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

[mikey8811]

16 hours ago, JoshM said:

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.

 

I sent you the link via DM

[boxitracio]

excellent work! the contribution you make to the enjoyment of this musical jewel is priceless. Congratulations!!!

[regnaD kciN]

On 7/15/2022 at 7:22 AM, 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

I'm going to make it a little more confusing.  I've got the West German Target ripped to hard drive -- unfortunately, the disc itself is in storage, so I can't check the matrix, but I have checked it against the Japan Target that you mention as being one of many from the digital master.  Both of them have identical DR figures that differ from both the tape-sourced and digital-sourced CDs you give above.

 

I.G.Y. 3.7/15

Green Flower Street 7.1/16

Ruby Baby 8.4/14

Maxine 6.6/15

New Frontier 6.1/15

The Nightfly 4.1/17

The Goodbye Look 6.4/16

Walk Between Raindrops 5.1/18

 

Not too sure what to make of this one.

 

[Josh Mound]

5 minutes ago, regnaD kciN said:

I'm going to make it a little more confusing.  I've got the West German Target ripped to hard drive -- unfortunately, the disc itself is in storage, so I can't check the matrix, but I have checked it against the Japan Target that you mention as being one of many from the digital master.  Both of them have identical DR figures that differ from both the tape-sourced and digital-sourced CDs you give above.

 

I.G.Y. 3.7/15

Green Flower Street 7.1/16

Ruby Baby 8.4/14

Maxine 6.6/15

New Frontier 6.1/15

The Nightfly 4.1/17

The Goodbye Look 6.4/16

Walk Between Raindrops 5.1/18

 

Not too sure what to make of this one.

 

Depending on the software, calculations of the DR can be off by .1 or so, but I’d like to double check to be sure. Could you DM me a link to a song or two from your copy? I’ll let you know what I find. 

[Electroliner]

Thank You for an informative article. I own the original CD and the DVDA.

I also have the Promo Only QUIEX II 180 gram LP pressing from 1982 that I received while working as a college radio music director. I was amazed how beautiful this copy sounds after not playing it for 40 years.

[iCarus]

Totally destroys the narrative that the original CDs were the best.

 

Anyone who swallowed that nonsense didn't buy and listen to x versions of a digital album. Stevie rescued The Nightfly CD. Thanks Stevie!

 

The Hoffman and Lejonklou forums are extreme advocates of this theory on first edition CDs. The latter forum literally espoused a practice that risked house fires, electrocution etc. Why he's allowed to sell his products globally is a mystery.