Hmm it seems the flacs above were not from a Rhino re-issue.
Mistake in directory name. I'd better edit the previous post too.
When I checked the artwork folder, it shows Warner - Seven Arts.

That'll be the Rhino alright, R1 1768

My Astral Weeks - same as sub's, early NZ manuf - will refresh my sonic memory tonight.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

My 1979 NZ re-issue,

Warner 7 Arts cover with white border, pinched spine,

Warner shield, cream label

Dec 6, 2020 15:43:08 GMT 12 Citroen said:

That'll be the Rhino alright, R1 1768

Ah ... thanks.

I hadn't realised they used the same label, just distinguishing it by that alphanumeric.

I'll go back and restore my previous 'corrections' then.

Dec 6, 2020 14:40:24 GMT 12 michaelw said:

Dec 6, 2020 11:50:10 GMT 12 RdM said:

Found my LP.
It's a Warner Bros white label WS 1768 Made in USA.
Somewhere I had gotten the idea that a different colour label was a better print,

Sort of...

A green label with the Warner - Seven Arts logo was a first pressing, usually best sounding 

Later pressings used the Warner shield logo.

With regional variations.

Re-issues used labels willy-nilly.

A guide to Warner labels

cvinyl.com/labelguides/warnerbros..php

Over lunch I compared the flacs above to the various versions I have heard,

1. NZ re-issue lp
2. flacs
3. library EU pressing
4. EU CD re-issue

* back in the 80's i made a cassette dub of a uk pressing that sounded pretty good too

Thanks for that.

Mine on a closer look is the white label with watermark WB shields.

I remember I bought it new, late 80's - early '90s, I think from that record store in Newmarket at the beginning of Remuera Rd.

From the barcode, it's this one, and the images correspond. So some late 80s repress.

www.discogs.com/Van-Morrison-Astral-Weeks/release/10727063

(The text description has a typo on the barcode  - a trailing 8 which as the images confirm is not there).

(edit: but I've since learned that a scanned (vs printed) barcode ends up with a last 8)

OMG...shoot that man..Off with his head...burn down his letter box down and donate all his possessions to saving whales!!!... Wham and a 401...when were they ever meant to be in the same room together..??

Apart from "donate all his possessions to saving whales" I have to disagree...

Wham is OK, at least it's not Mariah or Celine ...

That could be arranged...

Wham... so 80s.
I had a good musical time during the 80s.

DarkLantern blog - darklanternforowen.wordpress.com

"...New Zealand’s beloved wry-witted indie raconteurs..."



exquisite 

"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]

Dec 6, 2020 14:40:24 GMT 12 michaelw said:

Over lunch I compared the flacs above to the various versions I have heard,

1. NZ re-issue lp
2. flacs
3. library EU pressing
4. EU CD re-issue

* back in the 80's i made a cassette dub of a uk pressing that sounded pretty good too

Yes I still have some chrome & metal tapes off CD & LP, heads demagnetized & etc.

Nice gear, and they still sound great!

But of course, those flacs were from a different rig than yours.

So, comparing flacs,

Here are a couple of different ones from the same LP.

Lou Reed (1972) - Transformer (Speakers Corner 180g LP) (flac)

Music Hall MMF 5.1 Turntable with ProJect Speedbox
Goldring 1042GX reference Cartridge
Belari VP-129 Tube Phono PreAmp with Sylvania 12AX7WA

A5 - Walk on the Wild Side.flac

drive.google.com/file/d/1u-nviFEJoTw7VPCpCpxR2B5zzBw5mpv3/view?usp=sharing

The last track on side 1. So if groove distortion, maybe there.

Then, a different version;- same record, different equipment.

And a 24.96 file as well. Still the same LP, but a different take on it.


So, comparing equipment.


Lou Reed (1972) - Transformer (Speakers Corner LP) (Side 1) (Dynavector) (24-96 flac)

A5 - Walk on the Wild Side (24/96)

drive.google.com/file/d/1KAodriaIxGvqaYE9UP8IyoA8-z-Xiprm/view?usp=sharing

(but it also seems possible to just play it from the link.)

The notes on that:- are perhaps overly extensive!
(I could crop to just the rig, as above, but what fascinating detail some folks will will go to!)
_

RIG:
SHUNYATA RESEARCH HYDRA V-RAY VERSION II (Power distribution, conditioner and filter)
RCM: Clearaudio Smart Matrix (ClearAudio Pure Groove + L’Art du Son Cleaning Fluid + Osage brush)
TURNTABLE: Dr. Feickert Woodpecker + INERTIA platter
TONEARM: Reed 3Q 10,5" (Finewire C37 + Cryo WBT Nextgen, Armwand Pernambuco, Headshell with VTA and Azimuth laser adjustment)
CARTRIDGE: Dynavector DV DRT XV-1t
PHONO STAGE: Allnic H-1500 II Plus (+26 dB GAIN, charged 117 Ohm)
ADC SYSTEM: Lavry Black AD11 external USB 2.0 ADC

CABLES:
FONO ACUSTICA ALLEGRO Interconnect Cable TS/RCA made expressly for me (for connecting phono preamp and ADC system)
SYNERGISTIC Research USB Active SE Cable with Enigma Tuning Circuits (for connecting ADC system and PC)
Furutech G-314AG-18 High performance Power Cable (4 power cables total)
Synergistic Research SR Core RCA (for connecting signal from the PC to the amplifier)

AND ALSO...
FOZGOMETER AZIMUTH RANGE FINDER
Zerostat 3 Anti-Static Pistol
Onzow Zerodust (to clean the needle)
Platterspeed for iPod Touch (Dr. Feickert) speed verifier

SOFTWARE:
SoundForge Pro 10.0 (record 24/96)
Izotope RX3 Advanced (big clicks repair)
ClickRepair.
FLAC FRONTEND v.2.0 using FLAC 1.3.0 (WAV --> FLAC)

PENAUDIO REBEL3 Loudspeakers
HEGEL 100 Amplifier

RIPPING NOTE:
No Equalization, Minor ClickRepair (whenever possible), No Noise Reduction and No Normalization.
No silence has been removed.
THE DYNAMIC RANGE OF THIS CAPTURE WAS NOT ALTERED IN ANY WAY DURING EDITING.
The two channels have been captured at the same volume level with my ADC system. The imbalance between channels, so you can appreciate, it's own vinyl or behavior of my phono preamp to valves. No two valves are identical. In addition, the azimuth of my tonearm-cartridge is perfectly checked by the device Fozgometer, being the difference between channels of ±0,2 db


INFO:
allnicaudio.com/H1500
www.dynavector.com/products/cart/e_xv1t.html
www.lavryengineering.com/products/pro-audio/ad11.html
www.a.musicalsurroundings.com/fozgometer.html
www.excelstereo.com/Reed/reed.htm
www.feickert.de/engl/lw_woodpecker.html
platterspeed.com/
www.soundstage.com/equipment/shunyata_hydra_aeros_cx.htm
www.furutech.com/2013/01/27/1177/
www.synergisticresearch.com/featured/new-category-digital-power-tools-from-synergistic-research/
www.fono-acustica.com/productsallegrointerconnect.html
_

So it goes ...

Ever attaining perfection ? ;=})

But it's still interesting.

I think.

Personally, I think the second one seems more alive, and detailed, to me.

I also think that no commercial sales are likely to be harmed by such discussions - rather the reverse - renewed interest.

It's been 4-5 years since I was given these, and I haven't updated since.

Just for scientific analysis? - yeah, nah, personal, subjective comparisons, impressions too.

Which flac sounds better, or best?

And will the rear cover survive censorship?

Over to you !

"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]

Both lou reed clips downloaded as 44.1/16b

:/

Dec 11, 2020 17:41:10 GMT 12 michaelw said:

Both lou reed clips downloaded as 44.1/16b

Sorry, I'd accidentally just duplicated the first link!

Edited, 24/96 link added now and named as such.

Downloaded the real 24-96

Second file sounds better - more space, depth, immediacy, bass not as overcooked MoFi styles as first file.

I also dug out a few Walks from my collection...

The 2009 EU steelbox CD.
More stable, centered vocal than the Flacs, smaller soundstage, tighter focus, overall not as natural as the Flacs.

Walk from the NZ Walk On The Wild Side compilation LP.
Big airy soundstage, excellent focus, livelier than the others but thin/reedy (!) vocals.

No real stinkers, the 24-96 by a nose.

Just arrived and in the queue

ART BLAKEY & THE NEW JAZZ MEN Live In Paris '65 (Sam Records)
Have only seen the DVD, and this has never been officially released before. SAM records, so should be good sound quality too.

Kamasi Washington’s Becoming (Music From the Netflix Original Documentary) (Young Turks)
Michelle Obama's memoir tour doco

MAKAYA MCCRAVEN Universal Beings E&F Sides (International Anthem)
A follow up to his four city tour LP. If the first one is anything to go by this should be a cracker too.

...singer/guitarist Adam Goldman & band (multi-instrumentalist Jairus Dathan Smith, bassist David Gilde and percussionist Liam McNamera) 

"...This is precise and evocative psychedelia, more about the human and the real and not given to acidic excess.
  ...It’s that sense of adventure and ecology that streams through the imagery and music of Class M Planet, which can feel both life-affirming and deeply melancholy."

Me?    I reckon this is worthy music, and they sure are clever little dickie-birds, nice... 

"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]

I bought a Sony 2 (gold) cd 'Essential Toto' as it was cheap and I could see if there was anything I might be missing - but I got a genuine surprise at the SQ on later recordings.

Prompted me to look at Amazon and sure enough someone from Germany identified the Mindfields issue of the All In box set as "a black sheep".

Just unpacking the shopping to Duran Duran Rio.

Lonely in my nightmare.

Happily!

I am a non-recovering audioholic, and Ivor is my higher power.

My nobusinessrecords.com/ order has finally arrived from Lithuania (NBLP137 to 141)

Some serious freejazz listening to come!

Wrapping presents whilst listening to Tyshawn Sorey - PILLARS IV

Finally got hold of a vinyl copy of this gloriously atmospheric piece. Its a slow mover, few climaxes, droney, contemporary classical, electro-acoustic jazz piece.

Brilliant!

Come back Lou, the USA needs you...

"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]

Procured Xmas present

Have wanted this for ages, ordered a copy prerelease years ago but it was cancelled due to overselling/lack of stock.

So finally!

Wayne Shorter Emanon Box Set, Deluxe Edition 3 × Vinyl LP, 3 × CD

that's been on my want list for years !

where from ?

From Amazon

A few ticks here and there but otherwise a stunning sounding performance!

Musica Transonic

Driving guitar and drums from Japan. Droney, powerful. Neil might like this?

"Black Editions present a reissue of Musica Transonic's self-titled release, originally released in 1995. Musica Transonic was comprised of three of the most crucial artists to emerge from the 1990s Japanese underground: Nanjo Asahito of High Rise, Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple and Tatsuya Yoshida of Ruins. The group's music was a supercharged combination of complex rhythms, blistering guitar attacks, and enormously deep bass momentum. Pushing the rock power trio to its miasmic, overdriven limits, Musica Transonic's sound retains the ability to shock even now, 25 years later."