Which Steely Dan Aja lp to buy?

The new UHQR version seems to be the best.  Here’s a good review…

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/steely-dans-200g-45rpm-2lp-aja-pride-analogue-productions-uhqr-neighborhood

" I don't know it is the first pressing."

It's all in the deadwax. Find your  AA orAB1006

There are many pressings for the debut year

Steely Dan - Aja | Releases | Discogs

Ineteresting,  with all the great earlier SD albums, this one always pops up-nearly 17 years later!

Good listen anyhow...

 

I was a rep for Maxell back then, so audio tape was always prevalent and usually free or cheap.

I have a 1977 ABC yellow label version of Aja that I purchased new that year. Is this the original pressing, or how can I tell? I just looked at the LP and it looks like new- I recall that I typically recorded both cassettes and R t R copies when I first played my LPs in the hopes of keeping the LP pristine- this LP is near perfect, but I don't know it is the first pressing.

the uni japan disc is the end all version...

the universal japan vinyl version just hit.....all is well

audiofeil.....i believe it had something to do with who owned abc records....i believe the item numbers changed when abc/dunhill was swallowed by mca(Muscle-Cash-Attorneys)in '79...a good guess

I just purchased a small record collection which included a copy of Aja with catalog number ABC AB1006. The copy I purchased on release in 1977 is catalog number ABC AA1006.

Normally second, third, etc. releases share the original catalog number and the release information is shown in the deadwax.

Anybody know the story behind these different catalog numbers?

Thanks in advance.

Try the original. Tom Port of www.dccblowout.com has been featuring "shoot-outs" over the past two months of various Steely Dan albums. The originals are hard to find in sonically correct master tape quality (many lack bass). Interesting to see what he has picked and the prices he is fetching--$600 to 800 for a pristine copy.

I looked up any posts on the re-mastering of Aja and found this thread. I have to agree with all here...I just got the re re-mastered Aja and am very unimpressed compared to the ABC 1977 orig. mastered by Bernie G.

If you have the orig. kids..that's the real deal! The dynamics and vocals on this is way better than the new remaster. Oh well..had to try it.

The original ABC yellow label is the ticket.

MOFI version sucks.

Thanks for the input, seems unanimous for the original ABC (which I already have, albiet not a very clean copy). Somebody must be buying these re-issues?

Yup, the original ABC. They're everywhere cheap. In the dollar bins at used record stores (or certainly very reasonably priced), record shows or the thrifts. Chances are you can buy 10 of them for the price of the re-issue and out of the 10 you'll be bound to get a couple of decent copies that probably sound better than the re-issue.

I can see buying re-issues if there is difficulty in obtaining a clean copy of the original. That's not the case with AJA.

the universal import will be from the original masters too. the original abc pressing is a classic.

G_m_c has a good point: this is one LP where the original pressing, readily available, can sound great. I'll be curious to hear side-by-side comparison reports when the reissues come out.

I would go for an original ABC.
They can be hit or miss, but when they are good, they are good. I have not heard any positive talk about the remasterings.

I think, and this is a think, that you rely on Kevin Gray. He does a lot of work with Steve Hoffman, a fellow highly recognized for remastering. His surfaces are quiet, too.