RCA Vintage

Including RCA records recorded during the Living Stereo era and pressed into the 70s.

Esquivel – Infinity In Sound, Vol. 2

More Esquivel

  • With excellent Double Plus (A++) Living Stereo sound or close to it throughout, you’ll have a hard time finding a copy that sounds remotely as good as this early RCA pressing – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • This side two is spacious, lively and positively dripping with ambience, and side one is not far behind in all those areas – here is the Tubey Magical Stereoscopic presentation these kinds of recordings are known for
  • 4 stars: “This may be the Esquivel album that has it all: his signature style and sound, some experimentation (whistling), and an even mix of Latin and non-Latin standards.”
  • If you’re a fan of Juan Garcia Esquivel, and what audiophile wouldn’t be?, this top exotica/easy listening title from 1961 belongs in your collection.

(more…)

Charles Mingus – Tijuana Moods

More Charles Mingus

  • Tijuana Moods is back on the site for only the second time in four years, here with solid Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them on both sides of this vintage RCA pressing
  • This is Sixties Living Stereo at its best – big, rich and Tubey Magical like you will not believe (particularly on side two)
  • 5 stars: “Mingus at the time said that this was his greatest recording, and it certainly ranks near the top. The passionate playing, exciting ensembles, and high-quality compositions make this a real gem, and it represents one of Charles Mingus’ finest hours.”

This is the way it must have sounded in 1957, when legendary RCA engineers BOB SIMPSON and RAY HALL were sitting behind the board in the New York studios where it was recorded. (more…)

Rimsky-Korsakoff / Scheherazade – Reiner (Shaded Dog Label)

More of the music of Rimsky-Korsakov

  • Reiner and the Chicago Symphony’s performance of this dazzling symphonic suite returns to the site on this vintage White Dog pressing that boasts outstanding Double Plus (A++) Living Stereo sound or close to it from first note to last
  • We guarantee there is more richness, fullness, and performance energy on this copy than others you’ve heard, and that’s especially true if you own any of the Heavy Vinyl pressings that are currently on the market
  • Our favorite Scheherazade for about the last 15 years or so has been the one Ansermet conducted for Decca in 1961, but the roller-coaster excitement Reiner and the CSO bring to the fourth movement is something very special
  • True, the side with the fourth movement earned a minimal Hot Stamper grade of 1.5+, but we still guarantee that it will beat the pants off any Heavy Vinyl reissue, because every one of those that we’ve played was ridiculously opaque, muddy and thick enough to have us crying “uncle” after five minutes (reviews available on this blog)
  • We’ve come up with a simple listening test to help our audiophile brethren judge pressings of Scheherazade, especially those woeful iterations of the music on Heavy Vinyl. We hope you will find time to avail yourself of the lessons we’ve learned

UPDATE 2024

Now that we know which stampers have the potential to win our shootouts, it turns out that the Shaded Dog originals have been coming out on top, although the White Dog pressings can still sound quite good to us, just not as good.

And for all you Bernie Grundman fans out there, you may want to consider the implications of the fact that the Living Stereo CD of Reiner’s Scheherazade is dramatically better than the awful Classic Records pressing of it.

We did a monster shootout for this music in 2014, one we had been planning for more than two years. On hand were quite a few copies of the Reiner on RCA; the Ansermet on London (CS 6212, his second stereo recording, from 1961, not the earlier and noticeably poorer sounding recording from in 1959); the Ormandy on Columbia, and a few others we felt had potential.

The only recordings that held up all the way through — the fourth movement being the Ball Breaker of all time, for both the engineers and musicians — were those by Reiner and Ansermet. This was disappointing considering how much time and money we spent finding, cleaning and playing those ten or so other pressings, but such is the nature of our business.

TAS List

As you may know, Harry Pearson put this record on his earliest TAS list of Super Discs.

Of course, the fact that a recording is on the TAS list doesn’t guarantee that the pressing you buy will have great sound, but Better Records does precisely that. If you don’t think a record sounds as good as we’ve described it, we’ll always happily take that record back and refund your money.

(more…)

Sam Cooke – Hits of the 50’s in Living Stereo

More Pop and Jazz Vocals

  • Hits of the 50s returns to the site for the first time in many years, here with superb Living Stereo sound on both sides of original RCA pressing
  • If you want to hear one of the great vocalists from the 50s, in his prime, with top quality audiophile sound, this is the album that will do the trick!
  • This is the way it must have sounded in 1960, in the New York studios where it was recorded, with legendary RCA engineer Bob Simpson behind the board
  • This is not the typically radio-EQ’d singing-out-of-tin-can sound of so many male vocal albums from the era – Cooke’s voice is warm and rich here
  • “…constitutes [Cooke] reaching full pop maturity from his gospel beginnings. These are hit tunes of the 50s…and he handles them in straight, ungimmicked style, to the accompaniment of tasteful, small group scorings by Glenn Osser” – Billboard Magazine

(more…)

Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 2 / Rubinstein

More Classical and Orchestral Recordings

  • Chopin’s 2nd piano concerto returns to the site for only the second time in four years, here with stunning Nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) sound from start to finish – just shy of our Shootout Winner
  • The reproduction of the piano on this exceptional Shaded Dog pressing is clear, solid, and present – in other words, hard to fault
  • The sound was simply bigger, more transparent, less distorted, more three-dimensional and more real than practically all the other copies we played
  • We were also impressed with the vibrant orchestra surrounding the piano, with plenty of the Living Stereo Tubey Magical strings we audiophiles swoon over
  • There are about 150 orchestral recordings we think offer the best performances with the highest quality sound. This record is certainly deserving of a place on that list.
  • 1958 just happens to be one of the truly great years for analog recordings, as evidenced by this amazing group of albums, all recorded or released in that year.

The original version of LSC 2265 as pictured above is known as The Rubinstein Story. It comes with a deluxe gatefold cover and a lovely illustrated booklet tucked into an inner flap with biographical information about Rubinstein and commentary about the music of Chopin. The second picture is of the reissue of the album which came out soon thereafter, still with the Shaded Dog label.

Those of you who know your Shaded Dogs no doubt have had a few problems with your Rubinstein pressings in the past being too midrangy and forward, a sound that Rubinstein supposedly insisted on for his records. Not so on this pressing, I am happy to report. The sound is overflowing with Tubey Magic.

(more…)

Dick Schory – Music To Break Any Mood

More Exotica Recordings

  • Music To Break Any Mood appears on the site for only the second time ever, here with solid Double Plus (A++) Living Stereo sound throughout this original RCA pressing
  • Spacious, rich and smooth – only vintage analog seems capable of reproducing all three of these qualities without sacrificing resolution, staging, imaging or presence
  • You won’t believe how natural, rich, tonally correct and Tubey Magical this copy is – until you play it, of course
  • So transparent, dynamic and real, this copy raises the bar for the sound of this kind of percussion-based music on vinyl

(more…)

Beethoven / Brahms – Violin Sonatas / Szeryng

More of the music of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

More of the music of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

  • Szeryng and Rubinstein’s performance of these wonderful violin-piano duos appears on the site for only the second time ever, here with with STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) Living Stereo sound or close to it throughout this original Shaded Dog pressing
  • These are just a few of the things we had to say about this incredible copy in our notes: “big and rich and 3D violin”…”sweet and lively and roomy”…”very rich and present”…”great size and energy”
  • Both of these sides are Tubey Magical, lively and clear, with richness and warmth that only the best vintage vinyl pressings offer
  • Here you will find exceptionally three-dimensional sound, expanding the space of your listening room from wall to wall and floor to ceiling
  • This copy also showed us the balance of clarity and sweetness we were looking for in the violin – not many recordings from this era can do that, and not even most RCA’s, to be honest

(more…)

Khachaturian – Violin Concerto / Kogan

More Classical Recordings Featuring the Violin

  • A vintage Maroon Label Victrola stereo pressing of Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto (only the second copy to ever hit the site), here with solid Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them from first note to last
  • It’s also fairly quiet at Mint Minus Minus, a grade that even our most well-cared-for vintage classical titles have trouble playing at
  • This copy of VICS 1153 showed us the balance of clarity and sweetness we were looking for in the violin (particularly on side two) – not many recordings from this era can do that
  • Side two is simply bigger, more transparent, less distorted, more three-dimensional and more real than most of what we played, and side one is not far behind in all those areas

(more…)

Haydn / Symphony No. 94 / Fjeldstad

More of the Music of Joseph Haydn

  • With solid Double Plus (A++) Living Stereo sound or BETTER on both sides, this original RCA Camden pressing of Fjeldstad and the Oslo Phil’s outstanding performance is doing just about everything right
  • It’s also fairly quiet at Mint Minus Minus, a grade that even our most well-cared-for vintage classical titles have trouble playing at
  • This copy is simply bigger, more transparent, less distorted, more three-dimensional and more REAL than most of what we played
  • The rich, textured sheen of the strings that Living Stereo made possible in the 50s and early 60s is clearly evident throughout these pieces, something that the Heavy Vinyl crowd will never experience, because that sound just does not exist on modern records
  • There are about 150 orchestral recordings we think offer the best performances with the highest quality sound. This record is certainly deserving of a place on that list.

This vintage RCA Living Stereo Camden LP has stunning Hot Stamper sound on both sides. It’s one of the best Camdens, if not actually the best. In true Living Stereo fashion, a natural, realistic concert hall perspective unfolds before you. The sound is rich, smooth, sweet and tubey, with lovely sheen on the strings — what’s not to like?

Fjeldstad’s performance is excellent as well. Fjeldstad, you may remember, is the man behind the definitive Peer Gynt on Decca (SXL 2012). His recordings may not be common but they have never disappointed. If you can’t own all 104 of Haydn’s symphonies, make sure that at least this one is in your collection.

(more…)

Chet Atkins – The Other Chet Atkins

More Chet Atkins

More Living Stereo Recordings

  • Rich, smooth, sweet, full of ambience, dead-on correct tonality — it’s all here on this wonderful TAS list recording
  • Need a refresher course in Tubey Magic after playing too many modern recordings or remasterings? This record is overflowing with it
  • It seems as though Bill Porter just doesn’t know how not to make an amazing sounding Living Stereo recording. Everything the guy touches is GOLD!
  • If you’re a fan of Chet Atkin’s albums from the Golden Age of the 50s and 60s, this vintage Living Stereo pressing from 1960 surely belongs in your collection

Acoustic guitar reproduction is superb on the better copies of this album. The harmonic coherency, the richness, the body, and simply phenomenal amounts of Tubey Magic can be heard on every strum.

(more…)