Ian Anderson says that MP3 is Better Than Vinyl

On page 32 of the October, 2012 issue of Sound + Vision magazine, Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull Fame) states that a decent MP3 is pretty good, especially compared to vinyl records and cassettes.

 

Ian Anderson thinks he's better off without Martin Barre too.

 

He has a good sense of humor.

 

He loves a wind-up. Wouldn't pay too much attention to this.

 

And yet goes and hires a soundalike to play on the album.

 

This would be Ian Anderson, the well known self-diagnosed deaf musician?

 

Better in terms of convenience perhaps but not better in terms of SQ.

 

So how come he is issuing remastered Thick As A Brick and TAAB II as a double vinyl LP in a few weeks? I am sure Mr Anderson is well aware of the SQ differences and is having a bit of fun here.

 

First lossy audio on the TaaB reissue, now this. He's dead to me.

 

I agree with Ian. Unless it is an MP3 with a bit rate below 256. I was never very good at keeping my LPs in a pristine state so was frequently annoyed by scatches, skips, bumbs and dust. Happy to leave the LPs in my past.

He never said there was no demand for LPs.

 

Ian Anderson also said:

And, frankly, a week ago I would have said, “Bloody idiots, wasting their money on a bit of black plastic! Total rubbish, sand and vinyl, blah-blah-blah.”

But in fact I cut the (TAAB2) vinyl just last Monday [i.e. the 12th of March, 2012] at Abbey Road Studios in London. And I have to say that, 40 years down the line it’s the best vinyl cut I have ever heard. I AD’d it next to the 24-bit master, and I thought, “This is unbelievably good!” The only thing that ever gave it away was the tiny, little bit of dust or whatever in the grooves. The occasional little click or noise artifact that you would hear that, I guess, just serves to remind you that you really are listening to a vinyl record. But, in terms of dynamics, in terms of low end/ high end frequency response, the transience, the almost complete lack of any distortion, I just couldn’t believe it.

And it’s 53 minutes and 40-odd seconds long. It’s one of the longest vinyl albums to be cut. And it’s unbelievably good, and it’s only about a decibel and a half down on normal operating level. I mean, amazingly good job, actually done on the same old lathes that were used to cut the Beatles records. But, with today’s digital technology, and the better understanding of how to do these things—plus, cutting it on a copper master, rather than into soft lacquer—you can do this job really pretty well these days.

I mean, it’s taken me 40 years to get a vinyl record that I actually thought, “Wow, that’s pretty good!” [Laughs] Bit of a surprise, but it made me actually rethink the whole scenario of vinyl in this day and age. But whether it’s enough to send me out to where every specialist suppliers might be able to sell me an up-to-date fantastic quality turntable, I’m not sure that it would.

I think I still have one, somewhere. I was told that my old Shure V15 cartridges and styluses that I’ve had since the '70s, today avid collectors will pay up to five, six thousand dollars for one of those cartridges. Add to that the SME tone arm, and the Technics turntable and all the rest of it, you’ve probably got eight to ten thousand dollars of kit just on your turntable alone. [Laughs]

So, yeah, it’s an expensive habit being an audiophile. It’s probably cheaper to seriously get into crack cocaine—just as enjoyable and half the cost. [Laughs]

Read more: http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/for...tion-next-year&p=145115&viewfull=1#post145115

 

Thanks for posting that John.

 

Ha! Not even close. Not by a country mile.

 

Thanks. Love reading Anderson's comments but, sorry, I think he's all wet on this.

A few months ago I picked up the MFSL CD issue of "Stand Up", listened to it a couple of times and tried to like it, but got rid of it. Just didn't hold a candle to my original UK pink Island vinyl LP press, flaws and all.

And a Shure V15 is no where near worth thousands. Hundreds maybe. Not to me. Too many MCs out there I want to try.

 

And you're all wet on this one. I love my vinyl Stand Up, but I also love this MFSL title as well. MoFi did a lovely job on it.

 

He should have listened to the Aqualung reissue - he wouldn't have been so surprised about TAAB on vinyl sounding so damn good.

Personally, I think Ian is just riffing a marketing pitch to sell the LP's, which of course, I will buy.

 

What CD player are you using....your profile is blank

 

I must say, that I listened to some samples from Led Zeppelin II from an iTunes source, and they sounded pretty damn good. There was life there.

I don't have and i-pod yet, but when I do, I will definitely consider mp3 on a case by case basis.

 

He's mother-goosing you.

 

$$

 

Don't ya hate that?

 

He's flauting us.

 

Don't know that I would go so far as to cite MP3 necessarily, but I'm with you on vinyl. Went to digital in 1983 and have never looked back. Of course, I've ended up spending a small fortune on a digital front end - but what the heck.

 

a 320..yes.