Well done again, Michael. Answering the burning questions that we audiophiles have when trying to decide what to add to our collections. Merci. Cheers! - Chris
Thank you for the wonderfully honest review, Michael! These Blue Note Classics are a great way for those of us just getting in to jazz on vinyl to build a collection at an acceptable cost. Then, over many listenings, we can pick and choose which titles are worth it to us to pursue better sounding copies of!
The Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series records are a great bargain along with the Tone Poets. I agree with you Micheal these iconic fantastic jazz records should be at an obtainable price not the insane prices we've been seeing lately. Great video!
Dankeschön, Michael. Yes, I remember the discussions on the forum - you know which one - when the Classics series was announced, about whether Music Matters releases were going to become irrelevant, were they going to lose value, etc. I think that Music Matters are still relevant, not only in historical terms -as they became a great reference for the Tone Poet series, Intervention reissues, among others-, but for their sound quality and packaging as well. I think we can be happy that there are several AAA releases and that the Blue Note classics are accessible to a wider audience.
Great Review , I agree with you their is more air in the room with the 45/SRX. Instruments feel bit more real. From the sounding stand point they are the winners. As for the classic series it’s a great way to have the warhorses back in print.
"More.....more....more....$$$" You want that last 10%, be prepared to fork up two or three (or more) times the money. When it comes to quality for value, nothing touches the Classic Series. These albums are the bedrocks of this period of jazz. Blue Note is giving new (and not so new) jazz fans a chance to get a quality analog copy of these classics for an affordable price. I don't think they are trying to compete with the SRX or MMJ 45 versions. Enjoyed the video, but I don't think anyone really expected the Classic Series versions to out perform the much higher priced 45 versions. Love the videos so far. That interview with Shane from Intervention Records was fantastic. 👽✌ P.S. - The biggest issue that no one has mentioned about the Classis Series is those terrible paper sleeves. Hell, charge me an extra buck, but don't send me my LPs with those crap paper sleeves. ("I had to bitch about something")
Paper sleeves!!!! Why oh why oh why!!!??? Just finished listening to Somethin' else and I thought it was fabulous...needed a good clean and new mofi inner sleeve
I perfectly understand your rational regarding the additional $$$ for that last 10% gain in sound performance. That said, I think it comes down to the system someone owns as to whether said system can actually deliver that 10% audible improvement. When you visit some high end stores and audition systems costing well above the budget that most of us can afford, you will encounter systems (I have) that *CAN and WILL* deliver that last 10% - and it's impressive. If I owned one of those systems (which I do not), I would absolutely pay the additional $$$ to get that remaining 10% within the grooves. However, I think most of us should be realistic about what we own, save the $$$, enjoy the lesser priced album, and apply that savings toward the purchase of another album.
The AP 45 of Page One has the initials of both Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman in the dead wax. KG&SH. Steve definitely had some influence along the way as does Joe Harley with the Tone Poet series.
Love shoot out/pressing comparison videos! Also love to see your top 10 videos. Please continue making them! Some ideas for some videos, top 10: albums by decade, albums by genre, most underrated, most overrated, favorite album covers, essential albums everyone should own vinyl, albums in dire need of an AP or MFSL remaster.
Thanks for your fascinating insights. I am loving the Classic series but I don’t have any other versions to compare to. It’s fantastic that BN are making these legendary recordings available to all. I look forward to the next Classic releases (April I believe)
Michael, do you believe the difference in sound character between the two releases is due to the difference in recording speeds, 45 versus 33.3? It is my understanding that with the wider grooves afforded to the 45 speed release, you get the nuances that you just mentioned: lower noise, wider sound field, and a better separation of the instruments. I do not have either of those releases, so I cannot comment any more than I just did. I would like to mention that I recently saw an interview with Don Was, CEO of Blue Note now, and his goal with the 80th series releases was to get the best sounding repress at an affordable price out to the market. His target audience is not necessarily the audiophile buyers who will spend whatever it takes to get the best pressing. But instead, he wanted to get these great new represses in the hands of those who are just getting into jazz, and have not been previously exposed to the catalog. The younger buyers and those who cannot afford to pay the prices that some of us are crazy enough to spend for the best recording possible. In this interview, he reflected on his experience as a teenager being exposed to this great music for the first time, and being able to buy these great albums given his limited budget. Having just listened to your review here, and a quite a few other reviews of the 80th releases, I believe he was more than successful in accomplishing his goal with this new series! I think we should all be excited about the availability of these new releases. I know I am. Thanks again for the insightful videos. I'll catch you later at the record store. I want to get my hands on that new release before you do! LOL. Be safe.
I have been listening to Jazz since 1970 and I just listened last night to "Something Else" Classic Series. We all need to remember this album was first pressed in 1958 and that is 63 years ago. Unless these tapes we stored in a hyperbolic style chamber there will be effects for 60 plus years of storage and repressings done by various companies. The quality of the vinyl plays a big part in the overall acoustic sound. My own job experience in the American retail and distribution of vinyl in the 70's through the 80's results were horrid.My B/O turntable at the time would throw up with shit vinyl I would put on.. Over pressing, inferior vinyl, sloppy packaging, all contributed to mediocre audio results. (with a few exceptions) mainly Imports. So that said; This Blue Note Classic and Tone Poet reissues are a much needed addition. They may stumble a bit (75 series) but overall they are outstanding. They are not a Cash Grab and if it gets more people into or back into the vinyl world all the better.
Picked up a 2nd Nat King Cole ‘the unforgettable Nat king cole ‘ from 1964 -with song intros by Alan dell? AMAZING sounding record - best in my collection - you’d think he was in the room with you! Love your vids and follow you avidly , thank you for taking the time and your input . David 🏴
Awesome review Michael on the Cannonball Adderley I knew the SRX would win I cried when you showed it it totally missed out on that one I have the first release Music Matters 331/3 which I would stick with. I agree totally Analogue Productions and Music Matters are superior but the Classic Series are very nice for the price point . Lovellandrew
My copy of Page One arrived yesterday and I have to say it sounds very good but I didn’t order Somethin Else as I already have the 45rpm version from Analogue Productions which is superb. Just preordered the next 2, Moanin and Soul Station. I think the quality of these reissues so far has been first class and great value for money.
Hello Michael, thanks for comparing those records. The comparison, according to me, is very simple. Blue Note Classic Series ✅ (in the collection) ; The SRX MMJ 💰 (not in the collection). As simple as that ! 😉 Take care. Bruno
I prefer the AP45 of Something Else to even the Munson Matters. Warm but detailed. Super quiet black background. People get to caught up with the AP jackets. These are great pressings.
For the price I wouldn’t expect the Classics to sound better than Music Matters or Analogue Productions. By the way, the Analogue version of Page One is on back order.
BN and tone poets converted me to jazz especially because I was able to buy so many due to reasonable costs and thereby letting me understand what I like. Getting tired of shelling out $125 for the super vinyl and $55 for 45’s. I agree those generally do sound better though. Currently own 5 one steps and 2 UHQR’s and dozens of 45’s from AP.
Those 6o,s Joe Henderson albums are like Beethoven symphonies. The even numbers are great. The odd numbers kick ass. Somethin' Else is in my Blue Note Top Ten. "Is that what you wanted Alfred?"
Great review Micheal. The good about your review is that you have 2 different sources to compare. So for the money it make sense that the other 2 copies sound better that the classic. For me I think it sound really good because I don’t have other sources to compare. Anyway great records and great video thanks again Michael!
I have a pressing of Somethin’ Else mastered from the original analogue tapes by Ron McMaster on Blue Note. It was part of a series that was released by D’Agostini and came with a “magazine” with listening notes - Do you know that edition and I wonder if it’s worth getting the new reissue?
Hi, Mike... I don’t think Kevin Gray upgraded his cables again.. he had already done that before the SRX’s releases.. so the classic series wouldn’t really have any advantage over that to the srx’s... I have the srx, the analogue 45’s and the classic new one.. I haven’t really done a comparison of all 3 to give you my opinion... but obviously the 45’s would usually have more soundstage..even if sounding a little worse in my opinion.. it’s just a 45rpm thing as you know... so for the “page one lp” 45 would definitely have more soundstage than the classic 33..that could also be the analogue sounding feeling too, the addition of soundstage to it being a 45rpm
I also had a visible and audible defect on track one of the Henderson. Alas I can’t be sure if it was like that originally, or caused by the hermetically attached inner sleeve. 🙂 optimal must have a special machine for inducing a bond between paper and the vinyl. At any rate my first return of a classic or 80 series, so no complaints on that front. But damn, those inners are evil! 🙂. Love the vids man, like the nice chilled voice and lack of screaming hyperbole seen elsewhere
Interesting to hear your views on the various pressings. A few observations I would make are (1) the plating and pressing should be considered beyond the mastering, bearing in mind that in the case of the Classic series, the quantities involved will be far in excess of the AP or MM versions. (2) It is probable that the vinyl pellet supply will be less "bespoke" than these premium competitors, and finally, (3) providing a kind of middle ground between digital and what I would term as ultra analogue is aimed at providing an emerging market with a good hint as to why this music is much better on vinyl whilst not expecting it to be played on the best of equipment. However, a brilliant achievement in my view and as you say, well worth the modest investment!
Plating any lacquers cut by Kevin Gray go straight to RTI. The Classic series doesn't differ in that regard, same as the MMJ's and older AP's that were mastered at Acoustech, where RTI was handing the plating process. Optimal is pressing the Classics, so there is likely some difference in vinyl formula, but I think Blue Note did an amazing thing by having KG master these and be plated at RTI.
Love it here comes the big guns...🤠🔫🔫🔫.....love the Blue Notes....the AP reissues are great and Music Matters....now these Classic series are great...compare to the 75 anniversary which were hit or miss....plus they were mastered from digital flies...one record which was not good was Hank Mobley..No room for Squares....very bad pressing and sound....Micheal I have Something Else by Classic Records...excellent...but out of print now...I have to get this classic one...thank for your great videos as always...to much snow in New York....😣.....enjoy....😏...Ed
Don't have much to compare, but I love the series so far. Love your channel and appearances in other videos. Schöne Grüße from a Dutch guy living in Germany.
Hi Michael, just got Somethin’Else from BN Classic series and agree with you about poor packaging, with terrible paper inner sleeve from the 70’s, ha-ha, amazing trash. On the other hand, this pressing is very high quality, clean and quiet, almost no surface noise, especially after cleaning, well done by Optimal Germany! Sound wise, its on the lean side, so agree with you as well, if Kevin just put a little sweeter touch on it, it would be simply amazing. Another thing that took my attention, is the way it was mastered regarding instrument placement. It’s like left: Miles & Julian, right: Art & Sam and Hank closer to middle. I don’t have original or any other pressings, but can you comment on that one please. How differ the mastering from AP or MM for example, regarding instrument placement I mean. Thx.
Thanks for the reviews. I too have both 33 rpm versions from Music Matters of "Somethin' Else." For space reasons as much as anything, I am not ordering the Classic Series versions of matching MMJ and AP already in my collection, after having compared "Song for my Father" MMJ 33 rpm to Blue Note Classic version with similar results to your own. I will, however, taking advantage of the Blue Note Classic Series to fill in for those titles that I do not already have from MMJ, or Analogue Productions. I'll have to wait to see if the Classic Series can better the several titles that I have from Classic Records (Classic confusion!). The Blue Note Classics are also tempting as "party" records to substitute for titles that I only have in 45 rpm.
@@bpbs2012 Not really much as far as the "sound" of the recording. My takeaway, all these years later, is that the difference is more about the quietness of the vinyl. Not a lot of pollution noise. Part of that, I'm sure, has to do with the quality of the SRX material. Some of it may simply be the advantage of the care taken during the pressing and QC for a limited run.
Thank you for addressing the 'elephant in the room' regarding the classics series. They are amazing value but the sound quality is ok. I'd be interested in your opinion of the Tone Poets series vs the Classics series on sound quality alone? For me the Tone Poets up until now have been far superior; more dynamic, detailed & better sound stage by a fair margin. The classics always feel a little flat in comparison to me but they really shouldn't do?
I disagree the sound quality is OK. The sound quality is great and at a great price. Anyone on the fence buying these don’t listen to these negative views
I think some of classics/80 series are not quite amazing sound as tone poets but mostly very fine at least ten or so i have. Real mccoy is brilliant, so too open sesame and basra
@@austinhunt4260 glad to see. It’s just about keeping in mind that there’s exceptions for what he is going to say that he has to meet. I would take any information found in these videos with a grain of salt
So what's the explanation for the difference? The Classics are mastered by the same engineer, using the same (or better) gear, both plated by RTI, but pressed at a different , but still good plant (Optimal) KG could make these sound any way he wants. "Analogue" makes me think the MMJ/AP were EQ'ed to take off the edge a bit, to appeal to a certain Audiophile preference? Different but not necessarily better? I would love to see an interview with KG on these series,
I mean, did we really expect the Classic Series to beat the SRX and AP 45’s? However, I was more curious in the comparison of MM 33’s to the Classic Series and you mentioned that the MM still sounds better. Which made me think that could it have all boiled down to the pressing plant?
agreed. I don't think that expectation is even valid, the "upgrade" to Kevin Gray's mastering suite happened long before most of the MMJ's were cut. that goes back to the years at Acoustech mastering vs at KG's current studio. Any differences between the most recent Classics and the previous versions cut by KG are most likely about tape age, vinyl formula, and the number of copies pressed per stamper. Is Optimal using a higher number of copies per stamper than previous audiophile labels that limit the stamper to lower numbers for quality control?
If only they could make enough of these. Unless you get them straight away they become either unavailable or very over priced. So much for having them being “in print” - the shorter and silver are persona non grata in the U.K. as an example. Hopefully post da rona this improves
Hi Michael. Thanks for your wonderful videos and reviews. Hi Michael don't you think that the recent boxes are to expensive ? For example the latest David Bowie ( almost 400 euro's) i decided for my self that i should by the CD box instead. I love vinyl and prefer the LP version for the warmer sound but i find 400 euro's to much compared to the 90 euro for the cd box.
Hi Mike. I have several Blue Note Classic series albums and yes they are very good value for money. They do sound very good but not as good as my Blue Note Music Matters 45s and 33s and not as good as the Tone Poet series. I wonder why this is. Could it be that lower grade vinyl is being used to keep the cost down? I would gladly pay the extra if these Classic series titles were produced as Tone Poets which here in the UK sell for around £33.00.
Unfortunately the Tone Poet Series are very expensive here in Berlin but 22 € for the classic series is fair. But the worst priced are Mo-Fi's and that is of course due to the fact that Sieveking has the exclusive rights for all of Germany and they misuse that and doesn't belong in a free marked economy. I see a lot of Mo-Fi's in the back and even the Analogue productions Reel to Reel Tapes, nice.
To me the Classics are simply EQd brighter, so they lose a little bass and midrange. I dont know why Kevin has this trend of going brighter over the years but any system cable upgrade wont make that difference Im sure.
I compared "Something else" today with my japanese Toshiba, mid 80´s pressing and I like the Japanese much more, the new released version has to much bass and specially the cymbals have way to much treble. The bass in the intro of Autumn Leaves is too much pushed up. This is a typical "Loudness" mastering wich sounds unnatural to me. I don't say the sound is bad, it is ok, but not more than ok, yes very ok for the price. I did the same with a "Classic Records" Kenny Burrell 1597 and also the Japanese Pressing (Toshiba again) wins easily. In this case the Classic Record version is actually really bad. It is my first try with them and I will not buy any more of them, specially for this price I would even call it a scam. I know that some audiophiles ditch the japanese Blue notes but to me they are superior, specially for the price and I even have started to talk about the "King" pressings, they blow everything away and even sound better than the originals to me, I did some comparing in the past. I have all Tone Poets but could not compare them to other versions. So for me, go Japanese King, they are killer. Just to mention, I am a pro Jazz musician all my live, made many records and mixed and produced some too, so I know my stuff. Maybe it is all about taste, so take this as my 2 cents, from a musicians standpoint.
Totally agree, the japanese pressings from late 70's and early 80's sound great and I prefer them to all the recent audiophile or pseudo audiophile recent reissues...
totally agree in everything you wrote.. i had a friend at my place and we compared the classic reissue of somethin else with his 1976 pre-king toshiba... it really was night and day.. stage, details, frequency.. it goes that far, that i try to get japanese copies of all the classic titles i planned to buy..
@@mymixture965 i Have to agreed with You Wolfgang ( although I play only on saxophone on a very basic level but wind instruments can show You the right on record sound) and besides I think I will cut the tree under me. Kings are way better than the avarage think. But this is obvious just remember this company made an agreement with Blue Note in the 70’s so they had the right to print records. In those days the Japanase so called hi-fi technic was in heaven they produced the best equipments and a bit later on too. So it is not a surprise that Japanese could produce really great records( and later on too just check Super Analogue Series) Besides one thing is very important in my opinion. If You really wanna listen to those great records in their own style not only the pressings but the equipment is very important. If You have a monkey You have to feed them with banana. And do not think about sky rocket price modern system. They can not and will not be able to give You back the perfect feeling-atmosphere. What You need a perfect vintage turntable in a pristine condition. You mustn’t buy or use new high price cables cause nowadays no real materials( silver, litze... can be found just ask a real engineer). So my advice buy the Kings have a perfect vintage system maybe You can have newer speakers but old wires, vintage MC cartridge, rebuilt it and have a perfect MC step up transformator. And than You are in heaven for less the price than even a moder expensive speaker. You do not have to pay always the highest price if You want quality. Just the Word goes in this way...
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Well done again, Michael. Answering the burning questions that we audiophiles have when trying to decide what to add to our collections. Merci. Cheers! - Chris
Great review again, Michael. I believe you might have considered already, but an interview with Kevin Gray would be awesome
Thank you for the wonderfully honest review, Michael! These Blue Note Classics are a great way for those of us just getting in to jazz on vinyl to build a collection at an acceptable cost. Then, over many listenings, we can pick and choose which titles are worth it to us to pursue better sounding copies of!
The Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series records are a great bargain along with the Tone Poets. I agree with you Micheal these iconic fantastic jazz records should be at an obtainable price not the insane prices we've been seeing lately. Great video!
Dankeschön, Michael. Yes, I remember the discussions on the forum - you know which one - when the Classics series was announced, about whether Music Matters releases were going to become irrelevant, were they going to lose value, etc. I think that Music Matters are still relevant, not only in historical terms -as they became a great reference for the Tone Poet series, Intervention reissues, among others-, but for their sound quality and packaging as well. I think we can be happy that there are several AAA releases and that the Blue Note classics are accessible to a wider audience.
Well done. Great video. Enjoy your descriptions.
Great Review , I agree with you their is more air in the room with the 45/SRX. Instruments feel bit more real. From the sounding stand point they are the winners. As for the classic series it’s a great way to have the warhorses back in print.
I have heard that the Cannonball Adderley, Somethin' Else release will be an upcoming MOFI, One Step.
Again a perfect start into my weekend
"More.....more....more....$$$" You want that last 10%, be prepared to fork up two or three (or more) times the money. When it comes to quality for value, nothing touches the Classic Series. These albums are the bedrocks of this period of jazz. Blue Note is giving new (and not so new) jazz fans a chance to get a quality analog copy of these classics for an affordable price. I don't think they are trying to compete with the SRX or MMJ 45 versions. Enjoyed the video, but I don't think anyone really expected the Classic Series versions to out perform the much higher priced 45 versions. Love the videos so far. That interview with Shane from Intervention Records was fantastic. 👽✌
P.S. - The biggest issue that no one has mentioned about the Classis Series is those terrible paper sleeves. Hell, charge me an extra buck, but don't send me my LPs with those crap paper sleeves. ("I had to bitch about something")
Hello Frank thank you for your opinion! I gave my 2 cents about the paper sleeves in the first part of my Classic series :-)
Paper sleeves!!!! Why oh why oh why!!!??? Just finished listening to Somethin' else and I thought it was fabulous...needed a good clean and new mofi inner sleeve
@@Michael45RPM Oops, guess I was filling my glass of Kool-aid when that part came on. Glad to see someone else finds that "weird". 👽✌️
@@Markymarkvinylnut No doubt, that was the first thing I did when my copy showed up too. 👽👍
I perfectly understand your rational regarding the additional $$$ for that last 10% gain in sound performance. That said, I think it comes down to the system someone owns as to whether said system can actually deliver that 10% audible improvement. When you visit some high end stores and audition systems costing well above the budget that most of us can afford, you will encounter systems (I have) that *CAN and WILL* deliver that last 10% - and it's impressive. If I owned one of those systems (which I do not), I would absolutely pay the additional $$$ to get that remaining 10% within the grooves. However, I think most of us should be realistic about what we own, save the $$$, enjoy the lesser priced album, and apply that savings toward the purchase of another album.
The AP 45 of Page One has the initials of both Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman in the dead wax. KG&SH. Steve definitely had some influence along the way as does Joe Harley with the Tone Poet series.
Thank you Michael. Great review and comparisons. I’ll have my copy of both of these later today!
Love shoot out/pressing comparison videos! Also love to see your top 10 videos. Please continue making them! Some ideas for some videos, top 10: albums by decade, albums by genre, most underrated, most overrated, favorite album covers, essential albums everyone should own vinyl, albums in dire need of an AP or MFSL remaster.
Mine will be arriving today and I will post my comments about them after a listen. Thanks for your comparison!
Thanks for your fascinating insights. I am loving the Classic series but I don’t have any other versions to compare to. It’s fantastic that BN are making these legendary recordings available to all. I look forward to the next Classic releases (April I believe)
Michael, do you believe the difference in sound character between the two releases is due to the difference in recording speeds, 45 versus 33.3? It is my understanding that with the wider grooves afforded to the 45 speed release, you get the nuances that you just mentioned: lower noise, wider sound field, and a better separation of the instruments. I do not have either of those releases, so I cannot comment any more than I just did. I would like to mention that I recently saw an interview with Don Was, CEO of Blue Note now, and his goal with the 80th series releases was to get the best sounding repress at an affordable price out to the market. His target audience is not necessarily the audiophile buyers who will spend whatever it takes to get the best pressing. But instead, he wanted to get these great new represses in the hands of those who are just getting into jazz, and have not been previously exposed to the catalog. The younger buyers and those who cannot afford to pay the prices that some of us are crazy enough to spend for the best recording possible. In this interview, he reflected on his experience as a teenager being exposed to this great music for the first time, and being able to buy these great albums given his limited budget. Having just listened to your review here, and a quite a few other reviews of the 80th releases, I believe he was more than successful in accomplishing his goal with this new series! I think we should all be excited about the availability of these new releases. I know I am. Thanks again for the insightful videos. I'll catch you later at the record store. I want to get my hands on that new release before you do! LOL. Be safe.
I have been listening to Jazz since 1970 and I just listened last night to "Something Else" Classic Series. We all need to remember this album was first pressed in 1958 and that is 63 years ago.
Unless these tapes we stored in a hyperbolic style chamber there will be effects for 60 plus years of storage and repressings done by various companies.
The quality of the vinyl plays a big part in the overall acoustic sound. My own job experience in the American retail and distribution of vinyl in the 70's through the 80's results were horrid.My B/O turntable at the time would throw up with shit vinyl I would put on.. Over pressing, inferior vinyl, sloppy packaging, all contributed to mediocre audio results. (with a few exceptions) mainly Imports.
So that said; This Blue Note Classic and Tone Poet reissues are a much needed addition. They may stumble a bit (75 series) but overall they are outstanding. They are not a Cash Grab and if it gets more people into or back into the vinyl world all the better.
Very well done, balanced and nuanced comparison - not good vs bad but different levels of good
Picked up a 2nd Nat King Cole ‘the unforgettable Nat king cole ‘ from 1964 -with song intros by Alan dell? AMAZING sounding record - best in my collection - you’d think he was in the room with you! Love your vids and follow you avidly , thank you for taking the time and your input . David 🏴
Awesome review Michael on the Cannonball Adderley I knew the SRX would win I cried when you showed it it totally missed out on that one I have the first release Music Matters 331/3 which I would stick with. I agree totally Analogue Productions and Music Matters are superior but the Classic Series are very nice for the price point . Lovellandrew
My copy of Page One arrived yesterday and I have to say it sounds very good but I didn’t order Somethin Else as I already have the 45rpm version from Analogue Productions which is superb. Just preordered the next 2, Moanin and Soul Station. I think the quality of these reissues so far has been first class and great value for money.
My classics of Joe and Cannonball arrived today. I will have a great saturday!
Hello Michael, thanks for comparing those records. The comparison, according to me, is very simple. Blue Note Classic Series ✅ (in the collection) ; The SRX MMJ 💰 (not in the collection). As simple as that ! 😉 Take care. Bruno
I prefer the AP45 of Something Else to even the Munson Matters. Warm but detailed. Super quiet black background. People get to caught up with the AP jackets. These are great pressings.
They are indeed Kevin!
For the price I wouldn’t expect the Classics to sound better than Music Matters or Analogue Productions. By the way, the Analogue version of Page One is on back order.
BN and tone poets converted me to jazz especially because I was able to buy so many due to reasonable costs and thereby letting me understand what I like. Getting tired of shelling out $125 for the super vinyl and $55 for 45’s. I agree those generally do sound better though. Currently own 5 one steps and 2 UHQR’s and dozens of 45’s from AP.
Fantastic video
Michael your sound is nice and clear now...very nice!
Thanks for this honest review.
Had today my first listen of Takin' off, Herbie Hancock from the Blue Note Classics. Also a great sounding reissue...
Those 6o,s Joe Henderson albums are like Beethoven symphonies. The even numbers are great. The odd numbers kick ass. Somethin' Else is in my Blue Note Top Ten. "Is that what you wanted Alfred?"
Great review Micheal.
The good about your review is that you have 2 different sources to compare. So for the money it make sense that the other 2 copies sound better that the classic.
For me I think it sound really good because I don’t have other sources to compare. Anyway great records and great video thanks again Michael!
I have a pressing of Somethin’ Else mastered from the original analogue tapes by Ron McMaster on Blue Note. It was part of a series that was released by D’Agostini and came with a “magazine” with listening notes - Do you know that edition and I wonder if it’s worth getting the new reissue?
Sorry Salim but i do not know this edition
@@Michael45RPM Ah well, possibly another of your viewers may know it.
I have both and can’t really pick a winner. Both sound great. The D’Agnostini has a weird cut somewhere but it’s still a great value.
Hi, Mike... I don’t think Kevin Gray upgraded his cables again.. he had already done that before the SRX’s releases.. so the classic series wouldn’t really have any advantage over that to the srx’s... I have the srx, the analogue 45’s and the classic new one.. I haven’t really done a comparison of all 3 to give you my opinion... but obviously the 45’s would usually have more soundstage..even if sounding a little worse in my opinion.. it’s just a 45rpm thing as you know... so for the “page one lp” 45 would definitely have more soundstage than the classic 33..that could also be the analogue sounding feeling too, the addition of soundstage to it being a 45rpm
I preordered the Adderley and Henderson, but I think I put it in too late (Feb. 2) because they haven't come in yet.
I also had a visible and audible defect on track one of the Henderson. Alas I can’t be sure if it was like that originally, or caused by the hermetically attached inner sleeve. 🙂 optimal must have a special machine for inducing a bond between paper and the vinyl. At any rate my first return of a classic or 80 series, so no complaints on that front. But damn, those inners are evil! 🙂. Love the vids man, like the nice chilled voice and lack of screaming hyperbole seen elsewhere
Hi Michael
Are you considering to review the new Patricia's Barber Café Blue 1Step from Impex?
Love your videos.
Cheers
I can do that.. it is overdue!
@@Michael45RPM looking forward to it. Cheers
Interesting to hear your views on the various pressings. A few observations I would make are (1) the plating and pressing should be considered beyond the mastering, bearing in mind that in the case of the Classic series, the quantities involved will be far in excess of the AP or MM versions. (2) It is probable that the vinyl pellet supply will be less "bespoke" than these premium competitors, and finally, (3) providing a kind of middle ground between digital and what I would term as ultra analogue is aimed at providing an emerging market with a good hint as to why this music is much better on vinyl whilst not expecting it to be played on the best of equipment. However, a brilliant achievement in my view and as you say, well worth the modest investment!
Plating any lacquers cut by Kevin Gray go straight to RTI. The Classic series doesn't differ in that regard, same as the MMJ's and older AP's that were mastered at Acoustech, where RTI was handing the plating process. Optimal is pressing the Classics, so there is likely some difference in vinyl formula, but I think Blue Note did an amazing thing by having KG master these and be plated at RTI.
Would love it if you did some more IDM reviews.
always whith the new Records videos
Love it here comes the big guns...🤠🔫🔫🔫.....love the Blue Notes....the AP reissues are great and Music Matters....now these Classic series are great...compare to the 75 anniversary which were hit or miss....plus they were mastered from digital flies...one record which was not good was Hank Mobley..No room for Squares....very bad pressing and sound....Micheal I have Something Else by Classic Records...excellent...but out of print now...I have to get this classic one...thank for your great videos as always...to much snow in New York....😣.....enjoy....😏...Ed
you nailed it. the Page One soundstage is really odd.
Don't have much to compare, but I love the series so far. Love your channel and appearances in other videos. Schöne Grüße from a Dutch guy living in Germany.
Hi Michael, just got Somethin’Else from BN Classic series and agree with you about poor packaging, with terrible paper inner sleeve from the 70’s, ha-ha, amazing trash. On the other hand, this pressing is very high quality, clean and quiet, almost no surface noise, especially after cleaning, well done by Optimal Germany! Sound wise, its on the lean side, so agree with you as well, if Kevin just put a little sweeter touch on it, it would be simply amazing. Another thing that took my attention, is the way it was mastered regarding instrument placement. It’s like left: Miles & Julian, right: Art & Sam and Hank closer to middle. I don’t have original or any other pressings, but can you comment on that one please. How differ the mastering from AP or MM for example, regarding instrument placement I mean. Thx.
Thanks for the reviews. I too have both 33 rpm versions from Music Matters of "Somethin' Else." For space reasons as much as anything, I am not ordering the Classic Series versions of matching MMJ and AP already in my collection, after having compared "Song for my Father" MMJ 33 rpm to Blue Note Classic version with similar results to your own. I will, however, taking advantage of the Blue Note Classic Series to fill in for those titles that I do not already have from MMJ, or Analogue Productions. I'll have to wait to see if the Classic Series can better the several titles that I have from Classic Records (Classic confusion!). The Blue Note Classics are also tempting as "party" records to substitute for titles that I only have in 45 rpm.
Is there any difference in the way the SRX Something Else and regular Music Matters Somethin' Else sound?
@@bpbs2012 Not really much as far as the "sound" of the recording. My takeaway, all these years later, is that the difference is more about the quietness of the vinyl. Not a lot of pollution noise. Part of that, I'm sure, has to do with the quality of the SRX material. Some of it may simply be the advantage of the care taken during the pressing and QC for a limited run.
Thank you for addressing the 'elephant in the room' regarding the classics series. They are amazing value but the sound quality is ok. I'd be interested in your opinion of the Tone Poets series vs the Classics series on sound quality alone? For me the Tone Poets up until now have been far superior; more dynamic, detailed & better sound stage by a fair margin. The classics always feel a little flat in comparison to me but they really shouldn't do?
I do agree Paulie
Every album is a little different.
I disagree the sound quality is OK. The sound quality is great and at a great price. Anyone on the fence buying these don’t listen to these negative views
I think some of classics/80 series are not quite amazing sound as tone poets but mostly very fine at least ten or so i have. Real mccoy is brilliant, so too open sesame and basra
@@TheBirdBrothers Add to that list: Smoke Stack; In and Out; and Trumpeta T some other really nice Blue Note classics/80.
YAJ :) Luv the Reviews
Any got a link to german (22€) store so i can order the Calssic
Try JPC
The best $24 you can spend!
Michael, I think you and what you are doing are great. Keep it up! I think your superpower is your calm, unpretentious demeanor.
If you see this as unpretentious you must be in some really aweful circles. I enjoy these videos, but this is about as much pretension as I can take.
@@Valleyplant my opinion has evolved a little on this particular point.
@@austinhunt4260 glad to see. It’s just about keeping in mind that there’s exceptions for what he is going to say that he has to meet. I would take any information found in these videos with a grain of salt
So what's the explanation for the difference? The Classics are mastered by the same engineer, using the same (or better) gear, both plated by RTI, but pressed at a different , but still good plant (Optimal)
KG could make these sound any way he wants.
"Analogue" makes me think the MMJ/AP were EQ'ed to take off the edge a bit, to appeal to a certain Audiophile preference?
Different but not necessarily better?
I would love to see an interview with KG on these series,
Who wins majority of the time AP vs MM?
If there are any to compare have you done a shoot out of a Tone Poet to MM/AP?
Not so far, maybe someday
I mean, did we really expect the Classic Series to beat the SRX and AP 45’s? However, I was more curious in the comparison of MM 33’s to the Classic Series and you mentioned that the MM still sounds better. Which made me think that could it have all boiled down to the pressing plant?
agreed. I don't think that expectation is even valid, the "upgrade" to Kevin Gray's mastering suite happened long before most of the MMJ's were cut. that goes back to the years at Acoustech mastering vs at KG's current studio. Any differences between the most recent Classics and the previous versions cut by KG are most likely about tape age, vinyl formula, and the number of copies pressed per stamper. Is Optimal using a higher number of copies per stamper than previous audiophile labels that limit the stamper to lower numbers for quality control?
@Michael45RPM Did you prefer the Analogue Productions 45 RPM reissue of Somethin Else over the Music Matters version? Thanks!
If only they could make enough of these. Unless you get them straight away they become either unavailable or very over priced. So much for having them being “in print” - the shorter and silver are persona non grata in the U.K. as an example. Hopefully post da rona this improves
Hi Michael. Thanks for your wonderful videos and reviews. Hi Michael don't you think that the recent boxes are to expensive ? For example the latest David Bowie ( almost 400 euro's) i decided for my self that i should by the CD box instead. I love vinyl and prefer the LP version for the warmer sound but i find 400 euro's to much compared to the 90 euro for the cd box.
Where can I buy those?
Where do you live?
@@Michael45RPM United States
The BN Classics are a bargain. I’ve gotten them as low as 19 dollars.
Hi Mike. I have several Blue Note Classic series albums and yes they are very good value for money. They do sound very good but not as good as my Blue Note Music Matters 45s and 33s and not as good as the Tone Poet series. I wonder why this is. Could it be that lower grade vinyl is being used to keep the cost down? I would gladly pay the extra if these Classic series titles were produced as Tone Poets which here in the UK sell for around £33.00.
👌👌
Unfortunately the Tone Poet Series are very expensive here in Berlin but 22 € for the classic series is fair. But the worst priced are Mo-Fi's and that is of course due to the fact that Sieveking has the exclusive rights for all of Germany and they misuse that and doesn't belong in a free marked economy. I see a lot of Mo-Fi's in the back and even the Analogue productions Reel to Reel Tapes, nice.
To me the Classics are simply EQd brighter, so they lose a little bass and midrange. I dont know why Kevin has this trend of going brighter over the years but any system cable upgrade wont make that difference Im sure.
I agree Leon this a strong possibility!
I compared "Something else" today with my japanese Toshiba, mid 80´s pressing and I like the Japanese much more, the new released version has to much bass and specially the cymbals have way to much treble. The bass in the intro of Autumn Leaves is too much pushed up. This is a typical "Loudness" mastering wich sounds unnatural to me. I don't say the sound is bad, it is ok, but not more than ok, yes very ok for the price. I did the same with a "Classic Records" Kenny Burrell 1597 and also the Japanese Pressing (Toshiba again) wins easily. In this case the Classic Record version is actually really bad. It is my first try with them and I will not buy any more of them, specially for this price I would even call it a scam. I know that some audiophiles ditch the japanese Blue notes but to me they are superior, specially for the price and I even have started to talk about the "King" pressings, they blow everything away and even sound better than the originals to me, I did some comparing in the past. I have all Tone Poets but could not compare them to other versions. So for me, go Japanese King, they are killer. Just to mention, I am a pro Jazz musician all my live, made many records and mixed and produced some too, so I know my stuff. Maybe it is all about taste, so take this as my 2 cents, from a musicians standpoint.
Totally agree, the japanese pressings from late 70's and early 80's sound great and I prefer them to all the recent audiophile or pseudo audiophile recent reissues...
@@bluespeace01 So I am not alone, nice to hear :-)
totally agree in everything you wrote.. i had a friend at my place and we compared the classic reissue of somethin else with his 1976 pre-king toshiba... it really was night and day.. stage, details, frequency.. it goes that far, that i try to get japanese copies of all the classic titles i planned to buy..
@@ToenS Yeah, the japanese pressings are winning in all categories. My Blue Note collection (260 records) is more than half from Japan.
@@mymixture965 i Have to agreed with You Wolfgang ( although I play only on saxophone on a very basic level but wind instruments can show You the right on record sound) and besides I think I will cut the tree under me.
Kings are way better than the avarage think. But this is obvious just remember this company made an agreement with Blue Note in the 70’s so they had the right to print records. In those days the Japanase so called hi-fi technic was in heaven they produced the best equipments and a bit later on too. So it is not a surprise that Japanese could produce really great records( and later on too just check Super Analogue Series)
Besides one thing is very important in my opinion. If You really wanna listen to those great records in their own style not only the pressings but the equipment is very important. If You have a monkey You have to feed them with banana. And do not think about sky rocket price modern system. They can not and will not be able to give You back the perfect feeling-atmosphere. What You need a perfect vintage turntable in a pristine condition. You mustn’t buy or use new high price cables cause nowadays no real materials( silver, litze... can be found just ask a real engineer). So my advice buy the Kings have a perfect vintage system maybe You can have newer speakers but old wires, vintage MC cartridge, rebuilt it and have a perfect MC step up transformator. And than You are in heaven for less the price than even a moder expensive speaker. You do not have to pay always the highest price if You want quality. Just the Word goes in this way...