Analogue Productions has by degrees been gradually remastering and releasing the entire Steely Dan catalog on SACDs, 180 gram LPs, and 200 gram Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) ultimate LPs. The latest in this series is the band's fourth studio album, 1975's Katy Lied, a record whose sound quality (at least, on the original LP release) has been a point of contention among fans, critics, band members, and engineers alike. Analogue Productions aims to remedy that situation with their new limited-edition 2-LP, 45 rpm UHQR of Katy Lied, which is designed to offer a ne plus ultra listening experience to the audiophile masses. If you're a connoisseur of fine analog LPs and have never had the pleasure of experiencing one of Analogue Productions' Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) 200 gram, Clarity Vinyl releases, the excursion into the ultimate in analog LP playback is a complete eye-opener!
When the USPS package containing Katy Lied arrived at my front door, I honestly had no idea what was in the box; I generally know which PR firm is shipping to me from the Bronx, but this package was beyond doubt the heaviest and most substantial box I'd ever received from them via Media Mail. There was a double-layer inner box, bubble-wrapped inside a second box, inserted into the most heavily-braced outer box to ever appear here in the mail. I've received a ton of LPs placed in community parcel lockers in the two-plus years I've been here, but this was the first package where the shipping box was too large to fit inside a locker. Opening the inner box to discover the UHQR set for Katy Lied, I was simultaneously thrilled and mortified that the single most expensive LPs to ever arrive at my home were delivered by Media Mail—but thankfully in perfect condition!
UHQR - The Basics
UHQR LP sets are beyond doubt among the most impressively packaged audiophile limited-edition LPs that currently exist. This is not my first rodeo with one-step LPs, but nothing I've encountered from any record label could have prepared me for the level of meticulousness Analogue Productions has put into their reboot of the UHQR series. UHQR sets come encased in an elegant, oversized, foil-stamped leatherette outer slipcase; an inner slipcase bound with a foil-stamped, rounded wooden spine actually contains the LPs and all inserts. The heavy outer jackets are printed by Stoughton and finished with a high-gloss lamination that hearkens back to analog glory days of yore, and the 45 rpm, 200 gram LPs are inserted into QRP-branded rice paper inner sleeves. The sleeved LPs and the outer jacket are both placed independent of each other inside the inner slipcase prior to shipping, which is a really nice touch that prevents the LPs from tearing through the jacket pockets while in transit. Analog Productions employs the kind of attention to detail designed to ensure the LPs arrive in absolutely pristine condition, which exceeds anything I've witnessed from any label, without exception. Their slipcase is a marvel of form and function, and it's obviously designed for ease of access on a crowded record shelf. Ingenious!
All albums in Analogue Productions' Steely Dan reissue series have been remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original master tapes¹, with lacquers for the 180 gram LPs and 200 gram UHQRs cut at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. The resulting lacquer is then used to directly press the LPs; it's what's become known in the industry as a "one step" process, and skips the typical mother/father three-step plating process. Resulting in LPs with less generational loss that exhibit a lower noise floor and greater levels of musical detail and dynamics than traditionally pressed LPs. UHQR releases in Analogue Productions' Steely Dan series are strictly limited to 20,000 individually numbered sets, and multiple lacquers are required within the pressing runs to guarantee an unprecedented level of consistency among the UHQR LPs.
The pair of UHQR LPs were pressed on Clarity Vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP) in Salina, Kansas. Clarity Vinyl was developed by Classic Records back in the day, and the brand and formulation were acquired by Acoustic Sounds when they purchased Classic Records and their assets in 2010. Clarity Vinyl gets its name from the fact that it's perfectly clear—the carbon black pigment that's normally added to most vinyl formulations is completely omitted in the process. Classic Records—and in turn, Acoustic Sounds—determined that eliminating the carbon black reduced physical interference with the record stylus, resulting in at least a 2dB lowering of groove noise, which has been corroborated in independent studies. "Clarity" is an apt descriptor for these LP pressings, which on the turntable are so crystalline, it's nearly impossible to lower the stylus to the starting point of a specific track, because the gaps between tracks on both sides of the record are simultaneously visible.
UHQR LPs are among—if not the—most perfect pressings I've ever encountered. An included insert explains the UHQR's unique geometry, and how the pressings are inherently superior to other LPs, with additional enhancements made to the process since Acoustic Sounds restarted UHQR production. The Clarity Vinyl formulation is the absolute icing in the LP pressing process; if you happen to hear any kind of anomaly during playback of the UHQR LPs, you can rest assured that it's not in the grooves of the LP—what you're hearing is on the original master tape.
Steely Dan, Katy Lied. (2) 200 gram, 45 rpm UHQR LPs, $150 MSRP
Late 1974 marked a period of serious transition for Steely Dan. In the aftermath of the band's latest tour, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen obviously decided to follow the example set by The Beatles and abandoned the rigors of life on the road to focus entirely on creating music in the studio. Both guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and drummer Jim Hodder left the band, leaving only guitarist Denny Dias remaining. When Becker and Fagen entered ABC Records' studios in Los Angeles that November to record Katy Lied, Dias had been essentially relegated to the role of a session musician. While Steely Dan was up until this point basically considered a rock band, Becker and Fagen had formulated a new vision for their music, and it started with the recordings that became Katy Lied.
The studio sessions for the record were relatively uncontentious, and only lasted from November until January, which was basically a whirlwind for the usually overly-meticulous Becker and Fagen. Fagen provided keyboards and vocals, with Becker playing bass and adding a pair of guitar solos; Katy Lied also marked the first appearance of Michael McDonald on a Steely Dan record. Denny Dias, Larry Carlton, and Hugh McCracken all played guitar, with solos added by Dias, Rick Derringer, Dean Parks, and Eliott Randall. Michael Omartian and David Paich played keyboards and piano, Chuck Rainey and Wilton Felder played bass, and a very young Jeff Porcaro and Hal Blaine were behind the drum kit. Victor Feldman added percussion and vibes, and sax solos were provided by Phil Woods and Bill Perkins. Katy Lied was produced by Gary Katz and engineered by Roger Nichols, and the album was released in March 1975 to somewhat muted critical response—the critics didn't seem to know what to make of the sudden shift away from rock into a more jazzy ethos. Nonetheless, the record peaked at number 13 on the Billboard album charts and quickly reached Gold sales levels.
The real point of contention came with the resultant sound of the album, following the decision made in the studio to employ the then nascent DBX noise reduction system. Which apparently malfunctioned during the original mastering sessions, and stories abound regarding what exactly went wrong. Donald Fagen was particularly upset with the results, and claims to have never listened to Katy Lied since the time of its release.
Listening Results
This music is so ingrained in the consciousness of Dan fans, I don't really see the purpose in giving a blow-by-blow account of the individual tracks. I've owned an ABC Records LP copy of Katy Lied since its release, and have always felt the sound was less than particularly stellar. That said, I've always felt that artistically great performances playing through tin boxes are definitely preferable to lackluster "audiophile" recordings played through cost-no-object equipment. So at least bits of Katy Lied have stayed in fairly regular rotation regardless of its sonic shortcomings, but hearing the UHQR is revelatory, to say the least! Analogue Productions proudly proclaims that the UHQR was remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original master tapes, and I've filtered through tons of online information regarding the remastering process with Katy Lied. Digging through layers and layers regarding the implementation of DBX, and it's still totally unclear to me what part it might have played, if at all, in the creation of the UHQR. Suffice it to say that the UHQR is beyond doubt the finest version of this record I've ever heard, and hearing it now is almost like hearing it for the first time ever. The differences between my original LP and the UHQR couldn't be more stark.
Clicking on my name in the header above will show the full complement of components that occupy my dual audio setups. For Katy Lied, I used my all-analog system for its evaluation; it features a pair of XSA Labs Vanguard compact monitor loudspeakers, which offer an updated homage to classic British monitor designs like the LS3/5A and are arranged in the room for nearfield listening. They run in tandem with a pair of Caldera 10 subwoofers that add a couple of extra octaves to the overall bass response. The system also incorporates PS Audio's superb Stellar phono preamplifier, and is powered by my PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier. Which now features RAY Tubes exclusively, with a matched quad of Reserve EL34 power tubes and three matched pairs of Select 12AU7 tubes in the input and driver sockets; they've elevated the amplifier's performance to a wondrous new level of analog goodness. My ProJect Classic turntable is mounted with an Ortofon Quintet Bronze moving coil cartridge that tracked QRP's pressings perfectly, giving the Katy Lied UHQR an all-analog sound that was elegantly nuanced but also impressively dynamic.
QRP's 200 gram UHQR pressings for Katy Lied were flawless, pristine, and razor-flat, with beautifully glossy, defect-free surfaces that yielded zero ticks or groove noise. The 45 rpm LPs provided a perfect foundation for playback of this seminal music across my recently upgraded analog system. Bernie Grundman's new master has greater clarity, improved dynamics, a better spatial presentation, and deeper, more well-defined bass than my ABC Records original, which will definitely be retired following the arrival of the UHQR. It's been in heavy rotation over the last few weeks, and I'm continually impressed with the astonishing difference the UHQR process makes in my enjoyment of this classic album. My negative impressions of the lackluster sound quality of the original LP obviously, subconsciously impacted my listening, which was typically limited to tracks like "Black Friday," "Bad Sneakers," "Doctor Wu," and "Chain Lightning." I'm hearing details in every track on the UHQR that were masked by the original, such that every listen to Katy Lied is now an exploration of discovery for me.
This exceptional UHQR from Analogue Productions definitely sets the gold standard in terms of sound quality for a quintessential LP that marked a turning point in Becker and Fagen's career, and set the template for the future. Many thanks to Acoustic Sounds and Analogue Productions, and to Lena Wright at Shorefire Media for the opportunity. The UHQR of Katy Lied comes very highly recommended!
Acoustic Sounds
All images courtesy of Acoustic Sounds, Analog Productions, and the author.
¹ The UHQR release of the band's sixth studio album Aja was remastered by Bernie Grundman from an analog, non-EQ'd tape copy. Parent label UMe confirmed to Analog Productions there is "no evidence" the original tapes containing the flat mixes of Aja were delivered to the record label, and it's presumed those tapes "no longer exist."
