"The Gift" is actually awesome in mono - I know it defeats the purpose of the original concept, but having the music centered gives the guitar work a real chance to shine and the balance of the story to the music is well done - this was probably my favorite part of this LP and I'm glad I have for this track alone. the title track sounds ok, but of all the songs on the album, this is the one I could really see working in a traditional mono mix - that powerful up-front vocal and guitar jukebox sound, but it just doesn't really hit me that way. It doesn't really seem to me that much time was spent on the mono mix here. pointless and "Sister Ray" just really sounds like a mess. Side 2 is a fold down (all of Side 2? Because didn't Sundazed release a mono mix of "I Heard Her Call My Name" on The Singles Box - why didn't they use that? or did they?). VU4003 - Sundazed, Mono, 2012 - Let me start by saying that I kind of have a problem with this issue and so, am slightly prejudiced against it. I think that this 80's issue, though it presents a slightly different "read" of the album, is worthwhile due to its increased detail and clarity and also because of the availability and price (I paid 1/7 what I paid for my original). Listening to "Here She Comes Now" back-to-back with the original, any bass that was present on the original (which wasn't much), all but completely disappears here and although this reissue has a crispness that's lacking on the 1960's press, it does sound a little less natural as well. Much of the muddiness present on the original has been cleared away and greater detail is revealed here, however, it's clear to me now that this was achieved by an EQ jack. Everything still bleeds together - it doesn't seem like mic placement was a major priority - there is (unwanted) distortion, but there's actually a little air around the instruments and some sense of the room (particularly on "The Gift") - overall, I was pleasantly surprised and this might be my favorite version.Ĥ22-825 119-1 Y-1 - Verve, Stereo, 1985, black & silver labels - This 1985 Greg Calbi, all-analog LP was my first vinyl version of WL/WH and it still sounds great. It was, indeed, muddy, but there was not a lot to complain about - the vocals came through nicely and there seemed to be more low end than I recall this album having - a nice little rumble.
This is maybe the worst recorded of the four records and certainly the noisiest generally, so I was interested in what I might find here. V6-5046 - Verve, Stereo, 1968, blue & silver labels - I was lucky enough to find an original pressing this a couple of days ago, and I was fairly impressed with the sonics. I think it may be the closest to the sound of the master tape. If I just want to listen to these songs and not necessarily the "album as intended," I reach for this. I think the clarity here definitely bests the Sundazed (although the source is noisier) and there are some mix choices I like better. I haven't heard an original mono press of this LP, so it could be possible that the Sundazed mono doesn't wow me simply due to the age of the tape or myriad other reasons, but I am not as keen on this as I was when I first played it.ī0017649-01 - Polydor, 2012 - Scepter Studio Sessions - I realize this is cheating, but I consider this as an alternate version of the first album and pretty great-sounding, actually. As I stated above, I think I prefer the stereo mix, but this is a nice LP that I usually listen to when I reach for the Banana album (my stereo copy is signed and framed, so I don't dig it out often). The Sundazed had a little extra life and maybe a touch more clarity, but basically I was deflated by the comparison. I then compared it to a friend's copy of the mono mix on some budget LP, which came out in the last few years from a dubious source, and they sounded much the same. VU4003 - Sundazed, Mono, 2012- When I first heard this, I swore it was the best I had ever heard the VU&Nico album. I feel the individual instruments get equal space and treatment in the stereo mix, and, although conventional wisdom generally gives the mono mix the nod - this is my go-to version of the Banana album. The sound is warm and a bit cloudy, but the stereo separation is nice and it still has a bite where it needs to. V6-5008 - Verve, Stereo, 1967, blue & silver labels - I have had this copy going on 20 years and I still find it to be my favorite version of the album.
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