To me, the French wins but the MOFI sounded terrible! Are MOFI a little over rated? My 1 LP experience with them was disappointing to say the least....smashed by my equivalent Australian 1st pressing and I mean smashed. It was like chalk and cheese.
Hey Steve and thanks for the comment. Yes, the MOFI's are really over-rated IMHO, and even though I like how the One Steps sound, I really can't be fuck#d changing them 3 times every 15 mins! 😆 In this showing the MOFI had terrible songs, and some good songs. Overall, it was a long way second along with the others. the French modern was the only one with a consistent A and B side of equal quality across all tracks.
Very surprising you mention, nor even acknowledge, the first UK version and the first German version, both cut by Doug Sax at the Mastering Lab. These are considered by many to be the best pressings of Sticky Fingers, and would crush the ones you selected to discover the “best” copy. Some are big fans of the first Monarch US pressings which do sound quite good.
Not really Tim: as I'm at pains to point out in comments and in some (not all) videos I make, this is a comparison of the best copies I have to hand. It is neither definitive nor comprehensive. It simply gives some views on what some actual copies sound like, head to head. Not all copies, and certainly not the best available as popularly thought or discussed in forums. Just a sample of some readily found copies at the cheaper end of the market. Take it as no more than that.
The 2015 repress and US MO stood out to me the most (One has a good mix one would expect, the other feels the most natural). I own both the 1st US Monarch and a (super scratched up) A3/B3 TML UK pressing. I need to compare the two someday
@@joncandyfliprecords Comparing the two back to back, to my ears, the UK sounds a bit better. The Monarch, while good, sounds a hint more muffled compared to the UK, which sounds a bit cleaner. The scratches don't help, so I'm glad I have the Monarch, because it's the cleanest copy I've ever seen in the wild XD
The best known pressing is missing here, if I am not mistaken. The german TML, it is known as the best, would be curious to have your thoughts on it. I have the TML pressing but no others to compare it. All I can say is that it is my best sounding Rolling Stones LP.
Hey Wolfgang - thanks for dropping in. I don't have it no, and for TML presses I would have needed either a German, UK or other European copy, which I didn't have to hand in time. Oh well - we can only work with what we got. Great to hear yours is stellar though! ✔️
There’s a 1997 pressing that is really impressive too. Rumor has it that it’s digital but it’s no joke. I have several copies of Sticky Fingers and it more than hokds its own.
@@joncandyfliprecords I did not realize there was so many differences on LP’s. That organ on the Japanese pressing freaked out my ears and the dog 🐶. I like the French pressing the most overall. Really digging these videos. They really are training my ears to listen much more closely. Thanks Jon 🙏
I like the Sticky fingers Sound effect you used, I just found out I have the best sounding version though I may get the zipper cover for the historical value
Unfortunately I don't have my original, upon release UK album. Was that pressed in the UK ? I recently bought a couple of NEW heavy LP's, Talking Head's and found they jumped all over the place and required a weight being used just to play !I'll stick to my 'original's'. I only have a 20 year old 'budget' stereo and could never afford more than one copy of an LP. I was surprised that I WAS able to hear difference's to each pressing ! Well, at 74 I'm still "learning something NEW".
@@joncandyfliprecords You bet. I was one of the LUCKY ONE'S to have lived through the era. "Eat your heart out" everyone else.... PS. Saw the WHO right after their first hit, about 5 time's... Pretty Thing's once, British Bird's a couple of time's.
Not sure you will get this or reply, but I just watched a review on the Abby Half mastered version of this record and that version was reviewed as a terrible pressing. As a matter of fact all Abby half-speed remastering received terrible reviews. Any comments on that particular pressing?
Hi Bobby - I’m here. 🤟🏼 I haven’t heard that one TBH and couldn’t obtain a copy for the review. My advice is as always, try one yourself and see. It’s the only way to truly know what works in your system. Thanks for watching!
@@joncandyfliprecords Thanks. I'm getting the 2015 French pressing version per your review. If I am disappointed I'm coming for you .... LOL Thanks for the reply .... Peace!
I'm not an audiophile expert, but I own 8 different Sticky Fingers - some vinyl and some CD's. It may be politically incorrect, but to my ears by far the best sounding is the Virgin records CD remaster.
And we could give 2 f#$ks about political correctness Alan ! 💓 Can you drop the exact catalog number details in a comment so we can all check it out please?
@@joncandyfliprecords thanks. Of course. 7243-8-39504-2-3. I have it as a collectors vinyl reproduction cd with a working zipper. But I’m sure all of the virgin cd remasters are the same. Thanks again
So yesterday I picked up the 1986 on a whim out in the wild. It was clean and my first press has zipper noise on Moonlight Mile. I've always LOVED the 1971 pressing. Awesome bass, air, just everything I love about records. Except that damn clack, clack, clack, on Moonlight mile. So I think you got a bad OG American pressing. However, you were correct on the 1986, it's just kinda "meh" . No fun compared to the 1971. It wasn't terrible, but it's just "blah". I would also add that I don't think you'll fully appreciate these records with the MP-110. Throw a JNP-200 stylus on that 110 body at minimum, and you'll see what I mean.
Thanks for the comments! I've upgraded considerably since then (both cart and photo stages) in my later videos, so the SQ generally has improved in my system. However the comparisons with the same stylus, same cart etc that I do on each video, mean no matter what you have in your individual chain, you should be able to tell differences between pressings, as shown here.
I sold my MoFi. It was the worst sounding. The 2018 box set version sounds the best to me. Then the 2015. Then the 1977 version. My copy of the MoFi was almost unlistenable. So muddy and sludgy compared to the other 3 I had. I wish I had an original copy to compare these to.
Interesting to hear about the 2018 box set copy - thanks. 🙏 The MOFI - yeah it was terrible on some songs (really bad) but others OK. I found it very inconsistent, track to track, as I think you can see/hear here. On the good tracks, it was near equal the 2015, which is why I placed it high. But the separation between 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places was not very far apart.
Have owned more pressings of this LP than any other LP except the White Album. The best pressing by far is the EMI 100 from 1997. From a digital source but who cares, it rocks! (Agree on the MFSL pressing, totally lifeless, the worst MFSL I've owned on LP)
Lack of provenance with Vinyl (and CD's) reissues is the dirty unspoken of the music industry. I have the original SF Vinyl NZ Pressing Stereo which I purchased as a 16yr old on the day of release. Sounds as it should. The golden age of recording on master tape and before digital.I have more experience with CD Reissues which are mostly terrible. As there is no data I tend to only purchase CD's (for music recorded before mid 80's) from the original issue not a remaster. I convert the files to FLAC to listen on Neil Young's Pono Player which sounds great. IMO the reason reissues are terrible is that today younger people only listen through their phones or $1 headphones with no bass ( Dr Dre headphones have added bass) so they try to compensate by compressing the sound - hence the sore ears. Modern Vinyl is only as good as the original master tape. If it is damaged or lost ( some of Tom Petty's lost in a fire) then the pressing is taken off a CD and nobody knows and there is no opportunity to try before buying. Without reviews like yours the average listener doesn't even realise there is a difference . Cheers!
To me, the French wins but the MOFI sounded terrible! Are MOFI a little over rated? My 1 LP experience with them was disappointing to say the least....smashed by my equivalent Australian 1st pressing and I mean smashed. It was like chalk and cheese.
Hey Steve and thanks for the comment.
Yes, the MOFI's are really over-rated IMHO, and even though I like how the One Steps sound, I really can't be fuck#d changing them 3 times every 15 mins! 😆
In this showing the MOFI had terrible songs, and some good songs. Overall, it was a long way second along with the others.
the French modern was the only one with a consistent A and B side of equal quality across all tracks.
Very surprising you mention, nor even acknowledge, the first UK version and the first German version, both cut by Doug Sax at the Mastering Lab. These are considered by many to be the best pressings of Sticky Fingers, and would crush the ones you selected to discover the “best” copy. Some are big fans of the first Monarch US pressings which do sound quite good.
Not really Tim: as I'm at pains to point out in comments and in some (not all) videos I make, this is a comparison of the best copies I have to hand. It is neither definitive nor comprehensive. It simply gives some views on what some actual copies sound like, head to head. Not all copies, and certainly not the best available as popularly thought or discussed in forums.
Just a sample of some readily found copies at the cheaper end of the market.
Take it as no more than that.
The Doug Sax German pressing (not shown here) is the one to have (which I fortunately do)
Nice one Dee - cheers for the hint.
The 2015 repress and US MO stood out to me the most (One has a good mix one would expect, the other feels the most natural). I own both the 1st US Monarch and a (super scratched up) A3/B3 TML UK pressing. I need to compare the two someday
Do it @bentendo, and let us know what's what? 🏆
@@joncandyfliprecords Comparing the two back to back, to my ears, the UK sounds a bit better. The Monarch, while good, sounds a hint more muffled compared to the UK, which sounds a bit cleaner. The scratches don't help, so I'm glad I have the Monarch, because it's the cleanest copy I've ever seen in the wild XD
The best known pressing is missing here, if I am not mistaken. The german TML, it is known as the best, would be curious to have your thoughts on it. I have the TML pressing but no others to compare it. All I can say is that it is my best sounding Rolling Stones LP.
Hey Wolfgang - thanks for dropping in.
I don't have it no, and for TML presses I would have needed either a German, UK or other European copy, which I didn't have to hand in time. Oh well - we can only work with what we got. Great to hear yours is stellar though! ✔️
I remember buying that Mobile Fidelity half speed master pressing back in the early 1980s
There’s a 1997 pressing that is really impressive too. Rumor has it that it’s digital but it’s no joke. I have several copies of Sticky Fingers and it more than hokds its own.
Thanks for jumping in - appreciate the info.
Great video! Love this album 💿
Thanks for watching Kevin!
Which pressing for you then ⁉️
@@joncandyfliprecords I did not realize there was so many differences on LP’s. That organ on the Japanese pressing freaked out my ears and the dog 🐶. I like the French pressing the most overall. Really digging these videos.
They really are training my ears to listen much more closely. Thanks Jon 🙏
@@kevinfromttt well that's a really nice unintended result.
If it can help a single listener, then my job here is done.
im very pleased with the us first press i have... but i get the am sound remark, always thought it was because mine is a little warped haha.
Whatever works, right?
I like the Sticky fingers Sound effect you used, I just found out I have the best sounding version though I may get the zipper cover for the historical value
I think we all have a zipper cover tucked away for fun value, somewhere. 🤟🏼😎
Unfortunately I don't have my original, upon release UK album. Was that pressed in the UK ? I recently bought a couple of NEW heavy LP's, Talking Head's and found they jumped all over the place and required a weight being used just to play !I'll stick to my 'original's'. I only have a 20 year old 'budget' stereo and could never afford more than one copy of an LP. I was surprised that I WAS able to hear difference's to each pressing ! Well, at 74 I'm still "learning something NEW".
Keep on rocking Michael! 🏆
@@joncandyfliprecords You bet. I was one of the LUCKY ONE'S to have lived through the era. "Eat your heart out" everyone else.... PS. Saw the WHO right after their first hit, about 5 time's... Pretty Thing's once, British Bird's a couple of time's.
2015. Then 1977l. You'd think their best album would get a proper pressing
None of these were the TML cut right?
Correct - need a German, UK or other European copy for that and I didn't find one in time.
What do you think about the 2020 abbey road half speed master?
Hey Tim - I haven't had a listen to it yet - have you?
Not sure you will get this or reply, but I just watched a review on the Abby Half mastered version of this record and that version was reviewed as a terrible pressing. As a matter of fact all Abby half-speed remastering received terrible reviews. Any comments on that particular pressing?
Hi Bobby - I’m here. 🤟🏼
I haven’t heard that one TBH and couldn’t obtain a copy for the review. My advice is as always, try one yourself and see. It’s the only way to truly know what works in your system.
Thanks for watching!
@@joncandyfliprecords Thanks. I'm getting the 2015 French pressing version per your review. If I am disappointed I'm coming for you .... LOL Thanks for the reply .... Peace!
@@BobbyLeeCarroll Peace brother - really.
I'm not an audiophile expert, but I own 8 different Sticky Fingers - some vinyl and some CD's. It may be politically incorrect, but to my ears by far the best sounding is the Virgin records CD remaster.
And we could give 2 f#$ks about political correctness Alan ! 💓
Can you drop the exact catalog number details in a comment so we can all check it out please?
@@joncandyfliprecords thanks. Of course. 7243-8-39504-2-3. I have it as a collectors vinyl reproduction cd with a working zipper. But I’m sure all of the virgin cd remasters are the same. Thanks again
@@TheAlanRosenbergShow Ahh, the Nimbus zippred remaster from 1994.
I know of it, and have seen it around, just never heard it.
thanks!
So yesterday I picked up the 1986 on a whim out in the wild. It was clean and my first press has zipper noise on Moonlight Mile. I've always LOVED the 1971 pressing. Awesome bass, air, just everything I love about records. Except that damn clack, clack, clack, on Moonlight mile. So I think you got a bad OG American pressing. However, you were correct on the 1986, it's just kinda "meh" . No fun compared to the 1971. It wasn't terrible, but it's just "blah". I would also add that I don't think you'll fully appreciate these records with the MP-110. Throw a JNP-200 stylus on that 110 body at minimum, and you'll see what I mean.
Thanks for the comments!
I've upgraded considerably since then (both cart and photo stages) in my later videos, so the SQ generally has improved in my system. However the comparisons with the same stylus, same cart etc that I do on each video, mean no matter what you have in your individual chain, you should be able to tell differences between pressings, as shown here.
I sold my MoFi. It was the worst sounding. The 2018 box set version sounds the best to me. Then the 2015. Then the 1977 version. My copy of the MoFi was almost unlistenable. So muddy and sludgy compared to the other 3 I had. I wish I had an original copy to compare these to.
Interesting to hear about the 2018 box set copy - thanks. 🙏
The MOFI - yeah it was terrible on some songs (really bad) but others OK.
I found it very inconsistent, track to track, as I think you can see/hear here.
On the good tracks, it was near equal the 2015, which is why I placed it high.
But the separation between 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places was not very far apart.
I loved this. Keep them coming.
Have owned more pressings of this LP than any other LP except the White Album. The best pressing by far is the EMI 100 from 1997. From a digital source but who cares, it rocks!
(Agree on the MFSL pressing, totally lifeless, the worst MFSL I've owned on LP)
Thanks JL
Lack of provenance with Vinyl (and CD's) reissues is the dirty unspoken of the music industry. I have the original SF Vinyl NZ Pressing Stereo which I purchased as a 16yr old on the day of release. Sounds as it should. The golden age of recording on master tape and before digital.I have more experience with CD Reissues which are mostly terrible. As there is no data I tend to only purchase CD's (for music recorded before mid 80's) from the original issue not a remaster. I convert the files to FLAC to listen on Neil Young's Pono Player which sounds great. IMO the reason reissues are terrible is that today younger people only listen through their phones or $1 headphones with no bass ( Dr Dre headphones have added bass) so they try to compensate by compressing the sound - hence the sore ears. Modern Vinyl is only as good as the original master tape. If it is damaged or lost ( some of Tom Petty's lost in a fire) then the pressing is taken off a CD and nobody knows and there is no opportunity to try before buying. Without reviews like yours the average listener doesn't even realise there is a difference . Cheers!
Thanks so much for the comment Bernard and the thoughts.
None of them sound good.
Thanks for watching Julie.
Have you found a copy on vinyl that does sound acceptable for you?
@@joncandyfliprecords Yep, would be nice to for her to comment as to why and what pressings she may find good or acceptable.
The German 1st pressing is the ultimate one to have. It is that good! TML in the dead wax, mastered by Doug Sax. Nothing else comes close.