Marvin Gaye - WHAT'S GOING ON - How does the 50th Anniversary Edition stack up?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- One of the most anticipated reissues in recent memory is this: The 50th Anniversary Edition of Marvin Gaye's incredibly moving masterpiece What's Going On, in an all analog mastering by Kevin Gray.(Disc Two is partly digital and contains the bonus tracks)
There have been superlative audiophile reissues done before, and two are featured here for reference - MOFI's original 33 and the One Step 45. I've always felt that though the sound of the One Step was impressive on it's own, the breakup of the suite of songs just did not work. Many fans were still waiting for the ultimate sounding edition in the single disc 33rpm format. Did we get it? You'll just have to watch the video for my impressions and conclusions!
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Marvin Gaye - What's Going On 50th Anniversary Vinyl
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YES, mine is a bit noisy & clicky on Mercy Mercy Me. Thank you! I thought I was the only one. Sending it back now.
Hi Steve,
Yes do try to get a good one - there are quiet copies out there. Its so wort the trouble for this release. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.
Absolutely my vinyl Amigo..! Keep up the good work. 👍🏻
Thanks from germany, Scott. My copy arrives here in I'm really Booking forward to that. 😍
Hi, please let me know what you think. Do you have any others you can compare it to? I'm sure you're going to love the smooth natural sounding mastering on this one.
I never bought a One Step record in my life. So I can’t tell you what they sound like to me. I have a original 1972 copy and the 2012 40th Anniversary Detroit mix and this version sounds great. Warm and rich sounding…a great pressing. Especially for 2012.
Great review. For me this has been my number one album I have listen to in my life. It started in 1972 when my father purchased this album and played it. I missed out on the MoFi One Step and I am not paying over $350 to add to my collection. I have an original copy along with other CD’s that I listen to. This album was recorded so that each song seamlessly blended together. With the MoFi 45rpm One Step, a person would not get the sense of how this album was originally released.
To think the great Berry Gordy originally did not want to release this album because he though it was to political and controversial for the time. The world would have missed out on such a great work in my opinion. Marvin if he was still alive could have sung those song some 50 years later and still would been applicable to today’s world.
Great review. Sit down and enjoy this album as it was originally intended
Hey Brian, thank you. You're not missing anything with the One Step. It is not in the top echelon of that series, and as we both noted has broken the obvious rule with this work. Don't break up the suite. Reminds me of the old 8 track days where long songs would get cut off wherever. On top of that the EQ is questionable. This new one is really a revelation for me. But I imagine you've got good sounding originals that are more than satisfactory. You may want to try and hear the new one. I think you'd be very pleased!
Of course, the material couldn't be more timely. Sometimes it seems nothing has changed since 1972.
Totally agree.
I preferred the 50th to the MoFi.
The sibilance issue, at least on the One-Step, is most likely because Krieg Wunderlich has made a massive EQ boost above 10 kHz. Almost any cartridge in the entire world has a spike around 10-12 kHz (sometimes 15-20 kHz), which then exaggerates this issue. Of course, Krieg could also have used a de-esser, but it sounds like he didn't, and maybe Kevin Grey did.
When I first listened to the One-Step I also thought it sounded really nice, but with some highs that were like a knife in my ear. I'm 40, and I've been told that my hearing is surprisingly good, and I've checked that it goes to around 17.5 or 18 kHz. Since Krieg Wunderlich is older, his hearing probably tops out much lower, which is why he can boost the top end too much without being bothered by it. Although the result is sometimes good, then it is a frequent mastering move that he does, and it doesn't always turn out well.
I have used the software called CurveEQ, which shows a curve which represents the difference in EQ between two files, and this confirmed that the top-end was massively boosted on the One-Step, and also on certain others of Krieg's masterings. I can show you a picture of this if you like.
Thank you for all this information. Your research confirms what I heard in the One Step.
@@ThePressingMatters Excellent :-). On several of Krieg Wunderlich masterings he has done a ramp EQ starting at 3-400 Hz to boost the bass (and doing it like that can make it sound bloated) and then another ramp EQ for the top end. When comparing the One-Step to the MFSL CD, on "What's happening Brother" this ramp EQ starts around 400 Hz and at 20 Hz it's +9 dB. In the top end it starts around 2 kHz, and at 20 kHz it's at +16 dB. On "Save the Children" the bass boost is +12 dB.
Sometimes EQ like this does work, and some of Krieg's masterings do sound really good, but sometimes it's overdone. I also say this as someone who does remasters and used to EQ the bass in a somewhat similar manner, but I've mostly stopped doing it like that as it became bloated or fatiguing.
@mcnyregrus Great information, much more detailed than I could explain. I had suspected the days of smiley faced EQ were not quite over with MOFI. I can imagine the temptation to do this kind of thing is strong with the One Steps to make sure they grab your attention. Sometimes it works but not so much in the case of What's Going On. Please publish a picture of this here if possible. That would be great to see it visually. Thanks!
@@ThePressingMatters I posted links to the charts I made a while ago, but my comment doesn't show up here. Are you able to check the spam filter on your channel and see if it ended up there? Then you can approve it if it did. If it's not there I'll post the charts again.
I will check but please try posting them again. I didn't remove them for any reason. That would be great thank you!
About to pick up my 1st pressing Tamla mowtown
That's a good bet, I would think. I hope you get a well pressed copy. I have had some issues with vinyl quality on Tamla Motown records, but I wouldn't hesitate to try an original either. Let me know!
I compared this 50th anniversary with MoFi's 45rpm one on Analog Planet, and contrary to the reviewer's choice, I preferred the 50th anniversary one. What's most important here is that I could easily live with this 50th anniversary version. BTW, the article pointed out that the European version was done differently, and possibly might not be as good.
I saw that review and did the comparison myself and preferred the 50th as you saw in the video. I just found the MOFI flawed in concept (45) and EQ extremes. Gained some detail at the expense of the soul and flow of the music. Great comment, thanks for watching!
Thank you for the review! I have the OG 1970 pressing & two 1984 White Label Promos that were mastered by John Mastousek & they sounds incredible. I had no doubts about Kevin Gray. My concern was GZ, because they get mixed reviews about their vinyl pressings.
I e heard that the Mastousek masterings are very good. In this case GZ did a pretty nice job. I got a near perfect in the second try. Not too much hassle exchanging with Amazon
Thanks for this Scott. I was put off buying this because I really wasn't confident that it would be worthwhile but it sounds like you've been impressed so I may treat myself. Excellent video as always
Thank you for your comments! I was in the same boat, as I said I never really enjoyed the album that much, and now I realize it was because of the sound. The sound on this really shows this record in the best possible light. It's an absolute delight, and I'm sure you would love it.
If you do treat yourself, please get back to me on your impressions. I'm sure others would love to hear what you think. I love when these comment sections become a valuable resource for everyone to research.
Thanks for the review. Mine is still on pre order here in the UK and the price has gone up since I originally ordered. Shame it’s pressed at GZ but seen another review saying this was one of their better efforts. Looking forward to it now!
Hi, thanks so much for watching and commenting. I think it is a very good effort from GZ, but like the Blue Note Classics, you have to be open to a possible exchange if you're particular about pressing quality. Hopefully your first will be great. An immediate cleaning is mandatory, and be careful extracting the discs from the sleeves. You'll be rewarded with a fabulous sounding copy of this great album.
By the way, how much does it cost in the UK now? Are you seeing it in the shops or just online?
It's around 50 pounds here so 65 US dollars! Prices are getting way out of hand.
@@bananagumboot87 I know, it's a real issue, especially outside the US. It's really a strange situation with supply, demand and limited releases. I hope your copy is great, and you feel it was worth it.
Hi Scott. Thanks for posting and sharing your views. My copy of the Kevin Gray 50th should be here any day now. Cheers.
I wondered if you received your copy yet and what you thought of it.
Yes I did receive the Marvin Gaye this past Thursday. Took forever to get to me??. Regardless very satisfied with the final result done by Kevin on the Mastering. However my 2 records from GZ did have a lot more dust on the actual playing surface then I would have expected from the pressing plant. After giving the two records the Ultrasonic clean, the pressings were much quieter and the music shined. All good now.
@@thevinylmuseum2958 Great! Yes the dirty vinyl was pretty appalling right out of the sleeve. I have a VPI, but am considering an ultrasonic cleaner now that they are a bit more affordable. Did you switch or still use both vacuum and ultrasonic? Worth the upgrade?
I still have my Music Hall WCS-2 cleaning machine , however I find myself using my KIRMUSS AUDIO KA -RC ultra-sonic machine most of the time. Works real good on my new vinyl, but what sold me was how it really did a fabulous job on my older records. I debated for a while but pulled the trigger around 2017 and glad I did.
The thing I found great about this release is the orchestration. The crash cymbals in Flying High, the reverb-drenched Congo in Mercy Mercy Me, and just the little details that are revealed in this pressing. They are not obtrusive or pull from the cohesiveness of the presentation but just add a depth I haven't heard before. The extra songs are beautiful and enough that I will actually listen to them. Sometimes adding hours of acapellas or orchestration-only tracks, while beatiful with an artist such as Marvin Gaye, are something that I'll rarely ever listen to after the first time through. I will say the paper sleeves left about the dirtiest new record I've ever seen. I don't mind card stock sleeves usually because they are easy to get out without touching the record by pressing the edges in while pulling the record out and transferring to a better sleeve but these left so much paper residue.
Hi, and thanks for the great comment. I agree, those details in orchestration are much clearer now, but not in your face or obtrusive. Everything is part of the whole fabric and it's such a delight to hear it this way. I gave the records a deep clean and they both sound just about perfect. Did you have any noise at the end of Mercy Mercy Me?
@@ThePressingMatters I had some small clicks that started right at the fadeout and into the deadpan. Unfortunately, that's not uncommon with a lot of new records today and otherwise those one is quiet and flat.
@@kaarefestvog6540 My first copy had this, but second one is near perfect.
Curious on your take on the Detroit mix Japanese press. Great video!
Hi Bryan, I still have not had a chance to hear it, but I'll try and stream it later today and let you know what I think. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
@@ThePressingMatters oddly enough I've never really heard this album in my 8+ years of collecting. Just picked up the Japanese Detroit Mix on Vinyl for a good deal. Looking forward to it showing up! I read online a few people saying if they were uninitiated that'd it'd be a good starting recording 👍🏼 great content!
@@bryanmorgan758 I came to the record much later in life as well - of course you couldn't escape the singles on the radio when it was released, and I remember loving the vibe and message of those tunes. When I finally got the album years later, I was delighted it was constructed as a suite, and felt it was such an impressive unique work. I've only grown fonder of it with each passing year, and it's truths are just as relevant today as they were then. The Kevin Gray cut really shows it at its best. Please let us know how you like the Detroit mix once you've heard the record!
Accurate review. Of the many albums cut at 45RPM that I definitely don't want to get off my listening chair to change sides A to B to C to D, THIS is certainly near MY very top! And I prob own 290ish 45RPM albums.
I too was waiting for a reference quality 33RPM reissue, I've had two reissues for years; a 70s and a 2011 or so that aren't that beat up or bad sounding. But if I could secure a quality remastered 33RPM, particularly a new go-to reference 2-sider, heck yes! So I ordered my 50th Ann from AMZ for all the appropriate reasons on the day it was announced last year.
👍Not disappointed at all. FAIR price, QUALITY CUT by Kevin, pretty solid pressing, and nice but quirky gatefold jacket/ inner sleeve; a reissue manager's poor decision of tight glossy, printed sleeves (vs the much more preferred pamphlet/booklet design). Oh well. But what's important is the lacquer & mastering cut and ultimate pressing outcome and THIS 50TH ANN is fantastic and sounds right! Kudos.
Hi and thank you for checking out the video and commenting. Your first thought made me laugh in recognition as I feel the same way. This album at 45 is a travesty! If it sounded great, maybe worth having, but I can't really say it does. The 50th really was worth the wait, even with the few issues. All I know is I am thrilled that I have a fantastic mastering on 33 that I'll be returning to again and again. This album deserves no less and it got it! Thanks!
Nice review! You are on point with other reviewers. I am waiting for my copy to arrive and also at the same time I saw a Japanese Press which I ordered called the What's Going On? Detroit Mix which I have heard sounds fantastic. These will be my first copies of this album so I look forward to listening to both.
Thank you! The differences in this case are so obvious, I'm sure most would come to the same conclusion regardless of system. I'd love to hear that Detroit mix now, but I can assure you, you're gonna love this Uri! Thanks for watching!
@@ThePressingMatters the 40th anniversary edition is the Detroit Mix and I think it sounds great. Recorded and mix right down the street from my house here in Detroit. I don’t think this is in print anymore. I was going to buy the 50th Anniversary edition at Target. I think it’s $29.99. I’m not sure I need it.
@@tturner12341 I haven't heard that version yet but I keep hearing good things about it. Thanks for the tip!
@@ThePressingMatters my pleasure.
@@ThePressingMattersSpotify has it.
I couldn’t agree with you more Scott!
It's such a pleasure when a remaster is so significantly better than previous copies. Can I ask, did you have other copies over the years before this one?
i have the 1step. i never even heard the album before i got it. I blind bought it on reputation. So i never really cared about ruining the flow of it. I dont have a problem with sibilance either. not to the point of distracting. Its a great album and the 1step always sounds great when i play it. im not really on the hunt for better versions of this album. but yea most people say its better than the 1step...but... i feel very comfortable where im at.
I fully understand your point and if you are satisfied there's no reason to go further. I enjoyed it as well. The break between side one and two on the 45 is really intrusive if you've been listening to the album in its original form because it is meant to be a suite and heard as a continuous piece. For me that was a no go. Thanks for watching and commenting. It's a great album any way you slice it and there's a version for every taste.
Love my copy as well. I didn't fork out the money for the Mofi as I agree that 45rpm does break up the album flow. I hoped that they would reissue this in high quality for a fair price. I'm usually not one for demos or rarities, but the second LP is really enjoyable, especially the stripped versions of What's Going On. I only own one other copy, which is an early 80's Canadian pressing that sounds great, but this takes the album to a new level entirely. A must-buy for any fan of the album that collects vinyl.
Thanks for your comment! Its really a great sign that the major companies are starting to use Kevin and Bernie to do better quality reissues in house. I'm sure they'll make note of the great reaction and sales figures from this release and perhaps do this more often. You aren't missing anything by skipping the One Step - the sound can't even carry it past the break up of the suite. It was so obvious once I heard Kevin's cut. I like the extra disc as well, very nice package overall. Great to hear your thoughts on it and hope to see your comments on other topics as well!
I love the 50th... I don't seem to have the problems that you have with the sleeves at all...it's a super sounding album..best I've heard.
Hi Joe, perhaps they just had an oversized batch of inners at first. Glad yours slide in and out! It is great sounding. My favorite.
New subscriber here: I was lucky enough to come across what I believe to be a hot stamper (if such things exist) on an original pressing that has sounded great in all evolutions of my system. This is an interesting review and good to know, but why look beyond a fantastic copy when you get lucky as I have been? :-)
Welcome to the channel and thank you for your comment. I believe that certain stampers can sound better than others and it sounds like you may have a hot one! I'd say you are probably set if it's survived scrutiny in your system over time. The new one is great for those who haven't found that great original or don't wish to bother. Thank you so much for letting us know about it, and for subscribing. Great to have you here!
Great to hear. Buying the significantly cheaper 50th anniversary. Thanks 🙏
Thank for watching! You are good with the 50th. No need to look further.
I am glad you got a decent pressing. Please read the history of the album including the meaning of the songs and the events that inspired its creation. Many of the issues he sung about 50 years ago are still present today.
Of course, there's so much to say about the content of the album, and it's absolutely still relevant today. It's a perfect time for this anniversary release. I'm glad you checked out the video. Are you thinking to get this edition?
@@ThePressingMatters I preordered months ago. The new edition is my favorite edition. I have the MOFI One-Step and the reissue from 2012. I agree with your assessment that the latest edition is by far the best sounding. The vinyl is flat and centered. Great reproduction on the jacket. It is unfortunate GZ Canada mishandled the inner sleeves. I ordered two copies and both look terrible. How can we send a message that they need to do better? 🤷♂️
@@bangoash Im going to try ironing my sleeves between two sheets of paper towels lol!
Nice review/ excellent album only problem mine skipped on mono side / sleeves are terrible/ took time to get record out / the acapelo style was awesome/ this record definitely top 20 of all time /
Thank you Richa, and yes, the packaging wasn't completely thought out. The sleeves, while beautiful, didn't function correctly in the jacket and of course are terrible protecting the vinyl. It's a wonder there are good copies about!
I’ve never heard Kevin Grays work.
He's considered one of the two or three best mastering engineers working today! The man is busy, but the quality never slips!
I’ve been hearing nightmare stories about Amazon pressings.
Hi Terry,
Amazon doesn't press these. It's a crapshoot wherever they are sourced from. Amazon has the same pressings as Acoustic Sounds. It's all luck of the draw. The exception is the situation with the EU copies, they are pressed elsewhere and not Kevin Grays mastering. That's a whole other story!
@@ThePressingMatters I should of said this. But, look at the reviews of this album on Amazon. Doesn’t make me want to buy a copy from them. I think I’ll go to Target and get the $29.99 copy. Remaster by? I have no idea. I just love this album. I’m kind of more into the music than how the music sounds. And I have pretty decent equipment. Can’t say it audiophile. Because, I really don’t know what that means to be honest. I’ll just say I’m a Marantz fan. Since 1975. Yeah, I’m old. Lol.
I agree, the mastering is excellent on the 50th Anniversary release. Fortunately was able to have my local record store stock the US pressing here in Australia.
However, I’ve been through three copies and all of them have been a little noisy. My third copy, I’ll live with, but Inner City Blues is still consistently noisier than the rest of the LP. A shame this wasn’t pressed somewhere else, not my first poor experience with GZ vinyl, All Things Must Pass 2020 Mix comes to mind.
It's true that this pressing isn't top notch. I had to get a replacement but finally got a good one. I know that can't be easy in Australia! It really is a great mastering though. It's my go to now,
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
I have it and the mofi, this record is better, it is what the mofi should have been.
Agreed, and more so as I listen further. MOFI seems to have a top end boost that I don't care for. Very strange listen.
Don’t play with me! Ha ha
I love Marvin Gaye. Motown is life!!!
Great video. Great information
Thank you so much! Awesome job
Thank you my friend! Guys, be sure to check out Joey K's awesome channel!
@@ThePressingMatters Thank you so much Scott! Love you
The Fabulous Mr Joey K!!!
Working on getting my fifth copy and hoping for a clean one. Very bad GZ pressing especially at the end of Side A
Wow, I hope you do eventually. They need to repress this elsewhere.
I can’t wait until the 50th Anniversary edition of I Want You. I have to wait until 2026 for this.
I'll have to listen to that one. Never have heard it.
I'll have to listen to that one. Never have heard it.
Interesting no mention of the “Detroit mix” Japanese pressing. Have you heard it?
No I still have not heard it. Would you say you prefer it?
My copy was pressed at ‘precision’ in Czech republic and it s one of the dirtiest record I have purchased (pre owned included). the record is great but it really feels like they wanted to give it a tone poet / acoustic sound series treatment but could not make it due to shortages..
Hi Micheal,
@@ThePressingMatters Hi!
Micheal I wonder if they were all pressed there. I think perhaps Precision is where the lacquer was plated and then it was sent to be pressed at GZ? Perhaps someone else will know but I'll look into it. But yes many have noted how dirty these were. Deep clean is a must!
Thanks..I'll give this a miss. GZ is so hit and miss and given the cost here in the UK I tend to stick with Acoustic Sounds, Sam records (never been disappointed!)
Understandable given the insane shipping and taxes you endure in the UK. I'm surprised it's so costly, as it should be a worldwide release. I know AP and MOFI are crazy expensive to get over there.
How much is this going for there?
@@ThePressingMatters 50 pounds..so 65 - 70 bucks
@@Markymarkvinylnut Yikes!
One thing I would've liked was ditch the extra material on record 2 a split the album to do away with the dang inner groove distortion. Mercy Mercy Me i can hardly stand it amd its my favorite song on the album.
I Honestly don't care much for bonus discs. I haven't played that disc a second time. The thing with splitting this album is it really breaks the flow. I have the One Step and it's on two discs at 45. Could have been a nice alternative when absolute fidelity was desired but I don't care for the sound on that one. I didn't notice anything objectionable at that point in the record but I'll check again. My new setup tracks the inner groove well on most everything but I'll see how it does on this because I haven't played it since the Hana ML was installed.
@@ThePressingMatters I have the virtuoso wood cartridge. Would u say it's a good tracker? And I agree with the sibilance on the mofi 45. I was tempted to buy it but then I heard it and was like nope nope nope. That's a deal breaker for me personally. Other than that I would purchase the mofi copy.
@@rorysuire6177 i never have tried that series of cartridges. But on the setup of a cartridge, certain alignment can help if you experience this on more than a few records. I think Stevenson is the one that is optimized for end of side. I'm using Baerwald but I think the micro line stylus of the ML is good for clean reproduction at the end of a side.
Ssssssibilence issssss sssssso unbearable ...I have a Judy Sill (Ssssssssssill) re-issue that I can"t enjoy because of Ssssss....Sssssstop it David...not funny🥴🤕