German 3rd cut (mid-80s)
1C 072-04 115
Discogs | German Matrix Database
Matrix:
Side A: 04115 – A2
Side B: 04115 – B1
This release is listed on Discogs as being from 1981, however, this is wrong. This record has been cut using DMM technology, which was used on Electrola for pop music starting with 1984. The deadwax areas are rather spacious, especially on Side B. Also, this cut runs faster than the UK (and the pauses between songs are shorter) – it is actually the fastest of the lot.
There are immediately several surprises present. First, the overpowering, boosted bass. Not just the bass guitar, but rather the bass drum. It is literally thumping. The second thing is, the stereo panorama has been narrowed quite substantially. I have picked out some exemplary songs, as both aspects are present throughout.
“Drive My Car” is a very good example. The intro solo and the singing come almost from the center, instead of the right channel. The bass drums are thumping, almost being distracting. The cymbals are also moved nearer to the center, and sound murky. “Norwegian Wood” is better, it’s less compressed stereo-wise, and has a better instrument separation, though the bass never stops droning. The narrow stereo panorama of ’81 effectively kills the aforementioned effect of the “Nowhere Man” intro, and murks up the middles. Same goes for “The Word”, where Lennon’s parts (on the far right on the UK) are now in the mid-right and are somewhat buried in the mix. “Michelle” actually profits slightly from the narrower panorama, as Paul’s voice and the choir have more presence; however, the bass is, once again, too much for my taste.
On Side 2, the two vocal parties are kept in the far left and right, but the guitars have been moved to the center. By this, the intricate weaving of instrumentation is disturbed, the guitar parts sound buried in the mix. On “I’m Looking Through You”, the bass is not thumping or droning, but rather rumbling, whereas the guitars have been moved from left almost to the center. It’s droning again on “Wait” (which also became murkier due to narrowed stereo). And the whole narrowing thing culminates at the extreme on “Run for Your Life”, where, well, instead of instruments being left, and John being right, everything just comes from the middle.
Overall: the original stereo Rubber Soul drew some criticism due to its original stereo panorama, having a “hole” in the middle. This late German press seems to have tried to fix it by narrowing everything down. So this might be an interesting alternative for those who don’t like the original mix. For those who are seeking a faithful representation of the original mix, this one should be avoided. As for the bass, it is really deep – though I personally found it rather distracting.