Vinyl (MCS 6700) - Frank Zappa - Son of Mr. Green Genes

Vinyl (MCS 6700) - Frank Zappa - Son of Mr. Green Genes

Turntable: MCS 6700 Direct Drive
Phono Cart: Denon DL-110
Preamp: Rega Fono Mini
Stereo: Marantz 2235b

Recorded at 24/96 (24-bit, 96kHz) on Audacity.

Notes -- Here's the third track from Frank Zappa's 1969 jazz-rock masterpiece, Hot Rats. Son of Mr. Green Genes closes out side one, and is a jazz fusion reworking of "Mr. Green Genes" from 1968's double LP, Uncle Meat. The Hot Rats vinyl LP has a number of differences from the CD releases, like much of Zappa's work, so these needledrops may sound new to your ears.

This LP is a '70s brown-label Reprise pressing. This comes later than the original blue-label Bizarre pressings, but still sounds excellent. In 2008, Classic Records released a reissue of Hot Rats, but I find that version to be too compressed, too bright, and too "loud." It sounds more like a CD from the age of the Loudness Wars, and not like Frank Zappa circa 1969. The original records are still the best.

The MCS 6700 turntable was JC Penny's top-line model of the late 1970s. It's a rebranded Technics SL-1900 with a larger frame, more stylish buttons, and the same excellent Technics sound. It's a terrific turntable.

The phono cartridge is the always-excellent Denon DL-110, a high-output moving coil. The phono preamp is the Rega Fono Mini, a sterling champ that is sadly overlooked. And the stereo receiver is my venerable Marantz 2235b from 1977.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• vinyl
• technics
• mcs
• 6700
• turntable
• frank
• zappa
• hot
• rats
• son
• of
• mr
• green
• genes

[DeathToTheseWalls]

Bloody shame that YouTube downscales this to 16/44.1 at 192kbs =/

[gamesDAMNED]

@DeathToTheseWalls Yeah, I would prefer if Youtube didn't compress their videos. But it's not a major issue. I don't consider these videos to be anything more than a good approximation of the original analog LPs. I do my best to record them with the best dynamics and sound, but I'm not obsessive about it at all. I plug a cable from the stereo to the PC, then use Audacity with a peak volume at -3db to -6dB (take that, Loudness Wars!). That's all there is to it! Thanks much!

[crinkleman123]

Sounds great but it's running a little slow.

[gamesDAMNED]

@crinkleman123 I was checking around Youtube, and there is a faster mix, with the tape speed sped up. However, this is the correct speed for the LP, which is where this recording comes from.

[RobertoWatchin]

Magnificent.

Haven't heard this since my Uni days,15 years ago, and can still hum along to every note. 

[hambuns]

@DeathToTheseWalls - maybe all of us need to learn about analogue reproduction from 1969 onwards.....

[DeathToTheseWalls]

@hambuns You have some things to learn about digital reproduction and its varying degrees of accuracy.

[hambuns]

@DeathToTheseWalls - Agreeing with gamesdamned, youtube is merely a snapshot of this stuff.... but it's free and where will you ever hear this music anywhere else? It's no use whineging about the stats of digital conversion because any digital file will NEVER reproduce like the original...the answer is we buy the original (the Classic Records reissue analogue IS just as good)........and support good music

[DeathToTheseWalls]

@gamesDAMNED Many thanks to your public disapproval of the Loudness Wars! :)

[josephpino07]

My favourite album by Zappa and in the top 5 of my favourite albums by any artist. A real gem

[rickariche]

I have the CD "Hot Rats." here some sounds are a bit out, lie the cymbals, the keyboardsm and the piano. Nonetheless, this is one of my favorites.