How can it be that some old recordings sound sublime?


How do some older records sound insanely great?

I'm listening to Bill Evans "Song for Debbie" on vinyl. The soundstage is palpable. This is a live recording from 1961.   How is this possible?  
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When lp records first hit, for many years great care was taken in regards to sound quality because it was a new and marketable thing and the sound is what helped sell as much as the performance.   The technology needed to make good recordings was not an issue even then.  

Over time  as the novelty wore off record product quality became more hit or miss much as it is still today.  

Also as mentioned recordings were all analog mastered largely with tube based gear which imparts a unique sound to recordings of the era preceding transistors. That makes most any recording from the time audio candy of a sort.  

Also so nowadays audiophiles have access to better playback gear than ever so you get the best of both worlds and old recordings that may have never had a chance to shine now can.  Remastered properly to CD and digital even. 
^^^ Agreed. Redbook CD's can sound wonderful if mastered properly ... as long at the hands are kept off of the reverb knob and the recording is EQed properly.  

On the early recordings from the mono era and the golden age of stereo ... I often wonder if the folks recording them really knew what they were archiving in those grooves. We have the high resolution systems to get the best out of the recordings, but did they? I know that many times after making an upgrade, I often wonder how much more information is contained in those grooves. We continue chasing it, don't we? 
The liner notes to the box set 'Sunday at Village Vanguard' where your set comes from (or maybe you mean "Waltz for Debby") goes into detail how the trio was recorded that day. The kicker is that it was done by a total amateur student. He knew nothing about recording, and it turns out he captured incredible sound. I'm also a huge fan of this set of recordings. May be the best sounding live stuff I've ever heard.
If ScottW is correct, his post makes this all the more intriguing because a student recorded this live work!

And yes, I'm talking about Waltz for Debbie. I must've been tired when I posted. Nonetheless, it is one of the best live recordings ever.