I Know I'm Not Wrong CD mix?

[mediumbluemetal]

Originally Posted by drzubritsky

Hmmm, the mystery deepens. IKINW on my Tusk vinyl LP (possibly not an original 1979 pressing but not a recent reissue) is definitely a stereo mix. L/R separation is easily audible immediately from the intro, with a percussion instrument (sounds like a wood block) only in the right channel and an acoustic guitar track only in the left channel. Based on your observations above, it's possible that some LP pressings did indeed get past quality control with a mastering error causing IKINW to be in mono, but maybe the error was only made on certain pressings or was corrected on later pressings.

With that said, the stereo mix on my vinyl LP is definitely different than the initial CD release as is widely known. One quick way to hear the mix difference is when the chorus starts at the :49 mark and the CD mix contains background vocals that aren't present on the LP mix.

BTW, the hi-rez version available on HDTracks contains the original stereo LP mix of IKINW.

That's so bizarre! So maybe there are 3 versions of IKINW instead of 2. It sounds like there's an early release mono mix, an early release stereo mix, and the later stereo mix that's shown up on CDs and the 2013 Tusk vinyl pressing.

I listened to the HDTracks preview, and to me that sounds a LOT like my original pressing LP. I couldn't tell on my laptop speakers if that mix has stereo effects or not, but I know that my LP does not.

To complicate things further, I haven't heard the distinct wood block that was mentioned in any of the versions. However, on my 2 CD Tusk reissue, there are 3 versions/demos of the song. One of them is labeled "alternate" and it starts out with a clear wood block. I wonder if that version somehow made it onto some of the albums? So much confusion for such a little song...