Giving my new Canadian version a play-through, I noticed that with the channels set up the way they should be, I was getting instruments in Front Left and Back Right. So, I swapped right channels back-to-front and was pleasantly surprised to find that on many songs.... drums were mostly to the front. The guitar solo on "Rosanne" is ONLY in the new front channels. During the part in the song where Burton sings "Could've prevented all this...." with the channels in the new layout, the vocals in front AND rear are DRY..... it's only when you put them together do you get that delayed effect found in that part of the song. Also, with this new setup; Burton's baby grand, electric piano and percussion are mostly to the back. On "Rich World-Poor World" it's guitars in front, baby grand in rear, vocals all around. There's even a part where the vocals jump to the back and there's a whisper vocal in the front!
I'd always written this one off as double stereo, but maybe it just turns out to be a subtle mix?
I might give "Flavours" a listen as well. Might be the same thing. Maybe Dutton-Vocalion could pop these out as a two-fer with the channels in the proper locations!!
P.S. - I think this is a master tape foul up because BOTH the Canadian and US versions play out the same. I believe the CD-4 might've also been pressed incorrectly using the same master.