Axis - Safe Stereo?

**vkd108** · 11-23-17

I was just looking at ATM 158-160 (Axis: Bold As Love - The Sessions), I grabbed all the 'safe stereo' files, copied them to a separate folder and listened to that version of Axis, which the cover states as, "safe stereo from Japan Polydor P33P-25023 (CD)". Well, dag nabbit, maybe my cloth ears need a good clean out but I cannot tell any difference from the regular Axis versions. If that is the case, then after enquiring what 'safe stereo' means exactly, I quizzically question why then bother putting them in a collection which already has the official stereo, the official mono and the Sotheby's mix? In a nutshell with the 4 versions of each song, you are hearing the same official stereo mix twice, the mono and the Sotheby's, which would be the most interesting of all. The mono is a 'flattened out' version of the stereo too, so I hereby offer up an answer my own question, that 'It's just for completeness' sake'.

(I remember starting on this train of thought when I was going through Moonbeams & Fairytales (Saga II) and now it has born fruit and makes its public appearance LOL.)

**Fenders Fingers** · 11-23-17

There are two officially released stereo versions of ABAL.
The first to appear was on the Track Records, Barclay and Reprise Records releases.. Followed by Polydor but all Polydor's [as far as we are aware right now] are the "safe" mix.
To tell the difference quickly check out Little Wing. This has an extra note just past the minute mark on the Polydor "safe" mix. While the initial opening swirling guitar is missing from You Got Me Floating.
Further closer listening will reveal a lot of differences, some slight some more obvious. Mitches voice in EXP stay to one side rather than being panned at one point in EXP on the Polydor.
Happy listening.

**bbagm** · 11-26-17

If we're talking only about CDs, the aforementioned Japanese release and the first European CD on Polydor (813 572 2) used the "safety" mix.

All other CD releases have so far used the standard mix.