What do you think of the Workingman's & A Beauty podcasts?

>i haven't listened to either album in years, and these shows gave me an entirely new appreciation for them.<

same

I once had a vinyl copy of American Beauty released in the very early 80s from a company that reissued classic albums (like Dark Side of the Moon) -- this was pre-digital. I got it from the stereo store where I worked and used it as a reference disc when selling high end audio*. it sounded so friggin good. I don't know if it was a re-master or what. I don't recall it being a Japanese pressing.

Herbal Dave - ring any bells?

*era of Luxman amps, Onkyo tape decks and Infinity speakers, Bose 901s, etc.

Yes, Don that was it. Makes sense it was released in 79, as I got it in 80. Thank you.

Man I'd love to hear it again to see if sounds as good as I remember. I mean, I was just out of college, and had a decent little Harmon-Kardon system of my own, but at the store where I worked I got to play with all the good equipment, including turntables and "needles" I couldn't otherwise afford.

It was all consumer audio, but they had some high end stuff --- it was the first store in the area to have Laser Discs, VCRs, and satellite dishes.

I remember my boss att he time played some Christopher Cross album incessantly. I would  always put on American Beauty or some of the other Mobile Fidelity releases instead. That record (AB) sold a lot of stereos. It made all speakers "sound better."

^ Funny what you remember -- at that stereo store where I worked, there was a guy named "Lester Moore." We called him Les, of course. 

I recall cracking up  that someone would name their kid, "Less More."

Thank god for the Internet. Turns out there was a Japanese connection after all (the vinyl). 

[In 1977 Mobile Fidelity began to produce a line of records known as "Original Master Recording" vinyl LPs. These albums were previously released by other companies, licensed by Mobile Fidelity, and remastered by a process called half-speed mastering. During mastering, sound was transferred from magnetic tape to disc while the cutting lathe moved at half speed. The albums were remastered from the original analog master tapes, without compression, and with minimal equalization.[3] The recordings were pressed in Japan on "Supervinyl", a plastic compound invented by JVC to compensate for the demands of quadraphonic Compatible Discrete 4 records, which had been introduced in 1972. JVC Supervinyl was more durable than regular vinyl, with lower surface noise and fewer pops and clicks. Mobile Fidelity packaged their albums in heavy cardboard sleeves, inner cardboard stiffeners, and plastic liners.

Half-speed mastering had been done before. Decca Records used the same process on its classical albums from 1958 to 1967. MFSL revived the practice, refined it, and made it the company's selling point. Half-speed mastering took more time than typical mastering, and it presented technical challenges. Its use was never widespread by other companies despite sonic advantages.]

<What's a podcast?>