John Coltrane – Blue Train: The Complete Masters

this is one of the proudest five stars i have ever given. there are very few instances in my years of record collection where i have bought a record that sounds as good as this one. to be completely honest, i was surprised i got this much quality for the asking price. dare i say i might have paid more. very rarely does the high hat have the same quality as the bass.

Heres my analysis of various Blue Trains.

I have the MMJ, Classic 33 and the new Stereo and Mono TPs. Starting off with the Monos which would be the MMJ and TP Single Disc I have to say theres virtually nothing in it. The MMJ is slightly louder from what I can tell which may be why some seem to prefer it but when level matched I cant tell them apart even when instantly switching over samples.
The only difference I could pick out is that there seems to be some specific EQ to Blue Train, Moment's Notice and Lazy Bird where the MMJ gives slightly more focus to the Sax on the intro track while the TP Mono highlights the drum cymbals more on the other two. If I had to pick one solely on sound I would actually go with the new TP Mono because I like those shimmering percussions. Lastly the MMJ runs a little slower. All in all they are both perfectly valid representations and both pressings are nigh flawless.

As for Stereos I thought there would be a much bigger difference between my Classic 33 and TP Stereo, but here too its quite close. The main difference is the stereo separation. As has been the same in other comparisons Ive made with Bernies and Kevins work, Grundman chooses to more often utilize the full panning of the tapes while Kevin reigns it in a little. This effect makes a small difference over speakers but is a major one for headphone listeners as a sound where instruments seem to solely reach one ear make for a fatiguing and unrealistic listen.
The Classic is also a smidge brighter in general while the TP Stereo is fuller. I wouldnt call it a landslide by any measure but especially given the contents beyond the music I think the TP Stereo is the clear choice here, unless you already have and enjoy the Classic.

Bonus round, I wondered how the TP Stereo and Mono compare when I fold the Stereo down so I tried doing that for fun.
Rather unsurprisingly given Van Gelders recording methods this produces a quite similar sound although the Stereo does have more cymbal energy and once again runs slower. I dont know if somethings up with Kevins tape deck or what but it seems hard to get consistent speeds out of his cuts. It could be that Rudys deck ran slower for the Stereo tape too, who knows, its probably impossible to hear anyway.

Equipment Used:
Technics SL-1210GR Turntable with ATVM540ML Cartridge
iFi Zen Phono
Yamaha A-S701 Amplifier
Revel F35 Tower Speakers

FY'all, this 2LP pressing is on deep discount on BlueNote's website right now. Looks to me like a clearance sale, so it's a good time to grab a copy.

The only bad thing about this record is it might make you question if any of your other records really sound THAT good.

This is just everything it needs to be, nothing more, and absolutely nothing less.

Outstanding, Great stereo release. Enjoying listening to both. Ten words.

11/11 pressing. No notes.

Musical Fidelity M5si / Pro-Ject X1B + Sumiko Wellfleet / Dali Oberon 7's

It's perfect and I don't have to say anymore. 5/5

Great recording, great pressing.
Flat and well centered, almost dead quiet, just a tiny bit of surface noise, which is probably from the master tape.
Dynamics and soundstage are great as well.
It's a proper stereo record, not something converted from mono.

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Quality tested using an AT-ART9XI cartridge on a Technics SL-1200G turntable with SME V tonearm.

I was unaware of a stereo Tone Poet till reading the comments. That would be the Complete Masters. Stereo wasn't common in 1957, when John Coltrane recorded 'Blue Train'. Not really till 1958 was stereo widely used. The first Blue Note LP Rudy Van Gelder recorded in stereo was 'Moanin', 1958. The Blue Note vinyl LP titles I have from 1957 and earlier, including 'Blue Train', say "high fidelity", which indicates it's mono. I prefer titles in mono when only mono was available. It's the same reason I don't like imitation vanilla extract, or imitation crab, or " veggie burgers", or "colorized" movies or "up converted" HD video. But I generally prefer real stereo to mono, though I have a few Dylan albums in mono.
I have the 75 anniversary edition pressed at United. The Tone Poet was pressed at RTI which is better regarded. So I got the more expensive Tone Poet, but it was on sale, 30% off.

Staggeringly good. Honestly transports you back in time like you are in the studio with these guys. The packaging and presentation are incredible as well. Instantly in the top 10 of my collection!