Music Matters Definitive Blue Note 45 RPM and 33 & 1/3 RPM vinyl series (pt7)

Music Matters.

What does a record jacket sound like?

 

- And yet, what would the value of various albums be if they were missing their record jackets. Not saying that's my situation. Just saying they're important, too.

 

One of the reasons I'm willing to spend a premium amount is the quality of the jacket.

 

yep, they really are something else eh

 

Well, let's hope Lori's right! This and my AP subscriptions are a little like Christmas throughout the year. Jeff

 

And by the way, I'm a big fan of photography, and the photographs and the quality of their reproduction is really good.

 

I have to say I'm still a bit dismayed at some aspects of Music Matters' business practices.

About a month ago, I bought The Golden 8 and Wahoo! for $47.98 and $43.98 respectively. They're now $64.98 and $54.98 respectively.

Music Matters' costs didn't rise on those products within the last month. That they have decided not to set a price and stick to it gives me pause. It's completely arbitrary and looks bad.

I know that there are those out there who will argue that they should be able to charge any amount they want. But the practice helps create instability and appears consumer unfriendly.

Would you want to see an album on MoFi's site increase in price every time you visited that item's page? How about if there were only one place where you could buy a gallon of milk, and every time you went to the dairy aisle, the price went up? And from the time you pulled that gallon off the shelf, the price went up at the checkout? Should the store be able to do that because they can?

It all goes back to when they pulled the distribution to, as one of their reasons, keep prices down.

I love the product they produce, but I'm sorry, this practice sort of repulses me. I don't see MoFi doing this with their 1-Step releases. Why is Music Matters screwing around with their potential buying public? It's penny-wise, pound-foolish.

 

Overall, I agree, and it's part of the reason why I stopped buying MM's stuff, good as it can be. The other is that I received a couple of clinkers quality-wise last year, and getting replacements from them wasn't exactly a...friendly exchange. Not out-and-out rude, but not what I would expect of a company who wants my business. And yes, although I understand that the potential audience for most Blue Note releases is much smaller than that of an MFSL product like Santana or a similar classic-rock warhorse, this constant futzing with prices puts a bad taste in one's mouth. I don't know what changed with the company in the last year or two - maybe they're just tired and grumpy and fed up with the business, but my money's not going to them.

 

AnalogJ with all due respect you have made this same argument several times already. Page 431 of this thread for instance. We get your point but if you have nothing new to say please refrain as it is devisive and tiresome

 

I agree; an entire host of folks have expressed disappointment, frustration, dismay, anger, incredulity, puzzlement, and, for some, resolve to not do business with Music Matters, as a result. What was new to me from AnalogJ's post, however, was the magnitude and frequency of price changes for relatively new releases. He provided a clear example for several titles of how Music Matters was electing to raise prices on those.

We have as a forum group hashed and rehashed, speculated, opined, and otherwise tried to explain why Music Matters has 1) done a 180 on price stability (given their prior statements), and 2) why they risk turning off their customers. I wish I knew. And I see no reason to surmise, again, why the company has pursued what appears to be a mercenary tactic. So I agree with you that further dissection of the topic is, using my words, a useless exercise in futility.

Their business model has done one thing for me. I became a so-called subscriber, so I secure each lp release at its lowest possible price, other than perhaps what may be available on the secondary market. And in the case of Duke Pearson's Wahoo!, I purchased two copies at issue price when that shipped. And, yes, that means I have both the 45 and 33-1/3 RPM versions of the same title, even if I would have rather spent my money differently. At least, I have a sealed copy that I can sell later at likely a higher price than I paid.

Unless (or until) Music Matters graces us with more Blue Note or other jazz label re-releases, I will not be purchasing more records from them. I have the luxury of owning them all. Clearly, all late or later comers and pick-and-choose non-subscribers will be subject to their evolving pricing policy.

 

I leaned about almost every American holiday (presidents day, thankgiving, black friday) because of all those x % off coupon emails by Elusive, Acoustic Sounds, MD). And last week I got 15% off because ... "SAVE15". I mean: There're doing the same in my opinion. An Amazon has had flexible prices as long as I can remember. But I see AJ's point.
Btw: ordered Clifford Brown Max Roach EmArcy box, Mosaic is in very bad shape (see separate thread) and I don't want to miss out on this one.

 

New instance of it. And not all readers go that far back to read. But mighty anal of you to point it out. Notice that I got "likes" for my post. That I wouldn't have posted this post if you hadn't posted your's, thus continuing it. And your post then becomes divisive.

As this thread covers Music Matters, the good, the bad, and the in between.

Now let it alone. Learn not to critique other's posts.

I'm not trying to be mean spirited. But the company needs to be called out. I consider the price jump to be egregious, and I won't be buying any more from them.

 

Do you really think having regular sales, where you can get records below retail price is the same as continually raising prices? I don't believe they have since I bought my first MM, but does anyone else know if MM has ever had a sale?

 

Not to my knowledge.

 

well, yeah, it's equally frustrating to buy something and then see it on sale right after.
i've effectively stopped ordering anything from the main on-line sellers until they're
on a 15-20% sale price. The 10% sale is the new regular price. It's all pricing games.

 

Oh, I agree about waiting until a sale, but I'd much rather be able to count on a sale below MSRP due to a competitive market than crazy and random price inflation of a single source product. I don't mind waiting for sales too much because it helps me convince myself to wait a while before my next purchase. The opposite doesn't happen with pricing like MM's, it just makes me stop altogether.

 

I didn't know that Mosaic was in trouble. A link to that news?

I try to buy their stuff when I can. I recently bought the Rahsaan Roland set.

 

Limited-edition Mosaic sets running low/last chance ( Mosaic in bad shape - final sale?) *

 

I used to buy Mosaic sets in the early 1980s. Mosaic periodically sent out a mailing advertising their releases. When stock on released sets were low, Mosaic would send a flyer out saying so. Prices were never raised, just a note saying, act now before we sell out.

I now get the weekly updates from Mosaic. My purchases are few and far between. I did not get the impression that the company was on the brink.

 

I think It's almost impossible to come up with a sucsessful business model for strictly jazz audiophile reissues.
This is a real shame for mosaic though, their hearts were certainly in the right place . Here's to hoping Music Matters comes through with another batch as they seem to be.....

 

Question for those who know:

I'm wondering which of the following MM titles are just as good in 33 and 45. I have read Speak No Evil is better in 33 but what about:

Night Dreamer
Us Three
Hank Mobley - Sextet
Wahoo
Cape Verdean Blues
Leeway
Whistle Stop

Thanks for anyone who can answer. I prefer 33s but the 45 is cheaper in many cases so wanted to know if I'm just buying convenience or also superior sound.

 

Wahoo is only available on 33, I believe.

So. That one's easy.

 

These from MM are available only in 33 RPM. AP did them in 45 RPM.

Many folks prefer the convenience of 33 RPM, but acknowledge that the 45 RPM sounded better. But believe me, both will sound phenomenal.

 

Guess I should have done my research. I do prefer 33 but if the 33 costs more I'll pay less for the 45, as long as the 33 doesn't sound superior which I understand is the case with some of these MM titles. Besides Speak No Evil, there was also the 33 Midnight Blue that I read sounds better than the 45 ( but I already have it). I'm planning my next purchase.

 

The biggest difference, to my ears, is in the mastering personnel and not the format. The 45s that Steve and Kevin mastered put the drums behind the soloist in the soundstage and emphasize the midrange. The 45s and 33s that Kevin and Ron mastered bring the drums forward to the same plane in the soundstage as the other instruments. The easiest way to tell whether Steve was involved, other than looking at the dead wax for the mastering engineers' initials, is to listen for the location of the drums. Not trying to say one approach is better than the other, just describing what I hear.