steely dan deacon blues

my commercial 45 for the steely dan song "deacon blues" issued as abc 12355 lists the run time as 6:40 and does indeed run that length and is an edit of the full length 7:33 cd/lp version from "aja"....thanks chad for the edit that you sent to me years ago.....this 45 run time info s/b added to the db.....

I ran the same comparisons that I did for "Peg", and found the same results for "Deacon Blues".

My copy of Aja has matrix number MCAD-37214-A8E, and I believe that it's a made in Japan-for-US disc released in 1984. MCA's original pressings of A Decade Of (mastered by Bob Ludwig and Roger Nichols) uses the same analog transfer as Aja. Both sound basically the same - same great dynamic range, same EQ, no evidence of noise reduction, same reassuring hiss on the fade.

The version on the 4-CD Citizen box set (1993) uses the same analog transfer as my copy of Aja (not a digital clone), but with a significantly brighter EQ and significantly less hiss on the fade. I think I hear the high end disappear a bit on the fade, which is evidence of noise reduction. There's a digitally identical clone of Citizen on later pressings of A Decade Of (mastered by Glenn Meadows).

I discovered that the 1999 remaster is digital clone of the mastering of Citizen (1993), but 1 dB louder, and possibly seems to widen the soundstage somewhat. (See the "Peg" thread for details.)

The only mastering of "Deacon Blues" that I have that uses a different analog transfer from the above is MFSL's gold disc of Aja (1988; UDCD 515). Sounds really terrific here. If you can't afford the MFSL, the '80s-era discs sound fine. Citizen isn't bad here; I'm just biased against noise reduction.

The 45 is an edit of the LP version, with two edits and using the same fade as the LP version. Here are editing instructions, based on lotsa different source discs.

Segment 1
Extends from 0:00.0 to 3:58.9 of 45 edit and LP version on original pressings of A Decade Of (mastered by Bob Ludwig and Roger Nichols)
Extends from 0:00.0 to 3:58.8 of 45 edit and LP version on Citizen (1993)
Extends from 0:00.0 to 3:57.6 of 45 edit and LP version on MFSL Aja (1988)
Ends on a downbeat

Remove the 40 beats from 3:58.9 to 4:19.5 of the LP version, downbeat to downbeat. (timing from A Decade Of)

Segment 2
Starts on a downbeat
Extends from 3:58.9 to 5:54.1 of 45 edit (timing from A Decade Of)
Extends from 3:58.8 to 5:54.1 of 45 edit (timing from Citizen)
Extends from 3:57.6 to 5:52.6 of 45 edit (timing from MFSL)
Extends from 4:19.5 to 6:14.8 of LP version on original pressings of A Decade Of (mastered by Bob Ludwig and Roger Nichols)
Extends from 4:19.4 to 6:14.7 of LP version on Citizen (1993)
Extends from 4:18.2 to 6:13.2 of LP version on MFSL Aja (1988)
Ends on a downbeat

Remove the 64 beats from 6:14.8 to 6:47.7 of the LP version, downbeat to downbeat. (timing from A Decade Of)

Segment 3
Starts on a downbeat
Extends from 5:54.1 to 6:42.4 (end) of 45 edit (timing from A Decade Of)
Extends from 5:54.1 to 6:43.9 (end) of 45 edit (timing from Citizen)
Extends from 5:52.6 to 6:43.8 (end) of 45 edit (timing from MFSL)
Extends from 6:47.7 to 7:36.0 (end) of LP version on original pressings of A Decade Of (mastered by Bob Ludwig and Roger Nichols)
Extends from 6:47.7 to 7:37.5 (end) of LP version on Citizen (1993)
Extends from 6:46.1 to 7:37.3 (end) of LP version on MFSL Aja (1988)

Edited by crapfromthepast