Best sounding BYG/Actuel format?

[peterintoronto]

What is the best way to go about getting this material?

1. Scorpio 'grey-market' 180-gram vinyl pressings

or

2. Italian 'Sunspots' CDs

I can get the LPs for $6.00 each (through a distributor friend), but wanted to hear what people thought of the the sound quality on these.

Thanks!

Edited October 20, 2008 by peterintoronto

[Guest Bill Barton]

I'm afraid that I can't offer any advice on choosing between those formats but the old audio saying "garbage in, garbage out" may apply here. Despite often brilliant music most of the BYGs that I've heard (in the original versions on vinyl) were rather poorly recorded.

[jostber]

I got the Charly CD release of Sun Ra's "Solar Myth Approach Vol.1-2", as well as the vinyl 180 gr. editions of Vol.1 and 2. The vinyls are more dynamic and vibrant in the sound, and I prefer these. I have not heard the Sunspots reissues.

[clifford_thornton]

I have the Sunspots reissue of the Silva Seasons LP, recorded by ORTF, because the original pressing is so poor. That CD set sounds really good.

The remaining Actuels, of which I have uh - all of them, vary widely in recording quality as well as pressing. The ones done at Studio Saravah I remember being pretty good, like the Don Cherrys and (I think) the Dewey Redman.

[Chalupa]

What is the best way to go about getting this material?

1. Scorpio 'grey-market' 180-gram vinyl pressings

or

2. Italian 'Sunspots' CDs

I can get the LPs for $6.00 each (through a distributor friend), but wanted to hear what people thought of the the sound quality on these.

Thanks!

A lot of good info in this thread....

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...p;hl=BYG/Actuel

[peterintoronto]

A lot of good info in this thread....

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...p;hl=BYG/Actuel

Thanks! Search didn't turn that one up!

[peterintoronto]

I guess I'll just go for the LPs. Sound quality is so subjective anyway. We all have differently resolving systems, and each tolerate pressings/recordings differently.

Case in point: I read somewhere on here that the Wildflowers LPs on Douglas (recorded at Sam Rivers' loft/studio) sounded poor. I bought all 5 sealed LPs on eBay and thought they sounded superb!

[clifford_thornton]

Case in point: I read somewhere on here that the Wildflowers LPs on Douglas (recorded at Sam Rivers' loft/studio) sounded poor. I bought all 5 sealed LPs on eBay and thought they sounded superb!

I don't know about "sound," but I always felt like the only quality (musically) LP in that set was the Murray/Roscoe split.

[Chuck Nessa]

Case in point: I read somewhere on here that the Wildflowers LPs on Douglas (recorded at Sam Rivers' loft/studio) sounded poor. I bought all 5 sealed LPs on eBay and thought they sounded superb!

I don't know about "sound," but I always felt like the only quality (musically) LP in that set was the Murray/Roscoe split.

My take too.

The sound is/was problematic. In the notes for the cd version (dubbed from lps to my ears) the original recording engineer (Ron Saint Germain) decries the conditions and recording "on the fly" situation. I have some experience with the circumstances via my work on the Charles Tyler program. Tyler's set was too long to be included in the Wildflowers program and as per label/artist agreements, the master of unused material was turned over to the artists. Charles made a deal with me and I received 2 different stereo mixes and the original 8 channel recording. I did not like the two mixes and flew Charles to Chicago to work on the 8 tracks. I was also disappointed with this work and eventually met Charles at Rudy Van Gelder's studio and went through it again. Rudy made a huge improvement in the sound because he sorted out all the mike bleeds and found what worked. We wound up with real stereo drums but the best sounding version of the music.

[clifford_thornton]

Speaking of which, what is the ETA on the CD version of Saga of the Outlaws?

Have it on LP and it's a fantastic session.

[peterintoronto]

OK, today I received 15 BYG/Actuel titles on LP in the mail. I specifically ordered all '180-gram' pressings this round, just because.

I unwrapped each record immediately to check for any pressing flaws, or other damage. Everything looks great. No warped or scratched albums, and only 3 of the 15 had little hairs on vinyl sticking out from the outer lip. No big deal at all.

If anything, I would say that the weight of all of these '180-gram' pressings varies considerably. Some are a lot lighter than the rest, and some are quite heavier than others.

Listening to Art Ensemble Of Chicago's 'A.A.C.M. Great Black Music To Our Folks' as I type this, and although parts of it sound a bit bright, it's completely enjoyable. Dead-quiet vinyl too.

EDIT: Hmmmm...the last 20 seconds of the Art Ensemble disc went all distorted on side two. The opening 15 seconds of Don Cherry's 'Mu' is distorted in the left channel, but then clears up for the rest of the side. Probably not worth returning these for an exchange.

Edited October 30, 2008 by peterintoronto