Okay, so this one’s quite a story, perfect for a rambling man to have a good ol’ ramble about! First, there’s the history of a seminal recording (which, if you’re a fan of the genre, you may well already know something about). And then there’s also a spotlight here on the whole tape versus other formats debate, and specifically the remastering / remixing / messing about versus leaving things alone debate, which is really pushed and tested here (and which, for a while, seemed almost on the verge of upsetting my whole ‘tape is always best’ belief system!). Cards on the table, this is probably the closest I’ve come to picking up a spoon in readiness eat humble pie. And, dear reader, there’s every chance that you might disagree with me on this one, and if you do then I can understand, I really can. But anyway, enough of the preamble, let’s get down to the ramble and see where this whole thing takes us…
Let’s start with the night before: ‘Friday Night in San Francisco’
Several moons ago (44 years to be precise), in a concert hall in San Francisco, three of the world’s most eminent guitarists gave an iconic performance that was to produce a recording so stunning that it sold more than a million copies and went down in history as one of the most significant acoustic guitar recordings of all time.
That recording was aptly titled ‘Friday Night in San Francisco’, having been captured on Friday 5thDecember 1980 in San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre, where US-born (of Italian descent) guitarist Al Di Meola, Spanish (probably world number one) flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia and UK-born jazz fusion maestro John McLaughlin delivered a masterclass of a performance on the penultimate night of their two-month collaborative tour of Europe and the USA.
In addition to being hailed, to this day, as one of the most important and influential guitar albums ever, ‘Friday Night’ it is also considered to be one of the greatest audiophile quality recordings of all time. It was first released by Colombia in 1981 and then re-issued by a few others, most recently including Impex Records (who are renowned for their high quality analogue re-issues) in 2017 and 2020.
I first heard it on CD at a hi-fi show in the early 1980s and then bought myself a copy on vinyl. My ‘go-to’ copy is the 1997 audiophile release by Vivante Productions.
In the hi-fi industry the album has remained a firm favourite for demos of high-end systems at audio shows, and I’ve often found it a welcome change from the Eagles’ Hell Freezes Over or Eric Clapton’s Unplugged which tend to be the usual suspects for showcasing a system’s capabilities with complex acoustic guitar sounds (both great albums, but there are only so many times you can hear them in a day!). In contrast, whenever ‘Friday Night’ graces the turntable (or CD player) it provides an astonishing-sounding yet un-taxing, easy to digest and never fatiguing, musical pleasure. There are relatively few albums you can just throw on the turntable regardless of what mood or context you happen to be in, but this is one of them and it always somehow meets the moment.
The night after the night before: discovering ‘Saturday’
While ‘Friday Night’ went down in history, what remained largely unknown was that there was also a ‘Saturday Night’. The following night’s performance, which was the last of the tour, was also recorded, but rather than being released, the tapes lay unused in Al Di Meola’s basement for some 40 years!
What’s particularly notable here is the fact that the Saturday night’s performance was a completely different one to the one on Friday night, both in terms of the setlist and also the whole energy of the event, being the last one of the trio’s two-month tour. So there was understandably a great deal of excitement about the discovery of these tapes.
When Di Meola located the tapes, he was keen to find someone he knew and trusted to handle and release them, and that someone was Abey Fonn of Impex Records, who took two years to carefully and diligently create the release – which eventually came out on 180g vinyl, SACD, hi-res download and Tidal MQA stream – in 2022.
If you’re interested in digging deeper into the history of this version of the recording, how it went from basement storage to finished product, and who was involved, check out the video below featuring interviews Al Di Meola, recording engineer Tim Pinch, mixing engineer Roy Hendrickson, mastering engineer Bernie Grundman and various members of the Impex Records team. In addition, there’s a fascinating and detailed article at https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/saturday-night-in-san-francisco
And then comes a tape… and a raft of detective work!
Oh boy, so then I discover that Horch House has released the album on tape. Woah! My order goes straight in, no messing about. This is one that I have to have, no question. Somehow the whole story about the vinyl release in 2022 had totally missed my radar so I was hearing about the existence of ‘Saturday Night’ for the first time, and catching up on the whole back story, so my appetite was well and truly whetted.
So I enjoy the anticipation while waiting for my order to be delivered by continuing to dig around for information – interviews, reviews etc, as well as emailing Horch House for more information about the provenance of the tape.
In the process I discover that the ‘master tape’ from which this recording is taken is in fact a different one from that created by Impex for their release. So now I’m even more super-excited, because whereas Impex transferred the recording from the original baked master tapes onto a digital format and then worked on that in various ways to achieve the desired sound, apparently this version came from a copy that was made directly to tape, involving no digitisation whatsoever. Mint!
But hang on a second… now, this is where things started to get slightly complicated and confusing, and where I found myself having to do some serious detective work.
Reading through the history of the Impex release, I had got the distinct impression that there was no other version of the recording. Impex had the original 16-track tapes from Al Di Meola; the tapes hadn’t been stored in ideal conditions and had suffered some damage, so they had to clean, bake and restore them before making a copy, which they did to 32-bit/384kHz ultra-high resolution digital, since due to the tapes’ fragile condition, the team felt they could only risk one ‘take’. These 32-bit/384kHz multi-tracks were used for all editing and mixing processes going forward. A ‘final mix’ was then reduced to a 2-track, half-inch stereo analogue tape on heavy-duty precision reels, before going into ‘final mastering’.
But, checking Discogs, I could see that there were two versions of the 2022 release, the Impex one (on 180g vinyl LP; SACD; CD and digital download) and also a European release from Ear Music (on 180g vinyl LP; limited edition clear 180g vinyl LP; CD).
This left me with a whole bunch of questions… like, where did the Ear Music version come from? Did it also come via Impex’s digital copy? Unlikely, since Al Di Meola had a whole separate relationship with Ear Music in Europe, and didn’t Horch House just tell me that this new tape release was all-analogue in its provenance? So was there another version out there somewhere that pre-dated Impex’s copies? To compound the issue further, when I look at Discogs, I see that some folks have left less-than-glowing reviews of the Ear Music 2022 release. Uh-oh….
Finally I think I find the answer. Yes, it would seem that the origins of this new tape, and of the Ear Music 2022 release, pre-date the Impex copies, hence before any digital capture and their subsequent remixing and remastering. So I’m happy to discover that this is indeed an all-analogue master tape copy, but I’m also nervous about those reviews, and the fact that apparently Impex heard that earlier ‘take’ and felt the quality of it to be questionable, leading them to make their own copy! So now I’m thinking, could this turn out to be the exception to my usual ‘rule’: could the Impex release on vinyl / CD / digital actually sound better than this latest release on tape??? Then again, that original transfer was apparently mixed and mastered by Al di Meola himself (more on which below), so if it was good enough for him…
Clearly there was only one way to find out. I immediately ordered the Impex 2022 180g vinyl LP.
Two very different mixes
Before we get down to the listening, it’s worth going into a tad more back-story detail. The reason being that a lot of the reviews and articles out there were published as part of the whole marketing effort for the Impex release, and so they may leave you with the impression that the Ear Music version is an ‘inferior’ product. Well, that’s a matter of opinion…
I’ll be honest, I was getting worried myself, but then I found a really interesting piece of the jigsaw in a thread of Steve Hoffman’s online forum, written by Chuck Granata, which is notable because he was the producer of the Impex release.
In short, he reports that the first (‘original’) mix was actually done by Al Di Meola and his engineer, who together transferred, edited and mixed the tapes. Al already had a relationship with Ear Music who were more than happy to use this version. But Impex wanted to do their own transfer and mix.
Granata writes, “I used a poor choice of words in saying that the original mix was inferior, or ‘rejected’…To MY ears it sounded more like a great ‘studio’ recording than a ‘live’ concert recording… [But] as those of us who love music and the sonic aspects of its recording know, this is highly SUBJECTIVE… The question of which mix is ‘better’ or more ‘correct’ lies not in our interpretations as the artists or producers: it lies within the ears and minds of the listeners. In this case, you’ve got two versions – two different views – of what this concert should sound like. It will be up to the consumer to choose which version to buy, and which they like best.” Indeed, and if you read on, I’ll unpack some of my impressions of the two, and share which I personally prefer and why.
(You can read Granata’s extensive comments in full here: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/di-meola-mclaughlin-de-lucia-saturday-night-in-san-francisco.1121758/page-4)
And so to the listening: the Impex vinyl goes head to head with the Horch House tape
First up: the tape
So I begin with the Horch House tape, largely because it arrives first and I can’t wait to dive in! So at this point I’m writing my ‘blank canvas’ impressions without any comparison as yet to the Impex vinyl. I’m also discovering the album for the first time…
Musically, ‘Saturday Night in San Francisco’ is absolutely the equal of ‘Friday Night’. In fact, in some ways it might just be even better. For starters, there’s the whole ‘last night of the tour’ energy. All three musicians knew that this was the final night of their two-month live collaboration, so you can imagine them seizing the opportunity to give their absolute best, and how each musician might relish this final opportunity to perform alongside two other absolute virtuosos.
What’s more, while the five tracks on ‘Friday Night’ were all trio sets, here we have four trio selections as well as three solo performances – one each by Di Meola, McLaughlin, and de Lucia. These are totally enlightening, as they offer up all kinds of new insights into the specific sound of each artist, and how each contributed to the overall sound of the trio sessions. After listening to the solos, when you then return to the trios you can really pick out each musician’s distinctive style and who is playing what (and where in the soundstage), while at the same time there’s still the same sense of a cohesive, organic whole, as if the three artists are all part of one bigger artist, or one artform.
And sonically, my view is that this recording can easily stand side by side with ‘Friday Night’, despite the tapes’ 40-year stay in Di Meola’s basement. In fact, for my money, the sound quality here surpasses the original – though to be fair I would fully expect that, since here I’m listening on tape rather than to my vinyl copy of ‘Friday Night’.
And of course the musicianship is unparalleled. In the video (again, the one above) it’s interesting to hear Al Di Meola talking about a couple of notes he would’ve liked to have corrected or lines he’d have liked to play better. I, as a mere mortal compared to these three geniuses, can find nothing short of sheer perfection here! I mean, listening on tape, the detail is incredible. I know I always say this but I’m going to say it again: it’s visceral. You see it, you feel it.
If I close my eyes, I’m there. Gone is my living room in Somerset, England; I’m surrounded by the acoustics of San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre and I’m part of the thrilled presence of the crowd, all of which is woven throughout the recorded performance to electrifying effect. I read somewhere that Al Di Meola really appreciated how vocal the San Francisco audiences were, and the audience’s whoops and cheers are atmospherically captured here, which gives you a real sense of being in the energy of the moment.
At the same time, I can see the musicians with breath-taking clarity and hear the sound of their fingers individually on the strings of each guitar – not only in the solo performances but equally in the trios.
In flamenco music there are a LOT of notes all coming at you like an avalanche from all angles and sides, and yet I swear I can hear the unique character of every single one of them, almost as if they were in slow motion – except they’re not, they’re blisteringly fast!
I mean, what you have here are three genius artists in a masterful display of inspired individual and collective improvisation. The relationship that had developed between the three of them is in its full powers here – that delicious combination of mutual respect and competitive camaraderie that nudges each performer towards a stunning balance of release and constraint, push and yield, reaching dizzying heights of sheer musical joy. And the soundstage is palpable, you can ‘see’ exactly where everyone is sitting – Al De Meola on the left, John McLaughlin centre and Paco de Lucia on the right.
Here’s the track listing:
- Bill Graham Introduction (0:30)
- Splendido Sundance (7:09)
- One Word (5:44)
- Trilogy Suite (6:27)
- Monasterio De Sal (5:09)
- El Pañuelo (8:03)
- Meeting Of The Spirits (13:35)
- Orpheo Negro (4:06) – a bonus track exclusive to the Ear Music / Horch House releases
The album opens with the late Bill Graham’s introduction to that night’s performance, which Al Di Meola insisted was included on the reissue.
Side one’s music then begins with a trio track, the Al Di Meola composition ‘Splendido Sundance’ which showcases some gorgeous interplay between the three musicians. The guitars are beautiful and feel so ‘alive’, as if they’re dancing and flirting with one another. There’s a fabulous groove and at one point the crowd starts clapping along and I find my fingers itching to join in!
Next up we’re treated to three solos, one by each of the trio (‘One Word’ by McLaughlin, ‘Trilogy Suite’ by Di Meola and ‘Monasterio de Sal’ by de Lucia).
The effect of this is really cool on a number of levels. First, you get to hone in on each player, one by one, establishing who’s placed where in the soundstage, and also of course you get to hear each player’s style, their guitar and how they handle it, and also their composition. There’s a sense of getting intimately acquainted with each member’s playing, his style, his sound…
And then onto side 2, in which we’re back to the trio playing together. It’s a wonderful contrast – from the focused intensity of the solos, to the riffing of the trios and a sense of almost reckless abandon as they all really go for it, egged on by the crowd!
You can actually watch the concert in full on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFlDf7Ck-N4 although I’m not sure I’d advise it. While it’s always kind of fun to ‘see’ an event of this magnitude, the picture and sound quality are so poor here in comparison that it might negatively colour your experience. Better to save yourself for the incredible 3-D images and sense of presence you’ll enjoy when listening to a superior quality of sound.
It’s an astonishing album. The whole thing is phenomenally immersive and – despite my obvious bias towards analogue and particularly tape – I can imagine that even the digital versions are above and beyond the usual level.
Which brings me onto the Impex vinyl…
First off, let me say that everything about this release oozes quality. It’s stunning. The packaging and presentation are top notch, the cover is beautifully produced and the included booklet shows the original tape boxes. (Interestingly, these show that that tapes were baked in 1994 as well as in 2020, so it seems they weren’t quite undiscovered for all these years, but hey why let the truth stand in the way of a good story!).
Anyway, let’s cut to the sound. In a word, it’s phenomenal. The soundstage opens up before you like a hi-def movie in front of you, it’s almost laser-etched. It reminds me in some ways of the MOFI One-Steps in this regard. The comments I made above about the sheer volume of notes in a fast-paced flamenco-style performance is here like facing a machine-gun barrage of notes – it’s intense and thrilling. If you didn’t have any other reference then this would undoubtedly blow you away quite some distance. But does it sound ‘better’ than the tape? For sure there’s more light, more space, more laser-etched holography to the soundstage. It really is very, very, impressive.
And yet, somehow I found my attention wavering. The Impex vinyl version just didn’t seem to give me a similar emotional experience to the tape. I thought long and hard about why this may be, as undoubtedly there are aspects of the Impex vinyl that are far superior, or to be more specific, more impressive when compared to the tape. But here’s the rub: the tape gave me a greater feeling of excitement, involvement and connection to the music. I was more carried along by the music – the way the players interact, how notes from the left and from the right play and joust with one other, all working in harmony. While all that seemed to blend seamlessly and without any fatigue on the tape despite the immense level of detail, on the vinyl my sense of being energised gave way to feeling somewhat exhausted after a while and it began to require work to listen to it, as if there were almost too much information.
And then we got to the solo tracks and something strikes me as odd. We start with John McLaughlin’s again, which is fine – wonderful: He stands out holographically dead centre, with a rollercoaster of textures in his guitar work. But then we get to Al Di Meola’s solo performance, the one where he’s on the left… except he isn’t any more. He’s on the right… Hang on minute! So then I move on to proceed into Paco de Lucia’s solo and it’s the same thing: in this version he’s moved to sit on the left. Now, if you look at the photos and video of the night, you’ll see that the line up was, from left to right: Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia. So did Impex reverse the channels I wonder?
Anyway, as you’ve no doubt worked out by now, my personal conclusion (and it is, of course, a personal one) is that I much prefer the tape. The Impex vinyl is that bit more ‘forensic’ in its detail but, for my money, that level of detail and treatments doesn’t always make for a more ‘visceral, in-the-room’ experience on the part of the listener. I guess to some extent it depends of where you (or I) personally decide to draw the line in terms of the ‘art’ of musical reproduction. To me, the Impex contains more of an artistic construct on the part of the production team to ‘create’ a particular sound, whereas the tape is a more ‘realistic’ document of the actual night. I know there are people (the production team included) who would argue with me on that point and of course I’d be arguing with people who have vastly more technical skill than me! But, as a listener, I guess I know what I like, so there it is.
So, over to you dear listener to decide what you think.
Here’s where you’ll find the Horch House tape if you’re in the market: www.horchhouse.com/saturday-night-in-san-francisco
And, if you haven’t had enough of my ramblings already (or have skipped down here looking for a shortcut to the conclusion!) you might like to check out a couple of videos I made discussing each the tape and the vinyl versions.
By way of a caveat, as you’ll probably have gleaned from my ramblings, there’s a lot of different information out there about this whole story, some of it potentially conflicting. I’ve tried my level best to get to the heart of the matter, but if there’s anything I’ve said that turns out to be not quite on-the-money, or if you find some ‘evidence’ to the contrary somewhere, please do drop me a line – I’d love to know. And hey, if you’re discussing it on the socials, keep it decent eh!
Dave Denyer: The Reel-to-Reel Rambler 