This Hot Stamper is DRAMATICALLY better than most of what's out there. Still, you should temper your expectations a bit because every last copy of this album has its share of problems. (Some of the interludes between songs tend to sound subgen, for example.) For those who love JT, this album is a Must Own. It's one of my favorite albums of all time, a Desert Island Disc if there ever was one. It is, quite simply, a work of GENIUS.
What A Copy!
Side one has got most of the qualities we look for in an exceptional pressing: good presence; lots of ambience; a strong bottom end; and silky, sweet vocals. Perhaps most importantly, the sound is NOT overly smooth. We play so many copies every year that are completely devoid of transients and texture to the various instruments -- what fun is that? (If you like that sound, I've got a fourth generation cassette dub of this album that might interest you.) The top has more extension than most copies but would still benefit from just a bit more.
Side two is a knockout, just half a plus shy of our A+++, "As Good As It Gets" rating. It's got tons of energy, phenomenal bass, tubey magic, natural sounding brass, and a fully extended top end. The sound is rich, full, and practically never too smooth.
Unfortunately, Carolina In My Mind never sounds as good as the rest of the songs. It's got a bit of that hit single radio EQ thing going on, so what can you do?
Just One Way To Go
The British originals of this record are the best sounding pressings we've heard. Domestic copies can sound decent, but far from as magical as The Real Thing. The British LPs are extremely rare, and all original pressings of this record are very hard to find in clean condition. The average copy sitting in the bins at your local record store is beat to death. (The same goes for the copies you can find on Ebay, regardless of the description. If you don't believe me, try winning one. If you don't have enough grief and aggravation in your life, get on Ebay and bid on some "Near Mint" classic rock records. The trash that will arrive in the mail will positively astound you.)
Out of Print for 25 Years
When Apple records finally got its legal situation sorted out in the '90s, the titles that had been languishing for decades in their vaults were remastered and released on special import-only pressings. Since most of the sales were going to come from CDs, they were digitally remastered at that time. I used to think the digital remastering was excellent; after playing one of those reissues for this shootout, now I know better. A classic case of We Was Wrong. Oh well, live and learn, right?
