanks for another great video!
R.
You need look no further, Ron. This one is the best, full stop!
Take care, my friend,
Scott
Thank you for this! You stuck with it and were rewarded :)
I loved making this comparison. So glad it turned out the way it did! This deserved a great mastering and it got it!
Great video Scott! I purchased the AP pressing a couple weeks ago and was floored by the sound and packaging. One of my favorites in this amazing series.
It was instantly elevated to a jewel in the Living Stereo crown. Such a dramatic improvement!
I'll definitely be getting "The Sea" and the Chopin/ Rubinstein disks! Excellent review on the Munch comparison.
There a few copies left at the AS Amazon store as of Tues. Jan 7th on the Nevsky!! Get them while they last!
Thanks for the tip! I thought Amazon was wiped out!
Nice video as always. Thanks! All these records are difficult to obtain here in the EU.
Thank you. I've heard they are difficult to get there, or very expensive to import. That is unfortunate. Take heart! You have all those beautiful UK ORIGINAL Decca, EMI, and Lyrita that are harder to get here.
Ive got a 16s/11s shaded dog from indianapolis and a mid-60s white dog. The original is my favorite record of all time. It started my obsession with pressings haha. I was flabbergasted that they could sound so different. White dog is exactly how you described. It's a B+ at best (i have a super clean copy). A little hard, a little hazy. OG is perfection, even in VG+. Well, except for limited dynamic range in climaxes on the Debussy side. Everything sounds so REAL. The thing glows. I can almost feel the wood of the instruments resonate, the hall even. Only an occasional distorted cymbal splash breaks the illusion. Would be so interesting to hear a shootout with the AP pressing.
Ok, send me your pressing and I'll do it 😀
You might not get it back if it's as you describe! I had a feeling that it could be the case. Thanks for shedding some light on the Shaded Dog! Sounds lovely!
The White Dogs sound like early solid state was used in the mastering. Never heard a white dog that I liked better than the shaded dog original. It was rumored that the Reiner Scheherazade white dog had better sound than the SD....No; not even close! The original Munch La Mer shaded dog is known to have some of their best string sound ever, along with Also Sprach, Venice and a few others. The plum Victrolas I have heard (many), seem to lack the tonal colors of the shaded dogs to a great degree, but still are very good.
In this case, the pressing doesn't just matter; it sounds like it shatters. I've always found these thematic compositions to be really interesting. Holst The Planets is another one. Thanks for this fine review! 👍👍👍
Thanks! Yes this was a case where "the pressing matters" was very obvious and distinctly superior in the case of the AP. It's not subtle!
@@ThePressingMatters It's always very sweet to find a really well made vinyl record. I have some Sheffield and other label D2D classical vinyl records. The sound of those records is simply astonishing; it's beyond anything mastered and pressed from tape. 😻 You can still get some of these at Acoustic Sounds and likely elsewhere.
Oh yes! One day I’ll talk about Sheffield Labs!
@@ThePressingMatters As Chad likes to say, that'll be a diaper moment. By the way, AS has a Sibelius album and Vivaldi album in D2D. The Vivaldi album is backordered, but the Sibelius album is in stock. I have the Vivaldi; it's just excellent, like Fremer says in his review. 😻
As commented on your FB post, it’s so good I bought two 🫶
Thanks for coming by here and letting us know. It's remarkable how well this was done. If any record deserved a back up copy, this might be it!
Looking forward to your review, Scott😊
You got a shoutout, referred to as “a friend of the channel!”
😁
Hi Scott, My copy should be delivered today! I had previously purchased AP’s SACD version along with some other living stereos when they went on sale at Acoustic Sounds. I liked them all so much I ordered each release in vinyl. I’m an analog girl at heart. ❤️
Oh, Kelly, wait til you hear this! Come back and let me know!
If you're an "analog girl", then you truly know one of the finer things in life. 👍
One of my favorite works and this AP record is drop dead gorgeous! I hope there are plenty of copies for people to pick up...
I really hope so. That's why I added an urgent warning to act as soon as possible. It's a gorgeous version, so much better than what I heard on the others.
I really enjoyed your comments on La Mer, Scott. Both the composition and recording.
Thank you Matthew, it's a pleasure to do these. I particularly loved this one. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Scott! I just ordered a copy.
Awesome! It's a beauty. Please let me know how you like it! Have you had other pressings of it?
@ I have a 16s/9s shaded dog copy that I haven’t listened to for many years. Apparently I didn’t think much of it. But I need to listen to it again before the AP copy arrives.
I have a feeling you might react the same as I did, even with the earlier pressing. You just never know. Someone else mentioned that the Shaded Dog was far better than the White Dog, but I'm not sure how early it was. I have no doubt you'll be very happy with the Analogue Productions.
Again, great review! As I have versions (full series) from first press and repress, the represses are def better sounding hence go and get the represses and if on discogs et al check the date of release to make sure.
Adding to this repress advantage, as I hear it, goes as well for the Prestige series etc from AP's catalogue
Hi Mike!
This is very interesting. Are you saying the 180gm represses are better sounding than the original 200gm series? I haven't heard that before and I think most people don't have the opportunity to compare them as you do. What are you hearing and why do you think that is?
@@ThePressingMatters Better dynamics, clarity and separation, less distortion/background noise. More prominent on some titles but in general better. I guess that the (new?) vinyl formula and pressing setup are the reasons for the increased SQ or is it just some Chad magic. I do not have all titles from first pressings but enough to sure notice the difference on the repress versions. The last press Prestige B Evans box sounds best to me to mention some and all the 33 rpm repress (QPR) jazz prestige sound top ie 2022 (200gr) and 2023 (180gr), so later press 200 or 180 gr seems not differ but I will dig deeper.... At least in my system later press is better!
@@mikeoo437 Thanks for the info!
Great comparison as always. I have an original shaded dog of this one; I haven't spun it yet and I need to check the stamper numbers. I thought I was the only one who noticed the dramatic increase in tape hiss on Victrola discs; they must have been made from copies of the mix-down masters.
Thank you! I wonder if you'll find that pressing veiled as I did with the White Dog? Please let us know. Another viewer said the earlier Shaded Dog was not veiled and hazy. The more I do close auditioning with the Victrola, I realize this is the case - more hiss. There are exceptions thigh, and I'll find them!
Scott, sorry, this is off-topic, but in case it might be helpful to know:
Elusive Disc has The Lark by Jascha Heifetz on sale for $29.99. I remember your excellent review of this amazing record last year. Elusive has some other AAA Impex titles that are strong buy recommendations, like Bud Shank Barefoot Advertures, Kenny Dorham Matador (both on sale). Not on sale but well worth paying full price are Streisand Live at the Bon Soir and Duke Ellington Indigos. Ellington Indigos seems right up your alley. The Impex 2x45rpm is 11/10 for music and 11/10 for SQ (using on my own highly proprietary, extremely scientific, peer-reviewed rating system) (just kidding, my opinion). Elusive sells the regular Impex 1x33rpm version of Sinatra Sing & Dance, which I own and highly recommend, for those who missed out on or can't afford the OneStep of it.
I thought of this because you've been highlighting RCA LS titles that your viewers can still get but probably not for long. That is probably true of The Lark and Ellington Indigos on Impex, and perhaps the excellent Streisand title, too. I know you appreciate Impex's great work on these amazing titles.
I really appreciate that you've let us know about this sale! I'm not always up on the latest and every title you mentioned are favorited of mine! The Lark is a great deal. Such a gem. I do have the 33 they did of Indigos and love it. I'm sure the 45 is great. And yes, the Sinatra in either edition is very special. I'll take a look over there tonight.
Thanks for the information!
Take care,
Scott
I have the Heifetz The Lark album; it's just excellent. 😻 Ellington is my favorite big band jazz artist. Not to long ago, I looked at the Indigos album and really thought it would be a nice one to add to my collection. Thanks for the heads up on the sale. 👍👍👍
I only have two recordings of this piece, one conducted by Ansermet on Decca and the other is Previn conducting the LSO. I do like the latter even though it’s a DMM pressing on EMI but then I like all the Previn recordings I have.
The Previn may be a more technically perfect recording. EMI from that era usually are. I'm sure his interpretation is great too. I look forward to covering the EMI records at some point.
Still there's something to be said about Munch's reading of this. There's something really magical going on here and now we can hear it in all its glory!
@ I always trust your opinions, Scott and I’d love to hear this version as I know it’ll be amazing. Now you’ve got me salivating at the prospect of you reviewing EMI recordings as they are second only to Decca in my modest collecting of classical recordings.
I'll probably start on that mid year, and will be doing at least an overview of Lyrita and Argo too.
La Mer has always seemed to me like the prototype for all "deep sea" or maritime themed movie music. Think Jaws, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, or Hunt For Red October. Are there other works that pre-date La Mer with a similar sound?
Cool. I just got the ravel Pictures at an Exhibition. It sounds fantastic. This one highly suggest too. Not sure if you did this one
I have not yet done Reiner's Pictures yet, but I will get to it, and I think it will be very interesting. I have a few originals, a .5 Series, Classic 33 and Classic 45. I should be getting the Analogue Productions 45 very soon. Glad to hear some feedback on it. Thanks so much for watching!
@@ThePressingMatters another cool one I found recently was Esquivel: Strings aflame…and it sounds amazing. I also found a -1s of the comp “Destination Stereo” paid $8 and it sounds amazing too!
Did you reach out to Chad re stock numbers ? , he should send you a couple for driving his sales
I just did, thank you for reminding me!
What is a sugar cube? Also, what makes a recording sound more modern, assuming the vinyl is in pristine condition?
The Sugarcube is a device made by SweetVinyl, which removes clicks and pops in the fly. A different mastering can sound more modern because of different EQ choices, but also more modern mastering equipment.
If the Sweetvingl Sugarcube sound interesting - it is! I did a short video on it long ago and a written review recently at Audiophilia
www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2024/11/11/the-sweetvinyl-sugarcube-sc-1-mini
This is why we listen to you. 😉
Aww thank you! 😀
Luckily I have all of these after going on my panic buying spree last summer caused by the unavailability of Petrushka, darnit. The Rubinstein is to die for of course, but the 1812 Overture disappointed me due to the lack of cannons. One of the first classical LPs I bought back in the early '70s was the 1812 by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra on Columbia Masterworks, and it has cannons by golly.
I haven't heard the 1812 yet but I know it wasn't popular because of the lack of artillery! I'm more interested in what else is on the record. I may bring in the famous Mercury for that one, as it knocked it into oblivion!
@@ThePressingMatters
Yes, please do.
Love La Mar. Debussy does not get enough respect IMO. The only version I have of this recording is the AP. Lucky me.
It's all you need. It's stunning.
@@ThePressingMatters Good to know! Thanks for the reviews.
@@scottwheeler2679 Absolutely, my pleasure!
Thank god one I already have 😂
Yes, it's nice when that happens! Now I hope I've inspired you to give it another listen 😀
Seriously, I'm glad you got this. It won't be around too long.
Do you know if DeBussy’s The Sea has been done by any other orchestra besides the Boston Symphony? I don’t like Boston…
I'm sure it has been! It's a very famous composition. I'm not able to research at this moment, but a google or Discogs search should bring up dozens of options. Search by the French name La Mer.
A beautiful version from 1963 is Guilini/Philharmonia/EMI the recent repressing was by HiQ Supercuts. Another audiophile classic is Haitink/Concertgebeow/Philips from 1977 can be expensive however worth looking out for the 1981 Haitink boxset Debussy orchestral works as often overlooked by people just searching for the single lps and can be very reasonably priced.
Great information, as always! Thank you for contributing to the discussion. I will check out your recommendations!
@ Thanks Scott Happy New Year. It’s great to see that you’ve found a pressing of the LS Munch Mer you can really connect with. The Guilini originals are fiendishly expensive but there have been loads of rereleases over the years. One I can vouch for is the Concert Classics edition which uses pretty early YAX stampers and what you lose from not having the iconic cover you gain by still having access to some quality tubiness you can luxuriate in while navigating La Mer!