Steely Dan UHQR

This discussion about Steely Dan had me pulling out every album I have to inspect. I noticed that the 2 copies I have of "Steely Dan gold" have been flawed since I bought them. Probably didn’t realize it until I played them long after I originally purchased them, too late to return. None of the other various Steely albums have any issues.

One copy has a special cover, MCA Records Audiophile, MCA-16016, stating it was digitally mastered & pressed with Teldec Virgin Vinyl. It has skippers. The other copy is a regular cover with MCA-1483 stamped in gold at the top right corner, but has MCA-5324 on back of cover, bottom left.

I baby my vinyl and both cleaned a couple of times on my Pro-Ject VC-S2 ALU cleaning machine. Wondering it anyone else had same issues with this particular album?

@jayctoy - not sure what you are talking about with the Gaucho UHQR. It hasn't been released yet. I won't get that one as I have it on an excellent Japanese pressing, and it is my 3rd favorite SD album (after Aja and Royal Scam).

Aja is probably my favorite album (always oscillating with Kind of Blue), so I took the plunge for the UHQR. Wish they would sell it without the useless extra packaging for 1/2 the price, but it's a free country. I take the album out and put it in with the other records so it doesn't take up the valuable space in my favorite album area. I put the packaging on a wall shelf, so at least in my mind I can somewhat justify it as a piece of art which would have been more expensive if I put it on the wall, framed. It is the best sounding album I own, including any of the original UHQRs I have (maybe because it is a 45). Yes, Dark Side and Crime of the Century and even Sgt Pepper- which I thought was previously the best. Finger Paintings is great too. The Aja UHQR is amazing, way better than the original MOFI one.

Also a huge SD fan (seen them 20+ times including Fagen solo tours and the Dukes of September and the NY Rock and Soul Revue - remember that?) If you think SD is elevator music, that is your unfortunate opinion. Maybe you ride in audiophile elevators or don't like well produced music with top musicians playing great songs. I can't name any group other than SD that doesn't have one single song that I would skip when playing an album. One exception - when Becker sang a song on Everything Must Go (RIP Walter - who was a great songwriter/collaborator/band coleader). 

Usually if I have an audiophile pressing of an album, I don't upgrade it, but this is a very rare exception. I'll sell my MFSL copy which has unfortunately dropped in value since the UHQR was released. The only other exception I've made is Rumours where I sold my Nautilus recording and got the 45 release, which sounds better. Interestingly enough, it is sold by the original record label, not an audiophile record company. Somethin' Else is coming on a One Step - that should be an interesting comparison to the other One Steps.

Sokogear that’s right the Gaucho uhQr is coming December.

I received a copy of the Aja UHQR a couple of weeks ago and while I am generally happy with my purchase, I doubt that this will be the first of many more UHQR pressings purchases on my part. 

Reviewers like Michael Fremer work audiophiles up into a frenzy who then react by buying the product after reading the article. (Guilty as charged!). Writers (er, lobbyists) contend that; They could sell out quickly!; THIS is the Holy Grail!; Re-engineered by a Legendary Engineer!; BETTER than the copy you currently have!

One thing I noted in my first reading of Fremer's article was that the turntable he was using was sold at 15K retail. Oddly, that detail is missing from the article (as of today). You know, a great record on a great turntable is gonna sound sonically superior and 11 out of 11 grade will result, so no one is going to dispute that.

My turntable (Rega P6/Ania) is not a 15K turntable. What I get is a better copy from what I had, and as others here have stated, the 2-albums on 45 RPM pretty much always sound better than an original 33 RPM LP. The clarity and the separation of instruments is excellent, but is it worth $150? 

I would buy more of these type of pressings if they were in the $60 range, but there are a fair amount of new releases in 45 RPM that are priced in the $40 range, so I will simply contend to resist the hype in my future purchases. 

Agree @goodlistening64 - get rid of the extra packaging we don't need and charge $60 like they do for the other 45s on MFSL or Acoustic Sounds. At $150 a pop, these are only going to be bought for my very favorite albums. Acoustic Sounds increases the rip off factor further by charging for shipping for your first UHQR. Also, not sure why they charge $150 for their UHQR vs. $125 for the MFSL Ultra disc one steps (whose packaging I prefer, but they can make them available for the price they charge for Kind of Blue that comes in a box without the extra unnecessary inserts and packaging I think $70). Regardless of Fremer's turntable, his reviews are helpful in that he compares them to other deluxe pressings and influenced me to NOT buy the Pretzel Logic UHQR.

Keep in mind that if you have the patience, at some point all of the Steely Dan UHQRs will be released on 45 for $60 (without the clarity vinyl and unnecessary packaging) as soon as all the UHQRs sell out. If they wait for all of them to sell out, that may be a while as CTE, PL and KL I predict will be slower sellers, a must have only for the "collectors" which I don't consider myself. I am an enjoyer who only sells when I get a better pressing. I don't keep multiple copies of the same album. Why would you do that? Just play the best one....