John Coltrane's Giant Steps - Atlantic 75 Series by Acoustic Sounds

[@kindredwinecoff]

A sealed copy of the 2020 version can be had for $30 on discogs, sounds great given the material, is 33 1/3, and the alternate takes with alternate lineup are definitely added value. To me there's no need to upgrade, that version is very satisfying. For those not totally sold on the 75th version, that one might be worth seeking out.

[@Twin_Hook]

I agree. That's the one I bought when it came out and I don't feel a need to change.

[@john-lamarca]

Thank you for another thorough and thoughtful review. My copy of the 75th edition is on the way. I look forward to comparing it to the mono version that’s included in the Coltrane Atlantic Years box.

[@unityoc]

The mono included in the "The Atlantic Years" box set is worth checking out. Yes the box set is expensive but you get 6 albums and one 7" for the price.

[@carrion_man3700]

Definitely a worthwhile addition. Clean, crisp, and dynamic. Love this release. The cover is great imo. Very classy matte finish. I think the TM is a condition of release at this point. A small issue, as you stated. I may purchase another for posterity. I want good wax for the next couple decades…

[@Fatdogrecords]

Hi The best version I have heard also in mono. Is the 2018 jazz analogue premium collection, pressed in Japan. Supervised by Nesuhi Ertegun. Also released Coltranes sound which is superb. Along with the pressing the sleeve / artwork / printing is top draw.

[@mahabkhatib9377]

Thanks for the review! I agree, the bass is on the high side, but it didn’t bother me, I do use dual subs w/ a minimal setting so they blend in. I didn’t have to change the setting at all. I didn’t compare to other releases as the musical experience of this release was phenomenal for me, big fan of Coltrane. Great videos!

[@jazzvinylcollector]

Thank you!

[@jonmarklar8228]

I'm quite sure the 2020 Rhino pressing isn't AAA. Another reason to get the new release, IF AAA is something that matters to you.

[@OscarCrease-nd6js]

Helpful video, thanks. There is an affordable mono reissue from Rhino done in 2017. But I don't think it's AAA.

[@IanRS63]

Yeah. I think it sounds better than the stereo version issued around the same time. Haven't heard this release yet.

[@aa5az423]

We got in from vacation yesterday and I was able to open up and listen to Giant Steps A75. I think you're right, the bass and the drums get lost and the sax is hot. It's just too separated. The sax is on the hard left the bass and drums are on the hard right. I think that's odd to me.

[@djjoeykmusic]

Great Video - Well done * Thank you

[@danielbigna5469]

Great video. The difficulty with recording this album is that Coltrane was developing his 'sheets of sound' approach that would inevitably overwhelm the other instruments when the recording took place. The exception being 'Naima' one of Coltrane's most beautiful ballads. Like others, not a huge fan of the stereo panning!

[@FleagleSangria]

Thanks for the review and your thoughts on this new 75th Giant Steps! My favorite John Coltrane album so I have explored this album quite a bit, so please excuse my blathering here. "Giant Steps" is not a very good stereo mix to begin with and Atlantic jazz recordings of this era just aren't that great sonically anyway, so yeah I agree, kind of an is what it is situation. The best stereo I have on lp is the Atlantic 45 RPM Master Series set that Bernie Grundman cut /mastered (it edged out my bulls eye stereo original). Coltranes tone is what stands out as better. Piano and drums more accurate. Transients and detail are great on the Bernie cut. KGs Rhino cut always sounded a bit boxed in to me. The soundstage on the Bernie 45 version is much better. Yet it somehow manages to emulate the original. One of those rare cases this happens in remastering. A great balance between the old sound and new mastering. One caveat: Of course the original has no dropouts. I wish they had done more of these awesome sets. Unfortunately only this one made it out I guess. Eventhough this new one will have the same dropouts/flutter and possibly accentuated even more due to technology and mastering chain improvements I may have to get this AP 75 and compare this to the Grundman at least. It may even improve things overall a bit more. I usually would not on Atlantic jazz but I love this album so much that I probably cannot resist. Cheaper option to consider… Honestly, and I realize this will go over like a led balloon, I also have the old Atlantic cd which is basically a flat transfer of the master (A/Bs against others such as the well regarded MFSL gold cd still has the old Atlantic on top). The old cd really does sound very very good. I know, I know..but its cee-dee ;). Well, if one is is interested in fidelity then I would say get the old cd and A/B blind test it against what you have. One might be surprised. As far as the source… A side note: Ive always understood there are no session tapes for this album, so what they have to work with is the two-track mixdowns. So only so much they can do. Which is unfortunate. What about the alternate takes then? Some of those survived. This is not hear-say, this is from Atlantic producer Joel Dorn who worked on the old boxset and clarified that is what he was told by the archivist and those in charge of the tapes. That is why those alternates sound so great. The mastertapes at least luckily were stored elsewhere. Still, there is only so much they can do to improve this album. Concerning volume.. Unless an album is dynamically compromised with compression (aka brickwalled), I do not have a problem with higher volume levels. One advantage of higher volume cut albums is if the noise floor of the vinyl is an issue then the volume helps cover that up. So there is that. However, higher volume levels is also one of the attributes with 45 cutting that fools some into thinking a 45 version sounds better than previous versions. A bit of fooling our ears. Many times people will go for the loudest cut as better sounding simply because it gets ones attention more. So have to be careful with that bias as to thinking something is better sounding when it is really just somewhat louder. As far as the bass and drums not being well defined on the 75th or any version for that matter I also think that there is a misconception as to what mastering can actually do. In order to bring the bass and drum definition up in the mix there would need to be a remix. Mastering engineers can really only do so much with a recording. And when the recording is somewhat subpar then masterings ability to solve this issue is even more hendered without doing more harm than good as eq changes can affect other aspects of the recording. With Giant Steps most likely, barring a remix, the limits of what could be done with mastering is an it is what it is situation. We lend too much credence to mastering as a saving factor. A recording is only as good as the final mix allows it to be. I mean its a two-track recording. And that is why the actual recording engineers work is much more a factor than mastering engineers. When a recordings sound quality fails to reach a certain fidelity then one will hear less fundemental differences because only so much can be done in mastering without causing worse issues. I can say that I am kind of glad RKS worked on this instead of KG. Eventhough I usually like KGs work on jazz best if the engineers, in this case if the bass is a bit of an issue to be turned down then KGs tendency for more bassy mastering would be even more of an issue. Thanks again for the video and your efforts!

[@KS-yy2fu]

How would it compare to a 1975 Presswell Pressing? Cheers from Germany Klaus

[@ergloo6660]

Rest of 2024 Blue Note Classic series titles just announced, the 3 sounds 🤣

[@lukedermott1589]

I’m so confused by the criticism. Could it be that I got an unusually good copy (no muffled bass or recessed piano here)? Could it be that I’m just biased in favor of this Lp (my second favorite Coltrane Lp after SoulTrane. So far it’s the only Atlantic 75 that hasn’t been somewhat disappointing; and that includes My Favorite Things which has my favorite Coltrane performance, Summertime.

[@AlanSenzaki]

i wish it was 33/13 instead of 45!😢

[@bradlewin8]

Don’t know if you addressed this elsewhere but are you getting or did you buy My Favorite Things?

[@MrCongamike]

Being a drummer myself, I say where are the drums, where are the drums?

[@Jackgrahamphotograph]

Very sopt on as always--yes I too wish it were a mono!* I bet theres oe coming!).... .....anyhow I can get pqst the agerage recording , but producrd nicly here by Chad & CO because of the music.This is a very important recird. a(now 65 years old! on)..To me its cose to the importancw of Kind of Blue when it comes to Trane. His use of patterns derived from pentatonic scales throughout the record are a sign of things to come.. This as one of the 1st examples. (Some of thisrecord was made jus weeks after KOB). He used a lot of penatonic patterns for the rest of his musical carreer. Giant Steps uses chordal movements in 3rds..(Bridge of "Have You Met Miss Jones").not commonly used a lot..... Interesting. As a musician, playing on Giant Steps is scary..not an easy tune to blow on. It has... 26 chords, and 10 key changes, and of those 10 key changes they cover just just three keys - B, G and Eb( Using the dominant’s pentatonic scale) which means you basically have to learn three pentatonic scales to improvise over the tune - F#, D and Bb !!!--genius! (at metronome setting of 120 beats/min) A lot of folks say thet Trane was the bridget beween Parker and Ornette always looking for more and musical gowth. To me the other cuys are as elequent as Giant Steps but as you kind of indicated as at times overlooked. This record is as important as there in in the Coltrane library. .....and YES..BRING US A GREAT MONO! HERE IS THE TRANSCRIBED SOLO ON GS: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/www.brucesaunders.com/Resources/Giant%20Steps%20solo.pdf

[@audiomojo2074]

I'm a subscriber and I enjoy your videos. I also have a subscription to this AP 45 series. This less than desirable panned L-R stereo recording is very similar to the other less than desirable panned L-R recordings from Tone Poet, Music Matters Contemporary, Verve, etc. What I don't understand is why you don't want a mono recording from these reissues of Tone Poet, etc. ? Why do you want a mono reissue of this release so badly ? The Donald "Byrd In Flight" in stereo is no different than this album under review. The mono edition of Byrd In Fight kills the TP version. I based this on over 50 head to head comparisons with just normal listeners, play the TP and then play the Classic mono. Nobody picks the TP recording, nobody ! Bottom line, why call out this recording and not the others ? I say this in respect to your very good reviews. It is well known that if people have the choice between mono & stereo, stereo will win by 3 to 1 even if the consumer doesn't have a clue what is going on. They listen to influencers and so do the people who produce the records....

[@derosa1989]

Joe Harley disagrees with you, that's why they keep doing the TP's in stereo, he thinks they're better than the mono versions. I personally don't have an issue with stereo RVG recordings from Englewood Cliffs, like Byrd In Flight, my preference for Mono is just in those late Hackensak records at the end of the 1500 series, when Rudy had only 1 speaker in the control room. So i disagree with your point that the Tom Dowd stereo mixes and the RVG stereo mixes are equally problematic.

[@audiotomb]

I have Poetic Champions, Mono Box, this new 75th, an original and an ERC mono. This isn’t the greatest recording. The ERC has Coltrane like a sphere in the central image with other players enveloping around him. Haven’t a/b the Atl 75 vs ERC yet