Rush – Permanent Waves [Stereo] (2015 Direct Metal Mastering Edition)

(DDA) — This edition has a complex history. When it was released in 2015, it was cut from the original analog master tapes by Sean Magee on a direct metal mastering lathe at Abbey Road Studios in London, England. The resulting copper discs were plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings on 200 gram vinyl. Since DMM is a one-step process (i.e., the lacquer and father steps are skipped, with the copper plate serving as the equivalent of the mother), new stampers were needed after a few years, which meant having Sean Magee cut a new set of copper discs on Abbey Road’s DMM lathe. The repress at QRP occurred in 2019, but on 180 gram vinyl instead of 200 gram. (This was around the time QRP stopped doing 200 gram pressings for non-UHQR releases.) These two pressings (this and this) appear to be the only ones that are (AAA) and cut from the original analog master tapes.

The version of this edition currently on the market is cut from a digital file by someone at GZ in the Czech Republic, plated at GZ, and pressed at Precision (which GZ owns) in Canada. Abbey Road no longer has a DMM lathe — it was traded to Record Industry a while back — and GZ currently advertises having four DMM studios at its facility. In other words, yes, it’s safe to assume this is still a DMM cut, even if the source is now different. Anyway, the 2015/2019 mastering/sourcing approach made this release an audiophile reissue, but now I am forced to downgrade it to a standard reissue since no concrete source or mastering information is available.

Remastered from the original analog master tapes at Abbey Road Studios!

Throughout the years 2014 and 2015, Rush is celebrating their 40th anniversary with vinyl reissues of albums from their Mercury era.

By 1980, Rush was experiencing the mid-point of what would be their golden period of recording (1976-1982). Released in January that year, Permanent Waves was a transitional exercise that moved them further from the "prog-rock" lump-labeling and pointed the way for their next masterpiece the following year, Moving Pictures.

Peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Album Chart, Permanent Waves spawned such perennial concert staples as "Freewill" and "Spirit of Radio." Well-beyond the power-trio of old, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart each contributed equally, with multiple instrumentation and arranging approaches. An undisputed rock classic.

(Above description from AcousticSounds.com)