Teasing the Korean

You're absolutely right. I have several of the "Mood Mosaic" collections and they never disappoint. BTW, I don't have a single Mosaic box set, and as long as they fail to reproduce the original cover art, I never will.

Not to drag this out, but on th Steve Hoffman forum, SH says to simply go with the mono button or Y adapter and save your money on the mono cartridge...

I really love Claus Ogerman's arranging also. If I remember correctly, this album doesn't have much latin rhythm. Definitely on the quieter side. Not one I spin very often. It does have some nice moments though.

I can't get enough of Cal Tjader these days. I've had 5 CDs in the shuffle play for days now... "Soul Burst" is a real favorite. I'm not a huge Chick Corea fan, but I love his playing on that album.

Boy are you going to be disappointed. Wrong 'em boyo.

Overlooked gem. The 2 percussion numbers rule!!!

Original Fantasy mono on red wax.

When I saw the incomplete thread title, I thought Wynton Marsalis was honoring the Chipmunks! I should add that I have all the Chipmunks albums and nothing by WM...

Esquivel is GOD!

Congrats! Let us know when Chewy gets "Satan in High Heels!"

Keep in mind that the LP is a re-record, as was common, and that it is re-sequenced and re-arranged for a cohesive listening experience on the LP. Also, the vocal tunes sung in the nightclub scenes are not on the album. It is strictly instrumental. That said, the arrangement of the main theme is the same. It has that nervous, caffiene-jag, juvenile delinquent jazz sound that we find so irresistable.

I'm exaggerating, but only slightly. I'm surprised you of all members are not hip to this one. It is right up your alley, trust me. You're sure to impress the babes when you have them over for cocktails. You NEED this record, Chewy. There is a CD reissue on Collectibles if you don't want to spring for the vinyl.

Thanks for your replies. Yes, your theories make sense. When I googled the two titles, the only hits were from Doug Payne's (terrific) website.

On the CD reissue of "Soul Sauce," there is a bonus track called "Monkey Beams." For the writing credit, it says "composer unknown." It is the EXACT same tune as "Over Easy" by Gary McFarland, credited to Gary McFarland, on his album "The In Sound." What's the story here? Is Verve so lazy and/or incompetent that nobody caught this when they did the reissue?

"Satan in High Heels" is the greatest album ever made.

EXACTLY. This is my question too. How different is the sound, really, from using a stereo cartridge and hitting the "mono" switch?

Here's to you for acquiring this masterpiece! Can't say enough good things about it!

This has been very enlightening, and I've appreciated reading all of your detailed explanations. I suppose it's possible that the Grado rep mentioned earlier didn't understand my question fully.

Grado mono cartridges simply sum the left and right, according to a sales rep I e-mailed.

Thanks for clarifying. How much do they go for?

I pitched the jewel cases too. What an insane waste of space they are.

Depending on how they do the rechanneling, the mono switch can improve those records, or it can take them completely out of phase. Capitol Duophonic records played back in mono sound like they're coming from a phone booth.

You can buy an entry level Nitty Gritty for $300. They require more work on the part of the user - they're less automated - but clean the records just as good. I would argue that, if money is a big issue, they're a good investment. An inexpensive, less than pristine copy of a rare record can sound amazing once you've removed those layers of mystery residue.

The "mono" switch on your Sugden simply sums the two channels into one. Every sound picked up in each channel is now played back in both channels. This is great for "electronically reprocessed" stereo records, but does not enjoy the benefits of true mono playback. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told that a mono cartridge does exactly the same thing, i.e., that it's wired to sum the left and the right to give you mono.

With used vinyl that has accumulated layers of mysterious residue, these machines will work wonders. The machines will not make a huge difference with records you've purchased new and treated/stored well. So, it really depends on your record collection.