Best Crime of the Century Vinyl Pressing: Original UK vs Speakers Corner and MFSL

Album: Supertramp — Crime of the Century on Analoq

Supertramp’s Crime of the Century has several respected vinyl editions. The main choices include the initial 1974 UK CBS pressing, Speakers Corner, the Canadian A&M Audiophile Series, Mobile Fidelity’s standard and UHQR editions, the 2014 Ray Staff remaster and the 2025 Abbey Road half-speed release.

Quick verdict

Best overall: Initial 1974 UK CBS pressing, AMLS 68258
Best audiophile reissue: Speakers Corner SP-3647
Best alternative audiophile pressing: A&M Audiophile Series SPJ-3647
Best current new pressing: 2025 Miles Showell half-speed remaster
Best deluxe edition: 2014 Ray Staff three-LP set
Best collector edition: Mobile Fidelity UHQR MFQR 1-005

The initial UK CBS pressing has the strongest authoritative case. Producer Ken Scott told Sound & Vision that the first CBS-manufactured UK pressing was the best pressing of any album he had worked on, and he still preferred it to Mobile Fidelity’s 1978 edition.

Speakers Corner receives the broadest collector support among the audiophile reissues. The 2025 half-speed edition is the easiest serious recommendation for a new copy, but it has not been compared as extensively with the leading older editions.

Best overall: initial 1974 UK CBS pressing

The original UK edition was released by A&M under catalogue number AMLS 68258. MusicBrainz documents a 1974 British vinyl release under that number, but surviving copies carry different matrix suffixes. The catalogue number alone does not identify one exact lacquer or guarantee an initial production copy.

The strongest evidence comes from Sound & Vision’s comparison. Ken Scott, who co-produced the album, said the initial pressing manufactured through CBS’s classical division was the best pressing of anything he had worked on. He considered the Mobile Fidelity pressing good but still below the original CBS version.

The article’s writer agreed while also praising the later Ray Staff remaster. This is unusually useful evidence because it combines the producer’s view with a direct comparison against a famous audiophile edition.

Known UK originals include different matrix combinations, but the sources consulted do not establish one suffix as the universal winner. Buyers should verify both runouts, the country and label details, condition, and whether the seller can show that the record is genuinely an early CBS copy.

Original UK verdict

Best-supported overall pressing.

The recommendation applies to a clean initial UK CBS copy, not automatically to every British AMLS 68258.

Best audiophile reissue: Speakers Corner

The German Speakers Corner edition uses catalogue number SP-3647. MusicBrainz lists it as a 1999 A&M/Speakers Corner release.

The strongest evidence comes from collector comparisons. In a Steve Hoffman Music Forums discussion, one owner compared it with a first UK pressing, a Canadian audiophile pressing and a later UK pressing, placing Speakers Corner at or near the top.

Another Steve Hoffman discussion also treated Speakers Corner and the original UK CBS pressing as the leading choices.

The Skeptical Audiophile’s MoFi comparison recommends Speakers Corner over the standard Mobile Fidelity edition. It criticizes the MoFi’s boosted treble and bass and considers Speakers Corner more balanced.

That publication sells selected vintage records, so its Supertramp pages count as one commercially connected source, not several independent endorsements.

Speakers Corner verdict

Best-supported audiophile reissue.

Its evidence is mainly collector-based, but it includes comparisons against several important editions.

Original UK versus Speakers Corner

The original UK has the strongest single endorsement: Ken Scott’s direct preference for the first CBS pressing.

Speakers Corner has broader collector support. Owners have placed it above or alongside UK originals, the Canadian A&M Audiophile edition and later UK copies.

The sources do not produce a universal result because the comparisons concern individual records. Analoq’s conclusion is:

Choose an initial UK CBS pressing when a clean, correctly identified copy is available. Choose Speakers Corner when you want the strongest-supported audiophile reissue or cannot verify an early UK copy.

A&M Audiophile Series `SPJ-3647`

The Canadian A&M Audiophile Series edition uses catalogue number SPJ-3647.

It was mastered at half speed and pressed on Japanese vinyl. A Steve Hoffman discussion reports praise for its wide, open presentation and quiet surfaces.

A verified Reddit owner post describes it as one of the best-sounding records in that collector’s collection and praises its clarity and detail.

These are strong owner reports, but there are fewer direct comparisons against the original UK and Speakers Corner.

A&M Audiophile verdict

Strong alternative audiophile pressing.

It ranks below Speakers Corner because its comparative evidence is thinner, not because the sources report poor sound.

Mobile Fidelity `MFSL 1-005`

MusicBrainz documents the standard Mobile Fidelity edition as a 1978 US release.

The evidence is divided. Ken Scott told Sound & Vision that the MoFi was good but still inferior to the initial UK pressing. The article’s writer also regarded it as impressive while agreeing with Scott’s ranking.

The Skeptical Audiophile takes a harsher position. Its MoFi article criticizes bright vocals, an elevated upper range and enlarged bass, recommending Speakers Corner instead.

Another page from the same publication acknowledges that the MoFi could sound impressive on some systems and that its best copies reveal qualities missing from ordinary pressings. These pages represent one publication’s changing assessment.

Standard MoFi verdict

Historically important and disputed.

It does not rank above the initial UK or Speakers Corner based on the comparisons available.

Mobile Fidelity UHQR `MFQR 1-005`

MusicBrainz lists the UHQR separately as a 1981 US edition limited to 5,000 copies. It should not be confused with the standard 1978 MoFi.

The available comparisons include positive owner enthusiasm, but not enough strong direct shootouts to establish that it beats the original UK, Speakers Corner or every standard MoFi copy.

UHQR verdict

Best collector edition, not the best-supported sonic winner.

Rarity and price do not prove superior mastering.

2014 Ray Staff remaster

The 40th Anniversary edition was remastered by Ray Staff at AIR Studios.

The Second Disc confirms that the three-LP box was cut by Staff and pressed on three 180-gram records. It contains the original album and Supertramp’s March 9, 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert.

The concert was mixed from the master tapes by Ken Scott, who had engineered the original performance. Sound & Vision praises the nuances of Staff’s vinyl remaster while retaining the initial UK CBS pressing as its reference.

2014 verdict

Best deluxe edition.

It has a documented mastering credit, positive review support and the strongest bonus content. The sources consulted do not establish that its album LP beats the original UK or Speakers Corner.

2025 Miles Showell half-speed remaster

The latest major edition was released on August 29, 2025.

The official Abbey Road listing identifies Miles Showell, Abbey Road Studios, 180-gram vinyl, Polydor catalogue 7545092, and oversight from Supertramp and Ken Scott.

Abbey Road’s claims about greater detail and maximum clarity are manufacturer descriptions, not independent listening findings.

Now Spinning Magazine compared the new vinyl with a CD and reported a warmer, more organic presentation, strong low-frequency presence and immaculate pressing quality. The reviewer recommends it as an accessible starting point while noting that vintage condition and prices vary.

Jambands praises the chance to buy the album on clean, very quiet vinyl and says Showell’s mastering fulfils the release’s basic promise. It does not compare it closely with the original UK or Speakers Corner.

Analoq’s Illinois Entertainer summary reports improved detail, range and clarity compared with vintage copies, while noting faint rumbling during sparse passages.

2025 verdict

Best currently available new pressing.

The reviews support its pressing quality and modern presentation, but there is not enough direct evidence to rank it above the initial UK or Speakers Corner.

Best edition by buyer type

Best overall: Initial UK CBS AMLS 68258
Best audiophile reissue: Speakers Corner SP-3647
Best alternative audiophile copy: A&M Audiophile SPJ-3647
Best new copy: 2025 Miles Showell half-speed edition
Best deluxe package: 2014 Ray Staff three-LP set
Best collector edition: Mobile Fidelity UHQR

Final verdict

Based on the sources consulted, the initial 1974 UK CBS pressing has the strongest case as the best vinyl version of Crime of the Century.

The decisive evidence is Ken Scott’s direct statement that it was the best pressing of any record he had worked on, together with Sound & Vision’s agreement after comparing it with the 1978 Mobile Fidelity edition.

The Speakers Corner reissue is the strongest audiophile alternative. Several collector comparisons place it at or near the top, and it avoids the disputed tonal reputation attached to Mobile Fidelity.

The A&M Audiophile Series remains a respected alternative, but its support comes mainly from owner reports. The 2014 Ray Staff edition is the best deluxe choice, while the 2025 Miles Showell half-speed pressing is the strongest current new-copy recommendation.

In practical terms:

Choose the initial UK CBS pressing for the strongest authoritative recommendation.
Choose Speakers Corner for the best-supported audiophile reissue.
Choose the 2025 half-speed edition for a clean new copy.
Choose the 2014 three-LP set for the live concert.
Treat MoFi and UHQR as disputed or collector-focused alternatives.

A famous label, high price or half-speed process does not by itself establish that one pressing is better. Check the exact release, runouts and condition.