I always enjoy these wonderful videos Michael, but particularly after the England win yesterday ;) Another great video, and Die Mannschaft shall rise again.
Great video again and yeah you’re right. The Classics are not supposed to be the best ever but they are great sounding and easy to get and achieve for everyone ✌🏼 Grüße
Hi Michael. another great fireside chat discussing variables of pressings. I'd be curious to know how much of the difference is due to the polishing of the stampers. Chad has said they don't polish them at QRP. I don't know if RTI, who pressed the MM pressings, does. Have the ones provided to Optimal been polished at some point?
Hey Michael, I’m Craig from the Uk sending this on my beloved ladies channel who is half Spanish so the football is a constant shift of who do we support tonight :) Thanks again for sharing these videos in so much detail, I have a few Classic series as well as some DMM versions, some 75 Anniversary and also quite a few Tone Poets, some OJC etc, you have inspired me to try some Music Matters now after this video. I have only heard 1 original Blue Note and it was scarily good, this is a fantastic hobby and I really love your chats with Danny and your approach. I do have quite a decent system utilizing SET 300B monoblocks with a valve pre and a passive and valve phonostage with Horn Speakers, Jazz has always been top of my list to show off my system and pour a single malt and enjoy a good session. Take care of yourself over there and keep up the good work and cheers for the inspiration. 👏🏻
Did Kevin Gray talk about any mastering choices differences he’s made between the AP vs. MM vs. the new Blue Note Classic Series? If comparing 33s, the only difference is vinyl formulation or quality of production at the pressing plant? That doesn’t seem to make sense to me.
Thank You Michael !! I finally did and bought the 45 RPM AP...oh my...what a difference!! So happy to be able to listen to this 45RPM version on my stereo.
I’ve just thought of a great idea. Deluxe gatefold jackets with session photos available to buy separately for $10, you can also buy bundles. I know I would buy one for every classic series I own.
The Classic series are greatly affordable and they sound wonderful Good enough for me considering how well they are done by Kevin Gray Beautiful pressings Of course Music Matters and Analogue Productions are going to have the edge, but the price point is not comparable
I’m finding the classic and tone poets superb. I have some music matters jazz and plenty of AP including UHQR and I think the current blue note releases are all one needs to have much better than average vinyl releases today. I’m going to stop spending twice the price for very comparable records.
I love the Classic Blue Note series! I own a few Music Matters , it is very hard to tell the difference. Sometimes, if you paid a fortune for the music matters or AP, you don’t have more choice than to keep liking them.
It is actually amazing how many albums Kevin Gray gets to mastering each year. You always know it will be a stunning sounding LP when Kevin Gray is involved!
I am finding it hard to feel sorry for you Michael and also my brother his wife and their 4 sons who are all German. But here in England we have suffered many times at football. Interesting video - I am not buying any Classic titles yet until they release one I don’t have on an audiophile version. No need I think to double dip on these for me. All the best from England!
Good video, I could tell how hard that was for you to congratulate England "through gritted teeth", but please let us have a brief period of deluded hope. During the last world cup my wife and I watched a disastrous semi-final against Croatia in Italy, we were the only English guests in a hotel full of Germans (who actually cheered for England and wanted us to experience what winning was!) As a recent convert to jazz I've just purchased the Cool Struttin' and Sidewinder Classic series versions but also found a used 1985 Blue Note version of Jimmy Smith 'Back at the Chicken Shack' for £10.00 which still sounds great to my ears. At the moment my turntable is only a Rega, which I chose after watching your Einstein video, I was undecided as to which to buy but Volker Bohlmeiers appraisal helped me make a choice.
Both are outstanding. Cool Struttin' and the cover photo are just so cool! This Jimmy Smith got me started on him, and now I own like 6 of his records (90% of the time it means you're getting a Kenny Burrell album too with Jimmy)
Amazing titles with the biggest yet to come. Really looking forward to Go, midnight blue and Idle Moments. I am also curious when and which titles Blue Note is announcing for the next batch.
Thanks very much for doing this video. I received both of the new classic releases and very happy with them. Michael do you think the Tone Poets sound better than the classic series generally although I know you can’t compare directly. I just got hold of Donald Byrd Byrd In Flight and I think that along with the recent Katanga are the best sounding Tone Poets so far. And if you do think they are better is that because they are pressed elsewhere?
My first copy came completely warped. I couldn’t even play it. I got my new copy yesterday and after five minutes there’s background noise from the vinyl, pops and clicks. I cleaned it really well but it’s still there. I heard that others have the same issue. All my other blue notes are good. Luckily after a few minutes it cleans up and goes away. The music is amazing though, fantastic musicians.
I have a 1967 Mono reissue of Chicken Shack so I didn’t get one of those, but my Classic Series Cool Struttin sounds beautiful! I’m looking forward to the Midnight Blue and Idle Moments releases coming soon!
Hi Michael, As I mentioned in previous text, enjoy your channel very much. Quick question I have started to use vinyl storage solutions sleeves as recommended by you, 4ml outer sleeves , resealable. The sleeves are they suppose to be clear, as you hold up to the light you see white little specs and streaks. Is this make up of the sleeve. Many thanks Nandu
@@Michael45RPM Sorry Michael, it’s ok probably didn’t explain it correctly. The clear outer sleeves, when you hold them up to the light, you can see scratches or white marks on them, wanted to know as you use these particular sleeves are they suppose to look like that. I don’t know how to put an image on here.
two of my favorites...sonny clark and jimmy smith...wonder if 'prayer meetin' will ever get a 'better' treatment....i have an o.g. and it is one of my all time favorite albums....good stuff michael...peace even in the loss...rocky
If Müller had scored just after England’s 1st goal… I would have put my house on him scoring from that position. England have a relatively easy path to the final now, but anything can happen in tournament football, like Switzerland knocking France.
Nice Micheal....I have the Classic records from Micheal Hobson re master by Berine Grundman....Im sure this Sonny Clark sounds great....I have bought some of the Music Matters which I was looking for even thou they do not have many titles left....Enjoy your 20 best records for this year video.....Ed in New York.....😎🗽🌇
i have the single lp 33rpm of the Classic Records issue of 'Cool Struttin' - it just sounds superb to my mind. have never heard this jimmy smith title. do you reccomend?
Amazing sounding series, but the quality control on every release in this series from optimal is really setting it back. Every copy i own in this series is loaded with scuffing.
Hi, what do you mean by audiophile recordings. I listen to your videos and don't have a clear understanding of audiophile. Thanks for producing the great content.
i'm still waiting for my "Cool Struttin'", weirdly, it's stuck at customs here in Chile, it never happens when buying on amazon, but i guess it'll be here in a few days at max. On the football side, our national team isn't playing well on the Copa America (the south american version of the UEFA Euro 2021), and now we're gonna face Brazil at quarter finals, so most likely, we're done :). Here's an idea for a Test/Shootout: comparing the same edition, 33 rpm vs 45 rpm, this can be done in many Analogue Productions releases, like "Hatari" , "Time Out", "Ellington Masterpieces", etc. Of course, it's hard to do, since normally you wouldn't buy both releases, but it'd be very interesting to hear your opinion on this topic, the exact same mastering and pressing, but 33 vs 45 rpm. Best wishes from Chile Michael! P.S: By the way, i just got the "regular" version of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years", and it sounds great, it is indeed the Ryan K. Smith master from 2013, that came out on the RSD edition back then, the deadwax clearly says "RSD and Sterling sound".
I have the 33rpm and 45rpm of music matters “cool struttin” and I just got the classic ed. Hearing all 3 I would rank them: 1. MM 33rpm 2. MM 45 rpm 3. BN classic series 33rpm Although the classic series sounds amazing as well. Not too far from the MM’s. Michael if you wanna do a better shoot out of 33rpm vs 33rpm, you need to get the MM 33rpm and to my judgement is the best sounding one.
I'm no expert but I believe that you must optimise the cutting lathe setup for 45s vs 33 to get the best results. These companies will put extra effort into the 45s like you say.
Re: Cool Stuttin'.....Michael...your 45RPM Kevin Gray MM must sound really good!!...I wonder how close my Bernie Grundman Classic Records 33RPM 1996 edition would compare? Do you have any knowledge about this Michael from your conversation with Kevin? Thank You.
Congratulations once again four your excellent presentations. But I will make a request. I understand that it is not your favorite kind of music, but it would be very useful for some of us to have some information about new audiophile vinyl releases related to Classical Music, if possible. Not only from Analogue Productions, but in general. Thanks !
BlueNote should continue with all iconic records under Tone Poet, which to me are fylly equal to MM, but at 1/2 of the price at least. It has to be something under the contract level between BN & MM that keeps them not doing this. It have to be some technics they use that makes it possible that Classic series doe sound differ than MM or AP. Will not say bad, just differ, plus the package that it come with: cheaper paper work and less foto printing job. I am more towards the possible EQ than say pressing issue, but thats a guess only of course.
I like the German soccer…. As a Brazilian, I congratulate their great match on that horrible 7x1…. But we still have the most trophies… hopefully you’re gonna get there someday
Re: Jimmy Smith Back at the Chicken Shack....There is also the 75th anniversary blue note mastered my Bernie Grundman pressed at Optimal released in 2014. I chose that one...haven't got it in yet, but is was very reasonably priced, new at 30 euros. For some reason I thought it might be better than the classic series, yet a fraction of the price of the 45rpm AP. I'll let you know how it sounds once I get it in.
@@andysmusicden I just went back to discogs to check out the photo....The one I bought is the Europe release..and the blue sticker says "new remaster from the original analog tape"!!...perhaps the US version was digital, but looks like the Europe version is analog!! Yeah!!
@@michaellourie4252 apologies I think you might be right. There were rumours at the time that the 75th anniversary releases were cut from digital and many of them were not so highly regarded by audiophiles. I don’t know anything about this specific release though.
Not good to mention sport (or religion, politics) with the passion of vinyl! Just joking Michael! Good game and my heart goes out to you and my German relatives.
Thats so funny. If you go for 20 or 30 years [let alone 54!] under-achieving at major football tournaments then we can talk about 'difficult strange days'. Somehow I doubt it will take so long for the German side to bounce back. In fact never mind England, spare a thought for Belgium. They have now been top of the Fifa world rankings for almost three years and yet have never [ever!] won a tournament. Now THEY will have a 'difficult strange day' if they fail to win again this year.
Hahahah, classic statement: we played well, but they were better. That’s the only line I see about football and that is the reason I don’t watch them hahahaha
That was the qualifying stages. This is the first time we have beaten Germany in competition since 1966. Long overdue. I couldn’t believe it when Muller missed.
very interesting "shoot outs" Michael...I am a Rugby League fan myself and having little interest in foosball can only offer my condolences....I hope the "Pommy Bastards" didn"t win via a "shoot out"!
I was just playing ' Cool Struttin' ' Great sounding record on Blue note Classics.
How great?
I always enjoy these wonderful videos Michael, but particularly after the England win yesterday ;) Another great video, and Die Mannschaft shall rise again.
Great video again and yeah you’re right. The Classics are not supposed to be the best ever but they are great sounding and easy to get and achieve for everyone ✌🏼 Grüße
Hi Michael. another great fireside chat discussing variables of pressings. I'd be curious to know how much of the difference is due to the polishing of the stampers. Chad has said they don't polish them at QRP. I don't know if RTI, who pressed the MM pressings, does. Have the ones provided to Optimal been polished at some point?
Thanks for the video. Love the Classic series!
My guess is that a 33 MM (non SRX) vs 33 Classic BN would probably be close
Hey Michael, I’m Craig from the Uk sending this on my beloved ladies channel who is half Spanish so the football is a constant shift of who do we support tonight :) Thanks again for sharing these videos in so much detail, I have a few Classic series as well as some DMM versions, some 75 Anniversary and also quite a few Tone Poets, some OJC etc, you have inspired me to try some Music Matters now after this video. I have only heard 1 original Blue Note and it was scarily good, this is a fantastic hobby and I really love your chats with Danny and your approach. I do have quite a decent system utilizing SET 300B monoblocks with a valve pre and a passive and valve phonostage with Horn Speakers, Jazz has always been top of my list to show off my system and pour a single malt and enjoy a good session. Take care of yourself over there and keep up the good work and cheers for the inspiration. 👏🏻
Did Kevin Gray talk about any mastering choices differences he’s made between the AP vs. MM vs. the new Blue Note Classic Series? If comparing 33s, the only difference is vinyl formulation or quality of production at the pressing plant? That doesn’t seem to make sense to me.
Thank You Michael !! I finally did and bought the 45 RPM AP...oh my...what a difference!! So happy to
be able to listen to this 45RPM version on my stereo.
I’ve just thought of a great idea. Deluxe gatefold jackets with session photos available to buy separately for $10, you can also buy bundles. I know I would buy one for every classic series I own.
The Classic series are greatly affordable and they sound wonderful
Good enough for me considering how well they are done by Kevin Gray
Beautiful pressings
Of course Music Matters and Analogue Productions are going to have the edge, but the price point is not comparable
I’m finding the classic and tone poets superb. I have some music matters jazz and plenty of AP including UHQR and I think the current blue note releases are all one needs to have much better than average vinyl releases today. I’m going to stop spending twice the price for very comparable records.
Thank you for sharing this, I completely relate to it.
I'm English but my mum is German and have family in Luneburg. I cheered for Germany all the way. It was a sad night
I just received my Classic Jimmy Smith. I haven’t had the time to listen yet but good to know it sounds good.
I love the Classic Blue Note series! I own a few Music Matters , it is very hard to tell the difference. Sometimes, if you paid a fortune for the music matters or AP, you don’t have more choice than to keep liking them.
It is actually amazing how many albums Kevin Gray gets to mastering each year. You always know it will be a stunning sounding LP when Kevin Gray is involved!
I am finding it hard to feel sorry for you Michael and also my brother his wife and their 4 sons who are all German. But here in England we have suffered many times at football. Interesting video - I am not buying any Classic titles yet until they release one I don’t have on an audiophile version. No need I think to double dip on these for me. All the best from England!
Good video, I could tell how hard that was for you to congratulate England "through gritted teeth", but please let us have a brief period of deluded hope. During the last world cup my wife and I watched a disastrous semi-final against Croatia in Italy, we were the only English guests in a hotel full of Germans (who actually cheered for England and wanted us to experience what winning was!) As a recent convert to jazz I've just purchased the Cool Struttin' and Sidewinder Classic series versions but also found a used 1985 Blue Note version of Jimmy Smith 'Back at the Chicken Shack' for £10.00 which still sounds great to my ears. At the moment my turntable is only a Rega, which I chose after watching your Einstein video, I was undecided as to which to buy but Volker Bohlmeiers appraisal helped me make a choice.
Great video as always!
Michael, if you could make video about japanese audiophile vinyl. How and where buy them. All websites on Japanese …
Both are outstanding. Cool Struttin' and the cover photo are just so cool! This Jimmy Smith got me started on him, and now I own like 6 of his records (90% of the time it means you're getting a Kenny Burrell album too with Jimmy)
Amazing titles with the biggest yet to come. Really looking forward to Go, midnight blue and Idle Moments. I am also curious when and which titles Blue Note is announcing for the next batch.
You’re doing the new UMe releases shootout too, Michael?
Thanks very much for doing this video. I received both of the new classic releases and very happy with them. Michael do you think the Tone Poets sound better than the classic series generally although I know you can’t compare directly. I just got hold of Donald Byrd Byrd In Flight and I think that along with the recent Katanga are the best sounding Tone Poets so far. And if you do think they are better is that because they are pressed elsewhere?
My first copy came completely warped. I couldn’t even play it. I got my new copy yesterday and after five minutes there’s background noise from the vinyl, pops and clicks. I cleaned it really well but it’s still there. I heard that others have the same issue. All my other blue notes are good. Luckily after a few minutes it cleans up and goes away. The music is amazing though, fantastic musicians.
Classic Series are great , not just for the money. Gets more people into Vinyl also
I have a 1967 Mono reissue of Chicken Shack so I didn’t get one of those, but my Classic Series Cool Struttin sounds beautiful! I’m looking forward to the Midnight Blue and Idle Moments releases coming soon!
Those are curtains? I never knew if they were curtains or wallpaper.
I am waiting for my "Cool Struttin'"
Hi Michael,
As I mentioned in previous text, enjoy your channel very much. Quick question I have started to use vinyl storage solutions sleeves as recommended by you, 4ml outer sleeves , resealable. The sleeves are they suppose to be clear, as you hold up to the light you see white little specs and streaks. Is this make up of the sleeve.
Many thanks
Nandu
i do not understand the question, sorry Nandu
@@Michael45RPM Sorry Michael, it’s ok probably didn’t explain it correctly. The clear outer sleeves, when you hold them up to the light, you can see scratches or white marks on them, wanted to know as you use these particular sleeves are they suppose to look like that. I don’t know how to put an image on here.
David Oistrakh plays Encores accompanied by Vladimir Yampolsky....oh my!! This ERC is going to sound fantabulous.:):):)
two of my favorites...sonny clark and jimmy smith...wonder if 'prayer meetin' will ever get a 'better' treatment....i have an o.g. and it is one of my all time favorite albums....good stuff michael...peace even in the loss...rocky
If Müller had scored just after England’s 1st goal… I would have put my house on him scoring from that position. England have a relatively easy path to the final now, but anything can happen in tournament football, like Switzerland knocking France.
Nice Micheal....I have the Classic records from Micheal Hobson re master by Berine Grundman....Im sure this Sonny Clark sounds great....I have bought some of the Music Matters which I was looking for even thou they do not have many titles left....Enjoy your 20 best records for this year video.....Ed in New York.....😎🗽🌇
i have the single lp 33rpm of the Classic Records issue of 'Cool Struttin' - it just sounds superb to my mind. have never heard this jimmy smith title. do you reccomend?
for sure Michael
Michael really is flustered by the Germany result!
Amazing sounding series, but the quality control on every release in this series from optimal is really setting it back. Every copy i own in this series is loaded with scuffing.
Grealish made all the difference for us when he came on. He was the key in the second half. Thanks as always for the BN Classic reviews.
Hi, what do you mean by audiophile recordings. I listen to your videos and don't have a clear understanding of audiophile. Thanks for producing the great content.
i'm still waiting for my "Cool Struttin'", weirdly, it's stuck at customs here in Chile, it never happens when buying on amazon, but i guess it'll be here in a few days at max. On the football side, our national team isn't playing well on the Copa America (the south american version of the UEFA Euro 2021), and now we're gonna face Brazil at quarter finals, so most likely, we're done :).
Here's an idea for a Test/Shootout: comparing the same edition, 33 rpm vs 45 rpm, this can be done in many Analogue Productions releases, like "Hatari" , "Time Out", "Ellington Masterpieces", etc. Of course, it's hard to do, since normally you wouldn't buy both releases, but it'd be very interesting to hear your opinion on this topic, the exact same mastering and pressing, but 33 vs 45 rpm. Best wishes from Chile Michael!
P.S: By the way, i just got the "regular" version of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years", and it sounds great, it is indeed the Ryan K. Smith master from 2013, that came out on the RSD edition back then, the deadwax clearly says "RSD and Sterling sound".
Hello Friend! Please listen: Carlos Paredes - Guitarra Portuguesa… this album is from Portugal of the year 1967
Love the Footy talk. Was a boring game until England broke through. :)
Whish recording is better on cool sttuttin? On classic records 200gr. Or on Blue Note classic series? Thanks
My money is on BN Classic
I have the 33rpm and 45rpm of music matters “cool struttin” and I just got the classic ed. Hearing all 3 I would rank them:
1. MM 33rpm
2. MM 45 rpm
3. BN classic series 33rpm
Although the classic series sounds amazing as well. Not too far from the MM’s.
Michael if you wanna do a better shoot out of 33rpm vs 33rpm, you need to get the MM 33rpm and to my judgement is the best sounding one.
Are drums + cymbals easier to hear on the MM’s ?
I'm no expert but I believe that you must optimise the cutting lathe setup for 45s vs 33 to get the best results. These companies will put extra effort into the 45s like you say.
Re: Cool Stuttin'.....Michael...your 45RPM Kevin Gray MM must sound really good!!...I wonder how close my Bernie Grundman Classic Records 33RPM 1996 edition would compare? Do you have any knowledge about this Michael from your conversation with Kevin? Thank You.
Congratulations once again four your excellent presentations. But I will make a request. I understand that it is not your favorite kind of music, but it would be very useful for some of us to have some information about new audiophile vinyl releases related to Classical Music, if possible. Not only from Analogue Productions, but in general. Thanks !
poetryonplastic covers some Classical Music th-cam.com/users/poetryonplasticsearch?query=classical
BlueNote should continue with all iconic records under Tone Poet, which to me are fylly equal to MM, but at 1/2 of the price at least. It has to be something under the contract level between BN & MM that keeps them not doing this. It have to be some technics they use that makes it possible that Classic series doe sound differ than MM or AP. Will not say bad, just differ, plus the package that it come with: cheaper paper work and less foto printing job. I am more towards the possible EQ than say pressing issue, but thats a guess only of course.
👌
I like the German soccer…. As a Brazilian, I congratulate their great match on that horrible 7x1…. But we still have the most trophies… hopefully you’re gonna get there someday
You are comparing 33 with 45. Were you able to compare any of the classic series with the Music Matters 33s?
Re: Jimmy Smith Back at the Chicken Shack....There is also the 75th anniversary blue note mastered my Bernie Grundman pressed at Optimal released in 2014. I chose that one...haven't got it in yet, but is was very reasonably priced, new at 30 euros. For some reason I thought it might be better than the classic series, yet a fraction of the price of the 45rpm AP. I'll let you know how it sounds once I get it in.
The 75th series was not AAA, it was cut from digital. :-(
@@andysmusicden I just went back to discogs to check out the photo....The one I bought is the Europe release..and the blue sticker says "new remaster from the original analog tape"!!...perhaps the US version was digital, but looks like the Europe version is analog!! Yeah!!
@@michaellourie4252 apologies I think you might be right. There were rumours at the time that the 75th anniversary releases were cut from digital and many of them were not so highly regarded by audiophiles. I don’t know anything about this specific release though.
Not good to mention sport (or religion, politics) with the passion of vinyl! Just joking Michael! Good game and my heart goes out to you and my German relatives.
Thats so funny. If you go for 20 or 30 years [let alone 54!] under-achieving at major football tournaments then we can talk about 'difficult strange days'. Somehow I doubt it will take so long for the German side to bounce back. In fact never mind England, spare a thought for Belgium. They have now been top of the Fifa world rankings for almost three years and yet have never [ever!] won a tournament. Now THEY will have a 'difficult strange day' if they fail to win again this year.
Just wait, we will avenge you against England in semis after we have beaten Denmark!
Good luck :-)
Hahahah, classic statement: we played well, but they were better. That’s the only line I see about football and that is the reason I don’t watch them hahahaha
Yes Germany missed some chances in that game! Muller!!! Who do you think will win it all now, even after the upset of France…
"La Mannschaft" hat nix anderes verdient. Ungarn hätte viel mehr gekämpft!!
They beat you 5-1 in the World Cup 2001
World cup 2001 in which sport ? Darts ?
HaHaHa!
????
That was the qualifying stages. This is the first time we have beaten Germany in competition since 1966. Long overdue.
I couldn’t believe it when Muller missed.
@@andyt2220 still a competitive game. Could have ended very different if muller scored which he should have.
very interesting "shoot outs" Michael...I am a Rugby League fan myself and having little interest in foosball can only offer my condolences....I hope the "Pommy Bastards" didn"t win via a "shoot out"!
i wish england lost for the full brexit send off