I'm looking forward to hearing this on my system tomorrow. Nice to see you show your love for this album. It's one of my favorite SD albums. One note - I'm not sure if it was intentional, but the first cut is not pronounced Boddavista (nor Del Boca Vista in Seinfeld). 🙂
bo·dhi·satt·va bōdəˈsätvə noun (in Mahayana Buddhism) a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.
Congrats on your UHQR purchase and thanks for a great vid👍👍 Didn’t buy this one but did receive Can’t Buy A Thrill and waiting for Aja and Gaucho. I really appreciated your three Steely Dan vids months ago. The last two SD 45 pressing you mentioned are great too at only $60 each and a ton cheaper than trying to buy the 33 1/3rd Record Store Day releases. I will go listen to Countdown again via Roon after your comments. Merry Xmas Tim.
Another great video and yes, your 3 "lectures" on Steely Dan's albums last year were simply an eye opener for me and, thanks to you Tim, I bought them all. Having said that, I'm "too cheap" to dump $150.00 on a single album, any album, and, in addition, all that fancy packaging would take too much real estate on my already crowded shelves. Then 45 rpm! 2 songs and turn the record and so on, just up and down from the comfy chair, no, not for me. I am fully aware of being a minority on the matter of fancy reissues, packaging, 45 rpm, clear or colored vinyl, and "mono" as well, all marketing strategies to raise and justify the price. After buying records for well over 50 years, I find no reasons to jump on that "must have" bandwagon.
great video and as always great insight to the band / songs / pressings etc - really got me wanting to purchase this UHQR version but I think the regular 45 RPM versions (crossing my fingers they actually release them) will sound just as good and cost less but I'm sooooo on the fence !
Absolutely love the mix on the UHQR but on my copy there is audible surface noise on Sides B and D. Thankfully the guys at AS are sorting me out with replacement disks.
Just when I say would never it suddenly changes to absolutely after watching your review Lol Will need double packing on that one. Hope all is going good with the move. Happy Holidays!
At 60, I don't have FOMO. It could be because I started listening to music on a transistor radio with a small earpiece. I really don't feel the need to spend $150 on the best sounding pressing. It's really subjective and with slight hearing loss as one ages, I'm not sure that it's worth the cost. I could buy 10 great albums at $15 each that will give me more satisfaction. Then again, I also don't buy many of the expensive box sets that provide additional material. I have found that in many instances I gravitate back to the original album and very rarely listen to the additional material. I have the all three Beatles Anthologies on CD and can't tell you the last time I've listened to them. I guess if you're a true collector you want everything. I think I'm more like Ellen Barkin in Diner when she tells Daniel Stern "I just want to hear the music, that's all."
Thanks for the video Tim. Do you, or any of your viewers happen to know, if the the Japanese pressing on Universal Music Group Records sounds any good? Tx! David-
OK. Thanks for responding Tim. Yes, that Japanese pressing must be somewhat obscure & not well known in the audiophile record collecting community Regards, David-
One of my favorite Dan albums. I bet the steel guitar sounds awesome on Pearl of the Quarter as well… I’m in the same boat. Going to wait on the regular 45s. But I think I’m going to crack and get Gaucho 😅
Tim. I just learned about Butch Walker from one of Mazzy's last videos. Have you heard him? Incredible. Ordered about a dozen of his CDs on eBay afterwards.
Have you done a video on Bernie Grundman? Just finished with a video in which he discusses the Steely Dan reissues, thought he would make a great subject for your channel. I have seen his name on a number of different vinyl products, and was curious his career. Keep up your work on YT...your passion for vinyl and music shines through.
Thank you for yet another great video on Steely Dan! I bought a copy of Two Against Nature just over a year ago and Wow! The sound is amazing and I was happy with the price I had to pay. Absolutely love Steely Dan music, please keep up the great work. Just a question, I do not own any 45 RPM albums and was wondering if they sound better than the standard 33 1/3?
Hi Tim, I hope you like your new digs! I knew it was going to happen. It was a matter of time before I shelled out $$ for Countdown. Likely the same will happen when Royal Scam comes out....I will sit on the sidelines and then finally have to succumb....Chad does such a good job..
Analogue Productions is probably our favorite records. That being said, we are not buying any UHQR releases. Just can’t justify the $150 + price tags, especially since they jumped in price from $125 which was bad enough-inflation our ass. Now, we recently bought “Bluesy Burrell” for $40. We’ll do that all day long. Can’t recommend that one enough.🎧
There may be a very slight warp on record one, need to double check, my Thorens spindle is thick so had trouble getting that LP all the way down on the platter…
@@Universityofvinyl Thick spindle eh? Bragging are we? LOL My Thorens spindle is thicc too. Happily my Swiss Army knife awl tool reams out the hole if you turn it in reverse to wear down the edges just enough to clear the spindle. Acoustic Sounds sells a hand drill tool for this purpose.
I have a NM quiet copy. Not my favorite album by. SD. Beautiful sounding on that rainbow target ABC label. UHQR is pretty much a single LP in a box set box You could fit 4 records in that space!!! Hahaha.
Why LOL? I appreciate the qc Chad practices for all his releases. He is personally involved and will not manufacture until the finished product is as good as it can possibly be. That's why I'm a customer of Acoustic Sounds. He knows what he's doing and his personal standard is for each record to be the best it can be. Have you looked into what sets his company apart as a manufacturer?
@@michaelprice1216 Hey, whatever it takes to get it right. I love what Chad has done with QRP. IMO, it's the best press plant in the world right now. I was not criticizing the recuts. I'm sure it was for valid reasons, and honestly, the record sounds fantastic.
@@Atodaso Gotcha. Just received Pretzel Logic. Outstanding. Most people don't know that what they've been listening to for the last 30+ years have been mastered using Roger Nichols 3M digital backup copies made in the early 80's. At best 48k/16 bit. Remember all the stories about how the tapes were supposedly falling apart and unplayable? Until now the original tapes haven't been used since their first press run. Most of the later day versions (Dark Rainbow/Sky label pressings) on MCA are made from eq'd production copies. Even cassette master copies according to Kevin Gray who was having to cut using those inferior tapes. MCA in the 70's and especially 80's was shady in their practices across the company.
Hey! A "bunch of research and time" goes into mis-pronouncing these names. I suspect that it was Fagin and Boris Becker who mis-spelled and mis-pronounced "Bonavista" 😕
Wow... Moving to a new big house with a soundroom 4 times the size, and buying UHQR records... I didn't realize that we were being included in such high society! 😲 Sure sounds like you REALLY like this album though, so that is totally understandable. For me Gaucho has always been my very favourite. I know it is a much simpler and more streamlined format than the complexity of their other albums, and that more electronics were used. But, for me personally I just love the compositions and arrangements. I think they are among some of the most classic. I have I think 2 or 3 OG's of that pressing (MCA?) and WOW does it sound good! So, unlike *SOME* people (the rich and powerful) I will probably be content with the OG's for now 😊
Again you need to get over the price; try getting these albums from the 70s in VG or better you pay 50-70 dollars. I have the same ABC black very early pressing and these are superior by far
@@ArthurJS123 The price of the UHQR is very high, and not for all, however your comment was a direct criticism of the music, which I believe is off base. I can't defend the UHQR, but Countdown is a great album and should not be dismissed as Yacht Rock.
OK....I love a spirited debate! My sentiments exactly - This LP and the group of songs included can't be pigeon holed as "yacht rock". The sheer excellence in the musicianship and Becker & Fagen's skill in compositions prove this out immediately!
Great video! It’s difficult not buying everything AP releases. They really are the class of the audiophile industry. Thanks, Tim.
I'm looking forward to hearing this on my system tomorrow. Nice to see you show your love for this album. It's one of my favorite SD albums.
One note - I'm not sure if it was intentional, but the first cut is not pronounced Boddavista (nor Del Boca Vista in Seinfeld). 🙂
bo·dhi·satt·va
bōdəˈsätvə
noun
(in Mahayana Buddhism) a person who is able to reach nirvana but delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.
A Bonnevista was a mid-60s GM product pretty sure.
@@mattgrabenstein2615 LOL - that or a 2006 Nissan X-TRAIL Bonavista
Congrats on your UHQR purchase and thanks for a great vid👍👍 Didn’t buy this one but did receive Can’t Buy A Thrill and waiting for Aja and Gaucho. I really appreciated your three Steely Dan vids months ago. The last two SD 45 pressing you mentioned are great too at only $60 each and a ton cheaper than trying to buy the 33 1/3rd Record Store Day releases. I will go listen to Countdown again via Roon after your comments. Merry Xmas Tim.
I preordered Can’t But a Thrill, Aja, and Gaucho in UHQR. I’ll get the others on standard 45 rpm. I can’t afford all of the UHQR’s unfortunately.
Another great video and yes, your 3 "lectures" on Steely Dan's albums last year were simply an eye opener for me and, thanks to you Tim, I bought them all. Having said that, I'm "too cheap" to dump $150.00 on a single album, any album, and, in addition, all that fancy packaging would take too much real estate on my already crowded shelves. Then 45 rpm! 2 songs and turn the record and so on, just up and down from the comfy chair, no, not for me. I am fully aware of being a minority on the matter of fancy reissues, packaging, 45 rpm, clear or colored vinyl, and "mono" as well, all marketing strategies to raise and justify the price. After buying records for well over 50 years, I find no reasons to jump on that "must have" bandwagon.
Thank you Blaine!
great video and as always great insight to the band / songs / pressings etc - really got me wanting to purchase this UHQR version but I think the regular 45 RPM versions (crossing my fingers they actually release them) will sound just as good and cost less but I'm sooooo on the fence !
I hope you’re planning on making a Thriller MOFI review video since you were blessed enough to win The In Groove giveaway, haha.
Thank You and Killer NY Dolls LP in the back ground... an original I presume🍒💋😍
I love the box, man! LOL
Absolutely love the mix on the UHQR but on my copy there is audible surface noise on Sides B and D. Thankfully the guys at AS are sorting me out with replacement disks.
Thanks Tim. Based on your review, I just ordered the album from the European site that M45 has established. Happy holidays from Denmark.
Hello do you have any details of this please? Thanks
I'm buying them all! I love these, and can't wait for the next one :)
I’m buying them all.
Those big boxes take up so much shelf space. Too bad AP doesn't just offer a combined single box set with the entire series like the Beatles Box sets
They should really make a special UHQR mega box holder and send them for free to people who buy all the Steely Dan UHQRs.
Great review on a great album/pressing !
Just when I say would never it suddenly changes to absolutely after watching your review Lol Will need double packing on that one. Hope all is going good with the move. Happy Holidays!
If there is a better sound engineer than BG than I don’t know who it is listen to their redo of Aqualung and Thick As A Brick
At 60, I don't have FOMO. It could be because I started listening to music on a transistor radio with a small earpiece. I really don't feel the need to spend $150 on the best sounding pressing. It's really subjective and with slight hearing loss as one ages, I'm not sure that it's worth the cost. I could buy 10 great albums at $15 each that will give me more satisfaction. Then again, I also don't buy many of the expensive box sets that provide additional material. I have found that in many instances I gravitate back to the original album and very rarely listen to the additional material. I have the all three Beatles Anthologies on CD and can't tell you the last time I've listened to them. I guess if you're a true collector you want everything. I think I'm more like Ellen Barkin in Diner when she tells Daniel Stern "I just want to hear the music, that's all."
Skunks latest album is a gem. Does a version of My Old School that knocks my socks off!!
Thanks for the video Tim. Do you, or any of your viewers happen to know, if the the Japanese pressing on Universal Music Group Records sounds any good?
Tx!
David-
Not familiar with that one….
OK. Thanks for responding Tim.
Yes, that Japanese pressing must be somewhat obscure & not well known in the audiophile record collecting community
Regards,
David-
One of my favorite Dan albums. I bet the steel guitar sounds awesome on Pearl of the Quarter as well… I’m in the same boat. Going to wait on the regular 45s. But I think I’m going to crack and get Gaucho 😅
Tim. I just learned about Butch Walker from one of Mazzy's last videos. Have you heard him? Incredible. Ordered about a dozen of his CDs on eBay afterwards.
I saw that too. Looking into him….👍🏻
Have you done a video on Bernie Grundman? Just finished with a video in which he discusses the Steely Dan reissues, thought he would make a great subject for your channel. I have seen his name on a number of different vinyl products, and was curious his career. Keep up your work on YT...your passion for vinyl and music shines through.
Thanks! See here- ruclips.net/video/Y5TZEgi8Dro/видео.html
Thank you for yet another great video on Steely Dan! I bought a copy of Two Against Nature just over a year ago and Wow! The sound is amazing and I was happy with the price I had to pay. Absolutely love Steely Dan music, please keep up the great work. Just a question, I do not own any 45 RPM albums and was wondering if they sound better than the standard 33 1/3?
Thanks! Typically a 45rpm will sound better - less music, grooves per side. Only downside is typically max 3 songs/side
Hi Tim, I hope you like your new digs! I knew it was going to happen. It was a matter of time before I shelled out $$ for Countdown. Likely the same will happen when Royal Scam comes out....I will sit on the sidelines and then finally have to succumb....Chad does such a good job..
It’s tough to sit on the sidelines, I will def be getting Gaucho
Great video, agree with you on the box etc. same as MoFi, I'm over these oversized boxes for 2 rekkids.
Happy holidays Sir! Loved your Vienna video!
@@Universityofvinyl thank you kindly!
Analogue Productions is probably our favorite records. That being said, we are not buying any UHQR releases. Just can’t justify the $150 + price tags, especially since they jumped in price from $125 which was bad enough-inflation our ass. Now, we recently bought “Bluesy Burrell” for $40. We’ll do that all day long. Can’t recommend that one enough.🎧
I’m waiting for the 33 version from chad. Not the UME but a AAA 33.
"If we look at Bonavista, the lead track....."
So much for your "bunch of research and time". 😂
Pronunciation on this one was never a strong point 🤷🏻♂️
@@Universityofvinyl They sing it enough times in the song 🙁
Say it - "Boh-dee-sat-va"
Believe it or not I stumbled upon another "expert", this one calling himself The Vinyl Museum. He also pronounced it Bonavista ... or Bodavista 😮💨
kept looking at the new york dolls record!
Stay tuned about that gem!
Is your vinyl completely flat? Both my CTE and CBAT have been warped.
There may be a very slight warp on record one, need to double check, my Thorens spindle is thick so had trouble getting that LP all the way down on the platter…
@@Universityofvinyl Thick spindle eh? Bragging are we? LOL My Thorens spindle is thicc too. Happily my Swiss Army knife awl tool reams out the hole if you turn it in reverse to wear down the edges just enough to clear the spindle. Acoustic Sounds sells a hand drill tool for this purpose.
I have a NM quiet copy. Not my favorite album by. SD. Beautiful sounding on that rainbow target ABC label. UHQR is pretty much a single LP in a box set box You could fit 4 records in that space!!! Hahaha.
So Tim, We can go camping together ?
😘
I believe they did 7 recuts of side C lol
Why LOL? I appreciate the qc Chad practices for all his releases. He is personally involved and will not manufacture until the finished product is as good as it can possibly be. That's why I'm a customer of Acoustic Sounds. He knows what he's doing and his personal standard is for each record to be the best it can be. Have you looked into what sets his company apart as a manufacturer?
@@michaelprice1216 Hey, whatever it takes to get it right. I love what Chad has done with QRP. IMO, it's the best press plant in the world right now.
I was not criticizing the recuts. I'm sure it was for valid reasons, and honestly, the record sounds fantastic.
@@Atodaso Gotcha. Just received Pretzel Logic. Outstanding. Most people don't know that what they've been listening to for the last 30+ years have been mastered using Roger Nichols 3M digital backup copies made in the early 80's. At best 48k/16 bit. Remember all the stories about how the tapes were supposedly falling apart and unplayable? Until now the original tapes haven't been used since their first press run. Most of the later day versions (Dark Rainbow/Sky label pressings) on MCA are made from eq'd production copies. Even cassette master copies according to Kevin Gray who was having to cut using those inferior tapes. MCA in the 70's and especially 80's was shady in their practices across the company.
❤
Banavista? Do you mean Bodhisattva?
Yeah, he almost purposely mispronounces Bodhisattva. Have no clue why.
Hey! A "bunch of research and time" goes into mis-pronouncing these names.
I suspect that it was Fagin and Boris Becker who mis-spelled and mis-pronounced "Bonavista" 😕
Wow... Moving to a new big house with a soundroom 4 times the size, and buying UHQR records... I didn't realize that we were being included in such high society! 😲 Sure sounds like you REALLY like this album though, so that is totally understandable. For me Gaucho has always been my very favourite. I know it is a much simpler and more streamlined format than the complexity of their other albums, and that more electronics were used. But, for me personally I just love the compositions and arrangements. I think they are among some of the most classic. I have I think 2 or 3 OG's of that pressing (MCA?) and WOW does it sound good! So, unlike *SOME* people (the rich and powerful) I will probably be content with the OG's for now 😊
Again you need to get over the price; try getting these albums from the 70s in VG or better you pay 50-70 dollars. I have the same ABC black very early pressing and these are superior by far
Countdown and Scam!
AKA Grandpa Rock, aka Yacht Rock. For boomers with more money than brains.
Or teens with an understanding of unique composition and peerless musicianship.....
@@morgolus4413 With $150 to throw away.
@@ArthurJS123 The price of the UHQR is very high, and not for all, however your comment was a direct criticism of the music, which I believe is off base. I can't defend the UHQR, but Countdown is a great album and should not be dismissed as Yacht Rock.
@@morgolus4413 Happy battles, keyboard warrior!
OK....I love a spirited debate! My sentiments exactly - This LP and the group of songs included can't be pigeon holed as "yacht rock". The sheer excellence in the musicianship and Becker & Fagen's skill in compositions prove this out immediately!
In Canada $300
Ouch!!!