Dark Side of the Moon 50th anniversary

[AJSki2fly]

think i tested 4.. original vinyl, the reissue on 180, the sacd and the cd. might have been 2 cds. the original vinyl was my preference, but the rest were all pretty good. the old vinyl just ticked more boxes and gave me a few extra shivers lol

Well I am on my 3rd play of DSOTM in 24 hours and this is the last, for a while, it is the earliest version I possess, Vinyl, LP, Repress, Stereo, 5th, Gatefold, Harvest – SHVL 804, Harvest – 1E 064 o 05249.

There is something rather nice about this original version, it is very hard to say why I prefer it to the 2016 Vinyl re-master or the SACD 40th Anniversary edition, but I will have a go.

Ignoring that my copy has slight surface noise in places, (I think a good clean in my ultrasonic record cleaner will help), what is most noticeable is a feeling of great dynamics and depth and possibly a slightly warmer presentation. Don't get me wrong the differences between the 3 versions mentioned are quite subtle, but this earliest I version I have just seems to be more balanced. I do not think it is physiological, I am quite critical when deliberately listening and focusing on a piece of music, or just perhaps it is the 70's version(s) that I have heard many, many times since its original release has embedded itself in my brain so I fell more at home with how it sounds. An interesting thought, could that be why I like the oldest version the most?

So in summary I could listen to any version I own and enjoy DSOTM, it is a rather special album musically, but I think the 5th pressing copy I own has the edge just.

[Macca]

or just perhaps it is the 70's version(s) that I have heard many, many times since its original release has embedded itself in my brain so I fell more at home with how it sounds. An interesting thought, could that be why I like the oldest version the most?

I think that's very likely.

As a student I listened to lot of Zeppelin and Hendrix on vinyl. I played all those albums to death. They still don't sound 'right' to me on CD even 30 odd years on and probably never will.

[AJSki2fly]

I think that's very likely.

As a student I listened to lot of Zeppelin and Hendrix on vinyl. I played all those albums to death. They still don't sound 'right' to me on CD even 30 odd years on and probably never will.

Yes Martin, it suddenly occurred to me that this could be the reason, like you I was and still am an avid Led Zeppelin and Hendrix fan, and similarly am not that keen on later re-masters or remixes of them, I particularly dislike some of the Led Zeppelin early CDs, and really do not like the Re-Master double album. There are a few other groups I listened to intensely from my teenage years to about 30 and I think that same hold trues for this as well, interesting. Perhaps our musical appreciation, even down to how we like a system to sound to our ears and brain is pre-conditioned by our early listening years.

[Macca]

. Perhaps our musical appreciation, even down to how we like a system to sound to our ears and brain is pre-conditioned by our early listening years.

I don't think there's any doubt about it. Our tastes and preferences are entirely constructed by external influences that we had no control over whatsoever. But we like to think that these are 'choices' that we make rationally and consciously.

[struth]

I don't think there's any doubt about it. Our tastes and preferences are entirely constructed by external influences that we had no control over whatsoever. But we like to think that these are 'choices' that we make rationally and consciously.

im sure to an extent your probably right, yet my love of blues from an early age came from no-one i know. i just seemed to seek it out

[Jimbo]

By all accounts the earlier UK DSOTM pressings are considered to sound the best. The all analogue versions and original masters are probably the closest to what we all remember when we first heard the album. Everything after is probably a retrograde step?

[Pigmy Pony]

Perhaps I should be seeking out an early pressing of DSOTM, but for it it sound truly as it was then, I'm gonna need this, the record player I had at the time:

[AJSki2fly]

Perhaps I should be seeking out an early pressing of DSOTM, but for it it sound truly as it was then, I'm gonna need this, the record player I had at the time:

Might even sound better than you usually listen to

[Barry]

And you need to find a mono copy to play on your Fidelity record player.

[Wakefield Turntables]

£245 for this new re-issue - - Err, yeah, £245 will be staying in my accounts!