ZZ Top-Tres Hombres-45 RPM Vinyl Record

Lyra

Bridge Over Troubled Water 1A pressing & "Only Living Boy..." @45rpm

By: Michael Fremer

May 23rd, 2026

Category:

Editor's Choice

Tracking Angle's "Track Du Jour" Is S&G "Bridge Over Troubled Water"-1A pressing & 45rpm "Only Living Boy In New York"

there's a story behind the "Bridge Over Troubled Water" 1A pressing...

This Track Du Jour features a 1A pressing of the "Bridge Over Troubled Water". Significant because according to engineer/producer Roy Halee, shortly after the record's release, the master of the title tune was replaced with a not particularly good copy of the song, so every subsequent reissue has the less than outstanding title track. The 1A pressing guarantees the title tune is the original master tape. Also, "The Only Living Boy In New York" from the Classic Records 4 LPs @45rpm one-sided set. Should sound spectacular however you play back YouTube videos.

Comments

2026-05-23 10:36:59 AM

bwb wrote:

I've had audiophile pressings of this album. I was disappointed in them.. . . overall. My recollection is a large song-song variation in quality with some quite good and others not so much. Like recorded in very different ways. As I recall, "Bridge over Troubled Water" starts out hauntingly beautiful with the vocal, but becomes very congested and unpleasant as it nears the climax at the end.

is that a fair assessment of this version? I don't have a way to play the video except on my computer

thanks
2026-05-23 10:48:18 AM

Silk Dome Mid wrote:

"...the master of the title tune was replaced with a not particularly good copy..." Why? After all these years of listening to an inferior version, with the annoying distortion as bwb says, it would be nice to have an explanation.
2026-05-23 11:50:40 AM

Kevin Jones wrote:

Nice video and explanation of the history of these reissues, now to find that master…
2026-05-23 11:55:24 AM

Anders Sørensen Uth wrote:

I have three US copies of this album. A 360 label with 1K on side 1, a 360 label with 1AK on side 1 and a 70’s repress on “red with orange” label with 1AA on side 1. I think they all sound great on the title track and even better on The only living boy, which is just wonderful in every way. I agree with bwb that sound quality overall varies from track to track.