DAVID BOWIE, Hunky Dory USA 1st pressing LP Life on Mars?/Changes/Pretty Things

$

73

  David Bowie ?– Hunky Dory Label: RCA Victor ?– LSP 4623 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Textured Sleeve, Rockaway Pressing  Country: US Released: 1971 Genre: Rock Style: Classic Rock, Glam Tracklist Hide Credits A1 Changes 3:33 A2 Oh! You Pretty Things 3:12 A3 Eight Line Poem 2:53 A4 Life On Mars? 3:48 A5 Kooks 2:49 A6 Quicksand 5:03 B1 Fill Your Heart Written-By – Biff Rose, Paul Williams (2) 3:07 B2 Andy Warhol 3:53 B3 Song For Bob Dylan 4:12 B4 Queen Bitch 3:13 B5 The Bewlay Brothers 5:21 Companies, etc. Phonographic Copyright (p) – RCA Ltd. Copyright (c) – RCA Ltd. Published By – Tantric Music Corp. Produced For – GEM Productions Produced At – Trident Studios Remixed At – Trident Studios Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Rockaway Credits Arranged By – Mick Ronson (tracks: A1, A4 to A6, B1)  Artwork [Front Cover] – George Underwood Bass, Trumpet – Trevor Bolder Drums – Mick Woodmansey Guitar – David Bowie, Mick Ronson Lead Vocals – David Bowie Photography By [Front And Back Covers] – Brian Ward (5) Piano – David Bowie, Rick Wakeman Producer – Ken Scott Saxophone – David Bowie Notes US Pressing. Has the following characteristics: Even Black Frame around front photo Textured front cover No Title Written on Front Cover Sepia Toned Back Cover Hand Etched Matrices (Rockaway Pressing Only) Orange Label Rockaway pressing (New York) - first use of the master tape after being sent from England (for worldwide distribution from New York). 

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM IN TEXTURED SLEEVE WITH NO WRITING ON FRONT AND ORIGINAL PRINTED INNER SLEEVE.

MATRIX:  SIDE A: APRS-5947-3S-A2B R /  SIDE B: APRS-5948-3S-A14 R.

SLEEVE: VERY GOOD ONLY DUE TO CORNER BUMPS, PINE AND EDGE NICKS, BOTTOM CORNER RIGHT HAS ONE INCH SEAM SPLIT, TOP CORNER RIGHT HAS A TWO INCH SEAM SPLIT.  OTHERWISE A FAIRLY DECENT SLEEVE WITH NO RING WEAR.   INNER SLEEVE HAS  SEAM SPLITS.

DISC[S]: VERY GOOD+. NO SCRATCHES, JUST A FEW LIGHT HAIRLINES AND ON PLAY SCUFF. CLEAN LABELS. THIS IS THE CLOSEST SOUNDING PRESSING TO THE RARE UK FIRST ISSUE AS IT IS CUT FROM FIRST GENERATION MASTER TAPES.  THE DISC PLAYS WITH NO SKIPS OR JUMPS, AND HAS VERY GOOD AUDIO, THE ODD POP OR CLICK BUT NOTHING TO SPOIL THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

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.  

     
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