Sun Ra saturn re-issues

Grimace: of course the original saturns sounded bad. So what. If we were so obsessed with sound quality that we couldn't listen to a record, we would indeed have a problem. Not that I am saying that you are guilty of this, far from it.

I also have a poor sounding Heliocentric Worlds LP's on ESP, including one that looks mint but sounds so-so. Even the Base records reissues sound better.

Sorry, I am holding on to my original Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra on saturn. You should try the Jazz Record Center, and speak to Fred Cohen. It will probably run about $40.

I didn't say I don't listen to it, just that it isn't a great pressing. In fact side A is worse than side B for some reason. I'm guessing QC wasn't a high priority at the pressing plant.

Those ESP's were wacky. I have some that are sonically spectacular. Others seem like a monkey on acid pressed them.

My best ESP record (sonically): a mint original of "Spiritual Unity" by Albert Ayler in mono. My worst: Marion Brown's first album, whose name I forgot (indicative of it's non-played status).

Seriously, check out Jazz Record Center here in NYC. Fred Cohen can get anything for a price.

first of all, thank you. incidentally I landed on this site through Google, but I have always wondered who made the reissues and how they were made.

so, Alton Abraham did all this? great.
but even when many of them were made from the original tapes, it surely will be quiet different from the original. transferring tape, A/D (I guess it won´t be a fully analogue process until the master-lacquer), and of course cutting and pressing all will make the difference. does this matter? to some, to others not.

we definitely have to ask what "better" sound is by the way. I love recordings such as these old Saturns as close to what they (Ra, Alton etc) heard back in the 60s and 70s on their monitors, so I love the original pressings. but what´s "original" by the way? I consider f.e. my Thoth version of Cosmic Tones... as original although the first version was with a different cover, and surely a different sound as well.

I want to point out that Saturns/Thoths did NOT sound bad over-all, like so many tend to write in their ebay or whatever descriptions. it´s just an excuse for a bad copy. I have about 10 Saturns/Thoths so far and they all sound fantastic. I know there´s bad ones, but that´s NOT the majority.
I´m audio engineer and quiet a critical listener, although I do not consider myself as an audiophile. I can perfectly live with a dirty 4-track machine sound if it represents what was going on on that particular recording.

maybe someone has even more details on the reissues, how/where they were mastered, and who exactly is doing them? is Alton Abraham just giving his ok or is he at the helm for these reissues?

and, there have been stolen quiet some mastertapes in the 70s, this should also be considered...

Josch753: Alton Abraham did not do all the reissues, just some of them and maybe most of them. I am not sure which. They kept the liner notes the same as the originals down to the letter, so it does not say on the jacket. He certainly had the access to the master tapes. Albums like "Strange Strings" were transfered from master discs, and you can hear surface noise on it. Maybe they were metal, maybe not. The early saturns were on tape for sure though, as you can hear the hiss. I am glad they left it.

I think that the saturns are a mixed bag, but personally I love them all. I have lived with them so long that even the 'flaws' have beauty. They are a rare and wonderful thing.