Best Pressing Shootouts
This is where I’m collecting links to all my “Best Pressing Shootouts.” I’m going to try to organize these in a useful way, by genre and label. But this may develop over time… Winners are bolded and underlined. Since I’m always updating my hifi, I occasionally return to an earlier comparison to evaluate it in light of an improved system. When I do, I mark them with a red *Revisited.
Everything But Jazz
A
The Beatles
- Abbey Road: 1981 Blue Box vs. 2009 Remaster vs. 2019 Giles Martin Remix
- Rubber Soul: 1981 Blue Box* vs. 1995 Direct Metal Master (Side 1 sounded worse than DMM; Side 2 significantly better)
- Sgt. Pepper: 1981 Blue Box vs. 1983 Canadian pressing vs. 2017 Giles Martin Remix *Revisited!
C
- Can, Tago Mago: 1971 UK First Pressing vs. 1981 Celluloid France reissue
- Can, Tago Mago Take Two!: 1971 UK First Pressing vs. 1981 Celluloid France reissue vs. 2014 Spoon Remaster
D
- Bob Dylan, Rough and Rowdy Ways — US black vs EU black vs Coloured EU original pressings
- Bob Dylan, Self Portrait — Canadian vs US vs Japanese first pressings vs Sundazed reissue
R
V
- Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967 German First Pressing vs. 2000 Reissue) Subsequently revisited against the 1967 US Original, with the German original still coming out on top.
Y
Jazz
Atlantic
Blue Note
- Ornette Coleman Trio, At the “Golden Circle” Volume One: 1966 New York USA (RVG, Plastylite) vs. 1977 King Japan reissue *Revisited!
- Eric Dolphy, Out to Lunch: 1977 King Japan vs. 2015 Music Matters *Revisited!
Contemporary
- Prince Lasha Quintet, The Cry!: Yellow Label 1963 (D3 stamper) vs. 1975 King Japan reissue. I did a follow-up later with a Black Label 1963 (D3 stamper) vs. 1975 King Japan reissue.
Impulse!
- Charles Mingus, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady: 1963 Impulse vs. 1963 Sparton vs. 1975 Impulse Japan (Toshiba) vs. 2019 Vital Vinyl *Revisited!
- Charles Mingus, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus: 1968 ABC Impulse vs. 1979 MCA Japan *Revisited!