Article: The Best Version Of... Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly

[Josh Mound]

19 minutes ago, MikeyFresh said:

@JoshMThis isn't just a great piece, but a masterpiece on this fantastic album that I first bought as a youth. It is and always will be an all-time favorite.

 

My first copy was the original vinyl, now long gone, then the CD which I should still have somewhere (and am now curious to check if it's the digital or analog tape sourced version), followed by both the DVD-Audio, and then the Trilogy DVD/CD box set.

 

I did not know there was a Japanese SACD reissue, I'll probably have to find that on eBay just to complete the set!

 

Thank you so much for the kinds words!

[KDinsmore]

Man I LOVE these comparo's. I wish we had one a month.

[Mayfair]

Thanks, @JoshM.   Superb article, superb writing. 

[DavidParis]

Congratulations to the author for an outstanding article. As a long time fan of Steely Dan and particularly Donald Fagen I found this article to be a forensic deep-dive of epic proportion. Many memories were conjured in my mind of a fleeting youth and my first exposure to the Nightfly album as I devoured each word of this excellent work. A thousand bravos and a massive thank you for your diligent and painstaking attention to detail.

Brgds.

[Josh Mound]

On 4/29/2021 at 10:29 PM, KDinsmore said:

Man I LOVE these comparo's. I wish we had one a month.

 

Thank you. Back in the day, I thought I'd be writing one once every few weeks. But the amount of work I put into each has gone up since then. I look at it as a question of value added. There are lots of articles about The Nightfly out there. I want to write something that will be close to the definitive account of every album I tackle.

 

For me to write them once every few weeks, I'd need to turn it into my real job, which would probably involve Chris helping me spin TBVO off into a freestanding site like SuperDeluxeEdition. That's enticing, but I'm not sure if I'd want to do that for a few reasons. The first its that turning anything into your main gig risks ruining the fun. The second is that a site like that would have to survive on advertising from labels, and I'm not sure how that might impact my ability to be honest about what's actually the best version of an album. The labels would always want me to recommend the newest version. Yes, AS has advertising. But it's a pretty diverse portfolio of gear and services. For example, Qobuz doesn't worry about specific version of albums. They just want listeners. I have no compunction about mentioning Qobuz as a source for a streaming version of an album because I actually use Qobuz and think it's the best streaming service. However, that doesn't stop me from recommending a version that isn't streaming at all. In contrast, I don't know if my willingness to recommend OOP CDs would endear me to labels trying to promote the latest big box set, which might not actually be the best sounding version. 

 

So, while I don't see TBVOs coming every few weeks, or even every month, anytime soon, I do hope and expect that by the end of this year they'll be coming out closer to every two months. The past year has been very, very busy, but my life will mercifully slow down by Xmas of '21.

 

I put a lot of heart and soul into each TBVO, and I enjoy every minute of it. So as soon as I have more minutes available, it's going to mean more TBVOs. 

[KDinsmore]

I certainly appreciate your effort here Josh. You make an excellent point concerning Qobuz not worrying about specific versions of albums. I am the opposite and own multiple mastering's and issues  of CD's. Even if one of your reviews isn't of an album I like it is still great reading to me. Thanks again.

[CharlesN]

The best piece of writing about a single album that I've ever read, period, full stop. Astonishing work and research, Josh. The bar is set high for exhaustive analysis when it comes to TBVO features, but you've exceeded even that high bar here--the equivalent of a doctoral thesis on The Nightfly. 

 

I've owned Nightfly on digital disc since the CD was first released and, over the years, have collected every digital release except for the destroyed first mastering and the streaming releases. The 24/48 has ended up my fave, with the high rez layer on the SACD a close second. You're right to point out that the original CD (mastering #2) can be fatiguing and that's my main issue with it--I can't remember the last time I listened to it all the way through. It has a reputation as an audiophile classic, no doubt, but I'd argue that it's real claim to fame was as an audiophile demo disc, which is a subtly different thing. It's great for audio showboating a song or two or three to wow friends or high-end audio shoppers. But sometimes sound that wows you immediately doesn't hold up so well over the course of an entire album, and I definitely get "wow fatigue" from the original CD.

 

On a final note: this level of quality in writing deserves to be supported financially, at least on a voluntary basis, and I'd welcome a donation option for readers of TBVO. This is content that's worth paying for! 

 

 

[Josh Mound]

16 hours ago, CharlesN said:

The best piece of writing about a single album that I've ever read, period, full stop. Astonishing work and research, Josh. The bar is set high for exhaustive analysis when it comes to TBVO features, but you've exceeded even that high bar here--the equivalent of a doctoral thesis on The Nightfly. 

 

I've owned Nightfly on digital disc since the CD was first released and, over the years, have collected every digital release except for the destroyed first mastering and the streaming releases. The 24/48 has ended up my fave, with the high rez layer on the SACD a close second. You're right to point out that the original CD (mastering #2) can be fatiguing and that's my main issue with it--I can't remember the last time I listened to it all the way through. It has a reputation as an audiophile classic, no doubt, but I'd argue that it's real claim to fame was as an audiophile demo disc, which is a subtly different thing. It's great for audio showboating a song or two or three to wow friends or high-end audio shoppers. But sometimes sound that wows you immediately doesn't hold up so well over the course of an entire album, and I definitely get "wow fatigue" from the original CD.

 

On a final note: this level of quality in writing deserves to be supported financially, at least on a voluntary basis, and I'd welcome a donation option for readers of TBVO. This is content that's worth paying for! 

 

 

Thank you so much, Charles. Comments like this mean the world to me. 

[nsxelent]

Outstanding work Josh!  Thank you!

[Waynefi]

WOW awesome article. It reminded me to look for my DVD-A from 2002, been meaning to rip into my drives to listen through my ROON system. It might be interesting to see  how the streaming Qobuz sounds verse my ripped DVD-A ??? HMMM

[Three_Different_Puns]

What a read! Thank you.

 

This article inspired me to rip my original digital mastering CD to my library uncompressed. After repeated listens to that with my Grado SR 80s -- increasing my appreciation for the album, as I'd been listening to AAC (lossy) rips of said CD -- I decided to buy the 24/48 remaster from HDTracks. Have now been listening repeatedly to each mastering, alternating. Only yesterday did I buy the 24/48, so I'm still forming my comparative impressions. Definitely, I prefer the title track in the original mastering. As you said (and displayed), it's more dynamic; the verse chord blasts hit so great in the original, and although they might sound even "louder" in the remaster, it's just not as good. I.G.Y., I probably also prefer the original: it's just perfect for the mood and message of the song. Green Flower Street, I probably prefer the remaster for the grooving bass.

 

This is my current obsession (whilst simultaneously working), so I'll be happy to post more the more I listen.

 

Again, thank you Josh.

 

TDP

[PeterG]

THIS JUST IN!!!  Listening now for the first time, with Steely Dan Northeast Corridor teed up right behind it.  Must haves for those who still haven't lost that number...

 

https://www.amazon.com/Donald-Fagens-Nightfly-Live-Fagen/dp/B099TLRGWS

[Three_Different_Puns]

As anticipated above, more unsolicited comparative opinions:

 

Though I still prefer the original I.G.Y., it's closer than I thought. The remaster horns are much better. Still, the dynamics give the original the edge. New Frontier, I have nothing against the remaster, and prefer it. Clearer, more defined drums and bass, and Larry Carlton's leads sound even better. For those keeping score at home (and why) it's tied.

 

I.G.Y., title track - Original

Green Flower Street, New Frontier - Remaster

 

I think Ruby Baby is gonna go to the original, but haven't yet decided.

[Michel André Jouveaux]

Fantastic article. Thank you. 

I own the 2007 "MVI" Box set with all three Fagen solo albums published at that time. Do you reckon the DVD side of those is the same 24/48 mastering you refer to here ? (It does sound fantastic, although I still go back to my German vinyl copy for The Nightfly).

 

[Josh Mound]

16 hours ago, Michel André Jouveaux said:

Fantastic article. Thank you. 

I own the 2007 "MVI" Box set with all three Fagen solo albums published at that time. Do you reckon the DVD side of those is the same 24/48 mastering you refer to here ? (It does sound fantastic, although I still go back to my German vinyl copy for The Nightfly).

 

 

Hi Michael, Yes. The MVI box is what I refer to as The Nightfly Trilogy box in the article. The CD in that box has Mastering 2 (the digital-sourced original CD), and the DVD in that box has Mastering 3 (the 2002 24/48 file). That box is my favorite Fagen release because you get it all!

[Josh Mound]

On 10/5/2021 at 6:10 PM, PeterG said:

THIS JUST IN!!!  Listening now for the first time, with Steely Dan Northeast Corridor teed up right behind it.  Must haves for those who still haven't lost that number...

 

https://www.amazon.com/Donald-Fagens-Nightfly-Live-Fagen/dp/B099TLRGWS

 

This is an awesome release. Fagen is in fine voice. 

 

Fagen's said that he's written a bunch of new material during lockdown, apparently for a new solo release. I hope that happens so and that he tours as a solo act behind it. Nothing against "The Steely Dan Band," but especially without Becker, I'd love to hear more of Fagen's solo material live.

[beetlemania]

Quote

When EQ Magazine asked its readers to select “the best sounding recordings of all time,” Donald Fagen’s 1982 album, The Nightfly, ranked fifth 

Wut?
 

I was a huge Steely Dan fan in high school and college. Only The Beatles were better, in my young mind. But I was disappointed with everything after Aja and was always lukewarm about Fagen’s solo effort. I have The Nightfly on vinyl, unplayed probably this century. But this article caused me to load it on Qobuz, 24/28. I have to say, New Frontier sounds great! Still lukewarm on the music but that really is a great recording.

 

Thanks for the read.

[Michel André Jouveaux]

7 hours ago, JoshM said:

 

Hi Michael, Yes. The MVI box is what I refer to as The Nightfly Trilogy box in the article. The CD in that box has Mastering 2 (the digital-sourced original CD), and the DVD in that box has Mastering 3 (the 2002 24/48 file). That box is my favorite Fagen release because you get it all!

Well thank you. Made my day, that. Good to know my ears weren’t deceiving me. Both the CD and DVD sound fantastic indeed - and I do have a preference for the DVD, in some respects over even the LP. 

[PeterG]

14 hours ago, JoshM said:

 

This is an awesome release. Fagen is in fine voice. 

 

Fagen's said that he's written a bunch of new material during lockdown, apparently for a new solo release. I hope that happens so and that he tours as a solo act behind it. Nothing against "The Steely Dan Band," but especially without Becker, I'd love to hear more of Fagen's solo material live.

Agreed all around.  But as a rabid fan who's seen Steely Dan at least 10 times live, including shows that may be on this disk and the Northeast Corridor co-release, I was surprised by two things.  First, they changed the soundstage and you cannot hear the rooms (A bummer, but maybe they had to).  Second, this disk sounds way better than the sound in the Beacon or the Orpheum. A miracle of the modern world, but also a bit ironic--it is simultaneously less accurate and more "audiophile".

 

Steely Dan is coming around again soon--check their website.  They are still a magnificent touring band--you will not say "oh, I only wish I could have seen them back when...".  Alas, I am probably too covid-conscious to attend.  Rock on!

[Josh Mound]

A great Fagen quote about "I.G.Y." from a new Variety interview:

 

"With something like “IGY,” some people think it’s a benign album about what a great future we’re going to have, but that’s not the way I wrote it. [Laughs.] It was supposed to be funny. And I was hoping that the disappointment that a kid would feel… It’s about, as a kid, the way we saw the future, and what we were fed by the media and government institutions about how great things are going to be and how technology was going to make life easy and save the world, and how things really turned out, and the dark side of technology. That’s really what it was about."

 

 

[Josh Mound]

For those interested, I just posted an update that (I think) provides some clarity on the SACD. The update will change how I do Har-Bal graphs in the future, but it doesn't impact the TBVO's recommendation.

[Josh Mound]

I've now expanded the update with some visuals and further explanation. 

[mikey8811]

@JoshM OK I am a little confused here.

 

I have 2 versions of Nightfly both of which I ripped and no longer have the CD's. One is the Japanese Target which I found drier and more hi fi sounding - the instrumental separation was impressive. The other is a rip from a German manufactured CD. The code at the back cover which I scanned says 923696-2. I no longer have the disc to look at the matrix. The separation of instruments is not so precise on this but it had fuller mids and more bass. Would this be the one from the inferior analogue tape? Or could it be the same master but given the manufacturing differences in the Japanese Target and this German one, they ended up sounding different? Ultimately, in my system I preferred this.

 

Thanks

[Josh Mound]

7 hours ago, mikey8811 said:

@JoshM OK I am a little confused here.

 

I have 2 versions of Nightfly both of which I ripped and no longer have the CD's. One is the Japanese Target which I found drier and more hi fi sounding - the instrumental separation was impressive. The other is a rip from a German manufactured CD. The code at the back cover which I scanned says 923696-2. I no longer have the disc to look at the matrix. The separation of instruments is not so precise on this but it had fuller mids and more bass. Would this be the one from the inferior analogue tape? Or could it be the same master but given the manufacturing differences in the Japanese Target and this German one, they ended up sounding different? Ultimately, in my system I preferred this.

 

Thanks

Hi Mikey, that’s definitely possible. Could you put a few lossless samples up on Google Drive or similar and send me the link in DMs? I’ll take a look at both in Har-Bal and MusicScope.

[One and a half]

On 4/30/2021 at 9:35 AM, MikeyFresh said:

@JoshMThis isn't just a great piece, but a masterpiece on this fantastic album that I first bought as a youth. It is and always will be an all-time favorite.

 

My first copy was the original vinyl, now long gone, then the CD which I should still have somewhere (and am now curious to check if it's the digital or analog tape sourced version), followed by both the DVD-Audio, and then the Trilogy DVD/CD box set.

 

I did not know there was a Japanese SACD reissue, I'll probably have to find that on eBay just to complete the set!

 

CD Japan have good stock :) 

 

The Nightfly's one criticism is that it's just that bit too short, quality over quantity !