Had the UK mono for decades and always been curious if a first press stereo could match that when it comes to dynamics and clarity, but had a hard time finding a nice copy fitting my wallet. And now when I have it seems a comparison would be futile anyway. Never had a first press US mono, though reading about it on Steve Hoffman's and some other places I get that it didn't come out 100% - crippled by too much density and some distortion - which the perfect sounding UK mono don't have. So as they differ that much there's no ground for a collation and I better wait till I find either a UK stereo or a US mono to do it properly. But I doubt any UK stereo could compete with this. Mix as expected from an early 1967 make - wide with very little overlapping - but it holds together and the separate parts come through beautifully, natural and well separated. In all very good listening. As usual I'm having a hard time to establish a timeline for a US copy, but after getting some help from Discogs it seems the one here is a first press, made by Allentown Record Co. Inc. Matrix no.s are scratched EKS-74007 A (A)/EKS-74007 B (A) and "Alabama Song" is credited to "Witmark" on label. Second press - by Monarch Record Mfg. Co. - have a "Harms Co." credit to "Alabama Song" and different matrix no. mode. Would of course like to find the US mono and UK stereo too of this classic debute to get it complete, but after listening and reading I'm starting to think this is a good way to go, at least to get most audiophile pleasures from an original - US stereo and UK mono. I'll be back soon as I know more. US first had label as shown here, glossy cover and Elektra inner. (YZÄ*)(DÖÖW*)
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