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picked up Steely Dan : Can't buy a Thrill on ABC

I found a copy of this on on ABC black label to compare against my ABC yellow label. My yellow label sounds pretty good, but is a bit noisy. I would say my tolerance is rather low for noisy records. All I can say is holy S**t, the black label sounds awesome. Not only is it quiet, but it has more detail, and sounds sooo natural. Dare I say, it is just so analog sounding. Just wanted to share the wealth.
If you like this record, seek out a quiet copy.Perhaps
there are differences from pressing to pressing, but hopefully not so much here. I also found Gaucho on an audiophile label pressed MCA, but it was around $50.00, so I passed. FWIW, this was at a local record show in the Albany area. Lastly, I have been real impressed w/ Aja for instance on ABC yellow, I wonder if these black labels are generally better still. Speaking of Gaucho, I have never seen it on ABC label, always blue MCA, including that Audiophile pressing. All previous SD records, I have seen on ABC, mostly yellow.
fjn04
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
My post was a bit unclear, sorry.

Katy Lied is the first Steely Dan album whose initial release is on the yellow label.

Subsequent pressings of the first 3 Dan albums can be found on the yellow label. Pressings after 1979, give or take a few months, are on MCA which purchased ABC and its' subsidiaries.

Gaucho is the first Dan album to be released on MCA. This was the sky blue cloud label.
fjn04 OP
1,339 posts
 
"Katy Lied is the first Steely Dan album whose initial release is on the yellow label." Gotcha!

In that case, I would want anything before Katy Lied
on the Black Label, and Katy Lied and all after on yellow.
All their stuff is great. I have not been able to connect
w/ Two against Nature though. It's a good listen, but different, as would be expected. After all, there is a ton of time between Gaucho and TAN. Thanks !
qdrone
889 posts
 
I believe the MCA Audiofile pressing of Gaucho you passed on was re-mastered on digital equipment. I know the one i have is. I prefer my original pressing as it is Analog through and through.
fjn04 OP
1,339 posts
 
Thanks Qdrone. I will be keeping an eye out for a clean original MCA of Gaucho. I also have to grab a black label Countdown to Ecstacy, which I bet will be a bit tougher
to find in nice condition.
hifi_rookie
5 posts
 
Interesting thread. I read this post last week and picked up a yellow ABC copy of Katy Lied at the local used store on Saturday, just to see if I could tell any difference (my other copy is a MCA blue sky/clouds label). Sure enough, there was a very noticeable difference. I was astounded. Now you guys have me hunting a black label copy of Cant Buy a Thrill. I've always thought my MCA copy of that one was a little sub-par for SD standards.
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