Autosalvage - Autosalvage
Original 1968 USA Mono LP
RCA Victor LPM-3940 (Discogs)
~ThePoodleBites Rip in 96kHz / 24bit FLAC + full high-resolution scans~
Autosalvage has their claim-to-fame from getting their name from Frank Zappa, who supposedly said the band should change their name from "The Northern Lights" to the title of one of the songs that Zappa saw them perform. Autosalvage were later signed to RCA Victor, who were looking for the East coast version of Jefferson Airplane. Unlike the Airplane, however, Autosalvage never took off (pun intended). Nonetheless, their sole album is still often placed on many "best-of" and "psych favorites" lists across the web. Autosalvage does not at all sound like Zappa, for those looking for Mothers-influenced weirdness; but, their sound is certainly much more progressive than most psychedelic bands of 1968, featuring dynamic song structures, varying time signatures, and interesting chordal modulations throughout.
A standing ovation is in order for our friend @PsychTrailMix, who purchased this album for ripping and our enjoyment! Thanks again for making this post possible, man.
The stereo mix of this record isn't abysmal, but I think it's safe to say that the mono mix will probably be preferred by most. For some reason, the sound is much clearer here than on the stereo mix, with a much brighter top end. It's clear that the mono mix is dedicated, as the segments between tracks are drastically different, and the mixes are much more "in your face" than the showcase-y sound of the stereophonic version. However, this album was cut dreadfully loud, and plays with some distortion throughout the loudest parts of some tracks. This is not from my equipment; it's on the record (at least this copy, and perhaps/probably others).
 |
| 'Groupquake' poster design |
01) Introduction -- 0:18
02) "Auto Salvage" -- 5:43
03) "Burglar Song" -- 2:31
04) "Rampant Generalities" -- 3:14
05) "Medley: (a) Our Life As We Lived It" -- 2:55
06) "Medley: (b) Good Morning Blues" -- 3:33
07) "Ancestral Wants" -- 3:53
08) "A Hundred Days" -- 2:28
09) "Land Of Their Dreams" -- 3:04
10) "Parahighway" -- 2:37
11) "Medley: (a) The Great Brain Robbery" -- 2:28
12) "Medley: (b) Glimpses Of The Next World's World" -- 2:44
- Thomas Danaher (lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
- Darius LaNoue Davenport (vocals, oboe, piano, drums, trombone, guitar, bass guitar, krummhorn, recorder)
- Rick Turner (lead guitar, banjo, dulcimer)
- Skip Boone (bass guitar, piano)
Lineage:
– Audio-Technica AT150MLx Dual Moving-Magnet Cartridge
– Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB Direct Drive Professional Turntable (internal stock preamp/ADC removed)
– TCC TC-754 RIAA Phono Preamp (new regulated power supply, added LM7812 regulator)
– Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 MkII (96kHz / 24bit)
– Adobe Audition CC 2018 (recording)
– iZotope RX 7 Audio Editor (manual declicking, additional adjustments)
– Audacity 2.2.2 (fades between tracks, split tracks)
– Foobar2000 v1.4.1 (tagging, dynamic range analysis)
Another fantastic choice and rip TPB, really appreciated, many thanks for share these glorious rarities. gnihtytterp
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks & Merry Xmas
ReplyDeleteThank you again for your excellent mastering & @PsychTrailMix for the vinyl.
ReplyDeleteA request: I've yet to find a good digital rip of Beefheart's "Strictly Personal", which seems to have escaped the audiophile reissue program, possibly because Krasnow's production (which I like) has largely been replaced by the original, unphased recordings used for compilations like "I May Be Hungry ..." and "It Comes To You ..." There never was a mono version, as far as I know, but a faithful rip of the earliest vinyl would be a great thing to have (if Prof. Stone or others have made one, I missed it!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great blog.
Stick with the original CD -- the LP sounds just as bad. I have the 1971 issue on Blue Thumb (the first album to appear on the label, I believe). Pity, because the record could have been so much better with a little clearer/brighter sound.
DeleteHowever, if you'd be willing to fund an original stereo copy of Safe As Milk in NM condition, I'd love to rip that one, to replace the overly-mastered CD reissue. It'd be a great companion to PS's mono rip. Feel free to contact me via email.
I have nothing to play vinyl on, having sold off my collection years ago, including a '68 SP, which I probably misremember as being better-sounding, so let's hope someone else comes up with a stereo SAM!
ReplyDelete(Thanks again for a great blog - that mono Kaleidoscope is a real treasure!)
I've always thought the Mirror Man record sounded better than Strictly Personal, but it's probably just a matter of taste -- I'm assuming Krasnow's added "psychedelic" effects on Strictly Personal are the cause for the low-quality sound. Thanks for the comments! :)
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite east coast psychedelic records. Should be interesting to listen to the mono version. Just listened to the stereo cd and was quite disappointed. For my taste the stereo lp sounds so much better than the cd.
ReplyDeleteFantastic blog, fantastic work -- many, many thnaks!
ReplyDelete