Two months after The Rolling Stones released their first set of unadulterated Jagger/Richards compositions in their home country on Decca Records, a rejiggered version appeared in America, ironically on the London label. Such was the way of things in the days before Sgt. Pepper's made the rock LP a piece of art not to be trifled with. Yet Aftermath was a piece of art, despite its crude handling of relationships and women. Brian Jones was responsible for much of that character, paving over Jagger's often misogynistic lyrics with vibrant streaks of marimba, dulcimer, vibraphone, and for the Yanks with that U.S. version of the record—which made room for the band's latest and greatest hit, "Paint It Black"—sitar.
The beat behind these songs was just as electrifying as ever, but it was Jones's subtle textures that really made Aftermath extraordinary. These are the kinds of sounds you want to hear with the very best fidelity possible, so it's exciting indeed that an all-analog repress of the American Aftermath is rearing its head for Black Friday Record Store Day this year.
Unlike most Stones reissues released this century, which involved digital steps, this one follows "an all-analog chain," and was "mastered directly from the original 1966 Decca flat stereo tape sources made for US London Records mastering," according to the press material. So does this really make a difference when compared to ABKCO's other recent reissues of Aftermath? Sonically, I couldn't tell much of a difference, and the new edition is cut very quietly, just as the 2023 one was. However, while some surface grind of needle on vinyl comes through on the 2023, the new RSD edition remains clean-sounding despite the lack of volume, so it's still an improvement. It also differs from the black edition because it's pressed on clear vinyl. The package also includes an insert depicting the original master tapes.
Unlike that one, the all-analog pressing doesn't which had surface noise was became extra apparent As far as sonic improvemen ANSWER THE QUESTION by COMPARING LADY JANE ON FLOWERS TO LADY JANE ON IT
The all-analog RSD edition of Aftermath arrives on clear vinyl, which DISCUSS PRESSING. It also includes a lithograph of WHAT?!?
