- This vintage pressing (only the second copy to hit the site in years) boasts INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it from start to finish
- Both of these sides are rich and full with plenty of space around all of the instruments, and exceptionally breathy and present vocals
- Here’s the Midrange Magic that’s missing from the reissues and whatever 180g pressing has been made from the tapes (or, to be clear, a modern digital master copied from who-knows-what-tapes)
- Engineering by Phil Ramone, who went on to win the Grammy the following year for Still Crazy After All These Years
- “Her graceful and affecting versions of Jimmy Webb’s ‘The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress’ and Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Send in the Clowns’ (as well as her own ‘Houses’) are lovely and inspired…”
Top Producer-Engineers – Phil Ramone
The Strings on this Album Are a Tough Test
Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim Available Now
Credit engineer Phil Ramone for correctly capturing the sound of every instrument here: the guitars, piano, flutes, strings, drums, percussion instruments — everything has the natural timbre of the real thing.
I used to think this recording erred on the bright side, but not the Hot Stamper copies. They are tonally right on the money.
When the balance lacks lower midrange, the sound can get lean, which causes the strings to seem brighter than they really are, a not uncommon problem with some of the pressings we heard.
We had quite a batch of these to play, including imports, originals, reissues (all stereo), and one lone mono, which was so ridiculously bad sounding we tossed it right out of the competition and into the trade pile.
For those of you playing along at home, we are not going to be much help to you here in finding your own Hot Stampers. Every version had strengths and weaknesses and all are represented in the three listings we are putting up today.
The sound of this side one blew our minds — no other copy could touch it. So open and airy, yet with real weight to the piano and a clear and strong bass line, this copy did EVERYTHING right.
The strings are very much part of the ensemble on this album, and getting good string tone, with just the right rosiny texture, the least amount of smear, freedom from shrillness or hardness — this is not easy to do.
Side two was quite good at A+ to A++, but we found other copies that bested it, including one Triple Plus that was in a league of its own. Even so, this copy on side two would be hard to beat without a number of carefully cleaned pressings to choose from.
Here are some records we’ve discovered that are good for testing string tone and texture.
Here are some records we’ve discovered that are good for testing midrange tonality.
Billy Joel – An Innocent Man
More Billy Joel
- This copy was doing just about everything right, with both sides earning solid Double Plus (A++) grades – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Dynamic and open, with driving rhythmic energy – this early pressing brings this great batch of songs to life
- Jam packed with hits: “An Innocent Man,” “The Longest Time,” “Tell Her About It,” “Uptown Girl,” “Leave a Tender Moment Alone,” and more – seven singles in all
- 4 stars: “…he’s effortlessly spinning out infectious, memorable melodies in a variety of styles, from the Four Seasons send-up “Uptown Girl” and the soulful “Tell Her About It” to a pair of doo wop tributes, “The Longest Time” and “Careless Talk.” Joel has rarely sounded so carefree either in performance or writing, possibly due to “Christie Lee” Brinkley, a supermodel who became his new love prior to An Innocent Man.”
Both of these sides have the huge soundstage and startling clarity and immediacy that characterizes this album, but they also add an ingredient missing from most we heard — a full, rich, musical midrange!
On many pressings, the vocals can get hard and harsh on the uptempo tracks (“Uptown Girl” is a notable offender, and never sounds quite as good as the rest of the album), but this copy manages to fix that problem (mostly) without sacrificing transparency or top end.
This was a monster in its day, generating a Number One hit and seven total single releases out of the ten songs that comprise it. Seven out of ten, not a bad track record. We couldn’t find a weak song on the album either, which is surely one of the reasons it sold seven million copies in the states alone. (more…)
Uptown Girl Is Often Hard and Harsh in the Midrange
Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Billy Joel Available Now
Dynamic and open, with driving rhythmic energy – the best early pressings really bring this great batch of songs to life.
Jam packed with hits: An Innocent Man, The Longest Time, Tell Her About It, Uptown Girl, Leave a Tender Moment Alone, and more – seven singles in all.
The best sides have the huge soundstage and startling clarity and immediacy that characterizes this album, but they also add an ingredient missing from most of the copies we played — a full, rich, musical midrange!
On many pressings, the vocals can get hard and harsh on the more uptempo tracks.
“Uptown Girl” is a notable offender in this regard, and never sounds quite as good as the other tracks.
A prime example of an album in which the hit sounds worse than the rest of the album.
As you can see from the notes for our our most recent White Hot shootout winning copy, side one was doing everything right, and side two, where Uptown Girl can be found, was doing the best it could, all things considered.
Side One
Jumping out / weighty and rich / very full vocals and kick drum
Side Two
Three-dimensional vocals / jumping out / full and lively / much less hardness
The notes for side two point out that it less hard sounding than the typical pressing, and that, coupled with its many other desirable qualities, put it over the top and made it the winner for side two.
Other records that are good for testing midrange hardness can be found here.
Hey, want to find your own top quality copy?
Consider taking our moderately helpful advice concerning the pressings that consistently win our shootouts.
This record has been sounding its best for many years, in shootout after shootout, this way:
Billy Joel / Songs in the Attic
More of the Music of Billy Joel
- Demo Disc live rock concert sound on this vintage Columbia pressing, with both sides earning solid Double Plus (A++) grades
- The sonics have so many wonderful analog qualities when you get a good copy — the hardness of the typical pressing just disappears, leaving surprisingly transparent and sweet sound on virtually every track
- The WHOMP factor here is off the scale. There are few studio recordings that have these kinds of dynamics. We forget how compressed most of them are. It takes a record like this to show you how much life there is in live music
- 4 stars: “Songs in the Attic is an excellent album, ranking among his very best work… even if Joel wasn’t a celebrity in the early 70s, his best songs of the era rivaled his biggest hits.”
A.C. Jobim – The Composer of ’Desafinado’ Plays
More Antonio Carlos Jobim
More Bossa Nova
- With INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it from first note to last, this original Stereo Verve pressing could not be beat
- Here are just a few of the things we had to say about this killer copy in our notes: “sweet and spacious and lively”…”lots of texture”…”very detailed and relaxed and open and rich”…”sweet and transparent flute”
- Both of these sides are clean, clear and dynamic yet still full of rich, warm 1963 Tubey Magical analog sound
- We love the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim here at Better Records and we think this album is his best – no serious jazz collection should be without it
- 4 1/2 stars: “A dozen songs, each one destined to become a standard — an astounding batting average.”
We’re big fans of Jobim here at Better Records, and this pressing was one of the best from our most recent shootout. We had a wonderful time listening to a big pile of pressings — the sound (and music) were out of this world. We were shocked at just how well recorded this album is.
We consider this Jobim album a Masterpiece. It’s a recording that belongs in any serious jazz music collection.
Others that belong in that category can be found here.
We’ve played a ton of different versions, including imports, originals, reissues (all stereo), and one lone mono, which was so ridiculously bad sounding we tossed it right out of the competition and into the trade pile.
For those of you playing along at home, we are not going to be much help to you here in finding your own Hot Stampers. Every version had strengths and weaknesses and all are represented in the listings we will be putting up on the site.
Phil Ramone
Credit engineer Phil Ramone for correctly capturing the sound of every instrument here: the guitars, piano, flutes, strings, drums, percussion instruments — everything has the natural timbre of the real thing. I used to think this recording erred on the bright side, but not the Hot Stamper copies. They are tonally right on the money. (When the balance lacks lower midrange the sound gets lean, which causes the strings to seem brighter than they really are, a not uncommon problem with some of the pressings we played.)
Claus Ogerman
The string arrangements by the phenomenally talented producer/arranger Claus Ogerman surely contribute a great deal to the beauty of this music, and much of its “feel.” This is the man who made Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim such an original and powerful departure in Sinatra’s body of work. He continued to work with Jobim on a number of follow-up albums, including A Certain Mr. Jobim (1967) and Wave (1967). From 1963-67 he arranged some 60-70 albums for Creed Taylor’s Verve and then went on to work with him extensively at CTI.
And what would Breezin’ be without Ogerman’s lush strings? Not to be too unkind, but probably just another George Benson album.
Dionne Warwick / Very Dionne
More Pop and Jazz Vocal Recordings
More Recordings Engineered by Phil Ramone
- You’ll find solid Double Plus (A++) sound or close to it throughout this vintage Scepter pressing (one of only a handful of copies to hit the site in years)
- This side one is superb – the bass is tight and punchy, the strings have lots of texture, and the background vocals are clean and clear, and side two is not far behind in all those areas
- The midrange is full of that old analog Tubey Magic (particularly on side one), courtesy of Larry Levine and Phil Ramone, the kind that has completely disappeared from the modern record (even the modern reissue of a vintage record)
- Note that the first track on side one simply does not sound good for some reason – we’re not sure what happened there but a screwup in the studio is our guess
- “The album’s wide variety of styles summed up much of what made Warwick’s back catalog so universally appealing. In addition to a handful of new Burt Bacharach and Hal David sides, the platter boasts tasteful reworkings of pop music staples. One unmitigated zenith is ‘I Got Love’ from the Ossie Davis Broadway production Purlie. Once again, Warwick — under [Marty] Paich’s direction — equals if not surpasses Melba Moore’s stage presentation.”
Folks, don’t expect to see records like this coming to the site too often. We can’t find them anymore in this kind of clean condition, so if you like the lovely Ms Warwick, consider taking this one home and giving her (the record, not Dionne) a spin on your table.
Notice how the limiter on Dionne’s microphone is working overtime. She is practically shouting into it but it never seems to get much louder. Still the energy and the passion come through clearly. That’s the sign of a well-recorded vocal track.
Paul Simon – Live Rhymin’
- Simon’s first live album (one of only a handful of copies to hit the site in two years), here with a KILLER Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) side two mated to a solid Double Plus (A++) side one
- You get clean, clear, full-bodied, lively and musical analog sound from first note to last
- Forget whatever dead-as-a-doornail Heavy Vinyl they’re making – the Tubey Magic, size and rock and roll energy of this very special vintage pressing simply cannot be beat
- Features great versions of Simon classics, including “The Boxer,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound Of Silence” and many more
Kenny Loggins – Celebrate Me Home
More Loggins and Messina
- With a STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) side two mated to an outstanding Double Plus (A++) side one, this vintage pressing is practically as good a copy as we have ever heard (and one of the few to ever hit the site)
- Here are just a few of the things we had to say about this incredible Triple Plus side two in our notes: “breathy and transparent”…big and tubey”…”extended up top”….”so 3D and rich!”
- Both sides here are rich, full and Tubey Magical with a massive bottom end and lots of space around the instruments
- It’s also one of the only Loggins solo albums we’ve ever liked; it’s a favorite from back in the day
- 4 stars: “Loggins is in good form throughout the record, and if even only the title track entered his readily-acknowledged canon, this has a fine, sustained mood: a soft late 70s vibe that makes it a nice artifact of its time, as well as one of his stronger records, as illustrated by its platinum status — something it achieved without any blockbuster singles.”
This killer copy shows you just how good this record can sound, which is surprisingly good, considering how many copies of the album are just plain awful. Finally, most of the grit, grain, and transitory opacity have fallen away, leaving in its place the rich, full-bodied and Tubey Magical ’70s sound one would expect.
As obvious as it may sound (especially to anyone on this site), the master tape is a whole lot better than the average copy of the record would have you believe. This copy is proof positive. Without a doubt this is one of the best pressings of the album we have ever heard.
The better copies take top honors for rhythmic energy and real frequency extension both high and low. Most copies have no real top end; if you own one give it a listen and we think you’ll agree with us.
Great bass, plenty of Tubey Magic, clarity and richness — practically no other copy in our shootout could do what this one was doing.
Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
More Paul Simon
More Rock and Pop
- A vintage Columbia stereo pressing of Simon’s third solo album with solid Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them on both sides
- The sound is big, warm and full-bodied (particularly on side two) – it’s much more present and clear, and not nearly as harsh or gritty as far too many of the copies we played were
- Great songs including “Kodachrome,” “Loves Me Like a Rock,” “Was a Sunny Day” (and you probably know most of the other 7)
- 5 stars: “Retaining the buoyant musical feel of Paul Simon, but employing a more produced sound, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon found Paul Simon writing and performing with assurance and venturing into soulful and R&B-oriented music.”
- If you’re a Paul Simon fan, this has to be considered a Must Own Title of his from 1973.
- The complete list of titles from 1973 that we’ve reviewed to date can be found here.
Most pressings don’t have anywhere near this kind of openness and transparency — and they don’t have this kind of richness or warmth either. It’s a real treat to hear these great songs finally get the sound they deserve.
On most pressings, Simon’s voice is a spitty, gritty mess — sure it’s present, but where is the sweetness and warmth?
Well, as a copy like this proves, more of those qualities made it to the tape than you might think