Tape Project Forum

Tape Project Albums => Stage Fright => Topic started by: mikel on May 29, 2010, 06:01:13 PM

Title: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: mikel on May 29, 2010, 06:01:13 PM
i was a fan of 'The Band' back in the day and still am, but i was never that familiar with this album or had listened to it that much. i had a couple of pressings, a recent Capitol reissue and a very clean original pressing with 'RL' (Robert Ludwig) in the deadwax. listening to both recently, the Original is not surprisingly much better.....more clarity, better smoother top end, and more body and decay. before i listened to the tape today i again listened to the original pressing.

On the surface this album is an enjoyable listen, if a bit dark and brooding compared to most Rock.....or even the Band's earlier Lps. But after listening to it a few times recently i have come to really enjoy it and get into it. it is quite well recorded and muscianship is top notch. each cut has it's own vibe. it's not cookie-cutter rock'n roll.....more cerebral in a way....but more rewarding after savoring too.

the original pressing (on the Rockport with Lyra Olympos) is good; but in this case the tape is many levels better. in fact; it's really a whole different experience on tape. the Tape has maybe double the soundstage size, as well as dramatically more clearly rendering each instrument. dynamics and clarity are similarly better. i recall hearing a cut of this at RMAF and for whatever reason i did not have nearly this good an impression then.

this will be a demo tape for me for sure and will be played often. great job guys!

Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: mikel on May 29, 2010, 06:17:44 PM
added note; the guys added 2 bonus cuts, a Glyn Johns mix of 'Time to Kill' and a Todd Rundgren mix of 'The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show' to the 2nd reel. they both sound good but i did not go back and do any comparison with the original tracks. it was just nice to get 'more stuff' and i appreciate it.
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: ironbut on May 30, 2010, 01:59:43 AM
You've got me salivating Mike!
Come Monday, I'll be sitting out on the curb waiting for the UPS truck.
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: astrotoy on May 30, 2010, 07:16:19 PM
Steve, my UPS notice says June 1 - I think they are not working on Monday. So better have Gone with the Wind or War and Peace with you on the curb.  :-) I'm waiting to hear who the Band are.  Do they sing? I think they played with Bob Dylan and/or Paul McCartney. Should be good fun.   Larry
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: astrotoy on June 01, 2010, 11:48:03 PM
I just got my copy today and just finished the A tape. This is not music that I am accustomed to, but it was quite a bit of fun, particularly the slower pieces. I'm not familiar with the group, so it was all new to me. The sonics are typical TP - very fine, some great dynamics,  but I don't have a comparison record of this.  I'll play side B tomorrow.  Larry
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: ironbut on June 02, 2010, 02:06:28 AM
Yep,.. the sound of this one is pretty hard to forget. I don't recall the sound of the lp (which I must have around here somewhere) but I'd have to say that it's kind of in a world of it's own. Talk about your phat bass lines and that envelope of velvet lined honey. Mmm! I bet that sound had a lot of folks trying to emulate it.
And the way that Danko's vocals shine clear as day through all of that. I swear,.. I just don't know how it's done!

I think this release would put an end to any digital vs analog argument too. This kind of full bodied sound is where all the math in the world just can't keep up. Maybe when they have Giga bit word length or something. But the texture is so dense and the snap is so clean, and it all happens in the same temporal slice.

For someone like myself who piddles around trying to make amateur recordings sound decent, when I listen to something like this on tape, all I can do is shake my head and wonder.

If you can't tell,.. I love it!
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: MylesAstor on June 02, 2010, 06:17:42 PM


I think this release would put an end to any digital vs analog argument too. This kind of full bodied sound is where all the math in the world just can't keep up. Maybe when they have Giga bit word length or something. But the texture is so dense and the snap is so clean, and it all happens in the same temporal slice.



Was there ever an argument? Not in my mind anyway.

Am listening to a new phono stage that is showing just how extraordinary the analog medium can be when recorded and mastered :)
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: JoeG on June 02, 2010, 07:19:23 PM


I think this release would put an end to any digital vs analog argument too. This kind of full bodied sound is where all the math in the world just can't keep up. Maybe when they have Giga bit word length or something. But the texture is so dense and the snap is so clean, and it all happens in the same temporal slice.



Was there ever an argument? Not in my mind anyway.

Am listening to a new phono stage that is showing just how extraordinary the analog medium can be when recorded and mastered :)

OK Myles-

Don't keep us guessing. What's the phono stage?? More on topic: I got the UPS notice on my copy of "Stage Fright" yesterday. Really looking forward to doing a head to head with an original pressing LP.
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: MylesAstor on June 04, 2010, 06:33:35 PM
Two words-Holy Shit.
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: MylesAstor on June 04, 2010, 06:53:18 PM
OK Dan, Paul and Michael,

Now what I'm curious about is which mix did you guys use for TP16? From what I've read, Rundgren (US) and Johns (UK) prepared two different mixes. Johns' was apparently used for the original and 2000 reissue; the later DCC reissue, however, used the Rundgren mix.
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: High and Outside on June 04, 2010, 11:53:34 PM
OK Dan, Paul and Michael,

Now what I'm curious about is which mix did you guys use for TP16? From what I've read, Rundgren (US) and Johns (UK) prepared two different mixes. Johns' was apparently used for the original and 2000 reissue; the later DCC reissue, however, used the Rundgren mix.

Myles,

The story is quite a bit more complicated than that. I'll do a full explanation later, when I have a bit more time. For now, I'll just say that we used the same mixes as the original LP, which are mostly Rundgren mixes, with two of the mixes by Glyn Johns.

There's a lot of information available on the web if you do a search. Just be aware that most of it is wrong.
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: MylesAstor on June 05, 2010, 07:34:24 AM

Myles,

The story is quite a bit more complicated than that. I'll do a full explanation later, when I have a bit more time. For now, I'll just say that we used the same mixes as the original LP, which are mostly Rundgren mixes, with two of the mixes by Glyn Johns.

Can't wait to learn more about the recording!

Quote
There's a lot of information available on the web if you do a search. Just be aware that most of it is wrong.

Too true :(
Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: MylesAstor on July 14, 2010, 04:48:57 PM
Quote

OK Myles-

Don't keep us guessing. What's the phono stage?? More on topic: I got the UPS notice on my copy of "Stage Fright" yesterday. Really looking forward to doing a head to head with an original pressing LP.

OK had a chance to compare the original Capitol LP release with the tape. What did they do to the album? I listened to the tape first and then put on the LP and I could barely recognize that they were the same recording! The LP is bright, harsh, grainy, weirdly equalized. Not with the TP tape!

Title: Re: First Impressions; TP-016 Stage Fright--excellent job!
Post by: mithamo on October 05, 2011, 02:07:22 AM
Amazing!!!!!