THE record that woke you up to how wonderful vinyl can sound......

Some people...

 

These two :

 

Like a lot of people in the 80's I switched to cd. But I never sold my records, just boxed them up and put them in storage. Than around 15 years ago I thought might pull out my record player hook it up and play a few albums. I remember the first two I played were Peter Tosh-Equal Rights, and Hawkwind-In Search Of Space. To make a long story short, I was hooked and started shopping for the best turntable I could afford.

 

The original pressing of Tull's "Stand Up".

 

Aja--Steely Dan

 

Die Beatles

 

I did a rip of one that turned my head around regarding vinyl. It's not just that the record sounded great. It's that when I was editing the WAV files I did a side-by-side comparison with the CD just to see how the vinyl fared by comparison.

To my surprise, the vinyl had more presence. The CD mix sounded tweezy and thin by comparison. Almost washed out. Once you start hearing it like that, you can't go back and unhear it, so now when I listen to this album it's always the LP.

 

I remember the moment when it all clicked. I was just getting back into vinyl after being away from it for a long time. It was a Monarch pressing of Humble Pie Smokin', and the song was "I Wonder." (At the time, I didn't know what a Monarch pressing was. I found that part out after joining this forum.)

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Much of it was only from memories of listening to average record players as a kid.I still like good sounding cds but the mostly awful modern masterings had me always wanting to recapture hearing my favorites the way I originally experienced them years ago but with better gear.With so many decent reissues I took the plunge at last.I`m having fun hearing the Beatles Mono box,Analogue productions CCR & Doors,Hendrix,Iron Maiden,and even the Misfits.I`m very happy and not disappointed so this hobby is even more fun these days.

Jimi Hendrix Plays Berkely was an unexpected revelation for me.

 

I was wandering in Amoeba San Francisco, and stumbled across a mint first issue WLP of Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens. I had just put together my vinyl rig earlier that day.
When I returned home, I placed it on the turntable and put on the headphones. It was a level of sonic insight and beauty I hadn't experienced before.

 

Laurie Anderson - Mister Heartbreak

Vocals are much, much better, more present, detailed.

 

Still think (with the greatest of respect) that some folk are missing the point,probably due to my lack of clarification! I was referring to records that you felt you knew well,until maybe you bought a new cartridge/turntable or speakers perhaps..and then the full glory was revealed!

 

For me it was Frank Zappa. I liked his music when I was a kid but never got round to purchase his music later on in life on CD. One day I listened to some of his LPs and they not only sounded better, but sounded more like I remembered him to sound like. Now I usually don't have a preference for vinyl, except for some albums that have been mastered better, but in this case it really connected me to the music how I remembered it as child. I later found out that the CD versions had the drums recorded with a different beat. Why on earth would they do something like that!

 

3 12" by Joy Division : Transmission, Atmosphere and Love Will Tear Us Apart.

 

Surfing with the alien by Joe Satriani, original US vinyl.
Passion and Warfare by Steve Vai, original US vinyl.
Actually almost all analog recordings on vinyl I have beat their cd versions easily.
For a very long time cds were the best format to me until I re-discovered some of my favourite albums on vinyl.But still I'm buying cds and I love'em.I believe that the origin of the recording and the mastering are the most important.

 

The time I plugged my new Rotel rp-855 turntable/AT110E cart into my all in one Pioneer mini-system, which included a cheapie 12oz plastic wonder of a turntable. The first track I played was 'Blind' on the Talking Heads 'Naked' LP. I had to think for a moment if I'd put the said LP on as the track sounded so different from previous plays. Soon replaced the the mini-system with a NAD 3020 amp and a pair of Wharfedale speakers. Still use the rp-855 (now 23 years old) but have replaced the Rotel stock arm with a Rega RB300/Denon DL110 and it sounds great.

 

Legacy reissue, spectacular.

 

The Smiths, 'Meat is Murder'



When I dropped the needle on 'Well I Wonder', I just couldn't believe how amazing it sounded compared to my Sire CD. I remember thinking Johnny Marr might have been wearing a bracelet on his right hand when he recorded the acoustic guitar because it really sounded like that, I could hear it. What a beautiful sound, that's my favorite song off the album. Morrissey's vocals sound god-like on it.

 

When did you first start listening to vinyl? Was it the first medium other than radio that you heard music on? For myself, I am currently listening to the stunning sonics on "Communique" by Dire Straits. I bought a used very clean copy and its getting its first play on my system. Its one of those LP moments that really makes me appreciate the medium. But it reinforces what I already know to be true, LPs can sound great, add enjoyment and fun to my music listening. But since LPs have always been a part of my music listening lifetime, I may be less likely to have the kind of aha moment that you are referring to.

 

Toto - IV (Holland Epic pressing)
I-Ten - Taking A Cold Look (Holland Epic pressing)
Slayer - Hell Awaits (US Metal Blade pressing)
King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King (German State Side pressing)
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europa Express (German Kling Klang first pressing)

...and many more !!!

 

Listening to vinyl for over 55 years. I still think perhaps I am not making myself clear:I was talking about records that took on a completely new lease of life when perhaps you for the first time acquired equipment that could do full justice to them...they may have perfectly listenable in the past,and perhaps you never heard them on a different system,therefore accepted that was the way they were supposed to sound.
But the first time you played that old favourite with that upgrade cartridge you had scrimped and saved for....

 

Getting my hands on an original Exile on Main Street (artisan stamped). Made me feel like I was listening to it for the first time.

 

I walked into a local Hi-Fi store some years ago that had a very high end analog system playing Roy Buchanan's 'Loading Zone' and I was mesmerized. Up to that point I wasn't even aware vinyl (or any music source) could sound this good. Changed my life.

 

Good selection & mastering. ​