I feel like this thread is just going to go on forever with the same answers. I think I've exhausted the help I can provide here.
My copy of HC is also a UK Pink Scroll. It too has hairline scratches and marks on the surface. Even with the noise caused by these you can tell it's superior vinyl to the other albums I have. When I bought NC on cd, I almost got rid of this vinyl, not knowing how rare it was! I took it down to the local pub for a charity sale but no-one wanted it, so I took it back home. Luckily I am one of only a few prog rockers in my home town otherwise I would have been as mad as the hatter on the regular label !!
As someone who can only afford $60-$75 concert Tix once or twice a year, I cannot see how I could possibly justify paying over $100 for any album. The price range for NC Pink Scroll on Discogs is $97-$900+. I think it's crazy. Glad I got to see Steve Hackett back in Feb. He was great!
My copy of NC is far from mint. Aside from the vinyl scratches the outside cover is very worn with one inch tears/scars front and back. The spine is unreadable but at least the inside gatefold is still very good. It was probably the inside gatefold that persuaded me to bring it back from the charity sale, thank goodness.
A little off topic, but have there been many variations on the vinyl labels used for 'The Lamb' and 'Seconds Out'? My Porky Prime Cut of 'The Lamb' has the small hatter on the A sides and B&W 'Rael smashing through glass' on the B sides.The dead wax on record 1 has Porky/Pecko on it and Record 2 has 'Tone'.I can't imagine anything other than the classic 'concert lights shot' for the labels of both discs of 'Seconds Out'.
Dont get too hyped up about Pink Scrolls, I have both UK for Trespass and NC, its only for collectors. Genesis is just not an audiophile band, at least until SEBTP. Or rather second side of Foxtrot to be precise. Yes, weird right. And on no other pressing is this clearer than the Classic Records release of the album. I dont recommend it when any other German or UK copy is very close soundwise. Especially for those prices. The other Classics for Genesis might be worth it but I dont have them so I can say personally. You can read my review down in the comments: Genesis - Foxtrot
I don’t have any other vinyl pressings to compare to, but my 1st German press of SEBTP is wonderful imo. I too am on a quest for great sounding Genesis albums with a limited budget, so this thread has been very helpful.
Im telling you, there is none. At least not "Great" sounding until SEBTP. If you want good sound objectively the remixes are superior from what Ive heard, but with some changes. You can read my thread on Genesis here: Genesis Muffled Releases
I haven't read all the responses in this thread, but i'm curious as to whether or not you bought this pressing. I would be willing to bet it's the same pressing I have and I still enjoy it. One big winner for me is the tonal balance. All in all a very good mastering and pressing, and it doesn't go for an arm and a leg.
I just wanted to fill in on my thoughts about The Lamb on Classic. Its superb almost all the way through. Dont doubt for a second that its one of if not the best press of the album. The only complaint I have is that 2 tracks or so are a bit sibilant in areas. And a few songs that are generally not considered the favorites might not have equally much attention put over them. Perhaps thats why we get the occasional sibilance.
No way can I afford to spend $80-$100 on one album. I am still looking for a nice NC and Foxtrot. Tired of 'deals' on later pressings, I do not trust them. That being said, I am looking at a NC 1/2 speed reissue from Europe 2016, and also need to verify that NC German Philips, as that original pressing is relatively inexpensive ( Mint at $28. Foxtrot has been a tough find, still curious about the Dutch 70's pressing. I actually found a deal on a Porky's SEBTP for $28, amd it sounds great! Thanks, guys!
I'm pretty sure that any 2016 reissue will be the remix, so apples and oranges in comparison to other pressings. I love the sound of my NC German Philips (and bought it on the strong recommendation of others in the past), though there was one poster on here who claimed it to be the worst sounding he'd ever heard. Either one of us got an outlier, or we have extremely different systems/sonic preferences.
Thank you, Mark. $28 shipped from Italia may be pretty good for an original German NM copy of NC. I have also been looking at an original UK Foxtrot, a VG+ high rated Discogs seller in the UK, priced at $20 plus shipping. Too cheap? Thanks!
Ask for a play grade. If it were me, I wouldn’t jump if they refuse. I was burned quite badly on Discogs with a Foxtrot UK Press not too long ago. If they play grade it well, assuming they aren’t lying, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal.
I agree with AidanB--if it truly is VG+, it's a very good deal. But UK sellers are somewhat notorious for over-grading (not that sellers from other countries--except Japan--are all that much better). A lot of them seem to have the idea that VG+ (or even NM) means something like "no skips, but scratched up and full of repeating pops and clicks."
Exactly, the copy of Foxtrot I received from the UK had an incredibly beat up cover, surface noise galore, discolored label, and an unlistenable amount of groove distortion. Definitely not VG+. Discogs is a very good site and, even if it comes nowhere near the reliability of this site’s Classifieds, I still have a satisfactory experience more often than not. Still, just be careful Thommo. PS: To throw more confusion into the ring, I have a second US press of NC that sounds pretty decent, and is probably quite affordable. I won’t claim it to be the best, especially since it’s all I’ve heard, but it’s an option.
UK sellers use the Record Collector Grading Scale. This is a source of confusion for American buyers who only are familiar with the Goldmine system. “VG+” is a decent grade in the US Goldmine system. However “VG+” does not represent a nice record to a UK seller. In fact, anything graded “very good” from a UK record seller is going to be rough and with problems. That’s just the way that system works. Nice records in the Record Collector Grading system start at “Excellent”, really more at “Excellent +”. UK VG, VG+, VG+++++ = junk record UK EX = low end of US Goldmine VG+ (might be nice) UK EX+ = US Goldmine VG+ to VG++ (more likely to be audiophile quality)
Hi @Thommo577, for Nursery Cryme, I can highly recommend pulling the trigger on a german Philips copy. I own one and it sounds very good paid 18 euros in NM condition at a record store and it was really worth it - powerful guitars and drums all over the place. Considering you're a bass player, you'll find the bottom end on Nursery Cryme unsatisfactory no matter what - the mix just doesn't do much and it bugs me just as much. I can't compare this edition to any of the others mentioned since this is the only one I own, someone surely has already chimed in on that. But from me, you have a recommendation for a Philips copy of Nursery Cryme.
I think I can get it for about the same price shipped in NM condition. Seller stated thatut 'plays well'. Should be worth pulling the trigger on. Thank You so much!
