Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Analogue Productions App 9135 Other by EdAInWestOC

Model:	App 9135
Category:	Other
Suggested Retail Price:	$30.00
Description:	Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
Manufacturer URL:	Analogue Productions
Model Picture:	View

Review by EdAInWestOC on August 13, 2011 at 17:14:36
IP Address: 24.35.51.206 Add Your Review
for the App 9135

The long awaited inagural offering from Analogue Productions new pressing plant, Quality Record Pressings, has finally been released. This 33RPM 200gm LP is the product of many years of effort and is just a little more important than just another LP. It is the culmination of years of experience and the tireless efforts of perfectionists and fueled by a man whose quest is to press the best LPs the world has ever seen.

This is the end product of Chad Kassem, George Marino, Gary Salstrom and Mark Huggett. Chad Kassem provided the leadership and money, George Marino provided the mastering for this release, Gary Salstrom provided the expertise to bring the QRP plating department into operation and Mark Huggett can be credited with the expertise that brought the record presses back to life. All of this may not seem like too much of a story but this time the job was done the way it was supposed to be done. The way that years of experience and lessons taught that it could be done. If only someone cared enough to make it happen. They did.

Reality was as much a driving force behind this LP as anything. Chad Kassem was a victim of his own success and the long queues at RTI and every other available pressing plant made production of LPs a miserable affair. Things had to change and Chad was determined to make it happen. Just ahead of Chad on the path to creating their own pressing plant was Mike Hobson of Classic Records. Chad Kassem bought Classic Records to jump start his dream of owning his own pressing plant. It seemed like the thing to do I suppose.

Michael Fremer published a nice article on the creation of Quality Record Pressings in the August 2011 issues of Stereophile. Even if you do not like Stereophile it is must reading for anyone who cares about LPs and the future of the record pressing business. Suffice it to say that Tea For The Tillerman represents those many years of efforts made by the countless people who care about record pressing. It is proof that pressing LPs is a living art in 2011. Everyone who collects LPs should be thankful for the men who put all of the effort into the job of creating this product.

Turn back the clock and calendar many years ago and its been since the 1980s and the release of the UHQR series of LPs by Mobile Fidelity since we have seen this level of LP production art. Mike Hobson's Classic Records last produced something this good with the red box 45RPM Clarity Vinyl series of LP releases just prior to their acquisition by Chad Kassem. The red box 45RPM CLarity Vinyl LPs were 45RPM releases so its a little different but it was another effort to create the best.

Tea For The Tillerman is reknowned for its sound quality and it was fortunate that the master tapes were in excellent shape for this release. This turned out to be the perfect choice for the first release from QRP. My copy of Tea For The Tillerman arrived early on Saturday 8/13/2011 and I had some time to visually check out the product. This Saturday included a long line of violent thinderstorms that made listening an ill advised thing.

My copy of the LP came shipped in a heavy box that many of us who have bought from Analogue Productions have seen before. The LP was sealed in a loose fitting poly bag with a perforated edge for easy opening. The cover is a reproduction of the UK gatefold and is made from a heavy cardboard with a heavy glossy finish. The inside of the gatefold includes a textured finish and the LP itself comes inside a poly sleeve that reminds me a lot of the MoFi sleeves that are so popular these days. It looks like it is sourced from the same factory with the onyl visible difference being the black printing of Quality Record Pressings as opposed to Mobile Fidelity on the sleeve. There is laso a color sleeve that tells about the production of Tea For The Tillerman that accompanies the Acoustic Sounds postcard to mail in for a newsletter.

The 200gm LP was absolutely flat and perfectly centered. The surface of the LP was beautifully shiny and free of anything but the leadin groove the music and leadout. The LP was visually perfect. Somewhat later in the afternoon we had a break in the line of thunderstorms and I took advantage of the lull.

I queued up side 1 and immediately heard what all the fuss was about. The leadin groove was a silky quiet as any LP I have ever owned or heard. Before any music was heard this was a statement product. AFter the musci started it got better. The music emerged from an absolutely black background free of any pops of clicks. The sound was marvelous with a sense of organic flow and sense of realism that we wished all LPs had.

Cat Stevens guitar work could not have been more immediate or realistic unless he were sitting in my listeniing room transported by 40 years. It was really that good. The mastering was excellent, the vinyl was quiet, the pressing was second to none and the whole package reminded me why I love this hobby. I sometimes pull out a UHQR to remind myself that LPs can be as good as they can and this one is one of those great products.

This is the year 2011 and someone is making statement quality LPs. This is not 1980 and the LPs were not made in Japan. They we made in Salina, KS.

On top of all this the music is as timeless as it was in 1970. Cat Stevens was one of those artists that could really be called an artist and this LP is a combination of great music, a great recording, great mastering, great plating and great pressing. Kudos to Chad Kassen, Gary Salstrom, Mike Huggett and George Marino for producing something they can be very proud of. You have restored the art of pressing the best LP in the year 2011. Kudos indeed.

Ed

Product Weakness:	None...except it only last for about 40 minutes
Product Strengths:	Everything

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Modified Adcom GFA-555II
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Audible Illusions L1 - Modified
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Modified Denon DP-62L
Speakers: Magnepan MGMC1
Cables/Interconnects: Kimber Hero WBT044
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Classic Rock
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Modified Adcom GFA-555II
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Audible Illusions L1 - Modified
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Modified Denon DP-62L
Speakers:	Magnepan MGMC1
Cables/Interconnects:	Kimber Hero WBT044
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classic Rock
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner