Thank God for Chad Kassem.


I just finished watching a video on YouTube, a conversation between Chad Kassem and Kevin Gray. If you like LP’s ("vinyls" for you kids ;-), you should too.

Chad Kassem began his adult life as a dealer of rare records, and now owns Analogue Productions, Acoustic Sounds, and Quality Record Pressing. Kevin Gray has long been one of the best and most in demand mastering engineers in the world, and has done a lot of work for Chad. In this almost one-and-a-half-hour video the two discuss the Analogue Production LP’s that Kevin has mastered for Chad, both providing lots of fascinating details on those records. For instance:

Chad got the original 3-track master tape of the debut solo album of Buddy Holly, as well as the metal father made from those tapes in 1958! Chad had Kevin cut a new father from those tapes, and the two compared the the sound of an original 1958 LP, the original metal father, and Kevin’s new cut. Chad could have repressed the album using the original father as the source, but Kevin’s new cut sounded better to both he and Kevin (as revealed by Bernie Grundman in the video dedicated to the new AP reissue of Kind Of Blue, tapes do NOT deteriorate with the simple passage of time, but rather from use.). If you are fortunate enough to own an original copy of the Buddy Holly LP (which sell for around $500 in average condition), compare it to the new Analogue Productions pressing of the album (with liner notes by Graham Nash), and decide for yourself. For those of us who don’t, the $35 AP LP is an outrageous bargain.

Chad got the 3-track master (recorded at 30 ips on 1" tape!) of one of the early Nat King Cole albums on Capitol Records. In listening to the tape, Chad and Kevin heard the echo and reverb the Capitol engineer(s) had added to the basic tracks, and had to decide whether or not to include that added sound in their new version---some of it, all of it, or none of it. Watch the video to hear of their decision. ;-)

Kevin also did the work on the 14 Beach Boys LP’s Analogue Productions has issued, and that work absolutely transformed the sound of those albums. I had six copies of Pet Sounds before AP released their reissue (in both 33-1/3 and 45RPM versions, and in both mono and stereo), but now need only one: the new AP LP. $35 for the 33-1/3 (1 LP), $55 for the 45 (2 LP’s). If you think there is a White Hot Stamper LP of Pet Sounds, you’re living in fantasy land.
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Hi @hotel. I too have the DCC Pet Sounds LP, as well as their gold disc CD of the album, both mastered by Steve Hoffman.

Kevin Gray was years ago hired by Capitol Records to produce a new stereo mix of Pet Sounds, and he worked side-by-side with Brian on that project. When Chad Kassem secured the rights to do 14 Beach Boys album reissues, he chose Kevin to do the mastering.

While the Surfer Girl album was recorded in true stereo---as well as in great sound quality (even the Capitol LP of that album sounds good), Pet Sounds, Smiley Smile, and Wild Honey were issued by Capitol on LP in mono and "reprocessed stereo", and sound terrible (no highs, no lows, and extremely veiled). Past reissues (including that by DCC) slightly improved the sound of Pet Sounds, but not nearly to the same degree as has Analogue Productions in their new LP. If you love Pet Sounds, you NEED the AP pressing! 
I agree that AP puts out great vinyl.  I went for the Miles Kind of Blue from them and it is outstanding. A++++.  I’ve not heard their Pet Sounds product.  I do have the DCC LIMITED version LPZ- 2006 and it is fine also.