DexterMiller 20th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelThe Beatles - Beatles VI (1970) | ReviewSingle-reel reissue of the earlier Capitol "two-fer" budget copy; dubbed with much better sound quality this time (at 7 1/2IPS as well as on longer lasting polyester-base tape) and commercially available during 1970-1971.
4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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DexterMiller 16th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelThe Beatles - The Beatles Second Album (1969) | ReviewArguably(?), even by underground b.l. consensus, THE BEST commercially-released sound quality of this infamously bad recording *ever* available...even better than the 2004 remaster in the Capitol Albums cd rainbow box (because: the source tape when the reel was duplicated would've been 35 years NEWER). The bass was not filtered out on the tape like it had to be for vinyl copies.
6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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DexterMiller 16th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelRoland Shaw Orchestra - More Themes From The James Bond Thrillers (1966) | ReviewI've never heard "Vol. 1" of this, but: the interpretations here are not awful, nor lounge kitsch at all. They're faithful-enough to the source material so much...they're pleasant in their own right for their unabashed grandiosity. As close to being another London "Phase 4" album of the period as one could get (most of the technical credits are probably the same).
6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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DexterMiller 15th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelCreedence Clearwater Revival - Willy And The Poor Boys (1969) | ReviewNot bad for a 3 3/4-speed reel at all! The tape communicates the narrowly-mixed, "Rockabilly"/bar-band-sound with so much more naturalness and "clean" distortion than the vinyl counterpart.
4 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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DexterMiller 13th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelThree Dog Night - Around The World With Three Dog Night (1973) | ReviewGRT, like Columbia House, were usually budget tape manufacturers with poor audio quality product...*BUT*: GRT REALLY WENT ALL-OUT WITH AMAZING SONICS ON THIS ONE! I'm guessing(?), maybe(?): they'd outsourced reel to reel duplication to MAGTEC at this time (the dark grey oxide Scotch 203 is the same stock as the MAGTEC-duped reels of this late era of the format). There's no way GRT ever made anything on their own this good!
I am a tremendous fan of Three Dog Night and think THEY SHOULD be in the R'nR HOF! Again, if people ever heard these performances on this format: it would totally blow-away the 8-track cartridges and crummy Dunhill vinyl they were probably introduced to this recording with.
5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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DexterMiller 10th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelThe Beatles - Yesterday And Today (1966) | ReviewThis 5" reel of the Capitol Y&T album came out in September, 1966 and: WAS THE FIRST REPRESENTATION OF IT -IN ANY FORMAT- ISSUED IN TRUE STEREO WITH NO DUOPHONIC TRACKS.
The stereo mixes of the songs: "I'm Only Sleeping"; "And Your Bird Can Sing"; and "Dr. Robert" are all *unique* earlier mixes NOT ON THE BRITISH STEREO REVOLVER.
6 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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DexterMiller 10th Jun 2020 | | Reel-to-ReelThe Beatles - Rubber Soul / The Beatles' Second Album (1966) | ReviewThe SIBILANCE on this, 3 3/4ips dubbing of Rubber Soul is unbearable to listen to in places. Also: the cost-cutting acetate-base tape stock used for these "brown box" Capitol reels IS REALLY FRAGILE by this point and, not worth the investment risk.
Instead: go for the 7 1/2ips Ampex Rubber Soul on a single reel from 1970. It'll cost a little more (as people *know* what it IS), but it will be the best "audiophile" example of the Capitol version better than the one in the 2006 cd longbox remaster.
5 people found this review helpful. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
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