Vinyl Junkies …

I've been picking up a few Analogue Productions and Mofi titles. They generally use master tapes and control their mastering and pressing very closely and the results are great in most cases. Also finding pressings from RTI, Pallas are usually good with Optimal & GZ Media stuff being quite hit and miss although they tend to do better when albums have always been digital, i.e. 2001 - Dr Dre. is a good pressing. Generally though I look at the Back 2 Black series with suspicion until I've played it. Warners are pressing some decent stuff, the current DSOTM is well worth having. So it's not all about the source, like you've said the mastering and pressing have a huge impact.

On the other hand I've been getting a few re-presses that have a lot of no-fill, off centre, scratched by their own card sleeves (no poly lining) and generally sound worse than an MP3 so I'm learning to look closely at what's on offer. It's not just re-presses of course, their are a few uninspiring presses of new stuff out there to.

You answered my question, if you've had something from that label that's been good I might take a punt on Event Horizon and the Ahmad Jamal.

Absolutely. Back 2 Black is often poor and a lot of labels are just throwing records out with little to no quality control, often from a CD source. My local record shop had a whole order from the US where the records had been shrink wrapped before they were cool and had warped.

A lot of things are just down to record pressing being an industrial process - there's going to be dust, release fluid, oils and greases from the machines and paper shavings from the sleeves that get into/onto new records so I always clean them before playing them.

Other than that, there's so many variables that you could probably get two records from the same pressing run that actually sound different!

It's a mad world when it comes to records. Have you seen the guy that sells 'hot stampers' of really common records for hundreds of dollars?

I'm trying to avoid that particular rabbit hole but I'm going through a few hundred 12's finding some great pressings and it's incredible the difference a good pressing makes.

A great album can still be interesting even with a bad pressing or scuffed to hell and covered in dirt but it's great to get at least a few good ones. I've been wearing out the recent release of Forever Changes - Love in a 45rpm double album print from Mobile Fidelity and it will put you on your back if you've been exposed to any fumes.

I clean all mine with an RCM now. Best bit of kit I never wanted to buy, should have got one years ago.

It is a mad world though and takes a lot of mining to hit pay dirt.

My OG US stereo pressing of that has served me well for many years, would dearly love a mono copy tho'...

I've just ordered the Rhino 33rpm version, supposed to be pretty decent. There were some issues with the length of the album, they had to reduce the bass to squeeze it in. Gives it that 60's sound though. The Mofi version has the bass from the tapes which is great too and the stereo effect is engaging. Alone Again when the horns kick in does me every time.

I get the mono lust though, quite a few albums from that era that benefit from mono presentation. I've got a switch that sums to mono, not the same I know but saves sitting in the corner!

Just got given a battered Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home from a friends collection, trashed but something special about the OG stuff. Sounds like a roaring fire in the background.

Here's an example of Back 2 Blacks quality control. Whoever put this in a sleeve is probably only getting £2.50 an hour.

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Is that a reissue? You can still pick up an original for 50p, no?

More like £10 for VG. This was a late night choice that got left on the order form. Returned for a replacement, not received the replacement yet.

I'm looking for a copy of Chicago Transit Authority but can't pick from the many options. Mastersound CD from a while ago is supposed to be a good option but £65 is steep. You can get a battered vinyl copy for around £5 but it's not worth the shelf space to me.

Mono button doesn't reproduce the original mono mix tho', does it? 😉

I sold my mono Piper for £5 in the late 80s just for beer money, it was a mate's birthday and I was Peer Gynt... Hurts to this day, never replaced it...

Another regret sale was a 7" acetate of Silver Machine/Motorhead... Again, late 80s and I got £40 for it which was pretty decent at that time... And the Gold OST, bought in a weird movie soundtrack shop in Soho for £2 and sold for £50 beer money a few months later...

I know, summing to mono is not the answer. The bands who really suffer from stereo mixes are getting good quality mono represses. Beatles, Dylan etc. There's a good mono press of Hendrix - ABAL, RTI pressing so needs to be imported.

I try not to think about the missing vinyl, best not to live with too many regrets. It ends up like house prices and dinner parties.

I'm struggling to buy second hand stuff these days, happy to search for decent re-releases, new music and 45's. Too much over-grading online and prices through the roof for crappy quality. The C. London shops second hand stuff is crackers.

A few good current re-presses :-

Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division - 0825646183906 - Warner
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder - 903261 - UMC
Heart Of The Congos (40th Anniversary Edition) - The Congos - 0054645421218 - ADA UK

All good albums and a decent job on the pressing/packaging.

And a decent new compilation from Soul Jazz, not stellar pressing but decent.

Space, Energy & Light 1961-1988 - Experimental Electronic & Acoustic Soundscapes

Sale spam warning!

I've got a Vestax Handytrax up for sale in classified, if anyone's interested. I had dreams of digging through piles of records as big as me, in shop back rooms with this, but actually have hardly used it :-/

What Stooges - Stooges version to get?
Clear/black swirl vinyl or bonus disc with alternate versions?

The first LP? Didn't Third Man make some beautiful hand printed sleeve reissues of them recently?

I've got the OG UK Elektra vinyl, the sleeve is so glossy and beautiful and the colours are slightly amped which made it super trippy to look at when I was on acid as a teenager... It's fucking gorgeous...

I've got the one with the extra disc because it's also remastered.

They're about the same price so I think it's better value and it sounds pretty good remastered. (I don't think the black swirl/Rhino version is and I've got an earlier pressing anyway.)

Here's the back cover...

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This was the Third Man reissue, John Cale mixes as well as the OG mix... I would love a copy of this...

Please stop showing me records I now want to buy. THANKS.

That back cover! And you've still got a chance to get Iggy added too.

Wow!
Yeah, I'd love the TMR or an OG version, but just not ready to spend that kind of money.

This one is cheap and available: https://www.discogs.com/The-Stooges-The-Stooges/release/1090294

Bit I'm also a bit of a sucker for fancy coloured vinyl...

What's the remastered version of that sound like?

I'm glad to have the OG version of Raw Power. It sounds like shit, but it suits it so much better than the remastered (by David Bowie - did I remember than right?) version.

The very first OG UK pressing of Raw Power contains a completely different mix of Search & Destroy... You'd be surprised how few people know this, even massive Stooges fans... I was telling Ed Kuepper from The Saints this very thing a few months back and he scoffed... Then I sent him a link and etc...

This is it...

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Went ahead and got the local store to take home the Rocktober reissue for me.
Cheap, unremastered, fun and will look rad when played.

If I'm honest, i don't actually know what pressing i have - will have to check when i can find the bugger.