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Music Matters vs Analogue Prod LPs

GreatTone

GreatTone

Super Member
I posted this in Music Forums, but it didn't seem to generate much interest, so I offer it here. My new disc order came in last night:

Nat "King" Cole ~ The Very Thought of You; Capitol/Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue
Grant Greene ~ Matador; Blue Note/Music Matters 45 rpm reissue

Having listened to just a couple of sides of both these albums, I can report that the sound is startling it's so good. The mastering is by the same team, and it is top-notch of course.

That said, these two albums were the same price (expensive), but from 2 different companies -- Analogue Productions and Music Matters. Here's what I think.

The Music Matters release is impeccable, gorgeous, with amazing attention to detail on the jacket, vinyl, etc. The Analogue Productions release falls a little short. Side 1 is off center -- not enough to be audible, but for that kind of money, it's pretty unacceptable for my headshell to be wiggling back and forth. The edges of the records are a little rough, whereas the Music Matters discs are rounded and smooth. Little stuff, but for that money, I don't think it's too much to ask. Though the Nat sounds great, I'm not sure I would shell out $$$ for another Analogue release. Which is too bad, because there's a lot of great music from Analogue Productions -- particularly A Love Supreme coming out soon.

The Grant Greene, on the other hand, is my second Music Matters purchase, and I'm saving my pennies (lots) for more.

Anybody else experience the wares of both these companies?

PS: On further reflection, I intend to exchange the Nat King Cole, hopefully for a copy with a hole in the center...if I can achieve that, I will probably feel better about it. Which raises the question: should you really have to return an album at that price because of quality issues?
 
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That begs the question, "Should you even hesitate, at that price?"

I have a few Analogue Productions, and a few APOs, direct-to-disc, recorded in the Blue Heaven Studio, in Salina Kansas. All were flawless, even to the mechanical production values you cite, but they are not recent, all are more than three years old. Perhaps there has been some quality slippage, as the volumes have gone up.

As for the Music Matters lps, I have none, yet, but have heard and held a couple, and you are spot on with your description.
 
I will be watching this thread, as I've recently become interested in the CCR reissues from Analogue Productions, as well as the 45 rpm "Julie is Her Name vol. 1". Before breaking the bank on those, I am also interested in AK's take on quality.
 
I have and am buying both Analog Productions & Music Matters.

Sonically, no difference. They are both stellar!

Physically, I have not really noticed anything unusual only because I buy the album for the sonics so it doesn't really bother me personally how the rim feels....but now that you make mention of this I'll check it out.

I do believe, however, that with regards to the Bluenote re-issues Music Matters and Analog Productions will not be re-issuing the same album. So it may end up that you'll have to live with the rough edge if you want that album.
 
Swissvalemac, I have the Julie London and its quality is superb. I tried for 3 months to find a NM mono original with no luck.

I finally broke down and ordered it and it has become my "showoff record".
 
Yes, I have decided it's silly to hesitate about returning a flawed $50 record. So ol' Nat will go back tomorrow.

I also have the MFSL Sinatra album -- Sings for Only the Lonely -- and it is very good, great even, but there is an audible boost in quality on the 45 rpm discs. Whether it's worth $20 more is something I'm not sure I can answer.

I have a number of Japanese pressings of Blue Note material, along with Blue Note's own 70's era reissues on the dark blue labels, and they sound really really good. Not like the 45 rpms, but for $15-20, they sound good enough on the whole. I also really like the DMM pressings from France, which are pretty readily available in great shape for $15 or so.

In addition, I have some original Capitol pressings that sound great -- but I got them used, and they are far from perfect. For example, a couple of days ago I found Keely Smith's "Swingin' Pretty" for $3; it's on the Capitol rainbow/spires label from around '57, mono. Nelson Riddle provides the orchestration. The sound quality is no less than astounding, but sadly there was some groove damage. It's still listenable and enjoyable, but there is some distortion in parts. But I really like it and am glad I got it. Ditto for an earlier Nat King Cole album -- "Sings Ballads of the Day" -- on the earlier turquoise Capitol label, also in mono. Another great sounding and a bit worn album.

Since I can't afford to stock my library with all 45 rpm reissues, I will continue to find the good used originals when I can, and splurge on the 45's when it's possible. And I would very much like to get Analogue's "A Love Supreme," but given my experience, it'll require more thought before I take the plunge.
 
the_nines said:
I have and am buying both Analog Productions & Music Matters.

Sonically, no difference. They are both stellar!

Physically, I have not really noticed anything unusual only because I buy the album for the sonics so it doesn't really bother me personally how the rim feels....but now that you make mention of this I'll check it out.

I do believe, however, that with regards to the Bluenote re-issues Music Matters and Analog Productions will not be re-issuing the same album. So it may end up that you'll have to live with the rough edge if you want that album.
Click to expand...

Agreed about the great sonics. I also don't care that much about things like rough edges, but a significantly off-center record is another matter. I've never had a record so off-center, and noticing that is really what made me start noticing the other things too.
 
petromalt said:
Swissvalemac, I have the Julie London and its quality is superb. I tried for 3 months to find a NM mono original with no luck.

I finally broke down and ordered it and it has become my "showoff record".
Click to expand...

Thanks! I have a mono original, but it has some pits and pops. Here in Pittsburgh Jerry's Records has a Julie London section and there's always at least 4-5 copies of that record there. Not all great condition, but still, it's cool to see a Julie London section just packed full of her records.

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I'll treat myself. And then show it off!:D
 
I own 4 copies of her first record, including the 45. People who owned that record in the 50's played it HARD it appears. IMHO it is a record that really needs to be heard with a really quiet background to the vinyl to hear the dynamics of her voice as meant when recording it.
 
I just gave the offending disc another listen, and even though I can't hear any pitch problems from the off-center hole, I can hear a fair amount of groove noise from the start, that only gets worse. By the last song there is a good (bad) amount of surface noise, along with an unusually high inner groove distortion that is just not present on the Blue Note 45s (or most of my albums, for that matter). I got a return number from the online seller, so that's cool there's no hassle there. But it's still a drag...
 
Well, I got the replacement Analogue Productions album -- Nat King Cole -- last night. After spending $9 to ship the first one back, I now have an album with 2 discs off-center, and just a massive amount of fine scratches over the entire discs. The lips look like they were dragged across 50 grit sandpaper. I could send it back again, but now the album would be costing me more than $70, so I'll just keep it. But I will never buy another Analogue Productions album again.

On the other hand, I received 2 other discs I ordered previously: another Music Matters Blue Note reissue and the Japanese reissue of Steely Dan's Aja. What a relief after the Analogue Productions' nonsense. Dead silent, pristine vinyl, great packaging -- the Analogue Productions Nat King Cole shoves 2 45 rpm discs into a single sleeve, as opposed to the gatefold from Music Matters. They're both the same price, and at that price, not having a gatefold is pretty cheesy. Never again.
 
I have all of the Music Matters and Analogue Productions 45rpm Blue Note reissues (so far). In my experience, there is no difference in the way the vinyl looks or sounds.

Packaging is a different story: The Music Matters reissues are packaged in beautiful gatefold sleeves, with high resolution photos of the sessions on the inside of the jacket. The AP reissues are packaged in single sleeves. Not horrible, but not special.
 
pbda said:
I have all of the Music Matters and Analogue Productions 45rpm Blue Note reissues (so far). In my experience, there is no difference in the way the vinyl looks or sounds.

Packaging is a different story: The Music Matters reissues are packaged in beautiful gatefold sleeves, with high resolution photos of the sessions on the inside of the jacket. The AP reissues are packaged in single sleeves. Not horrible, but not special.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a great collection. And you are fortunate not to have had any problems. But I've come across others who have had mixed success with Analogue Productions, and their quality issues. I'm happy to get the Music Matters titles when I spring for 45 rpms -- they have way more titles than I'll ever be able to afford (kid in college). But it's too bad about all the other stuff -- I had a nice list of Analogue Productions titles that I wanted, but they'll be off my radar until I can be certain their problems are resolved. If a local place sold them and I could just return them, that would be one thing -- but to have to UPS them back with tracking, that's just too much hassle and expense to gamble again. If I can get a good photo of the scratches I'm talking about, I'll post it. It's inexcusable in a $50 record.
 
pbda said:
I have all of the Music Matters and Analogue Productions 45rpm Blue Note reissues (so far). In my experience, there is no difference in the way the vinyl looks or sounds.

Packaging is a different story: The Music Matters reissues are packaged in beautiful gatefold sleeves, with high resolution photos of the sessions on the inside of the jacket. The AP reissues are packaged in single sleeves. Not horrible, but not special.
Click to expand...

I also have all the re-issues so far and agree with above.
 
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