STEELY DAN, Gaucho ROBERT LUDWIG Masterdisk USA 1st pressing LP [Hey Nineteen]

$

20

 Steely Dan ?– Gaucho Label: MCA Records ?– MCA-6102 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album  Country: US Released: 1980 Genre: Jazz, Rock Style: Pop Rock, Classic Rock, Jazz-Rock Tracklist Hide Credits A1 Babylon Sisters Arranged By [Horns] – Rob Mounsey Backing Vocals [Backup] – Diva Grey*, Gordon Grody, Lani Groves, Leslie Miller, Patti Austin, Toni Wine Bass – Chuck Rainey Bass Clarinet – George Marge, Walter Kane* Drums – Bernard Purdie Electric Piano, Clavinet – Don Grolnick Guitar – Steve Khan Percussion – Crusher Bennett* Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Tom Scott Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker 5:51 A2 Hey Nineteen Backing Vocals [Backup] – Frank Floyd, Zack Sanders* Bass – Walter Becker Drums – Rick Marotta Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Walter Becker Percussion – Steve Gadd, Victor Feldman 5:04 A3 Glamour Profession Arranged By [Horns] – Tom Scott Backing Vocals [Backup] – Frank Floyd, Leslie Miller, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Bass – Anthony Jackson Drums – Steve Gadd Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Steve Khan Percussion – Ralph McDonald* Piano – Rob Mounsey Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Tenor Saxophone, Lyricon – Tom Scott 7:28 B1 Gaucho Arranged By [Horns] – Tom Scott Backing Vocals [Backup] – Leslie Miller, Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson Bass – Walter Becker Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Steve Khan Lead Guitar – Walter Becker Percussion – Crusher Bennett* Piano – Rob Mounsey Tenor Saxophone – Tom Scott Trumpet – Randy Brecker 5:32 B2 Time Out Of Mind Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn Arranged By [Horns] – Rob Mounsey Backing Vocals [Backup] – Leslie Miller, Michael McDonald, Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson Baritone Saxophone – Ronny Cuber* Bass – Walter Becker Drums – Rick Marotta Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Walter Becker Lead Guitar – Mark Knopfler Piano – Rob Mounsey Tenor Saxophone – Dave Tofani, Michael Brecker Trumpet – Randy Brecker 4:10 B3 My Rival Arranged By [Horns] – Tom Scott Backing Vocals [Backup] – Frank Floyd, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Bass – Anthony Jackson Drums – Steve Gadd Electric Piano – Patrick Rebillot* Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker Guitar – Hiram Bullock, Rick Derringer Lead Guitar – Steve Khan Organ, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Percussion – Ralph McDonald* Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Tenor Saxophone, Lyricon – Tom Scott Timbales – Nicholas Marrero* Trombone – Wayne Andre 4:30 B4 Third World Man Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums – Steve Gadd Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Steve Khan Electric Piano – Joe Sample Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Synthesizer – Rob Mounsey 5:14 Companies, etc. Lacquer Cut At – Europadisk Mastered At – Masterdisk Credits Arranged By [Rhythm] – Don Grolnick, Paul Griffin, Rob Mounsey, Steely Dan Design [Assistant] – John Tom Cohoe Design, Art Direction – Susanne Walsh Engineer [Assistant] – Barbara Issak, Carla Bandini, Craig Goetsch, Georgie Offrell, Gerry Gabinelli, John Dougherty, John Potoker, Linda Randazzo, Marti Robertson*, Rosa Howell, Tom Greto Engineer [Executive] – Roger Nichols Lead Vocals – Donald Fagen Management [Cash] – Leonard Freedman Management [Clout] – Front Line Management Mastered By – Robert Ludwig*  Mixed By – Elliot Scheiner Music By, Lyrics By – Donald Fagen, Walter Becker Photography By – René Burri (2) Producer – Gary Katz Sequenced By [Wendal], Effects [Wendal] – Roger Nichols Technician [Piano Technician] – Don Farrar Tracking By – Bill Schnee, Elliot Scheiner Tracking By [Overdub] – Jerry Garszza*, Roger Nichols Translated By [Italian Translation] – Victor Di Suvero Notes Special thanks to: Scott Luther and Fred Hull c/o Compal Copmuters Fabulous vintage electric guitars courtesy of Richard, Steven and Lawrence Friedman. Photographed for Magnum.  Printed inner sleeve, cardboard quality.  

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM [IN GOLD OVERSTAMPED LATER SLEEVE] WITH ORIGINAL PRINTED INNER SLEEVE.

MATRIX:  SIDE A: MCA-2469-MD-1 MASTERDISK RL (EDP) M2 SF 1 SM3 05 11 / SIDE B: MCA-2470-MD 1 MASTERDISK RL (EDP) 05.

SLEEVE: EXCELLENT MINUS, STILL IN OPENED SHRINK WRAP.  JUST MINOR CORNER BUMPS.  TOP CORNER HAS NEW GOLD MCA STAMPED CATALOGUE NUMBER, BUT THE DISC ITSELF IS STILL THE VERY FIRST MD1 ROBERT LUDWIG PRESSING. INNER SLEEVE VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISC: VERY GOOD+, JUST SHORT OF EXCELLENT MINUS. NO SCRATCHES, JUST A FEW LIGHT HAIRLINES AND SOME FINGERPRINTS THAT NEED A PROFESSIONAL CLEAN PRIOR TO FIRST PLAY FOR THE BEST AUDIO. CLEAN LABELS WITH SOME SPINDLE WEAR.

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are  clearer.

On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant.  The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.