News

Ry Cooder & Manuel Galbán's "Mambo Sinuendo" Again "In-Print" on Vinyl

Michael Fremer  |  Nov 23, 2018

Winner of the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album, this sublime collaboration with Cuban guitar great Manuel Galbán was issued on vinyl for a blink of the eye and was quickly out of print. Now it's again available on vinyl.

Recorded and mixed by Jerry Boys (Buena Vista Social Club (etc.) at Egrem Studio, Havana and featuring Jim Keltner and Joachim Cooder on drums and percussion plus of course an all-star Cuban cast, the music harkens back to the mid-1950's era of the mambo and cha-cha-cha crazes that swept America. Galbán was the guitarist/arranger for the Havana-based doo-wop quartet Los Zafiros (World Circuit issued in 1999 a fantastic compilation on CD that should also be made available on vinyl!).

While the original release of this album was anonymously mastered for vinyl, this new issue was cut at Abbey Road and pressed at Record Industry in The Netherlands on two 140 gram LPs. A "must have" two LP set!

COMMENTS
Tom L's picture
Submitted by Tom L on Fri, 2018-11-23 09:13

This is great news. I LOVE this music on CD, never even saw the original vinyl.

cdvinyl's picture
Submitted by cdvinyl on Fri, 2018-11-23 09:35

One should also give Ry's newish album, "The Prodigal Son",a strong consideration. IMHO a must have.

Roy Martin's picture
Submitted by Roy Martin on Fri, 2018-11-23 11:47

...particularly since it’s available on high quality vinyl.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2018-11-23 15:38
Have it here...need to find TIME to review!
Yorkshirefoxy1's picture
Submitted by Yorkshirefoxy1 on Sat, 2018-11-24 04:17

I realise it’s a bit off topic but have you heard the reissues of Kate Bush vinyl? Just wondering if they’ll be a good purchase?

MonetsChemist's picture
Submitted by MonetsChemist on Sat, 2018-11-24 09:43

In a fit of inspiration I purchased the original vinyl release. I don't play this often enough; it's an incredibly fine and fine-sounding album.

MonetsChemist's picture
Submitted by MonetsChemist on Sat, 2018-11-24 16:05

In the gatefold it says:

Mixed at Capitol Studios Los Angeles

Digital Editing by Rail Jon Ragut and Jared Smith

Mastered by Tom Leader and Jerry Boys at Livington Studios London

Of course I'm not sure the latter means "mastered for vinyl". Nothing in the runout groove except a serial number-ish thing.

detroitvinylrob's picture
Submitted by detroitvinylrob on Mon, 2018-11-26 11:35

Hmmm, well perhaps it will be better than the first press and perhaps it won’t. The original was four sides of music with ample bass space, and a beautiful foiled gatefold, this piece has etching on a fourth side.

Also Nonesuch Records is suspect in my humble opinion as with the reissue (with same catalog number, no gatefold, and no poly liners like the first one) of Allen Toussaint’s gorgeous Bright Mississippi produced by Joe Henry, it is a good thing the reissue of this left no telltale in the deadwax of who was responsible for the sloppy pressing that sounds like a gravel road under the stylus of some six or seven poor souls I know personally who purchased it after hearing my first press. This kind of poor craftsmanship hurts the industry and the music lover. I received no answer when questioning their customer service about what happened to the quality of their product.

mtemur's picture
Submitted by mtemur on Tue, 2018-12-18 03:06

music is good but sound is like plastic. frequency spectrum of each and every instrument is ok but sounding plastic, not organic, like listening to a digital amplifier. music is involving but the sound isn't. the recording could probably be over processed and over transferred via usb. it's maybe because of using standart usb cable and dac for cutting the lacquer.

I'm not an analog mastering fanatic, I prefer analog mastering but I heard incredibly good digital masterings on vinyl also.

I should make a note that almost all other recommendations on this site sounds good not plastic.

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