German 3rd Cut (1977)
1C 072-04 257
Discogs | German Matrix Database
Matrix:
Side A: SHZE 162 A-2 04257-A-2
Side B: SHZE 16X2 B-3 04257 B-3
Now this version with the A-2 / B-3 matrix is actually considered one of the German grails, and has been released on the Apple label in the end-70s (the A-2 side is actually a bit older, having been around since the mid-70s on the Odeon label).
Now for the sound. Side A is quite different to the UK -4 cut. The title track has somewhat more of a feeling of restlessness, the singing feels less harmonically embedded into the instrumentation. It is somehow amplified on all levels, the bass, the trebles, the vocals. On the other hand, the acoustic guitars sound somehow murky, the bass lacks detail and the trebles are a bit too sharp. “The Night Before” is a different matter, it sounds more exciting than the UK counterpart, being not only louder, but also somehow widened and the voices having more presence. “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” sounds very similar to the UK, but has slightly less bass power on the refrain. “I Need You” is also very similar to the UK, but has a bit more presence in the vocals, as does “Another Girl” which also sounds more exciting. “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl”: the stereo separation is nice, the vocals have strong presence, but somehow it disintegrates compared to the more harmonic-sounding UK, as if the vocals and the instruments are independent of each other. “Ticket to Ride”, once again, sounds more exciting, the vocals stand out stronger compared to the UK -4, while the both the trebles and bass have more energy.
Now for Side B. “Ask Naturally” sounds really nice, very similar to both UK cuts, having slightly less sibilance than -3 and slightly more than -4. “It’s Only Love” is similarly exciting to the UK -3, also having some sibilance. Now “You Like Me Too Much” is even more dynamic than the UK -3 (and much more than the tame -4), both the bass and the trebles being more present. “Tell Me What You See” has more substance on the low end (while still having great trebles), making it again more exciting than the UK -3. “I’ve Just Seen a Face” is again very similar to the UK -3, with slightly more of the high midrange and treble (guitar and maracas). Again, very pleasant to listen to. On “Yesterday” there is again somewhat of a separation between the guitar, the strings and the vocal, as if they are detached from each other – it just sounds slightly more harmonic on both UK cuts. As for “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”, it really shines on this cut: a wider, better separation of instruments and vocals as well as some great dynamics.
Overall: Is it a grail? I think it deserves this title. Some songs sound unusually bright (“Help!”), but for the most part, the German version is just exciting: good bass, good trebles, energetic vocals and a good instrument separation.