Steely Dan CDs Different Masterings: Aja

Steve Hoffman · Nov 9, 2023

Steve Hoffman said: ↑

Sorry it took me so long to answer this, just saw it.

Nothing wrong with the article, but it took me longer to read than it did to master AJA.

AJA and KATY LIED were the last things I mastered before all of the SD tapes were shipped to Roger Nichols. Roger felt basically that the mixes of all SD were pre-mastered, IOW he did nothing to them in mastering even with me on the phone constantly ruining his day by telling him some songs needed this, some needed that. He could hear none of that so he did all his early mastering flat.

This can be bad or good depending on the mix. For example on AJA, the song "BLACK COW" is much brighter than anything else on there, while "DEACON BLUES" is dull and hollow sounding. They both needed fixing, one tamed down a bit, one just the opposite. But Roger didn't do any of that in his mastered versions which bug me to this day.

At any rate, I haven't listened to a full SD album in 25 years but my kids love the stuff so I've heard more in the past year than any year since 1977..

By the way, the album mixes for GROUCHO alone filled seven giant containers. Just hell on earth that those guys couldn't friggin' make a choice. Nightmare.

Carry on.
Click to expand...

I was told I needed to put this also in the other thread. I don't know what "the other thread" is. Could someone copy and paste for me? Thanks.

MMan1 · Nov 13, 2023

They all sound great. I've never heard a bad version of Aja.
There is a tiny glitch on MFSL Gold Aja at 2 min 10 sec on the title track that bugs me a little once someone pointed it out to me.

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