Catch of the Day: Vinyl You've Recently Bought

kenreau · « **Reply #160 on:** 2 Dec 2009, 06:52 pm »

Hi Jerome,

I am considering get a few of the older U2 titles. Do you know if the recent remaster/reissues are any better sonically than finding original pressing? It is such a crap shoot with so many of these new reissues.

Also - what do you think of the Dennis Wilson reissue?

Thanks
Kenreau

jsaliga · « **Reply #161 on:** 2 Dec 2009, 08:48 pm »

Hi Kenreau,

I have the following U2 import reissues on 180g vinyl pressed in Holland that I bought last year:

I can tell you with complete confidence that the import 180g reissues of Achtung Baby and The Unforgettable Fire that I have are terrible. IMO, the CD remasters sound much better than these so-called audiophile vinyl reissues. I have compared the original pressing of The Unforgettable Fire to the 180g reissue and I am wondering if it was remixed as well. On the 180g reissue on Pride (In the Name of Love) The Edge's guitars are more recessed and sound further back in the mix and Bono's vocals tend to dominate. The rhythm section sounds totally flat on the 180g vinyl.

I can't really comment on The Joshua Tree 180g because I have only listened to it once but I do remember not being very impressed.

My advice would be to hunt down original Island Records pressings. They are plentiful, cheap, and sound better than the 180g reissues that I have.

Sometimes they do get it right the first time.

--Jerome

kgturner · « **Reply #162 on:** 2 Dec 2009, 10:09 pm »

here's my november haul. much less than most of you guys around here. i'm still building a modest collection.

kenreau · « **Reply #163 on:** 2 Dec 2009, 10:18 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 2 Dec 2009, 08:48 pm

My advice would be to hunt down original Island Records pressings. They are plentiful, cheap, and sound better than the 180g reissues that I have.

Sometimes they do get it right the first time.

--Jerome

Thanks Jerome, you just saved me some $.

Ugh! That is what I was afraid of. I don't recall the originals being anything special to begin with. I sure wish there was some industry scruples on the merits of wether or not to create these re-issue products.

It appears like nearly nobody with the record label companies listens to any of their products. They are apparently more interested in cranking out slick glossy product with "audiophile" stickers on the packaging and crossing their fingers it sells [Mofi, AP, Rhino, MM, ORG excluded] Come to think of it, there appears to be a direct correlation to the higher priced reissues and the superior sound quality reissues. Hmmm

jsaliga · « **Reply #164 on:** 2 Dec 2009, 10:42 pm »

Quote from: kenreau on 2 Dec 2009, 10:18 pm

Thanks Jerome, you just saved me some $.

My pleasure.

Quote

Ugh! That is what I was afraid of. I don't recall the originals being anything special to begin with. I sure wish there was some industry scruples on the merits of wether or not to create these re-issue products.

I agree with you about earlier U2 albums. The music is terrific but the sound of the original mixes wasn't anything to write home about. Achtung Baby, however, is a different animal. Of couse, the band changed producers as well but AB has a cleaner more detailed sound than earlier U2 records.

Quote

It appears like nearly nobody with the record label companies listens to any of their products. They are apparently more interested in cranking out slick glossy product with "audiophile" stickers on the packaging and crossing their fingers it sells [Mofi, AP, Rhino, MM, ORG excluded] Come to think of it, there appears to be a direct correlation to the higher priced reissues and the superior sound quality reissues. Hmmm

I dunno. Warner has done an exceptional job with its 180g reissues. But then again, they have Steve Hoffman handling the remastering chores. I can tell you that the 180g reissues of ZZ Top's Tres Hombres and Van Morrison's Moondance are truely phenomenal.

Oh, and in answer to your question about the Sundazed reissue of Pacific Ocean Blue...it's great music and very nice packaging. But it's pressed on heavy blue vinyl (I am not a fan of gimmicks). Two of the three LPs have a tad bit more surface noise than I would expect from a modern pressing but I am happy to have it and can recommend it. I am not a huge fan of Sundazed but I think they got this one right.
--Jerome

kenreau · « **Reply #165 on:** 3 Dec 2009, 12:45 am »

"I can tell you that the 180g reissues of ZZ Top's Tres Hombres and Van Morrison's Moondance are truely phenomenal."

Excellent to hear re: Tres Hombres. I have been trolling for an old original mint London pressing but will now just grab the new reissue. I do have the new Moondance & Astral Weeks and they are great.

Do you happen to know about the Tupelo Honey reissue? From my limited searches at the SHoffman site, it was reissued by some other firm and I don't think massaged by Hoffman/Grey. I haven't found any reviews or coments of this title reissue.

Thanks again.

jsaliga · « **Reply #166 on:** 3 Dec 2009, 01:35 am »

Quote from: kenreau on 3 Dec 2009, 12:45 am

Do you happen to know about the Tupelo Honey reissue? From my limited searches at the SHoffman site, it was reissued by some other firm and I don't think massaged by Hoffman/Grey. I haven't found any reviews or coments of this title reissue.

The only Van Morrison albums remastered by Steve Hoffman are Astral Weeks, Moondance, and His Band and the Street Choir as part of the Warner reissue series. All of them are certainly worth having. Tupelo Honey, being the first album Van Morrison recorded for Polydor is reissued on 180g by that label. I have not seen any reviews of it. Since I have an original pressing that's in very nice shape I am not in any hurry to buy the reissue.

--Jerome

AllynW · « **Reply #167 on:** 3 Dec 2009, 02:09 am »

One of my all time fav's

jsaliga · « **Reply #168 on:** 4 Dec 2009, 12:16 am »

In today from Acoustic Sounds...

--Jerome

jsaliga · « **Reply #169 on:** 4 Dec 2009, 08:13 pm »

The last vinyl order of the year came in today.

Amazon had a nice price of $14.95 on two of the Roxy Music reissues on 180g vinyl.

--Jerome

kenreau · « **Reply #170 on:** 4 Dec 2009, 10:21 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 4 Dec 2009, 12:16 am

In today from Acoustic Sounds...

--Jerome

Zowie, very nice haul! I see a few on my wish list. I see we have very similar tastes. Do you have any kids in your will? Want to adopt one big kid?

I just picked up The Decemberists "The Hazards of Love" last night but have not listened to it yet. I actually had to return my initial purchase of "The Crane Wife" because the vinyl pressing (brand new) looked like it had been in a used dirty Good Will bin for a few years and was warped. The matrix info also indicated an "RE" which I presume was a reissue. Very poor quality pressing. I did a search at the SHF and noticed a few comments also mentioning the vinyl pressing was a known disaster. Major disappointment as "The Crane Wife" is a fantastic album. I opened "THOL" LP at the store and it looks great.

On a slight tangent, I am really getting disappointed with the quality of recent "new" vinyl purchases. The above mentioned purchase was one of a group of 7 LPs I purchased Monday night (Cyber Monday sale) and 4 out of the 7 were rejects. The rejects included (in addition to "The Crane Wife"), The Drive By Truckers "SRO" [weird milky white contamination melted through the vinyl), Led Zep "TSRTS" RTI box set [2 of the 4 LPs were scratched and warped], John Coltrane "Blue Train" Classic Records reissue [scratched on about 25% of both sides of LP like it had been pushed around on a gritty floor].

It may have just been a bad luck streek that night. I returned them last night and got replacements, including a few extra LPs and they all look perfect [Hendrix "ABAL" Classic Records, J Tull "Aqualung" Classic Records, Kings Of Leon and Neil Young "EKTIN" 140 gr reissue]. It really made an impression on me to open new LPs shortly after purchase. Buyer beware.

Kenreau

Miney · « **Reply #171 on:** 4 Dec 2009, 11:04 pm »

This was tough to find....

jsaliga · « **Reply #172 on:** 5 Dec 2009, 12:02 am »

Quote from: kenreau on 4 Dec 2009, 10:21 pm

Do you have any kids in your will? Want to adopt one big kid?

Quote

On a slight tangent, I am really getting disappointed with the quality of recent "new" vinyl purchases. The above mentioned purchase was one of a group of 7 LPs I purchased Monday night (Cyber Monday sale) and 4 out of the 7 were rejects. The rejects included (in addition to "The Crane Wife"), The Drive By Truckers "SRO" [weird milky white contamination melted through the vinyl), Led Zep "TSRTS" RTI box set [2 of the 4 LPs were scratched and warped], John Coltrane "Blue Train" Classic Records reissue [scratched on about 25% of both sides of LP like it had been pushed around on a gritty floor].

I started a thread on this very subject a few weeks ago here....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=73305.msg690504#msg690504

--Jerome

kenreau · « **Reply #173 on:** 6 Dec 2009, 02:59 am »

Quote

On a slight tangent, I am really getting disappointed with the quality of recent "new" vinyl purchases. The above mentioned purchase was one of a group of 7 LPs I purchased Monday night (Cyber Monday sale) and 4 out of the 7 were rejects. The rejects included (in addition to "The Crane Wife"), The Drive By Truckers "SRO" [weird milky white contamination melted through the vinyl), Led Zep "TSRTS" RTI box set [2 of the 4 LPs were scratched and warped], John Coltrane "Blue Train" Classic Records reissue [scratched on about 25% of both sides of LP like it had been pushed around on a gritty floor].

I started a thread on this very subject a few weeks ago here....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=73305.msg690504#msg690504

--Jerome
[/quote]

Excellent write up on the prevalent piss poor new vinyl quality being foisted upon us. I'll add to that thread another related experience from today.

Thx
Ken

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #174 on:** 6 Dec 2009, 06:45 am »

Quote from: kenreau on 2 Dec 2009, 06:52 pm

Hi Jerome,

I am considering get a few of the older U2 titles. Do you know if the recent remaster/reissues are any better sonically than finding original pressing? It is such a crap shoot with so many of these new reissues.

Thanks
Kenreau

Kenreau,

I have the 20th Anniversary Remastered vinyl of The Joshua Tree released in 2007. The remastering was done under the direction of The Edge at Bernie Grundman Mastering. The Remastered editon was pressed on two 180 gram vinyl records and to my ears sounds very good.

I also have the 2008 remasterd editions of Boy, October, and War. The Edge directed the remastering of all three albums and they were remastered at BG mastering. I think War is well done and I haven't listened to Boy or October, so I don't have an impression of those remastered editions. I just acquried the 2009 Remastered edition of The Unforgetable Fire which was recently released. The Edge also directed the remastering of this album at BG mastering. I have only listened to it once and have not compared it to the original.

The Joshua Tree is on my top 5 or 10 rock albums of all time and I am very glad I have the 20th anniversary remastered edition. IMO it is worth getting.

Laura

jsaliga · « **Reply #175 on:** 6 Dec 2009, 02:40 pm »

Hi Laura,

Thanks for posting. I am convinced that we have different pressings. Mine are imports from Holland on 180g vinyl and none of them have a booklet.

I just ordered Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and The Joshua Tree.

--Jerome

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #176 on:** 6 Dec 2009, 04:45 pm »

Quote from: jsaliga on 6 Dec 2009, 02:40 pm

Hi Laura,

Thanks for posting. I am convinced that we have different pressings. Mine are imports from Holland on 180g vinyl and none of them have a booklet.

Each of the new, remasterd pressings I own have a very nice booklet of photos, lyrics and information about the original and the remasterd editiion. I also bought the 20th anniversary CD version of The Joshua Tree which included a DVD from a TJT tour concert in Paris.

Quote

I just ordered Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and The Joshua Tree.
--Jerome

I hope you enjoy them and will be interested in your impressions.

Laura

jsaliga · « **Reply #177 on:** 6 Dec 2009, 05:38 pm »

Quote from: vinyl_lady on 6 Dec 2009, 04:45 pm

I hope you enjoy them and will be interested in your impressions.

Thanks Laura. I am confident that I will find them to be much better than the imports I have. It will be interesting to compare them to the original pressings that I own.

--Jerome

Wayner · « **Reply #178 on:** 6 Dec 2009, 08:45 pm »

Just picked up a nice used and minty LP by Queen, the soundtrack for Flash Gordon movie.

Wayner aa

vinyl_lady · « **Reply #179 on:** 8 Dec 2009, 05:17 am »

From Recycled Records in Reno NV on a business trip last week

I have the original mono pressing of Them, but did not have the stereo version. The others are new to my collection. I have lots of Rascals/Young Rascals LPs, but not this one. This is the only ELO album I did not have. I can't believe I missed this JT album the first time around. I love Johnny Maestro's voice and this is the first time I have seen this double album of his songs from the Crests and Brooklyn Bridge. Time to give the VPI RCM a good workout.

Laura