I want to thank you so much for doing this review. I was wondering how each one of these remasters sounded and finally you’re the only one who did it who has a proper setup. Thank again so very much, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all your videos
Totally agree . Thank you for your honesty.I have the Bob Marley and sound is totally plain. Recently bought an old french edition of sticky finger and is really amazing!!!. Thank you very much for your time and dedication!!!!!
Nothing worse than seeing an album you love and getting super excited about the seemingly great sonic experience you will have and then getting home and finally putting it on your turntable and wondering why your listening experience is so uninvolving. You are totally seduced by the packaging and the legend of the album itself in your memory only to be left feeling cheated out of your money. They don't say what the source of the mastering or transfer is so you buy it on faith because you love it. In the end you're better off with your original copy you bought for $10 (or less!). Such is the mystery of record collecting in this era we find ourselves in now. It's great that there's a vinyl resurgence but a lot of re-issues to be frank kind of suck.
Really appreciate the honest impressions. Keep doing those kind of videos. Companies need to be made responsible for their poor quality. My beef is with RTI, I had to send back so many of their Resonance Records pressings that it is not even funny. Grüsse von Halifax nach Düsseldorf!
Thanks for the honest input. It's good to hear you criticize some purchases that you've made. You usually love the ones you show and for you to show ones you really don't like, it keeps your listeners engaged. Thanks man! I love the Stones but I'm glad I never pulled the trigger on the HSMs.
Hi Michael! Please don't apologize for a negative review when it is warranted. That is the right thing to do and allows me/us to focus resources on more deserving products. It is such a shame that these pressings are not all they could be. The Bob Ludwig remasterings of Let It Bleed from 2019 and Beggars Banquet are really well done and sound excellent. Tschüß!
Go and Free the information! Thank you Micheal for your time and detailed insights into these releases! Being " old school" age I have many OG release but I fear for the young record lovers who are being sold inferior mastering and pressing! Thank you, I may have fell for them myself: looking for addition clean copies to play!! I would have never expected the kinds of greed and smoke and mirrors that have been employed to get rich off the backs of lovers of passion and music!?? Yes! Where is your responsibility Abbey Road???✌
I love your videos, I’m so happy when you publish a new one. They are calming and relaxing, thank you for making them. I’d like more interviews with music lovers, audiophiles, electronic stuff makers and so on :)))
The music labels are pushing the fact, that people are buying vinyl but I don't rubbish vinyl, I won't quality sounding vinyl. Keep up the good work, another great video.
Please please keep the honesty - it is why I watch your channel- off course there is bad stuff out there and it is important to let the community know- what is bad - everyone I am sure appreciates your insight- much respect!
Nice review, Michael. I would love to see a video with yourself and Miles Showell at Abbey Road discussing this. He has gone into great detail on his remastering of the Stones albums. And btw, there is a different mix of Mixed Emotions on Steel Wheels.
HI MICHAEL- Absolutely AGREE with your assessment of the Abbey Road 1/2 speed masters. I bought several, including “Sticky Fingers” and WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! They “market” their remastering techniques and digital studio gear. They’re all digitally sourced and absolutely, THEY’VE DROPPED THE BALL! WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY! I like you feel, it was money wasted and will never buy their digital albums, again.....THANKS FOR KEEPING IT REAL!
Thanks for the info. I’m a huge stones fan and was considering buying a few of these. I appreciate the honesty, especially about Sticky Fingers. That’s my favorite Stones album and that was on the top of the list.
Thanks very much for this review, appreciate your honesty. We spend alot of money on these type of pressing and should be rewarded with excellent sound.
A fantastic upload...nothing to apologise for...youve spent a fortune purchasing these and your just giving you honest opinion..which i admire..This is a good upload...i have the original UK pressings of most of these and im happy with them and the sound...sometimes its best to leave alone and not try to alter them? Just my thoughts. Anyway thank you from the UK for another great upload 👍👍👍
So refreshing to hear an honest opinion regarding one of the greatest bands of all time , your so right sir responsible is the key word for such an Iconic band
@@mccarthyd6603 So you think buying/appreciating music can only be a hobby? Music touches pretty much everyone it's a universal language. I like the passion of people that get really deep into a subject.
@@ERROL007 Totally agree....I just laugh when people go out of their way to comment on videos they have no interest in...."I haven't bought albums...I don't have a turntable...etc....whatever....agree with you on the music comment....have a great day 👍
Hello Michael. I want to send you my thanks and appreciation for your honest opinion about these reissues done by Abbey Road. It is not often that we hear people speak honestly about bad products. I think it is important to get the information out there and help people make good buying decisions. Keep up the good work! Viele Grüße aus Montreal, Kanada
Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and help us avoid a land mine with these Rolling Stones records. On a separate note, I got The Who's Odds and Sods RSD edition from Abbey Road and that record sounds good to me. I'd love to hear what others think of it.
I'm really glad to hear some negative/mediocre reviews from you. I find them as useful if not more useful than hearing yet another Analog Productions (or such) sounding fantastic. It's also really nice/useful that you were able to cover the Abbey Road Half speed masters as in depth as you did. A REALLY BIG THANK YOU!
Man, you’re completely correct, Michael. Abbey Road completely dropped the ball with these. I only picked up “Sticky Fingers” and was immediately surprised at how terrible it sounded. Just flat, no dynamics, overall so boring with no pep whatsoever. They should truly be ashamed, and they should know it.
Thank you, with the flood of new vinyl on the market it so good to get honest reviews. I was considering buying those albums and now I’m not going to get them. You are so correct that for the cost they need to be worth the investment, sorry you lost your money on them.
Very important statement that also coincides with my experience from the last few years. As much as I am happy that there is nowadays almost every album again a vinyl edition, I am disappointed by many pressings. Unfortunately, the vinyl landscape is just flooded with plastic waste and the buyers and often also the record stores move with it. As a record collector it is incredibly hard to find a good record store these days (especially in Germany). The choice: Flea market goods, 0815 80`s repressings and then loveless 14 EUR repressings from the Czech Republic. Tone Poet, acoustic sounds, Analogue Productions ? Never heard of them. I have about 800 records, I want a good pressing, with a good mastering and a nice packaging, everything else does not interest me anymore. In the end, only Discogs or Record faires remain.
I have the eleven ABCKO 'DSD' vinyl reprints that sound pretty good (printed in Germany!😉) and the mono box, as well as some originals, but that's it for me until something groundbreaking occurs. I may try to get the rest of the ABCKOs on cd/sacd, but of course they are long out of print and are pretty pricey at Discogs.
I am so glad I found your video before I started buying those half-speed remastered LPs. I looked up what "half-speed remastering" is and it states that it is the best quality in sound. HA! I'm really glad I found your video. I'm just going to buy an old used copy of Sticky Fingers. Cheers!
I have a remastered copy of Sticky Fingers that sounds great but it was not from Abbey Road studios and it was not a half speed mastered one. It’s a shame they did not take the time to do it right. Thanks for the review.
Miles showell done Tommy quite a few years ago at AR. To my ears very impressive & recommended. Would love the classic record version but to expensive. This is the best alternative. I own a few of the Genesis reissues from AR. Hit & miss . Nothing outstanding. Clean & well pressed but a bit flat sounding. Great channel Michael 🤙
I went to Abbey Road to get some singles mastered and when I asked the engineer if he thought “half speed” makes a difference he said he didn’t think it did!!
Michael thanks for your honesty brother I have a OG German copy of Tattoo You I also compared it my OG German kills the Half speed I totally agree Michael. I’ll keep my American Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street 👍 great critique Michael. Lovellandrew
You are right Michael, I’ve compared most of the ones you mentioned. It’s the difference between the music sounding like the band is in the room with you versus it sounding like you’re walking by a window where the music is playing inside. The original presses I have of Sticky Fingers, Exile, Tattoo You, Black and Blue, etc. are very dynamic- the music jumps out of the speakers. I’m a Rolling Stones collector. I have every US/UK first press on London/Decca in both stereo and mono.
Hey John LaMarca, nice to meet you, wow, fantastic. Do you hear any difference in the sound between the US and the UK pressing? Any General rule which usually sounds better? Would love to hear your opinion. Thanks
@@tobytobyson Nice to meet you! The US pressings I have of the first 4 albums (mono) are all on the London ffrr label; these were pressed in the UK from the Decca tapes, so they should essentially sound the same as the UK versions. I’ve never put those head to head, but I will do to see if that’s the case. When it comes to Stereo pressings, the unboxed Decca and unboxed London labels sound the best. I also really like the London Monarch pressings (dark blue/silver labels), as well as the white boxed Decca labels which were made for export to Scandinavian countries in the 70’s. I hope that helps!
@@johnlamarca3339 Hey John, thanks a lot, that helps. I'm about to build a RS collection and main focus for me is sound quality, which is as it seems especially for the Stones sometimes challenging. The original pressings are quite often hard to get in decent condition and Michael was just so kind to stop me from buying the new pressings with this video. So will focus mainly on UK and US early versions. Thanks again, really appreviate your help.
@@tobytobyson My pleasure. Before you start, pick up the bookThe Rolling Stones Worldwide III by Christoph Maus. It contains information on of all the LP releases (by country) up to 1971. There are other books by the same author for the later releases as well as all the 45s. It will help to keep you from making mistakes when building a collection. Happy hunting!
This period of the RS isn’t my favorite period and I would have been upset had they done those and they sounded this poorly. Thanks for the candid opinion. It’s upsetting when people think they can make poor quality and get away with it because they believe the public will buy anything with a famous name on it, such as The Rolling Stones.
Michael, I did not view this video until after purchase of 2021 RSD 50th of Hot Rock purchase. I was shocked and dismayed upon playing. Even my wife with no tuned ear listened and could not believe how horrible the sound. I went on Discogs to buy the best US Terre Haute, Indiana pressing as my original and will not purchase any other reissue from Abbey Roads Rolling Stones remixes. That being said the three “Beatles” Giles Martin 2018 releases are a pure enjoyment. I feel your frustration and it is a shame that they would be so thoughtless with The Rolling Stones.
I have a couple, and havent been that impressed with the sound at all. For the rest I'll stick to the original 2nd hand pressings. Thanks man, great video!
Hello Michael, I have two of them (Half Speed Mastering from Abbey Road). One is great great great. The other is casual. They are from the first series they released. And for these they used the analog tapes. Still, the good one is John Martyn « Solid Air ». The other is an album from the band Free. Don’t be sorry to be negative. I love the Stones and I need on vinyl some of their albums. I won’t take them from these series. So thanks a lot. Take care. Bruno
Hello there! Anyone experiencing severe distorsion in the inner grooves of some of them? (many actually) . Examples: out of tears and pretty every last song on each of the four sides of Voodoo Lounge, Moonlight Mile (Sticky F.) ?
I have Original Master Recording of Sticky Fingers. Can't You Hear Me Knocking is incredible. Anyway I'll have to check out Exile on Main St since I have both 1/2 speed and the original pressing. It's a shame that with prices as they are we are not provided with the very best for our money. I hope it I don't hurt Keith and Ronnie's feelings but the band was more suited for audiophile quality music with Mick Taylor on board.
Micheal, you are absolutely correct. Like yourself, I was sucked in by the packaging and when I compared them to the original pressings. I wasted my money on the Police records, Simple Minds (New Gold Dream, Brian Eno and the Free first record. Basically, the pressings from Abbey Road Studios are Dull, Flat and boring. Save your money and spend it elsewhere. Nice Album Covers, I will give them that.
I had great success buying Mobile Fidelity Half Speed Masters way back in the 80s. I got soooo many superb remasters from them. So back then I'd already had a copy of Sticky Fingers but decided to buy the Mobile Fidelity too. Before I had a chance to listen to it I gave away my original Sticky Fingers to my Sister's boyfriend. Weeks later when I listened to the MoFi I was shocked. It sounded super clean but the mix was so unexciting. Wild Horses electric guitar solos were subdued instead of out front where they belong. That was my first and one of few MoFi disappointments. Now I hear from you that the new Half Speed master sucks too. Oh well. I await someone to give Sticky Fingers its due one of these days.
That one was cut from an analogue master tape that happened to be in excellent condition. The digitally sourced titles have varying degrees of problems, but they all disappoints.
The only one of these abbey roads I have is the Exile on Main St but its the one from a few years ago. To me, it does sound pretty good, but my original US pressing sounds much better. I think for all the Stones releases from sticky fingers on, the US pressings sound pretty damn good. Although for Sticky Fingers my original Japanese press sounds excellent as well, and for Some Girls I have the outstanding orange Dutch pressing that is the best I've heard.
Brutal, but honest. I also agree that reissuers of classics (regardless of genre) must do more than employ a given technology in remastering. At least it is an obligation if they wish to market the product as anything special or audiophile. Abbey Road, trading on their reputation. Sort of sad.
I agree on those "OK" reviews. Infact , stones albums are not at all audiophile quality at all. I prefer the SACD versions and the original pressings i picked from the dollar bins in the 90s
Just compared the 24 bit vinyl rips, the original german version vs half speed master, yes, the half speed mastering is pretty FLAT, its not worth the money they are priced for.👍👍👍. (Goats Head Soup)
I believe there are two different levels of quality regarding the Haf Speed Mastered editions at Abbey Road: The well crafted ones, like the Police, were each LP has an OBI and a diploma by Miles Showell, and the others (like the Stones edition here reviewed) that just have the hype sticker.
I am also sorry that it had to be a negative video brother, but you are just speaking the truth. We are all spoiled by the classic records, analogue productions, Mobile Fidelity, speakers corner folks that make good records. It's very disappointing the folks in England are OK with this Half assed record making Instead of good half speed record making. Thank you for your very informative video, very much appreciated. cheers Ron
Your quite right regarding the Stones poor sound. I was very impressed by the McCartney self titled first album which came out in October 2020. Again half speed but sounds fabulous in my opinion 👍
Do you have an early German pressing of Sticky Fingers? Saw a video by Michael Fremer at Analog Planet where he mentioned that the early German pressings have TML in the deadwax and were mastered by the legend Doug Sax and The Mastering Lab. It is supposed to sound great! Sad to hear that these half speed miss the boat. - Russ
I purchased a 1st pressing German Goats Head Soup about 2 months ago (paid a handsome sum for) was so fired up to get home and put thru the cleaning process....fast forward and listened to and it sounded awful! Very very muddy and not impressive at all 🙉🙉🙉 Recently picked up the half speed remaster which is a minor step up....not much. Think I am going to go seek out another 1st pressing from the US which I sadly traded in awhile ago and still sounds the best. These half speed remasters are really starting to piss me off....picked up Sticky Fingers and Exile and both also sound flat....really starting to think this is just a buzz word to put on a hype sticker....hard to believe they can't find the original analog tapes...they are just re-releasing the same albums every few years and I am the sucker that keeps purchasing 😠😠😠😠 Great video by the way....just subscribed 👍
I also have the German pressing of sticky fingers and I think it's great but I also have Hot Rocks remastered and more hot rocks remasted and they sound like garbage I went out and bought original pressing maybe that's the way to go they sound fantastic always try to get one that says near-mint if you can find any🤔😀
Hi Michael, thanks for the video. Regarding Exile particularly, your copy has the Abbey Road Obi and is therefore the 2016 AR Half Speed Issue, which was widely panned after release. I bought the 2020 AR Half Speed (different bar code, dead wax etc) and it sounds great - might be worth doing a comparison?
I wanted to buy the A bigger bang halfspeed remastered version, had the original virgin cd that sounds too loud. I was hoping to finally get a good version of that album, but i got my doubts now. For the rest of the albums i may wil stick with the 1994 Virgin cds releases, they sound very well to me even better than the 2009 remasters. Hope u have a great week Michael, send you the best of lucks!
Hi Michael, I only have the Dusty in Memphis abbey road reissue. Sounds good but I am curious what you should think of that record. So maybe one day :-) Cheers, Koen
I remember getting the half speed Disraeli Gears and being really dissapointed. Then I picked up the Cream box released a couple of years ago and really enjoyed that particular press. It's sad that some of the best music out there The Stones, Marley, Queen, is being put our this way. I have stayed away from the Queen Box for that exact reason. Hopefully Abbey Road improves soon, but it doesn't seem likely.
I took your advice and purchased a new sealed RTI version of Exile on Main street. So far it sounds pretty good and really good bass. Unfortunately I got rid of my abbey road reissues but did rip the vinyl for the same title. What I recall is that the album sounded a little flat and thought that maybe my set up was bad. Have you done a comparison between the abbey road half speeds vs. any other version of this album. I am also looking to get an 80s sealed but not sure if these were good. Any tips?
Totally agree! An LP pressed from a CD probably would have sounded better. Seems like they went out of their way to put out an inferior product. I don’t understand!
You should just get the deluxe sets that have been recently released, they sound very good and get some extras, I’m Stones fan for many years, I have all the originals in stereo and mono from the sixties catalog and all seventies and eighties albums. I’m not a believer in half masters and Mobil fidelity pressings.
Thanks for a courageous and passionate review. The Stones are tricky for audiophiles. I hated the MOFI Sticky Fingers from the 90s which was blah, but the Mofi box of 1963-70 was decent, especially at the time when that catalog was a mess - but the 2003 cds were better, with real stereo (fantastic on the 12x5, Now!, and Dec. Children)and real mono. For tge stuff released on their own label (1971-84) my favorite pressings are the original US pressings of Sticky and Exile (an album that can still make me weep). After Goats Head the Brit pressings are superior, or the Japanese
@@johnryan3913 Bob Ludwig did special remasters in 1994 - they are superior than any other versions made since. Not easy to find, but they are the ones to get if you get CDs!
I purchased the Exile on Main St half speed for someone little over a year ago. Didn't have a chance to listen to it. My question is, on the back of the album I was surprised to see that it was manufactured in Germany. Does yours say that too?
My German friend is disappointed! This hilarious TH-cam video almost makes up for the fact you can't get a decent copy of Exile on Main Street on vinyl.... ALMOST!
Does anyone happen to have an opinion as to the best available version of Coltrane's My Favorite Things? The ORG 45 is back ordered on Acoustic Sounds, and while I'm fine with a 33-1/3, I have no idea which one to target. Thanks!!
Uh oh. I've got that copy of Exile and haven't played it yet. Having the same feeling coming on after your recent U2 review and how flat that recording was.
Michael- is your review biased, because the 1/2 speed mastering from Abbey road is not a double 45rpm records? Can you explain in more detail , what do yo mean they sound "flat" too much bass, not enough high end or just no dynamic range at all? Thank you for your videos. I did pick up Exile on Main Street and I love the job Abbey Road studios did. Of course my stereo set-up is nothing compared to yours- lol
Excellent video! For me: I only buy reissues when the originals are non existent/overpriced. Why would I spend €25 on a Stones reissue when I can get an original ( say, Black & Blue) for €10 ....?
Love you're complete honesty here. So this whole thing reminds me of Metallica (or WEA) hiring the Mofi team to do their 45 rpm remasters which were a complete disaster. I think this is clearly the case of someone wanting to push product (or mastering by the pound) to get something on the market versus putting in the right time/care to get the mastering right. Abbey Road doesn't have stellar track record in my opinion but they did put Miles Showell on these. Miles is capable of cutting a good record but others at Abbey Road are not (i.e. Sean McGee). I went after Tattoo You and I was disappointed. My original Bob Ludwig cut of that record beats the Abbey Road cut by a mile.
I want to thank you so much for doing this review. I was wondering how each one of these remasters sounded and finally you’re the only one who did it who has a proper setup. Thank again so very much, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all your videos
The 2020 Half-Speed Master of Exile on Main St. is pretty good. Very close to my US Monarch original.
Totally agree . Thank you for your honesty.I have the Bob Marley and sound is totally plain. Recently bought an old french edition of sticky finger and is really amazing!!!. Thank you very much for your time and dedication!!!!!
Nothing worse than seeing an album you love and getting super excited about the seemingly great sonic experience you will have and then getting home and finally putting it on your turntable and wondering why your listening experience is so uninvolving. You are totally seduced by the packaging and the legend of the album itself in your memory only to be left feeling cheated out of your money. They don't say what the source of the mastering or transfer is so you buy it on faith because you love it. In the end you're better off with your original copy you bought for $10 (or less!).
Such is the mystery of record collecting in this era we find ourselves in now. It's great that there's a vinyl resurgence but a lot of re-issues to be frank kind of suck.
Well done. Thank you for your honesty.
Really appreciate the honest impressions. Keep doing those kind of videos. Companies need to be made responsible for their poor quality. My beef is with RTI, I had to send back so many of their Resonance Records pressings that it is not even funny. Grüsse von Halifax nach Düsseldorf!
Thanks for the honest input. It's good to hear you criticize some purchases that you've made. You usually love the ones you show and for you to show ones you really don't like, it keeps your listeners engaged. Thanks man! I love the Stones but I'm glad I never pulled the trigger on the HSMs.
I would like it better when AR did a good job on them trust me....
Hi Michael! Please don't apologize for a negative review when it is warranted. That is the right thing to do and allows me/us to focus resources on more deserving products. It is such a shame that these pressings are not all they could be. The Bob Ludwig remasterings of Let It Bleed from 2019 and Beggars Banquet are really well done and sound excellent. Tschüß!
Honesty is what we want, so thanks again Michael.
Ty this way I don’t waste my money
Thanks for going through those I will stick to my originals. Such a shame, as these talents deserve better.
Go and Free the information! Thank you Micheal for your time and detailed insights into these releases! Being " old school" age I have many OG release but I fear for the young record lovers who are being sold inferior mastering and pressing! Thank you, I may have fell for them myself: looking for addition clean copies to play!! I would have never expected the kinds of greed and smoke and mirrors that have been employed to get rich off the backs of lovers of passion and music!?? Yes! Where is your responsibility Abbey Road???✌
I love your videos, I’m so happy when you publish a new one. They are calming and relaxing, thank you for making them. I’d like more interviews with music lovers, audiophiles, electronic stuff makers and so on :)))
Excellent video, Michael. Thank you for your honesty. Greetings from Chile!
The music labels are pushing the fact, that people are buying vinyl but I don't rubbish vinyl, I won't quality sounding vinyl. Keep up the good work, another great video.
Please please keep the honesty - it is why I watch your channel- off course there is bad stuff out there and it is important to let the community know- what is bad - everyone I am sure appreciates your insight- much respect!
Thanks for the info on the Sticky Fingers half speed master. Saved me from wasting money on what I had thought was an upgrade.
Too many great reviews dilutes the impact of those reviews. This review raises my over all impression of the ones you say are great. Thank you.
Nice review, Michael. I would love to see a video with yourself and Miles Showell at Abbey Road discussing this. He has gone into great detail on his remastering of the Stones albums. And btw, there is a different mix of Mixed Emotions on Steel Wheels.
HI MICHAEL- Absolutely AGREE with your assessment of the Abbey Road 1/2 speed masters. I bought several, including “Sticky Fingers” and WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! They “market” their remastering techniques and digital studio gear. They’re all digitally sourced and absolutely, THEY’VE DROPPED THE BALL! WHAT A MISSED OPPORTUNITY! I like you feel, it was money wasted and will never buy their digital albums, again.....THANKS FOR KEEPING IT REAL!
Thanks for the info. I’m a huge stones fan and was considering buying a few of these. I appreciate the honesty, especially about Sticky Fingers. That’s my favorite Stones album and that was on the top of the list.
I did not know they did 1/2 speed masters on this catalog. Thank you for the critique. Prevents me from jumping in and buying a lot of them. Steve
Thanks very much for this review, appreciate your honesty. We spend alot of money on these type of pressing and should be rewarded with excellent sound.
A fantastic upload...nothing to apologise for...youve spent a fortune purchasing these and your just giving you honest opinion..which i admire..This is a good upload...i have the original UK pressings of most of these and im happy with them and the sound...sometimes its best to leave alone and not try to alter them? Just my thoughts.
Anyway thank you from the UK for another great upload 👍👍👍
So refreshing to hear an honest opinion regarding one of the greatest bands of all time , your so right sir responsible is the key word for such an Iconic band
Thank you Michael. This was very informative.
This must be your most critical review up to now! I like it!
I haven't brought any vinyl in 20 years but I fully appreciate your honesty/comments.
Me neither ...as I do not have a turntable any more 😀
So the million dollar question is why you are watching on TH-cam..... Hmmmmm someone needs to find a new hobby🤔🤔
@@mccarthyd6603 So you think buying/appreciating music can only be a hobby? Music touches pretty much everyone it's a universal language. I like the passion of people that get really deep into a subject.
@@ERROL007 Totally agree....I just laugh when people go out of their way to comment on videos they have no interest in...."I haven't bought albums...I don't have a turntable...etc....whatever....agree with you on the music comment....have a great day 👍
I really appreciate this review for its direct honesty.
I’m missing 3 of my favorite Rolling Stones albums. I was considering the Abbey Road half speed masters but I think I will pass.
Hello Michael. I want to send you my thanks and appreciation for your honest opinion about these reissues done by Abbey Road. It is not often that we hear people speak honestly about bad products. I think it is important to get the information out there and help people make good buying decisions. Keep up the good work!
Viele Grüße aus Montreal, Kanada
Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and help us avoid a land mine with these Rolling Stones records.
On a separate note, I got The Who's Odds and Sods RSD edition from Abbey Road and that record sounds good to me. I'd love to hear what others think of it.
I'm really glad to hear some negative/mediocre reviews from you. I find them as useful if not more useful than hearing yet another Analog Productions (or such) sounding fantastic. It's also really nice/useful that you were able to cover the Abbey Road Half speed masters as in depth as you did. A REALLY BIG THANK YOU!
Thank you for the heads up on this! I won't waste my money thanks again my friend have a great day
Man, you’re completely correct, Michael. Abbey Road completely dropped the ball with these. I only picked up “Sticky Fingers” and was immediately surprised at how terrible it sounded. Just flat, no dynamics, overall so boring with no pep whatsoever. They should truly be ashamed, and they should know it.
Love the passion. guy almost has tears toward the end. It's my religion too bud.
Ty for all your reviews my friend
I have loads of Rolling Stones reissues, & none of them sound that good, better off with the cd's, another excellent video from you👍
The 1994 virgin cd remasters of the early 70s albums are really good, and cheap.
For Sticky Fingers and Exile, the original vinyl pressings are the way to go.
Thank you for keeping it transparent 👊
I appreciate this honest review.
Thank you, with the flood of new vinyl on the market it so good to get honest reviews. I was considering buying those albums and now I’m not going to get them. You are so correct that for the cost they need to be worth the investment, sorry you lost your money on them.
Very important statement that also coincides with my experience from the last few years. As much as I am happy that there is nowadays almost every album again a vinyl edition, I am disappointed by many pressings. Unfortunately, the vinyl landscape is just flooded with plastic waste and the buyers and often also the record stores move with it. As a record collector it is incredibly hard to find a good record store these days (especially in Germany). The choice: Flea market goods, 0815 80`s repressings and then loveless 14 EUR repressings from the Czech Republic. Tone Poet, acoustic sounds, Analogue Productions ? Never heard of them. I have about 800 records, I want a good pressing, with a good mastering and a nice packaging, everything else does not interest me anymore. In the end, only Discogs or Record faires remain.
Every Analogue Productions LP I’ve heard are very good to great.
Rush’s ‘power windows’ sounds glorious .
Abbey road again.
Digitally sourced.
Sounds a lot better than the original
I have the eleven ABCKO 'DSD' vinyl reprints that sound pretty good (printed in Germany!😉) and the mono box, as well as some originals, but that's it for me until something groundbreaking occurs. I may try to get the rest of the ABCKOs on cd/sacd, but of course they are long out of print and are pretty pricey at Discogs.
the original UK pressings sound very good indeed and there are still many around the market.
I am so glad I found your video before I started buying those half-speed remastered LPs. I looked up what "half-speed remastering" is and it states that it is the best quality in sound. HA! I'm really glad I found your video. I'm just going to buy an old used copy of Sticky Fingers. Cheers!
I have a remastered copy of Sticky Fingers that sounds great but it was not from Abbey Road studios and it was not a half speed mastered one. It’s a shame they did not take the time to do it right. Thanks for the review.
Miles showell done Tommy quite a few years ago at AR.
To my ears very impressive & recommended.
Would love the classic record version but to expensive.
This is the best alternative.
I own a few of the Genesis reissues from AR.
Hit & miss .
Nothing outstanding.
Clean & well pressed but a bit flat sounding.
Great channel Michael 🤙
You just can't get no satisfaction these days.......
Thanks for sharing ! 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪
Wow good to know about main street
I went to Abbey Road to get some singles mastered and when I asked the engineer if he thought “half speed” makes a difference he said he didn’t think it did!!
Michael thanks for your honesty brother I have a OG German copy of Tattoo You I also compared it my OG German kills the Half speed I totally agree Michael. I’ll keep my American Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street 👍 great critique Michael. Lovellandrew
You are right Michael, I’ve compared most of the ones you mentioned. It’s the difference between the music sounding like the band is in the room with you versus it sounding like you’re walking by a window where the music is playing inside. The original presses I have of Sticky Fingers, Exile, Tattoo You, Black and Blue, etc. are very dynamic- the music jumps out of the speakers. I’m a Rolling Stones collector. I have every US/UK first press on London/Decca in both stereo and mono.
Hey John LaMarca, nice to meet you, wow, fantastic. Do you hear any difference in the sound between the US and the UK pressing? Any General rule which usually sounds better?
Would love to hear your opinion. Thanks
@@tobytobyson Nice to meet you! The US pressings I have of the first 4 albums (mono) are all on the London ffrr label; these were pressed in the UK from the Decca tapes, so they should essentially sound the same as the UK versions. I’ve never put those head to head, but I will do to see if that’s the case. When it comes to Stereo pressings, the unboxed Decca and unboxed London labels sound the best. I also really like the London Monarch pressings (dark blue/silver labels), as well as the white boxed Decca labels which were made for export to Scandinavian countries in the 70’s. I hope that helps!
@@johnlamarca3339 Hey John, thanks a lot, that helps. I'm about to build a RS collection and main focus for me is sound quality, which is as it seems especially for the Stones sometimes challenging. The original pressings are quite often hard to get in decent condition and Michael was just so kind to stop me from buying the new pressings with this video.
So will focus mainly on UK and US early versions.
Thanks again, really appreviate your help.
@@tobytobyson My pleasure. Before you start, pick up the bookThe Rolling Stones Worldwide III by Christoph Maus. It contains information on of all the LP releases (by country) up to 1971. There are other books by the same author for the later releases as well as all the 45s. It will help to keep you from making mistakes when building a collection. Happy hunting!
This period of the RS isn’t my favorite period and I would have been upset had they done those and they sounded this poorly. Thanks for the candid opinion. It’s upsetting when people think they can make poor quality and get away with it because they believe the public will buy anything with a famous name on it, such as The Rolling Stones.
Michael, I did not view this video until after purchase of 2021 RSD 50th of Hot Rock purchase. I was shocked and dismayed upon playing. Even my wife with no tuned ear listened and could not believe how horrible the sound. I went on Discogs to buy the best US Terre Haute, Indiana pressing as my original and will not purchase any other reissue from Abbey Roads Rolling Stones remixes. That being said the three “Beatles” Giles Martin 2018 releases are a pure enjoyment. I feel your frustration and it is a shame that they would be so thoughtless with The Rolling Stones.
Sound advice, thank you (No pun intended)
I have a couple, and havent been that impressed with the sound at all. For the rest I'll stick to the original 2nd hand pressings. Thanks man, great video!
Great video
Thanks man for info.
Thank you for your honest opinion. I can now wait for a better copy of Exile on Main Street.
A good & honest review.
I've got Let It Bleed 50th Anniversary and I'm must say - it sounds really good:) But I've not compared it to old pressings... Don't have any.
Hello Michael, I have two of them (Half Speed Mastering from Abbey Road). One is great great great. The other is casual. They are from the first series they released. And for these they used the analog tapes. Still, the good one is John Martyn « Solid Air ». The other is an album from the band Free. Don’t be sorry to be negative. I love the Stones and I need on vinyl some of their albums. I won’t take them from these series. So thanks a lot. Take care. Bruno
Hello there! Anyone experiencing severe distorsion in the inner grooves of some of them? (many actually) . Examples: out of tears and pretty every last song on each of the four sides of Voodoo Lounge, Moonlight Mile (Sticky F.) ?
The RS records are notorious for bad early recordings. Maybe this adds up to the bad mastering done by AR.
I have Original Master Recording of Sticky Fingers. Can't You Hear Me Knocking is incredible. Anyway I'll have to check out Exile on Main St since I have both 1/2 speed and the original pressing. It's a shame that with prices as they are we are not provided with the very best for our money. I hope it I don't hurt Keith and Ronnie's feelings but the band was more suited for audiophile quality music with Mick Taylor on board.
Micheal, you are absolutely correct. Like yourself, I was sucked in by the packaging and when I compared them to the original pressings. I wasted my money on the Police records, Simple Minds (New Gold Dream, Brian Eno and the Free first record. Basically, the pressings from Abbey Road Studios are Dull, Flat and boring. Save your money and spend it elsewhere. Nice Album Covers, I will give them that.
I had great success buying Mobile Fidelity Half Speed Masters way back in the 80s. I got soooo many superb remasters from them. So back then I'd already had a copy of Sticky Fingers but decided to buy the Mobile Fidelity too. Before I had a chance to listen to it I gave away my original Sticky Fingers to my Sister's boyfriend. Weeks later when I listened to the MoFi I was shocked. It sounded super clean but the mix was so unexciting. Wild Horses electric guitar solos were subdued instead of out front where they belong. That was my first and one of few MoFi disappointments. Now I hear from you that the new Half Speed master sucks too. Oh well. I await someone to give Sticky Fingers its due one of these days.
Also John Martyn’s Sold Air sounds brilliant
That one was cut from an analogue master tape that happened to be in excellent condition. The digitally sourced titles have varying degrees of problems, but they all disappoints.
@@kuglepen64 Not all digital sources disappoint.
The only one of these abbey roads I have is the Exile on Main St but its the one from a few years ago. To me, it does sound pretty good, but my original US pressing sounds much better. I think for all the Stones releases from sticky fingers on, the US pressings sound pretty damn good. Although for Sticky Fingers my original Japanese press sounds excellent as well, and for Some Girls I have the outstanding orange Dutch pressing that is the best I've heard.
Brutal, but honest. I also agree that reissuers of classics (regardless of genre) must do more than employ a given technology in remastering. At least it is an obligation if they wish to market the product as anything special or audiophile. Abbey Road, trading on their reputation. Sort of sad.
I agree on those "OK" reviews. Infact , stones albums are not at all audiophile quality at all. I prefer the SACD versions and the original pressings i picked from the dollar bins in the 90s
Just compared the 24 bit vinyl rips, the original german version vs half speed master, yes, the half speed mastering is pretty FLAT, its not worth the money they are priced for.👍👍👍. (Goats Head Soup)
I believe there are two different levels of quality regarding the Haf Speed Mastered editions at Abbey Road:
The well crafted ones, like the Police, were each LP has an OBI and a diploma by Miles Showell, and the others (like the Stones edition here reviewed) that just have the hype sticker.
I am also sorry that it had to be a negative video brother, but you are just speaking the truth. We are all spoiled by the classic records, analogue productions, Mobile Fidelity, speakers corner folks that make good records. It's very disappointing the folks in England are OK with this Half assed record making Instead of good half speed record making.
Thank you for your very informative video, very much appreciated.
cheers Ron
You are 100 % right in this Case Ron
Yes, so sad but so true Michael,... well done! Honesty first...
Your quite right regarding the Stones poor sound.
I was very impressed by the McCartney self titled first album which came out in October 2020.
Again half speed but sounds fabulous in my opinion 👍
Great video Michael. What did you think of the Police vinyl boxset from a few years ago ? Same Abbey Rd half speed masters.
Do you have an early German pressing of Sticky Fingers? Saw a video by Michael Fremer at Analog Planet where he mentioned that the early German pressings have TML in the deadwax and were mastered by the legend Doug Sax and The Mastering Lab. It is supposed to sound great! Sad to hear that these half speed miss the boat. - Russ
No i do not have this pressing maybe we should look after it. Thx for sharing this Cahaba
I purchased a 1st pressing German Goats Head Soup about 2 months ago (paid a handsome sum for) was so fired up to get home and put thru the cleaning process....fast forward and listened to and it sounded awful! Very very muddy and not impressive at all 🙉🙉🙉 Recently picked up the half speed remaster which is a minor step up....not much. Think I am going to go seek out another 1st pressing from the US which I sadly traded in awhile ago and still sounds the best. These half speed remasters are really starting to piss me off....picked up Sticky Fingers and Exile and both also sound flat....really starting to think this is just a buzz word to put on a hype sticker....hard to believe they can't find the original analog tapes...they are just re-releasing the same albums every few years and I am the sucker that keeps purchasing 😠😠😠😠
Great video by the way....just subscribed 👍
@@mccarthyd6603 just stop buying from those companies...and spread the news even further about their shitty work
I also have the German pressing of sticky fingers and I think it's great but I also have Hot Rocks remastered and more hot rocks remasted and they sound like garbage I went out and bought original pressing maybe that's the way to go they sound fantastic always try to get one that says near-mint if you can find any🤔😀
@@Michael45RPM I have the UK pressing which also has TML in the dead wax. It is the best sounding version of Sticky Fingers that I have ever heard.
Hi Michael, thanks for the video. Regarding Exile particularly, your copy has the Abbey Road Obi and is therefore the 2016 AR Half Speed Issue, which was widely panned after release. I bought the 2020 AR Half Speed (different bar code, dead wax etc) and it sounds great - might be worth doing a comparison?
I agree. I put my 2020 in the 2016 packaging so I'd have the postcards, etc. 🙂
The mc cartney 1 half speed (Abbey road ‘s Beatles home …not the stones😉)record store day edition is fantastic…a lot better than the normal one
I wanted to buy the A bigger bang halfspeed remastered version, had the original virgin cd that sounds too loud. I was hoping to finally get a good version of that album, but i got my doubts now. For the rest of the albums i may wil stick with the 1994 Virgin cds releases, they sound very well to me even better than the 2009 remasters. Hope u have a great week Michael, send you the best of lucks!
Hi Michael, I only have the Dusty in Memphis abbey road reissue. Sounds good but I am curious what you should think of that record. So maybe one day :-) Cheers, Koen
I remember getting the half speed Disraeli Gears and being really dissapointed. Then I picked up the Cream box released a couple of years ago and really enjoyed that particular press.
It's sad that some of the best music out there The Stones, Marley, Queen, is being put our this way. I have stayed away from the Queen Box for that exact reason. Hopefully Abbey Road improves soon, but it doesn't seem likely.
I took your advice and purchased a new sealed RTI version of Exile on Main street. So far it sounds pretty good and really good bass. Unfortunately I got rid of my abbey road reissues but did rip the vinyl for the same title. What I recall is that the album sounded a little flat and thought that maybe my set up was bad. Have you done a comparison between the abbey road half speeds vs. any other version of this album. I am also looking to get an 80s sealed but not sure if these were good. Any tips?
Totally agree! An LP pressed from a CD probably would have sounded better. Seems like they went out of their way to put out an inferior product. I don’t understand!
You should just get the deluxe sets that have been recently released, they sound very good and get some extras, I’m Stones fan for many years, I have all the originals in stereo and mono from the sixties catalog and all seventies and eighties albums. I’m not a believer in half masters and Mobil fidelity pressings.
I think the some girls reissue is really great
Are these different from their records in 1/2 speed box set? Or are they the same editions just sold by themselves?
Thanks for a courageous and passionate review. The Stones are tricky for audiophiles. I hated the MOFI Sticky Fingers from the 90s which was blah, but the Mofi box of 1963-70 was decent, especially at the time when that catalog was a mess - but the 2003 cds were better, with real stereo (fantastic on the 12x5, Now!, and Dec. Children)and real mono. For tge stuff released on their own label (1971-84) my favorite pressings are the original US pressings of Sticky and Exile (an album that can still make me weep). After Goats Head the Brit pressings are superior, or the Japanese
Sorry mid sentence interruption -
Japanese Emotional Rescue is hot. If originals are unavailable the 1994 Virgin cds are 2nd best...
@@johnryan3913 Bob Ludwig did special remasters in 1994 - they are superior than any other versions made since. Not easy to find, but they are the ones to get if you get CDs!
@@CharlieMessing 👍
I purchased the Exile on Main St half speed for someone little over a year ago. Didn't have a chance to listen to it. My question is, on the back of the album I was surprised to see that it was manufactured in Germany. Does yours say that too?
Thanks so much for your review. Do you know if Abbey Road published any explanation for why they used digital sources to master these issues?
My German friend is disappointed! This hilarious TH-cam video almost makes up for the fact you can't get a decent copy of Exile on Main Street on vinyl.... ALMOST!
Does anyone happen to have an opinion as to the best available version of Coltrane's My Favorite Things? The ORG 45 is back ordered on Acoustic Sounds, and while I'm fine with a 33-1/3, I have no idea which one to target. Thanks!!
Uh oh. I've got that copy of Exile and haven't played it yet. Having the same feeling coming on after your recent U2 review and how flat that recording was.
Okay, that was honest.
Michael- is your review biased, because the 1/2 speed mastering from Abbey road is not a double 45rpm records? Can you explain in more detail , what do yo mean they sound "flat" too much bass, not enough high end or just no dynamic range at all? Thank you for your videos. I did pick up Exile on Main Street and I love the job Abbey Road studios did. Of course my stereo set-up is nothing compared to yours- lol
Excellent video!
For me: I only buy reissues when the originals are non existent/overpriced.
Why would I spend €25 on a Stones reissue when I can get an original ( say, Black & Blue) for €10 ....?
Honest as usual 💽
Hi, are you going to sell those records, throw them away or burn them😀
Love you're complete honesty here. So this whole thing reminds me of Metallica (or WEA) hiring the Mofi team to do their 45 rpm remasters which were a complete disaster. I think this is clearly the case of someone wanting to push product (or mastering by the pound) to get something on the market versus putting in the right time/care to get the mastering right. Abbey Road doesn't have stellar track record in my opinion but they did put Miles Showell on these. Miles is capable of cutting a good record but others at Abbey Road are not (i.e. Sean McGee). I went after Tattoo You and I was disappointed. My original Bob Ludwig cut of that record beats the Abbey Road cut by a mile.