Analogue Productions Pop 5 Items

To meet the standards of Analogue Productions, our Beach Boys album reissues had a mission to achieve: Present the band's music the way that Brian Wilson — famed co-founder, songwriter and arranger — intended. Mono mixes created under Wilson’s supervision were how the surf rockin’ California crew rose to fame! And we’ve got ‘em!
For the early part of the Beach Boys' career, all of their singles were mixed and mastered and released only in the mono format — they didn't release a single in stereo until 1968. In those days, hits were made on AM radio in mono. And the mono of those times worked well for Wilson, who suffers from partial deafness. In fact, for their first 13 albums, Wilson originally turned in all the final mixed Beach Boy albums to Capitol Records only in mono. The mono mixes were where Wilson paid intense attention, and the dedication paid off!
We’ve taken 10 of the most classic, best-sounding Beach Boy titles ever and restored them to their mono glory!
But there’s no disputing that the close harmonies and one-of-a-kind rhythms of hits like “Surfer Girl”, “In My Room”, “Little Deuce Coupe” and more lend themselves naturally to stereo. So we’ve got your 2-channel needs covered with prime stereo mix versions as well.
Mastered by Kevin Gray, most from the original master tapes, and plated and pressed by Quality Record Pressings, the finest LP pressing facility in the world, these are awesome recordings to experience. And the look of each album befits its sonic superiority! Presented in 'old school' Stoughton tip-on jackets, these time honored favorites shine brighter than the originals!
"Pet Sounds" is famous for its use of multiple layers of unorthodox instrumentation as well as other cutting edge audio techniques for its time. It's considered the best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound.
Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldn't have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the group's most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasn't originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me", "Don't Talk", "I Know There's an Answer", and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times". It's often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best).
VH-1 named "Pet Sounds" as the No. 3 album in the Top 100 Albums in Rock 'n' Roll History, as judged in a poll of musicians, executives and journalists. It's been ranked No. 1 in several music magazines' lists of the greatest albums of all time, including NME, The Times and Mojo Magazine. It was ranked No. 2 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Recording: in mono

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz and 1970s folk artists such as James Taylor. The Philadelphia native honed his songwriting skills while waiting tables and bartending after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. He eventually landed some high-profile gigs as an opening act, including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones, whose bassist, Lee Alexander, agreed to produce Lee's first album.
With Alexander's help, Amos Lee released his self-titled debut on Blue Note in 2005. The album won Lee a small following for his blend of acoustic funk, folk, and light jazz. Norah Jones herself plays the piano on two tracks; "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" and "Colors".
A notable debut like Amos Lee deserves the Analogue Productions reissue treatment. This beauty was cut by Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles from the master tape, and is now pressed at 45rpm on two glorious sides of 200-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. QRP is noted for deep-black backgrounds and pristine clarity. If you're already familiar with Amos Lee, get ready — you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This is how all vinyl should sound.
The songs on the album incorporate themes of folk, soul, gospel and jazz. Amos's style is a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor. Amos has recently toured with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Adele, Dave Matthews and many others.

One of the most successful albums of Linda Ronstadt's career, "Simple Dreams" spent five successive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart in late 1977, displacing Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" at No. 1 after 29 record-breaking weeks in the pole position. It also knocked Elvis Presley out of No. 1 on Billboard's Country Albums chart after 'The King' held the gridlock for 15 consecutive weeks after his death in August. It won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package (in addition to several other high profile Grammy nominations).
"Simple Dreams" was Ronstadt's fifth consecutive million-selling platinum album and sold more than 3½ million copies in less than a year in the United States alone — a record for a female artist. Simply put, Ronstadt just couldn't lose. "Simple Dreams" continued a creative streak that found the singer turning out album after album of incredible material at an astonishing one-per-year rate until she finally began to come back down to earth in the early 1980s.
Now hear "Simple Dreams" as never before. Remastered by the late, great Doug Sax at the Mastering Lab, together with Robert Hadley, and pressed on 45 RPM super-silent 200-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, this revered recording truly is a sonic treasure. And it comes in a Stoughton Printing tip-on gatefold jacket with meticulously reproduced original artwork. Stunning.
Featuring an expanded palette of styles and cutting-edge narratives, "Simple Dreams" may go down in history as Ronstadt's greatest work. Considering the achievements: Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; Five consecutive weeks as the No. 1 record on the Billboard Album Chart, Two Top 10 singles.