Willie Nelson Stardust

[audioarcher]

I had been looking for an original copy of this LP for awhile. I have heard through the grape vine that this is a well recorded album. About a month ago I picked up a used CD. After listening to the CD I liked the music but the sound quality was not the greatest.

I just picked up the Classic Records pressing of Stardust. Now this is more like it. This just smokes the CD I have. I'm not sure if there is a better version of Stardust on digital than I have. If not there should be. Not to say that vinyl on my system is not usually better than it's digital counterpart IMO. It's just that the disparity is larger than usual in this case.

Does anyone know how the Classic Records reissue stack up to the original? It sounds like they did a very good job with the CR issue.

Sean

 

[puroagave]

stardust was a fave demo record you couldnt walk the halls at CES in the '80s and not hear it at least a dozen times. on vinyl the CBS mastersound 1/2 speed was the one to get and was the best vers available at the time. i have no idea what hobsons vers is like (1st gen master tape or suspect dupe, tubes or SS mastering). the mastersound gold CD from the mid '90s is decent sounding and captures the analog sound well. i noticed sony came out with an SACD but havent heard it and based on sony's track record i wouldnt have high hopes.

 

[jadis]

I have the original and CBS half speed and I recall that the half speed is a tad better in sonics. It's not night and day but if you really like the music, the half speed would be the best.

 

[MylesBAstor]

stardust was a fave demo record you couldnt walk the halls at CES in the '80s and not hear it at least a dozen times. on vinyl the CBS mastersound 1/2 speed was the one to get and was the best vers available at the time. i have no idea what hobsons vers is like (1st gen master tape or suspect dupe, tubes or SS mastering). the mastersound gold CD from the mid '90s is decent sounding and captures the analog sound well. i noticed sony came out with an SACD but havent heard it and based on sony's track record i wouldnt have high hopes.

Do you know of any instances where Mike didn't use the 1st generation tapes to master his LPs? If it happened, it was a rarity.

Bernie used a tube based cutting system though we can quibble on things. His latest studio rennovation has really elevated his work as evidenced by the ORG, Chad and a few others.

 

[Bill Hart]

I have a bunch of versions of this record, including the old CBS 1/2 speed master, a new-ish Classic 33.3 and probably some original pressings. I have not directly compared them. There was an interesting discussion on Steve Hoffman's site (which I think took it from somewhere else) about how CBS had tried to emulate what MoFi was doing on the first CBS 1/2 speed masters, without making requisite adjustments in EQ. I do remember some of those CBS 1/2 speeds sounding bright. I don't know when or on what releases CBS got their hands around this problem, or whether it is an urban legend.

 

[puroagave]

Do you know of any instances where Mike didn't use the 1st generation tapes to master his LPs? If it happened, it was a rarity.

Bernie used a tube based cutting system though we can quibble on things. His latest studio rennovation has really elevated his work as evidenced by the ORG, Chad and a few others.

Myles, like i said i dont know much about hobsons vers or that Bernie mastered it - yes, BG's tube setup is a known quantity and the classic vers may indeed eclipse all others.

nowadays i dont have the means or the various pressings of Stardust to give a meaningful comparison. i do recall the japanese pressing concurrent with the US 1st pressing was pretty good too. i probably had a half dozen vers of that LP now im down to just the gold CD.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Myles, like i said i dont know much about hobsons vers or that Bernie mastered it - yes, BG's tube setup is a known quantity and the classic vers may indeed eclipse all others.

Just wondering cause didn't know of any instances where CR didn't use the original master (though did have a question on one myself).

nowadays i dont have the means or the various pressings of Stardust to give a meaningful comparison. i do recall the japanese pressing concurrent with the US 1st pressing was pretty good too. i probably had a half dozen vers of that LP now im down to just the gold CD.

It's hard for me to believe that the Japanese pressings were from the original master tape unless they had it cut here and pressed in Japan.

 

[hvbias]

Does anyone know how the Classic Records reissue stack up to the original? It sounds like they did a very good job with the CR issue.

Sean

I have a WLP pressing and the 45 rpm Classic Records box. I personally prefer the WLP which sounds more open and balanced.

 

[puroagave]

I have a WLP pressing and the 45 rpm Classic Records box. I personally prefer the WLP which sounds more open and balanced.

white label promo? does "TML" appear in the dead wax or runout area? talking vinyl gets me excited

 

[puroagave]

It's hard for me to believe that the Japanese pressings were from the original master tape unless they had it cut here and pressed in Japan.

very true. once in a while a few were cut here and pressed by JVC, I cant say if my copy of stardust was.

 

[hvbias]

white label promo? does "TML" appear in the dead wax or runout area? talking vinyl gets me excited

Yep white label promo with DJ timing strip on the cover. I recall it has 1A/1A both sides, I will have to check if it was pressed at The Mastering Lab this evening.

 

[hvbias]

No TML in the dead wax. I think Columbia used in house pressing plants for a lot of their records, many of mine are New York pressings. Though this might just be what turns up in the bins here due to my proximity to NY.

For you puroagave a picture of the label I took a while back

 

[puroagave]

No TML in the dead wax. I think Columbia used in house pressing plants for a lot of their records, many of mine are New York pressings. Though this might just be what turns up in the bins here due to my proximity to NY.

For you puroagave a picture of the label I took a while back

thanks Dee. reading the dead wax was like porn to me, anything stamped TML or Sterling etc would get me all hot and bothered when i collected rock/pop LPs and the $1-3 bin was overflowing to save time id snag anything that doug sax mastered. btw, TML would be the mastering house, they were pressed elsewhere.

 

[audioarcher]

Thanks for the replies. I have the 33. I'm sure the 45 set and WLP are a step up. I don't really feel the need to track down a better copy. I was just curious about the different versions. If I run into one at good price then maybe I'll pick it up.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks for the replies. I have the 33. I'm sure the 45 set and WLP are a step up. I don't really feel the need to track down a better copy. I was just curious about the different versions. If I run into one at good price then maybe I'll pick it up.

Check out themusic.com. I think they had the reviewers 45/33 rpm copies still available. I recently picked up the 45 rpm from there for reasonable price too $50).

 

[hvbias]

thanks Dee. reading the dead wax was like porn to me, anything stamped TML or Sterling etc would get me all hot and bothered when i collected rock/pop LPs and the $1-3 bin was overflowing to save time id snag anything that doug sax mastered. btw, TML would be the mastering house, they were pressed elsewhere.

I am with you on that Doug Sax, Robert Ludwig, Lee Hulko, etc can't go wrong with any of them. I think the only TML pressing I have is Pink Floyd's The Wall. For me the "audio porn" is finding Van Gelder stamped Blue Notes

 

[audioarcher]

My copy of The Wall has TML-M in the dead wax. I guess the M on the end stands for master lathe. My copy sounds awesome. This is another case were the vinyl destroys the CD version.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

So what would be the definitive pressing of this? I only have the CAN/US pressing, but I do so enjoy this LP and wouldn't mind an upgrade.

 

[MylesBAstor]

So what would be the definitive pressing of this? I only have the CAN/US pressing, but I do so enjoy this LP and wouldn't mind an upgrade.

Wait and see as MFSL will be reissuing it also.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Wait and see as MFSL will be reissuing it also.

Cool! Thanks Myles.