Just found a near mint copy at a swapmeet early this morning with the shrink on! AB on the spine and AB in the deadwax. I thought of this video As soon as I saw it, and snatched it quickly! Got it for $5. NM vinyl /M cover. Best find this month
I have the US AB 1006 (also marked AB1006 on the sleeve spine) It's nice quiet vinyl and sounds "good" in its own way but rather dry and muffled. Cymbals / high hat etc. are burried VERY low in the mix.
@@gconley12345No, the AB scratch out (B scratched out replaced with A) is the same great pressing as the original AB. They raised the price by $1 after the first month or so, and the AB pressings that were left over were scratched out changed to AA to correspond with the higher price. He did not get into the pressing location but there is even debate about whether the Terre Haute factory (T in deadwax) pressing sound better than the Santa Monica (S in deadwax) pressed copied. Fun, makes the vinyl hunt more interesting.
A few years ago i bought aja in a used bookstore in nm condition. Took it home and it knocked my socks off. I couldnt believe it. Just checked and is an AB-1006. from 1977. Wow. Thanks for the video!!
So basically.. if I have an Aja with AB in the deadwax, or crossed out to show AA, it's a good sounding LP. For instance, my copy is an early original yellow label.. Spine and Label show AA.. but deadwax shows it was originally AB .. side B deadwax has AA heavily pressed (stamped) over original AB etched letters (as per discogs notes),. Side A, the AB is lined out and AA is etched. Looks like I have some sort of Union Jack design etched into each side. Looks to be a Keel Pressing. Paid 10 bucks for mine a year or two ago.. and it plays really well. Good video.
No way! Thanks so much for this knowledge! I don't know much about records but I do LOVE STEELY DAN and have found most of the albums at antique shops. I just checked and my Aja is one of the AB with the B scratched out! Im going to check on whether you did this for any other records I bought for like $1
How in Hades does one "lose" the original master tape of an iconic album like Steely Dan's Aja?! "Hey Bob, have you seen that master tape of Aja"? "No....I left it over by the trash dumpster yesterday....sure hope those guys didn't load it up and take it to the landfill". It boggles the mind.... When, exactly does one NOT say, "Protect this with your life"!! But I digress....I truly enjoy your posts. Thanks.
Possibly lost in the Universal Music Group fire. 100,000 master tapes burned. Steely Dan listed as one of the artist(s) who possibly lost their masters
^ this. It's the only way I see them being lost.. Being the audiophiles Donald and Walter were, I don't see them just leaving the masters laying around, easily getting lost or stolen. They most likely were burned up in the fire.
That's what I thought. Has anyone ever done a vid or posted on a website of exactly all the Masters that were lost? Do they even know all of them? I bet they also lost lots of outakes, demos and live stuff never released. Someone should make a Documentary about that fire. Such a tragedy...
andy haeh nöggair wäntät a köppi ^ ^ ps döh eh dydd this with cds... häve exäct 1 decent german target that maybe getz yänippönkce? grimmzöö tree öff pürrfect päri -:-
Haha! I knew that my copy is a good one. Thanks for confirming. Mine is the AA with the crossed out B. It's on the yellow ABC Records. This one sounds fantastic.
Hi Mike, thanks for this review and all of your interesting videos. I appreciate them a lot! Does it matter, if the american AB-1006 is a Terre Haute or Santa Maria pressing? Best regards from Germany!
Enjoyed learning something. This is from somebody that had about 200 LP's back in late 70's and early 80's and after 10-20 plays the cheapness with distortion came in loud n clear.
Thank you - I enjoyed it! So I did my own comparison on my vintage Mac’s+Luxman w/Grado+old ADS (I know I cannot really compare it to your $100k system!). I discovered my standard copy was in fact the desirable AA w/etched B! So - I actually preferred the sound of my MFSL LP!
You know we can dicker about what is the best sounding Steely Dan Aja, but The one I'm listening to now sounds fricking awesome!! Thanks for your reveiws, may you and your family stay safe!!!
Love these videos and they are so many copies of Aja I had a feeling Cisco is the winner love those McIntosh blue screen those look very cool .lovellandrew
great video!!.... love the quick run through.. keep up these.. you have so much more than us paupers at home that you are answering what we really want to know...
@@TheInGroove Oh yeah. I forgot as a fellow Acoustic Sounds wholesaler all about their silly rule of holding back shipping to resellers for at last 2 weeks after any new release. Boo!
Mike, these reviews would be even better if you can say a few things about the bass, midrange, treble frequencies, etc. In other words, what makes the best better than the rest.
This was really helpful. Thank you! I know now why my version doesn't sound like I always thought "one of the best recorded albums ever" should sound. It's an AA-1006. Picked it up used not too long ago at a record show for a fair price and always thought maybe it was worn out or something. lol
Watched this at work, and figured...yeah, I'll get home and find out that mine is the AA-1006 first crap one he mentioned. YEP. The good thing is...it can sound even better? Cool!
Hi Mike really enjoy your “teaching” videos I wish you did more of them. I learned so much about this record after watching it. I have the AA 1006 but I have found a VG+ from Discogs that I’m going to order to replace my copy. Just a quick question. Why do you keep so many inferior copies of the same album? If the garbage sounding why have them, there just taking up valuable shelf space. Just curious. Thanks Mike
hello mike, I have the back to black elpee from oct 22, 2008 mastered by bernie Grundman and pressed in EU and it sounds great, so which back to black version you are talking about, I don't know, must be US, I think, that's maybe the difference? Warm regards from the Netherlands
Mike this is Vince from Des Moines I’ve been in your shop before I bought a Beatles Naked this year I love watching your videos scares me a lot of information and with your recommendations I just bought a Steely Dan Aja Cisco press It sounds fabulous and I have to agree with you I have a first press AB A Japanese press Anna original master recording This is definitely the best sounding version and when I read peoples comments on different websites that they think this doesn’t sound very good I think to myself what the hell are you listening to Have a good day keep up the good videos
Hi. Great video. Already have an AB first US pressing. Love the album. Always looking for the best pressing like yourself. So I found new Cisco locally for less than half the Discogs price. Was very excited. Now onto the sound. First off it does have some marking from the sleeve but I don’t hear any whooshing sound in any quiet parts. Now which one sounds better. On my system the original sounds better. The 3D realism is far more defined on the original, there are cool sounds I hear in the original that I don’t on the Cisco and the Cisco sounds like the top end has been rolled off and the midrange boosted. Cisco is still awesome and I won’t sell it but save your $$$ and just get an original.
I’ve read many threads on the vinyl platforms and a lot of people that have multiple copies of the album say the same thing . They prefer the original AB1006 to the Cisco copy . At 10 times the price for a Cisco copy , I can’t even see why anybody would spendcthat kind of money to get something that isn’t even as good .
Just started watching your channel. I bought my MSFL “Original Master Recording” in 1980? In the wax it’s etched MFSL-1-033-A4 27MAY80 SR/2 ORTOFON. I think it cost me $5-$10 more than the other offerings at the time. I always thought it sounded great. What do I know...subscribed
Thanks so much Mike, I learned that I have the B crossed out. Sounds great but now I have more and better information. Your a wonderful source of knowledge.
This Is one of my favorites of your videos. Friends of mine and I have had a shootout on our Aja copies. I couldn't hear a difference between my "AA scratch" and my friend's "AB", though his copy got the consensus as the best sounding of all the ones we listened to. Now I understand why they weren't different after all. As curious as I am about the Cisco, at $350 and up I doubt I'll ever hear it. It's good to know I have just about as good a sounding copy as possible. Aja is one of my go to albums whenever I upgrade any of my components or cables.
Super helpful info here. Thanks man! I have an AB, VG+ I scored a while back for $3 cash, so I'm not doing bad, but I must track down a Cisco someday! 😎
Hi Mike, another great video!! Love these vinyl record comparisons and review. I absolutely love Steely Dan. Of all my albums I have I have the most of Steely Dan, along with Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, and the Beatles. I have the Aja vinyl LP with ABC record label from 1977 with the dead wax showing AB 1006. The vinyl sounds pretty darn awesome. I believe this is a first pressing. Is this pressing of mine one of the good versions according to your video?
Good review as always Mike! The Sisco pressing is definitely the best sounding. This is another one of my favorite records and I to have the mofi, Japanese, Canadian and original pressings and up to a year ago I thought the mofi , for my ears, was the best. Then about a year ago I was digging thru some lp's I haven't listened to and there was my un-opened Sisco copy- bought it new when it came out and forget about it. After a good cleaning I put it on the turntable and couldn't believe how incredible it sounded.
I always love these uploads so many thanks for doing another one! Every used "S" bin has me looking for a clean early Aja along with the Ludwig cut greatest hits. My suggestions for another title would be the often discussed Who's Next which everyone seems to have a slightly different opinion on and perhaps The Joshua Tree with its long sides. I think all U2 up to that point is best on UK 1st pressings (US ones sound ok to pretty good, but Unforgettable Fire is night and day better on the UK issue) but with Joshua Tree I think the US Masterdisk DMM is best overall despite the long sides being noisy. I liked it much better than the 2007 2LP reissue which was wonderfully quiet but without the same impact. I've heard some swear by the UK which is a different mastering.
@@johnjeffery6638 Was never more than a casual fan of some of their hits. Then I got free tickets to see them about 8 years ago. I was very impressed. What a live show! They played for like 3 hours and their stage show was almost as good as when I saw Roger Waters do The Wall. They brought a fan onstage to play with them and it was really cool. The Foo Fighters do that a lot, I love that. I'm still only a casual fan, but have a new respect for them. My favorite song is Mysterious Ways alternate extended mix I used to have on a CD single in the 90s. Sure wish I could find that, it's pretty great.
Love these videos... Anyway you can do a comparison on the Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main street? Have multiple versions of each and curious of your opinion
Interesting video Mike. I have an AAB(B scratched out) promo copy that sounds amazing. Why would they have issued promo copies with this dead wax matrix if the album had already been out for quite a while before the price change? I would have thought all promo copies would have just been the straight AB-1006
I recently got the AA B 1006 with the scratched-out B in a local brick and mortar record store for $14. Condition is probably VG. After running through the Spin Clean, it sounds excellent.
Awesome information Mike! I picked up a super clean gatefold copy about 20 years ago for $3.00. I checked the dead wax and sure enough AB 1006. I gave it a hard listen and there is one tiny tic in the AJA instrumental but I can live with that. Thanks for separating the pepper from the fly s@#t. I order from in groove thanks to content like this. Best Can’t Buy A Thrill?
Thanks for this video! I looked and I have the AA 1006 with the crossed out B. I think this is one of the best sounding albums that I have. I picked it up from a antique store for 8 bucks. It's probably the best bought album in my collection! How much better sounding is the Cysco than the AA 1006?
Great review! One fact any Steely Dan follower knows is that their first six albums were issued on ABC (the first label they were signed to). This includes everything from ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ (1972) to ‘Aja’ (1977). Two years after Aja’s release, ABC was sold to MCA - meaning that all artists signed to the former label were transferred to the latter... Steely Dan being one of them. Once that happened, Fagen and Becker released ‘Gaucho’ (their only native MCA release) while their entire ABC catalogue was reissued by MCA as well. I happen to own Steely Dan’s first seven records - with ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’, ‘The Royal Scam’, and ‘Aja’ being original ABC pressings; and ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’, ‘Pretzel Logic’ and ‘Katy Lied’ as MCA reissues. I can affirm that the ABC ones carry a far superior sound. Plus, late 70’s/early 80’s MCA pressings don’t exactly have the best reputation.
Interesting comments about the paper/poly sleeve damage due to the seam glue on the Cisco. My thoughts are this may be a heat-related issue. I have an early/low Serial number (2000) copy of this and it's still in that original paper/poly sleeve with no signs of damage. I also have a buddy that has a copy..slightly higher serial number(3000) and his is perfect as well. The common denominator? We both live in a cooler climate(Canada). I would add to your search for a good Cisco to include sealed copies from the north, along with opened copies.
I only played this record once, made a cassette for my car, I noticed on the dead wax, mfsl 1-033 - A4 then underneath it has another A then a date of 27 May 80. I really never took notice of these etchings. From Japan, great sounding.
"I couldn't live with a copy that whooshed" God Bless you brother. This has been the go-to fidelity album of my life since it was released. Still have my original -4.77 $ on release. Rock on 😎
"The original master tape has been lost, so will we get something that sounds as good as the original in the future? Probably not" "This is the best sounding version of this record... by the time this came out, the original master tape had been long gone"
....and it cost two hundred dollars and it has glue on it which makes it whoosh.....and you can get an original for fifty or less....excellent point M...this video makes no sense. He should have just ended it with the original U.S. first pressing is the best. I like his videos in general but......
Mike means it when he says "look in the dead wax". Came home after watching this at work, and quite disappointed to see I have the AA-1006 jacket. Really surprised too as it is a great sounding record and I pulled a very nice MP3 recording off of it. BUT...the record has a rainbow label on it, and it's the AA with the B scratched out. "AA(B) 1006(Re-3)-A 1"
I have an Aja promotional copy AA-1006 you said the best sounding one is with a B? isn't the promo the first pressing to get stamped or do they send out the crappy ones as promos ?
Is it a white label promo? If it is then your question is excellent because you would think the promo is the first pressing....at least for the U.S. Correct me anybody if I am wrong.
Got out the magnifying glass last night and was happy to see I have a transition copy crossed out AB I knew it sounded really good anyway but I still love the sound of my mofi Asia from 1980 also great video thanks!
I've just discovered your channel and I'm going through all your "LP comparison" episodes. Even the albums I was never a fan of are still great to watch given your knowledge on the subject. Great stuff! I re watched DSOTM three times as I have of the versions you have. If you're up to it and still taking requests for further comparisons how about "New Order's Substance"? Cheers mate.
I have an original from 1977 on ABC Records, a digitally mastered from a few years ago. The one you need to check out is the UHQR Version. 2 disc at 45rpm, cleanest and warmest sound I’ve heard, about $150. I’m listening through Mc equipment as well, which is VERY revealing of any imperfections in the recording.
Is the 1980 Reissue by Kevin Gray any good? has the hand etched KPG@MCA. It has the same AA catalogue code, but since it has Kevin Gray in the deadwax I thought it might be okay?
The original sounds great, probably up there with the audiophile pressings Many re-issues are just cash grabs. Japan pressings are pretty decent Kevin Grey remasters are great
Got an AB , lucky me. Why can't modern mainstream music sound as soulful like this record? Just want to transport back to the 70's. I was born in the 80's by the way..
Hi: Actually I don't believe I've ever heard a "horrible" copy and I have 7 copies maybe I've been lucky. I have a high end system and saying these copies are horrible will discourage many who are looking for it. I'm a professional drummer have been all my life recorded toured in Europe and the US and the drums on Aja always sound like real drums. Keep up the good videos!
Now the upcoming UHQR version will be interesting to hear once it comes out. As expensive as they are, they're far cheaper than the Cisco pressings being sold now. Can't wait!
Interesting, i have that first version, the MCA “Super Saver” pressing that Mike completely dismissed. The dead wax shows it was cut by Kevin Gray (KPG), and I think it sounds pretty good!
I bought a new copy way back when this was first came out of Steely Dan "Gaucho" an MCA Audiophile 1/2 Speed Mastering in the Teldec Virgin Vinyl. The dead wax has MCA 2469 A3 B on side a and MCA 2470 B3 B on side b. The album itself has MCA-16009 on the LP case. I know this isn't Aja but I would love how you would rate this pressing. This has always sounded great to me and superior to what I've heard out there before. This is still in mint condition. After watching this video it got me wondering just how good it really is! Thanks
You solved one vinyl mystery for me with this video--I have noticed records in my collection with that straight "burn" on the vinyl, along the edge. Seems that a lot of Columbia product had it. Very few of mine with that defect are audible (and are far less visible than your bad Cisco LP), but I always wondered if it had to do with the way they were handled or processed at the pressing plant. So it turns out it is probably the adhesive used for the innersleeve. My only problem now is either affording a Cisco copy, or finding an AB or AAB copy that hasn't been worn to a pulp...any used copy I've bought of the ABC pressing has been unacceptably worn (lots of groove burn). And just about all sellers on Discogs don't know what groove burn is, apparently. 🙄
You could write a college text book about Aja and all the work that went into making it . It's the album I judge all audiophiles and their systems by . They either have it and a high quality turntable or they don't .
For the Japanese pressing, the more expensive yen one is the first pressing, and the 2000yen advertised in large text on the obi, is the 2nd pressing. It was a cheaper special discount pressing since it must have reached popularity at the time. Usually this happens on 70s Japanese pressings in general (especially if it has won awards they will press it again for special low price)
Hey brother what about the 180g ABC records??? Idk I thought it sounded pretty good I Noticed you didn't mention anything about it. So I'm guessing you didn't like it at all??, Sure would like your feedback
i have every lp he shows in this video plus i have the kevin gray cut he did in the 80s on the rainbow label,,, and i agree with most everything he says expect the part about the cisco being the best,,, the cisco was great for what they had to use( they had a saftey copy as the source) and it shows ,, Grab The original the tape was fresh and it sounds great and can be had for 25 or less
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
Good stuff man, I could listen to you talk about records all day
I have the original AB-1006 US pressing in VG/VG+ I found in a flea market a few years ago for $1. For sure one of the best sounding records I own.
Just found a near mint copy at a swapmeet early this morning with the shrink on! AB on the spine and AB in the deadwax. I thought of this video As soon as I saw it, and snatched it quickly! Got it for $5. NM vinyl /M cover. Best find this month
This is a great sounding album, I always play it to show how well vinyl sounds.
I have the US AB 1006 (also marked AB1006 on the sleeve spine) It's nice quiet vinyl and sounds "good" in its own way but rather dry and muffled. Cymbals / high hat etc. are burried VERY low in the mix.
So I’m a bit confused when he was talking about this ab pressing. Was he saying the one that has the b crossed out is not as good as an AB deadwax?
@@gconley12345No, the AB scratch out (B scratched out replaced with A) is the same great pressing as the original AB. They raised the price by $1 after the first month or so, and the AB pressings that were left over were scratched out changed to AA to correspond with the higher price. He did not get into the pressing location but there is even debate about whether the Terre Haute factory (T in deadwax) pressing sound better than the Santa Monica (S in deadwax) pressed copied. Fun, makes the vinyl hunt more interesting.
A few years ago i bought aja in a used bookstore in nm condition. Took it home and it knocked my socks off. I couldnt believe it. Just checked and is an AB-1006. from 1977. Wow. Thanks for the video!!
WOW I have AB 1006 1977 original and it’s a favorite of my, now I know why. Always learning from you brother, Thanks
So do i. Bought it for ten bucks in a book store. Incredible. In nm condition.
Lets gooooo
More of these!!
So basically.. if I have an Aja with AB in the deadwax, or crossed out to show AA, it's a good sounding LP.
For instance, my copy is an early original yellow label.. Spine and Label show AA.. but deadwax shows it was originally AB .. side B deadwax has AA heavily pressed (stamped) over original AB etched letters (as per discogs notes),. Side A, the AB is lined out and AA is etched. Looks like I have some sort of Union Jack design etched into each side. Looks to be a Keel Pressing. Paid 10 bucks for mine a year or two ago.. and it plays really well.
Good video.
No way! Thanks so much for this knowledge! I don't know much about records but I do LOVE STEELY DAN and have found most of the albums at antique shops. I just checked and my Aja is one of the AB with the B scratched out! Im going to check on whether you did this for any other records I bought for like $1
Thanks for this review. Just ordered a 1977 USA AB version off of Discogs for 20 bucks in VG+ condition.
How in Hades does one "lose" the original master tape of an iconic album like Steely Dan's Aja?! "Hey Bob, have you seen that master tape of Aja"? "No....I left it over by the trash dumpster yesterday....sure hope those guys didn't load it up and take it to the landfill". It boggles the mind.... When, exactly does one NOT say, "Protect this with your life"!! But I digress....I truly enjoy your posts. Thanks.
Possibly lost in the Universal Music Group fire. 100,000 master tapes burned. Steely Dan listed as one of the artist(s) who possibly lost their masters
^ this. It's the only way I see them being lost.. Being the audiophiles Donald and Walter were, I don't see them just leaving the masters laying around, easily getting lost or stolen. They most likely were burned up in the fire.
That's what I thought.
Has anyone ever done a vid or posted on a website of exactly all the Masters that were lost? Do they even know all of them? I bet they also lost lots of outakes, demos and live stuff never released.
Someone should make a Documentary about that fire. Such a tragedy...
@@mactherecordranger6252 sad
andy haeh nöggair wäntät a köppi ^ ^
ps döh eh dydd this with cds... häve exäct 1 decent german target that maybe getz yänippönkce?
grimmzöö tree öff pürrfect päri -:-
Haha! I knew that my copy is a good one. Thanks for confirming. Mine is the AA with the crossed out B. It's on the yellow ABC Records. This one sounds fantastic.
I'm loving the woodblock art behind you, I guess its meant as an acoustic panel but its beautiful. Aaaah, if Paul Klee made hifi products.
It must weigh a ton, but definitely cool.
You the man! Got a VG+ A/B copy for $18. You haven’t led me astray yet so I’m sure it’ll be awesome!
Hi Mike, thanks for this review and all of your interesting videos. I appreciate them a lot!
Does it matter, if the american AB-1006 is a Terre Haute or Santa Maria pressing? Best regards from Germany!
I BELIEVE the TERRA HAUTE ONES ARE SOMETHING REGARDED as a HOT WAX record.
Thank you for posting this.
I love this album. I have the Mo-Fi CD. Been wanting a good version on vinyl.
Now I know what to look for.
Enjoyed learning something. This is from somebody that had about 200 LP's back in late 70's and early 80's and after 10-20 plays the cheapness with distortion came in loud n clear.
I have an AB 1006 ‘77 Australian pressing and it sounds fantastic!
Thanks for this video - I love learning secrets and tips around matrix numbers. 🙏🏼
Thank you - I enjoyed it! So I did my own comparison on my vintage Mac’s+Luxman w/Grado+old ADS (I know I cannot really compare it to your $100k system!). I discovered my standard copy was in fact the desirable AA w/etched B!
So - I actually preferred the sound of my MFSL LP!
You know we can dicker about what is the best sounding Steely Dan Aja, but The one I'm listening to now sounds fricking awesome!! Thanks for your reveiws, may you and your family stay safe!!!
Just checked my OG U.S. press and thank god for the AB in the deadwax lol. Thanks for the info
Love these videos and they are so many copies of Aja I had a feeling Cisco is the winner love those McIntosh blue screen those look very cool .lovellandrew
great video!!.... love the quick run through.. keep up these.. you have so much more than us paupers at home that you are answering what we really want to know...
Great video. I always thought my early pressing sounded great and that my MoFi copy wasn't much of an improvement.
@TheInGroove
Mr. Esposito are you by chance reviewing the latest AP UHQR? Will it dethrone your (then) GOAT? Inquiring minds want to know!
Oz
LTBS
Still waiting for my copy.
@@TheInGroove Oh yeah. I forgot as a fellow Acoustic Sounds wholesaler all about their silly rule of holding back shipping to resellers for at last 2 weeks after any new release. Boo!
Mike, these reviews would be even better if you can say a few things about the bass, midrange, treble frequencies, etc. In other words, what makes the best better than the rest.
This was really helpful. Thank you! I know now why my version doesn't sound like I always thought "one of the best recorded albums ever" should sound. It's an AA-1006. Picked it up used not too long ago at a record show for a fair price and always thought maybe it was worn out or something. lol
Watched this at work, and figured...yeah, I'll get home and find out that mine is the AA-1006 first crap one he mentioned. YEP.
The good thing is...it can sound even better? Cool!
Hi Mike really enjoy your “teaching” videos I wish you did more of them. I learned so much about this record after watching it. I have the AA 1006 but I have found a VG+ from Discogs that I’m going to order to replace my copy. Just a quick question. Why do you keep so many inferior copies of the same album? If the garbage sounding why have them, there just taking up valuable shelf space. Just curious. Thanks Mike
hello mike, I have the back to black elpee from oct 22, 2008 mastered by bernie Grundman and pressed in EU and it sounds great, so which back to black version you are talking about, I don't know, must be US, I think, that's maybe the difference? Warm regards from the Netherlands
Mike this is Vince from Des Moines I’ve been in your shop before I bought a Beatles Naked this year
I love watching your videos scares me a lot of information and with your recommendations I just bought a Steely Dan Aja Cisco press
It sounds fabulous and I have to agree with you I have a first press AB A Japanese press Anna original master recording
This is definitely the best sounding version and when I read peoples comments on different websites that they think this doesn’t sound very good
I think to myself what the hell are you listening to
Have a good day keep up the good videos
Hi. Great video. Already have an AB first US pressing. Love the album. Always looking for the best pressing like yourself. So I found new Cisco locally for less than half the Discogs price. Was very excited. Now onto the sound.
First off it does have some marking from the sleeve but I don’t hear any whooshing sound in any quiet parts. Now which one sounds better. On my system the original sounds better. The 3D realism is far more defined on the original, there are cool sounds I hear in the original that I don’t on the Cisco and the Cisco sounds like the top end has been rolled off and the midrange boosted. Cisco is still awesome and I won’t sell it but save your $$$ and just get an original.
I’ve read many threads on the vinyl platforms and a lot of people that have multiple copies of the album say the same thing . They prefer the original AB1006 to the Cisco copy .
At 10 times the price for a Cisco copy , I can’t even see why anybody would spendcthat kind of money to get something that isn’t even as good .
I hope someone comes into the store and asks, "Can I buy the better of the crappy sounding version?" :)
Just started watching your channel. I bought my MSFL “Original Master Recording” in 1980? In the wax it’s etched MFSL-1-033-A4 27MAY80 SR/2 ORTOFON. I think it cost me $5-$10 more than the other offerings at the time. I always thought it sounded great. What do I know...subscribed
Thanks so much Mike, I learned that I have the B crossed out. Sounds great but now I have more and better information. Your a wonderful source of knowledge.
really enjoy your videos explain important stuff in a simple manner
These videos are great! Looking forward to more
This Is one of my favorites of your videos. Friends of mine and I have had a shootout on our Aja copies. I couldn't hear a difference between my "AA scratch" and my friend's "AB", though his copy got the consensus as the best sounding of all the ones we listened to. Now I understand why they weren't different after all. As curious as I am about the Cisco, at $350 and up I doubt I'll ever hear it. It's good to know I have just about as good a sounding copy as possible. Aja is one of my go to albums whenever I upgrade any of my components or cables.
Thank you. Man, I appreciate your work and trial and error on finding the gems.
Always enjoy your comparison videos! Thanks! I just picked up an AB copy... looking forward to it.
I agree with everything you shared. The Cisco copy is my go to listening copy but I keep an MFSL copy for emergencies.
Super helpful info here. Thanks man! I have an AB, VG+ I scored a while back for $3 cash, so I'm not doing bad, but I must track down a Cisco someday! 😎
Thanks for the review!! Just placed an order for an original copy :). Upgrading from my yellow vinyl lol
Hi Mike, another great video!! Love these vinyl record comparisons and review. I absolutely love Steely Dan. Of all my albums I have I have the most of Steely Dan, along with Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, and the Beatles.
I have the Aja vinyl LP with ABC record label from 1977 with the dead wax showing AB 1006. The vinyl sounds pretty darn awesome. I believe this is a first pressing. Is this pressing of mine one of the good versions according to your video?
You have the good one.
Well done! Amazing work!
Great video. Being a drummer I’m a,ways looking for the top quality with steely. Thanks for the breakdown.
Hello Michael
More videos like this , they're really great!!
Hey Mike . I have a US promo copy of Aja. The drums are incredible! I enjoy your videos and can relate to your passion for music.
Good review as always Mike! The Sisco pressing is definitely the best sounding. This is another one of my favorite records and I to have the mofi, Japanese, Canadian and original pressings and up to a year ago I thought the mofi , for my ears, was the best. Then about a year ago I was digging thru some lp's I haven't listened to and there was my un-opened Sisco copy- bought it new when it came out and forget about it. After a good cleaning I put it on the turntable and couldn't believe how incredible it sounded.
Great Job. love your reviews on Vinyl. Please keep them coming.
Super helpful! At first I was ready to try to upgrade my AA copy, then saw the scratched out B and what a relief, I'm good to go!
I always love these uploads so many thanks for doing another one! Every used "S" bin has me looking for a clean early Aja along with the Ludwig cut greatest hits.
My suggestions for another title would be the often discussed Who's Next which everyone seems to have a slightly different opinion on and perhaps The Joshua Tree with its long sides. I think all U2 up to that point is best on UK 1st pressings (US ones sound ok to pretty good, but Unforgettable Fire is night and day better on the UK issue) but with Joshua Tree I think the US Masterdisk DMM is best overall despite the long sides being noisy. I liked it much better than the 2007 2LP reissue which was wonderfully quiet but without the same impact. I've heard some swear by the UK which is a different mastering.
Fuck U2
Now I want to know more about everything you mention...
@@johnjeffery6638 Was never more than a casual fan of some of their hits. Then I got free tickets to see them about 8 years ago. I was very impressed. What a live show! They played for like 3 hours and their stage show was almost as good as when I saw Roger Waters do The Wall. They brought a fan onstage to play with them and it was really cool. The Foo Fighters do that a lot, I love that.
I'm still only a casual fan, but have a new respect for them. My favorite song is Mysterious Ways alternate extended mix I used to have on a CD single in the 90s. Sure wish I could find that, it's pretty great.
Love these videos... Anyway you can do a comparison on the Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main street? Have multiple versions of each and curious of your opinion
Dan Mccarthy Fremer claims the original Artesian Exile is the best
The 94 exile on CD sound better than the 2010 vinyl remaster-
Interesting video Mike. I have an AAB(B scratched out) promo copy that sounds amazing. Why would they have issued promo copies with this dead wax matrix if the album had already been out for quite a while before the price change? I would have thought all promo copies would have just been the straight AB-1006
Tkx for the analysis !!!!! Hugs from Rio!
I love "Kevin grey's " cuts!
I have an early 80s repressing cut by KPG and it sounds great
I have CRAMPS BAD MUSIC FOR BAD PEOPLE BY HIM!😛
I recently got the AA B 1006 with the scratched-out B in a local brick and mortar record store for $14. Condition is probably VG. After running through the Spin Clean, it sounds excellent.
Awesome, love these videos! Thanks Mike!
It would be very helpful if you could post the Discogs link of the records you recommend.
I recognize your Reel to Reel, it's an Akai 635-D, had one, back in 1980. Cost about $600 for the military, I was stationed in Germany for the Army.
Awesome information Mike! I picked up a super clean gatefold copy about 20 years ago for $3.00. I checked the dead wax and sure enough AB 1006. I gave it a hard listen and there is one tiny tic in the AJA instrumental but I can live with that. Thanks for separating the pepper from the fly s@#t. I order from in groove thanks to content like this. Best Can’t Buy A Thrill?
Thanks for this video! I looked and I have the AA 1006 with the crossed out B. I think this is one of the best sounding albums that I have. I picked it up from a antique store for 8 bucks. It's probably the best bought album in my collection! How much better sounding is the Cysco than the AA 1006?
For the price they sell on Discogs, the actual band better be in my room.
Found a scratched out AB at a flea market last weekend. Sounds amazing!
The Best Show sent me here!
Great info. Had to check my dead wax on my AA and sure enough the B was etched out.
Great review! One fact any Steely Dan follower knows is that their first six albums were issued on ABC (the first label they were signed to). This includes everything from ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ (1972) to ‘Aja’ (1977). Two years after Aja’s release, ABC was sold to MCA - meaning that all artists signed to the former label were transferred to the latter... Steely Dan being one of them. Once that happened, Fagen and Becker released ‘Gaucho’ (their only native MCA release) while their entire ABC catalogue was reissued by MCA as well. I happen to own Steely Dan’s first seven records - with ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’, ‘The Royal Scam’, and ‘Aja’ being original ABC pressings; and ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’, ‘Pretzel Logic’ and ‘Katy Lied’ as MCA reissues. I can affirm that the ABC ones carry a far superior sound. Plus, late 70’s/early 80’s MCA pressings don’t exactly have the best reputation.
And the main reason is they wouldn't give the original masters to the guys making the re-issues, so they had often very subpar tapes to work with.
Interesting comments about the paper/poly sleeve damage due to the seam glue on the Cisco. My thoughts are this may be a heat-related issue. I have an early/low Serial number (2000) copy of this and it's still in that original paper/poly sleeve with no signs of damage. I also have a buddy that has a copy..slightly higher serial number(3000) and his is perfect as well. The common denominator? We both live in a cooler climate(Canada). I would add to your search for a good Cisco to include sealed copies from the north, along with opened copies.
I only played this record once, made a cassette for my car, I noticed on the dead wax, mfsl 1-033 - A4 then underneath it has another A then a date of 27 May 80. I really never took notice of these etchings. From Japan, great sounding.
"I couldn't live with a copy that whooshed"
God Bless you brother.
This has been the go-to fidelity album of my life since it was released. Still have my original -4.77 $ on release.
Rock on 😎
Mike - is the ab-1006 a gatefold version? Thanks
"The original master tape has been lost, so will we get something that sounds as good as the original in the future? Probably not"
"This is the best sounding version of this record... by the time this came out, the original master tape had been long gone"
....and it cost two hundred dollars and it has glue on it which makes it whoosh.....and you can get an original for fifty or less....excellent point M...this video makes no sense. He should have just ended it with the original U.S. first pressing is the best. I like his videos in general but......
Mike means it when he says "look in the dead wax". Came home after watching this at work, and quite disappointed to see I have the AA-1006 jacket. Really surprised too as it is a great sounding record and I pulled a very nice MP3 recording off of it. BUT...the record has a rainbow label on it, and it's the AA with the B scratched out. "AA(B) 1006(Re-3)-A 1"
I have an Aja promotional copy AA-1006 you said the best sounding one is with a B? isn't the promo the first pressing to get stamped or do they send out the crappy ones as promos ?
Is it a white label promo? If it is then your question is excellent because you would think the promo is the first pressing....at least for the U.S. Correct me anybody if I am wrong.
Got out the magnifying glass last night and was happy to see I have a transition copy crossed out AB I knew it sounded really good anyway but I still love the sound of my mofi Asia from 1980 also great video thanks!
I've just discovered your channel and I'm going through all your "LP comparison" episodes. Even the albums I was never a fan of are still great to watch given your knowledge on the subject.
Great stuff! I re watched DSOTM three times as I have of the versions you have. If you're up to it and still taking requests for further comparisons how about "New Order's Substance"?
Cheers mate.
I've Learned so much thank you and yes I have a ab1oo6 and it sounds fantastic. Just had to listen to it for the first time in long time.
I have a Cisco reissue that unfortunately has the glue from the original sleeves on the album. Any advice on trying to remove the glue? Thanks!
I have an original from 1977 on ABC Records, a digitally mastered from a few years ago. The one you need to check out is the UHQR Version. 2 disc at 45rpm, cleanest and warmest sound I’ve heard, about $150. I’m listening through Mc equipment as well, which is VERY revealing of any imperfections in the recording.
Is the 1980 Reissue by Kevin Gray any good? has the hand etched KPG@MCA. It has the same AA catalogue code, but since it has Kevin Gray in the deadwax I thought it might be okay?
Do you think the UHQR 45rpm pressing that is coming out of Aja will beat the Cisco copy?
Does it matter if the AB version is pressed in a different country than US? There are many AB versions for sale all over from worldwide! Thanks
Cool. So excited I have my original US AA I bought in the 1970s. V+/V+
I got the AB 1006 spine and wax from 1977. This was kind of confusing so I hope I'm good! (Well the end of the video clarified things!)
The original sounds great, probably up there with the audiophile pressings
Many re-issues are just cash grabs.
Japan pressings are pretty decent
Kevin Grey remasters are great
I have a ab- 1006 and a Kevin Grey- Both great in different ways. The AB is WARM. The Kevin Grey in tight and punchy.
How's the Pallas pressing? Luckily I have the the transition with the b scratched out. Mint to my ears.
Hi Mike:
I have an AB copy and a Cisco SN 3052 and the high end is a bit soft compared to my AB and all the others I have - have you noticed that?
The Cisco sounds like shit. I would not recommend that copy to anybody. The AB 1st pressing is the one to own. The master tape has been long gone.
Got an AB , lucky me. Why can't modern mainstream music sound as soulful like this record? Just want to transport back to the 70's. I was born in the 80's by the way..
Good to know CHAPPY.
All very good, but can you compare the listening experience of this album comparing the current streaming app. thingies? Thank you.
I bought this as soon as it came out all those years ago! ... sounded fantastic then ... it still does now (minus a bit of surface noise)
Hi:
Actually I don't believe I've ever heard a "horrible" copy and I have 7 copies maybe I've been lucky. I have a high end system and saying these copies are horrible will discourage many who are looking for it. I'm a professional drummer have been all my life recorded toured in Europe and the US and the drums on Aja always sound like real drums. Keep up the good videos!
Now the upcoming UHQR version will be interesting to hear once it comes out. As expensive as they are, they're far cheaper than the Cisco pressings being sold now. Can't wait!
Got. A B pressing at a dollar bin, love it😀
AA1006 w KPG@MCA in deadwax..it sounds very good to me. Maybe because it’s cut by Kevin Grey? Thoughts?
Thanks for this information very valuable.
The one I have has Greg Moore masterpiece in the dead wax I think it sounds really good
I got that ONE!
That’s the one I have. I think it sounds awesome.
I can't stand Steely Dan but I love your video about this LP. Very interesting!
Interesting, i have that first version, the MCA “Super Saver” pressing that Mike completely dismissed. The dead wax shows it was cut by Kevin Gray (KPG), and I think it sounds pretty good!
I bought a new copy way back when this was first came out of Steely Dan "Gaucho" an MCA Audiophile 1/2 Speed Mastering in the Teldec Virgin Vinyl. The dead wax has MCA 2469 A3 B on side a and MCA 2470 B3 B on side b. The album itself has MCA-16009 on the LP case. I know this isn't Aja but I would love how you would rate this pressing. This has always sounded great to me and superior to what I've heard out there before. This is still in mint condition. After watching this video it got me wondering just how good it really is! Thanks
You solved one vinyl mystery for me with this video--I have noticed records in my collection with that straight "burn" on the vinyl, along the edge. Seems that a lot of Columbia product had it. Very few of mine with that defect are audible (and are far less visible than your bad Cisco LP), but I always wondered if it had to do with the way they were handled or processed at the pressing plant. So it turns out it is probably the adhesive used for the innersleeve.
My only problem now is either affording a Cisco copy, or finding an AB or AAB copy that hasn't been worn to a pulp...any used copy I've bought of the ABC pressing has been unacceptably worn (lots of groove burn). And just about all sellers on Discogs don't know what groove burn is, apparently. 🙄
You could write a college text book about Aja and all the work that went into making it . It's the album I judge all audiophiles and their systems by . They either have it and a high quality turntable or they don't .
For the Japanese pressing, the more expensive yen one is the first pressing, and the 2000yen advertised in large text on the obi, is the 2nd pressing. It was a cheaper special discount pressing since it must have reached popularity at the time. Usually this happens on 70s Japanese pressings in general (especially if it has won awards they will press it again for special low price)
Hey brother what about the 180g ABC records??? Idk I thought it sounded pretty good I Noticed you didn't mention anything about it. So I'm guessing you didn't like it at all??, Sure would like your feedback
Pressed in 2008- Greg Moore? Said was alright-
i have every lp he shows in this video plus i have the kevin gray cut he did in the 80s on the rainbow label,,, and i agree with most everything he says expect the part about the cisco being the best,,, the cisco was great for what they had to use( they had a saftey copy as the source) and it shows ,, Grab The original the tape was fresh and it sounds great and can be had for 25 or less