News

What's written below is erroneous and incorrect and I owe everyone involved in the new "Band on the Run" vinyl edition a huge apology!!!!!  When I looked on the record's "dead wax" area and saw SR2 I assumed it was Stan Ricker's work. The album is also available as a digital download from HDTracks in two 96/24 versions: one slightly compressed, and one uncompressed. Kudos to Paul McCartney for making these two choices available.

So yesterday I emailed Stan to ask which version he'd been sent for the vinyl cut. Stan wrote back in ALL CAPS: "YOU HAVE THIS ALL WRONG!" 

As Stan explained, he "is" SR/2" not "SR2". 

As a reader informed me just now it does not say "SR2" it says "SRz" but the z does look like a "2"

Well you can understand how I might have made the mistake but now that I know it's not Stan I know who it is. It's "Steve Rooke" who does a great deal of the DMM cutting at Abbey Road and who I even referenced below without considering that the "SR" might be him. 

So, MY BAD. I chalk it up to jet lag. I bought the album in San Francisco over the weekend and noticed this upon my return when I cracked the shrink wrap.

I apologize to all involved including Sir Paul, not that I expect he ever saw this.

I will leave my erroneous reporting below:

The sticker on the cover of the new double LP Band on the Run reissue from Capitol/EMI says " Newly remastered at Abbey Road Studios."  Now, what does that mean to a vinyl fan? I'll tell you what it means to me: it means that Sean Magee, or Steve Rooke, or someone at Abbey Road cut lacquers or DMM masters. But when I bought the $31 double LP set and opened it up, I found "SR2" in the lead out groove area, meaning it was half-speed mastered by Stan Ricker, not by anyone at  Abbey Road.

On the HDtracks.com website you can choose from among two 96/24 versions of the newly remastered album: one that's been slightly compressed "in the new style" and one that has greater dynamic range. 

Which did Stan cut from? And at what resolution was his file? I have no idea but I will find out and you will in the upcoming review.

Meanwhile just don't think you're buying a record "mastered at Abbey Road" because you're not.