Steve Reich – Drumming / Music For Mallet Instruments, Voices And Organ / Six Pianos

Uh, excuse the pun but for the record, they began digitizing records around 1978. And all these companies say they use the original analog tape and all that but it's still has a digital step, so you are aware, which changes the sound and you lose transients and other elements and it is a different animal. There are only and handful of places, literally 5-7 places in the US and Europe that can make a completely true fully analog record, which was the only way before 1978. The difference between the CD or digitized repressing and the original analog pressing from 1974 is huge IMHO for this set. My typical analogy is seeing an actual painting by Klimt with your own eyes in a museum or seeing a super highly accurate representation in a book or poster.

There is no one right format and convenience is an issue for many. But you should do yourself a favor and at some point and buy a really good NM or Mint analog pressing of a record and compare it to the CD or repressing. The differences will jump out at you. I don't think until you compare a digitial record and fully analog record with your own ears you will understand the differences and what you are missng and gaining. In this particular case, the original analog record blew away the CD and digital repressings. I feel so much real life in the analog pressing from 1974 that can't be conveyed with digital limitiing or words. (All reproductions limit the recording in some way. Unless you are there to hear them perform it, any reproduction can only capture so much.)

But the analog vinyl from 1974 of this set is a revelation compared to the CD or remastered vinyl as far as I'm concerned. If I can buy a version of a record from before 1978, I always do. (One caveat is that pressings can vary in quality and truly learning how to clean a record can make a big difference, even a new sealed record often needs to be cleaned.) But you'll hear the difference with just a VG+, or NM copy of many recordings. One feels so much more humanity in it and the transient and other things captured on vinyl touch you in a way digital can't. (And I'm including the remastered records when I say 'digital' as they all have a digital step, no matter if they used the original analog tape.)

If you love music, I implore you find out what you are missing. Digital has its place with its perfect reproduction across the full sound spectrum that never deteriorates, and convenience and price are considerations. There is no one right format but educate yourself so you know what is what. I hope this is not patronizing as many people on discogs.versitio.com already know what I'm talking about but not others.

Deutsche Grammophon have just re-released the vinyl boxset, pressed on 180g and with 28pg booklet and card. Individually numbered, limited edition for those that like the incentive

This album is simply amazing. "Six Pianos" alone is worth the price of this album on whatever format you find it on. Don't let the length of the pieces scare you, you will want to listen to every minute. "Part I" of "Drumming" and "Six Pianos" are so hypnotic and so engaging and enthralling in their complexity and beauty that like I said, the quite drastic lengths of each (each around 25 mins) are no problem in enduring. Certainly an essential work for any fan of experimental/minimal/or early avant garde/electronic music.

This is certainly a very interesting yet monotone release. So how did I come to hear of Steve Reich? Actually a friend thought it good for me to have a listen to some real minimalistic arrangements instead of hammering 4x4 beats which I tend to listen to very much (psy/goa-trance), so he gave me a copy of this one. I never thought it would be this good, and the remarkable thing about this release is the fact that they've done everything manually which makes it all sound extremly unique (I'd better go check his other releases as well). From hand drums, marimbas, glockenspiel, and pianos, manipulating it in forever loops. And it all sounds so perfect, no mistakes whatsoever. Sometimes they make a section of a track go nonsynchronized on purpose, and that's for example 4 people on separate hand drums all of them not synchronized, totally brilliant. They always seem to have one pattern each, which is mixed together into different rhythmical sessions. With 4 (or more at times) artists and tracks with lengths of 20+ minutes the arrangements can take on a lot of different soundshapes, yet it always stays true to some sort of basic pattern be it a melody or rhythm or both which is repeated into infinity.