Weird, fascinating phenomenon on Yes Fragile LP


I'm totally intrigued. Maybe you can help me figure this out.

On a good used copy of Yes Fragile I just purchased, I heard something really strange:

I had on my AKG 702s, fed by my Raptor headphone amp, VAC preamp and a killer analog front end and was listening to one of my favorite tracks, Mood For A Day, which I've heard 100's of times. It sounded beautiful and was completely involving... then, about a minute into the song, I heard a faint click and suddenly it sounded like someone turned on another mic, or inverted the phase, or something, but it was instant and dramatic! It was as if I was A/B-ing two different systems! Different soundstage, presence, one more enveloping, the first more laid back... weird! It lasted until just a second or two before the end of the song.

Of course my first thought, as is probably yours, was that something changed in my system at that moment: tube failure, some circuit that suddenly came on or switched off, etc. But no, I played the track again and it happened again at the same exact spot!

So I pulled out another copy of the album, also from 1972, and listened to the same cut without making any adjustments... it played flawlessly. No phase changes or any anomalies whatsoever.

Have you experienced this? Have any ideas as to what this is? It would be great to hear from any recoding engineers.

Thanks!
Ag insider logo xs@2xalonski

Showing 3 responses by alonski

Dweller, I don't have the CD, but on another copy of the same LP it DOESN'T happen.

Shadorne, could it be that they used different takes for different pressings? Why would they do that?
Thanks for your insights, as well as the anecdote about Sting annoying Copeland... I can see him doing that.

My analog rig is very revealing. Maybe on a "regular" record player the effect is not so dramatic and the producers thought no one would notice. Ah, the glorious burden of a trained ear...

That link you posted is great. If you, or anyone else reading has more examples of this recording phenomenon, please share them. Feels like audio detective work!
Shadorne, that A'gon thread is great. I'm going to get Shirley Horn's album just to hear her call Miles Davis an A**hole!

Your posts seem very well informed, how is it you have the inside scoop on these recordings and the stories behind them?