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Which Steely Dan Aja lp to buy?

Maybe some vinyl experts can offer some advice here. I was getting ready to pre-order the Steely Dan Aja Universal Limited Edition 200g Japanese Import, but before I got around to it, I now see a new 180g Cisco version being pre-sold. The latter is "Remastered and Cut by Kevin Gray from the Original Analog Master Tapes".

Any thoughts / comments on which will version will likely be the best? Or is it a toss up?

Thanks. John.
johnax
tvad
9,467 posts
 
My father in law recently gave me a box of 15-20 LPs that had been in his garage. Most were my wife's from the 70s and 80s.

The gem in the box was a pristine original ABC yellow label copy of "Aja"!

Wow, what a great sounding LP, and it shows little evidence of play, unlike most of the other LPs that were all pretty scratchy.
kehut's avatar
kehut
667 posts
 
I looked up any posts on the re-mastering of Aja and found this thread. I have to agree with all here...I just got the re re-mastered Aja and am very unimpressed compared to the ABC 1977 orig. mastered by Bernie G.

If you have the orig. kids..that's the real deal! The dynamics and vocals on this is way better than the new remaster. Oh well..had to try it.
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
Try the original. Tom Port of www.dccblowout.com has been featuring "shoot-outs" over the past two months of various Steely Dan albums. The originals are hard to find in sonically correct master tape quality (many lack bass). Interesting to see what he has picked and the prices he is fetching--$600 to 800 for a pristine copy.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
I just purchased a small record collection which included a copy of Aja with catalog number ABC AB1006. The copy I purchased on release in 1977 is catalog number ABC AA1006.

Normally second, third, etc. releases share the original catalog number and the release information is shown in the deadwax.

Anybody know the story behind these different catalog numbers?

Thanks in advance.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
audiofeil.....i believe it had something to do with who owned abc records....i believe the item numbers changed when abc/dunhill was swallowed by mca(Muscle-Cash-Attorneys)in '79...a good guess
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