Best pressings of classic rock/pop recordings


I'd like to get others' takes on the best-sounding available versions of classic popular recordings. For example, I've been happy with the following recent releases: Dylan hybrid CD/SACDs; Stones 1960's hybrids; John Lennon Imagine on 180gm vinyl (MFSL); Elton JOhn, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road hybrid.

But the recently remastered Carole King tapestry clearly suffers from master tape degradation. Not sure how to get a good recording of that.

Here are some of the others I'm wondering about. Many have been reissued several times:

Jethro Tull -- Aqualung
Dusty Springfield -- Dusty in Memphis
Aretha Franklin -- I never loved a man . . .
The Band -- everything
Allman bros -- Eat a Peach; Brother's and Sisters, etc.
Santana -- Abraxas

And when the heck will the Beatles be reissued?

I know some would say that any old LP beats the CD versions, but I disagree. Many LP pressings were made very poorly (like maybe off a 3rd generation tape) and to my ears don't sound nearly as good as some recent CD releases made off well-preserved master tapes.

Thanks for any thoughts.

--DZ
dbz
You might go to the Steve Hoffman forums. This subject matter is discused there more than here.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/
Have you tried Carl King in SACD Hybrid?
I haven't played it in a while , but I thought it sounded ok.
Abraxas is out on SACD
I'm having very good luck finding newly remastered pop/rock CD's on the Rhino label.
So far,they all sound very well done.
Most of these are great music, but don't have very good sound by audiophile standards, all the more reason to listen to these greats, IMHO. Most of the CBS Mastersound Half-Speeds are just horrible, take Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here, please. One of the few exceptions is Abraxas, HC40130, which is actually quite a bit better than early Columbia pressings. For Tapestry my favorite copy is the Japanese Epic/Sony, 20-3P-102 LP. Better than domestic pressings. The MoFi of Music From Big Pink is OK as well, though, again, not perfect, the Tull is in the same boat. Not MoFis greatest moments, but somewhat better than the domestic pressing of Pink and the British Aqualung.