Elton John Vinyl Reissues

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Sunsales, Feb 15, 2017.

  1. Greg Carrier

    Greg Carrier Senior Member

    Location:
    Iowa City
    My copy of Tumbleweed Connection is beautiful. Flat and quiet. My cartridge looks stationary when I'm playing it, just the way it's supposed to be. And I'm no Elton expert, but it sounds great to me.
     
  2. Vinyl Dude

    Vinyl Dude Well-Known Member

    GRRRR!!!! With all these glowing reviews I'm seeing on the new EJ reissues, and the fact that I have YET to acquire any of them, I feel SO DARNED behind in the game! I've already got so many other cool new/recent or reissue vinyl releases high up on my wishlist (plus re-buying new copies of albums I was forced to sell off last year), and just not enough moolah to spend on them! I especially wanna get "Caribou" and SFTWC (since that one was never released on wax the first time 'round). Unfortunately, it's gonna be awhile before I can get around to ANY of them.... :shake:
     
  3. JamesRR

    JamesRR Trashcan Dream

    Location:
    NYC
    Second copy of Blue Moves - still has surface noise on Side 1. Must be a bad batch from Amazon.

    And they accidentally gave me two sleeves for disc 1, instead of the sleeve for disc 2. Bad QC there. So this one goes back.

    Has anyone who has purchased in Europe had an issue - I might buy from there since it's a different lot of pressings.
     
    Achn2b likes this.
  4. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    Finally, I get around to reviewing this.
    One of my fav Elton John albums, Blue Moves.
    I remember vividly getting this way back in December 1976 for Christmas. That was a HUGE Christmas year for me. Record Player with separate speakers that lite up, K-Tel album, Tumbleweed Connection and this awesome Blue Moves.
    I have to admit, even as a 9 year old I heard a big difference in the songwriting compared to the flashy type EJ hits I was used to.
    I know this is not everyone’s fav album but I guess I am biased because I just wore the living hell out of this from day one. I remember suffering because I was so sick (as at Christmas I was notorious for) but this and Tumbleweed Connection really made me feel better.
    Once again I am biased but I still love this album lathe way through but if I were to be sympathetic to EJ fans who don’t like it, sure, I would remove Bite Your Lip, Boogie Pilgrim, Where’s The Shoorah and perhaps Theme From a Non Existent T.V Series and (arguably) Shoulder Holster but I still LOVE those songs and everything else.
    The intro….Your Starter For going into Tonight is just riveting. I also LOVE LOVE Out Of The Blue, to me that’s just as great an instrumental as any Genesis or Rush Instrumental. Somehow you just have to see (hear) the goodness.
    In regards to this reissue……….arrrrghhhhhhhhh!!! One, I LOVE the sound. Absolutely hands down the sound is much much improved over the original MCA. That’s the biggest attraction.
    However?? I have heard from 1-2 others and I will agree, it seems Side 1 (the important side) is pretty noisy surface noise wise BUT?? I am guessing/hoping this will be isolated to just the first pressings so far. I may try (once again….4 times now for Christ sakes) and get another copy as the rest of the sides are insanely clean. Such a HUGE HUGE improvement over the 1976 original.
    Every time I listen to this, this brings me right back to my Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman/Charlie's Angels days....love it.
    I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended this album......sorry Mazzy I know you want to poke your own eyes out. Hopefully you won't have to read about this album anymore....hahahah!!!
    :laughup::hide::targettiphat:
     
    pdenny and Mazzy like this.
  5. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    I am sure if you're getting this Bro but I am now on my 4th listen and it seems to me everything is ok on Side 1 (minus just some regular unfortunate surface noise) but Tonight is theeee biggest offender...I am getting this kind of "scratchy" type sound during the piano/orchestral intro.
    You??
     
  6. I seriously loved reading this and it’s so cool that Blue Moves helped your suffering.

    It’s great when folks write how Music affected them. I get it. Suffering aside. :tiphat:
     
    Darrin Crawford likes this.
  7. JamesRR

    JamesRR Trashcan Dream

    Location:
    NYC
    Same thing - on the quiet parts of Tonight, it sounds scratchy. Maybe I can't hear it on the other tracks as much, but it's very noticeable on Tonight.

    I returned the second copy and will wait a bit until I buy another. Might just have to do ultimately.
     
    Darrin Crawford likes this.
  8. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    Another friend of mine experienced the same thing and he also mentioned the same scratchy problems on Hardest Word as well. Obviously a pressing problem. Arggghhhhh This was the ONE album I was hoping would be clean.
     
  9. JamesRR

    JamesRR Trashcan Dream

    Location:
    NYC
    That's the irony for me. I wanted this one even before they announced it. And for spite, 14 albums in, it's the one that's no good.

    I may order from Amazon UK and pay more - but I'm not 100% certain those are from a different plant, even though they include download codes (and the US ones don't).
     
  10. JamesRR

    JamesRR Trashcan Dream

    Location:
    NYC
    So interestingly enough, this album is out of stock of Amazon US. And it doesn't even say "temporarily out of stock." It only lists used copies, as though it's no longer a newly stocked item. ???
     
    Darrin Crawford likes this.
  11. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    Really?? i know of another copy at a local shop $41.99 ....you do the math. I am tempted but I just want a clean pressing with this Bob Ludwig remaster because honestly?? This is theee best I have ever heard it.
     
  12. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    So are all these reports of noisy copies of Blue Moves one offs for GZ media? I still think they struggle to press a quiet record....you notice it on tracks like Tonight....hopeless!
     
  13. Lovealego

    Lovealego Senior Member

    My GZ Blue Moves was flawless. I critically listened to the whole album waiting for some nastiness. Dead quiet the whole time.
     
  14. JP Christian

    JP Christian Forum Resident

    Here we go again, what are you, the Daily Mail equivalent of fault reporting?

    250 plus GZ pressings here, no noise, no warps, none off-centre, not one.

    "ALL" these reports...? What, two? :doh:

    It's an age old ennui (to partly quote a Roxy Music lyric - they were also pressed on GZ) - that the folk with the faulty pressings will shout the loudest and in turn that supposedly means that they're all bad - not true.
     
    e.s. likes this.
  15. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    There's a massive thread on this forum about them and they are notorious for bad pressings, not just on this forum!

    It seems YOU are the one who is probably the CEO of GZ media as you are constantly leaping to their defence.... :shh:
     
  16. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    Three...hahahahhaahh :laughup:
     
  17. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    In all seriousness so I noticed that Americans don't get the download cards for these reissues but for some reason Canada and Europe do. So I assume I have a GZ pressing so where would the American pressings take place> Weird as it's the same barcode
     
  18. JamesRR

    JamesRR Trashcan Dream

    Location:
    NYC
    I've wondered the same thing. Is it merely a packaging thing at the plant or is someone else pressing them.

    And I had two copies in a row that were noisy, so all this nonsense about defending the company is ludicrous. They should be able to press a quiet record. It's not as though pressing records is a new innovation that needs to work out some kinks.
     
    Darrin Crawford likes this.
  19. Darrin Crawford

    Darrin Crawford Forum Resident

    Exactly, especially given that the rest of the reissues are flawless.
     
  20. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Oooh don't tell JP Christian!!!
     
    Darrin Crawford likes this.
  21. e.s.

    e.s. Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I haven't had any problems with these reissues. Everything so far has been clean, flat, and quiet.
     
    ego1jr and Darrin Crawford like this.
  22. JP Christian

    JP Christian Forum Resident

    Haha, yes of course I am the CEO of GZ :biglaugh:

    I 'leap to their defence' because they are constantly singled out on here as the worst pressing plant in the world and this is simply not true - all plants have dud pressings and yet I don't see anyone constantly slagging off Rainbo, United, MPO, Pallas and Optimal with the same enthusiasm, all of which I have had to return pressings for having non-fill, being noisy, being off centre or warped - the number of GZ pressings I've had to return is zero (and I am not joking when I say I have over 250).
     
    Last edited: Oct 7, 2017
    e.s. likes this.
  23. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Just bought 3 EJ reissues in a batch from another forum member who certified them as being in NM condition, quiet, and centered. All for $45 shipped. Should be interesting. The titles are ;

    Tumbleweed Connection
    Don't Shoot Me
    Captain Fantastic

    I own a DJM 1st UK of Captain but don't own the other two and thought it'd be interesting to do a comparison anyway.
     
  24. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    So, what format are the downloads? Are they hi-res versions, by any chance?
     
  25. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    GZ are no worse than any other plant in my experience as far as pressing faults are concerned. My Blue Moves has some surface noise on side 1 but it is not really intrusive on my equipment. Different deck and cartridge sensitive to surface noise and may be another matter. I've had to exchange more records from Optimal, MPO, Record Industry and even RTI than from GZ.
     

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