OK. You've got me. 4LP subscription ordered, along with Gene Clark to get free freight. The Classic Records version of Altered Beast sounded good but I'll accept Shane's and your logic as to why three sides of Matthew Sweet are better than two. It turns out my vinyl copy of 100% Fun is still sealed. I own the CD and obviously never listened to the LP. I didn't crack it today and instead put 100% Fun in the "to be sold" pile. Hopefully I can get most of my money out of the album, sealed. I'll place my bet alongside the house that IR's copy will be better. Back to listening to Tomorrow's Daughter, which arrived just a few days ago, instead. I thought Tomorrow Forever was Sweet's best album in years and Tomorrow's Daughter sounds equally promising.
Simple answer. YES! They're fine, especially if they insure these coming out vs being in limbo! Mini LP is ok too as far as I'm concerned.
I am fine with regular jewel cases. I'd prefer Super Jewel, but would prefer regular jewel over an LP style case like with the Stealer's Wheel release.
Honestly Shane, I do not buy boxes. Too expensive for my blood & what I think I get for the $$$. I much, much, much prefer separate releases which I can get spaced apart. I buy live boxes from Phish & Widespread Panic, but I doubt would plunge for any other artist.
If they are the el cheapo boxes that Audio Fidelity were using then I say no. Otherwise I am OK with it but agree with the post above, Mofi's LP replicas are great.
@IR Shane, since everyone else is making requests, here are mine for great '80s LPs: 1) The Police catalog. It's too obvious. The basic recordings sound terrific, there are only five albums, and, outside of MoFi a while ago, nobody has remastered them. Now I realize it would be major league expensive, plus getting the rights and agreement from three contentious musicians and one high powered record label might be near impossible. The deal might cost you your left nut. But if it could happen, just consider how it would sell. The frickin' remastered, only available at Intervention Records, Police. 2) Flaunt The Imperfection - China Crisis. Smooth as silk and produced by Walter Becker, you'd also have to reproduce all the 45 RPM 12" singles from the record: "You Did Cut Me," "King In A Catholic Style," " The Highest High" and "Black Man Ray." The package, in an IR generic box with a compilation specific stick-on label, would be an audiophile dream, demo material all the way, plus really good music that still sounds current today, a tough trick for many '80s records.
I LOVE this album. Still have my US vinyl but would pounce on a Kevin Gray-mastered LP or SACD, absolutely.
I honestly don't know what the hell "super jewel cases" are (unless, they're those things that the Living Stereo SACDs come in), but I only care about the mastering and that the disc arrives undamaged, if that helps. No offense to anyone that feels otherwise.
Mofi: Not exactly replicas. They remove any record company logo and catalog number from the front cover. And then they put that banner across the top. I like the way Analogue Productions does it. The recent Steppenwolf Great Hits SACD has a Dunhill logo on it. Real nice, and a good part of the reason I buy AP SACDs.
Great idea! I’ve got a UK original “Reggatta de Blanc” that sounds good but the IR treatment could help it sound even better. Also a well done version of the first album would be cool too.
Super Jewel Cases are nice but if sourcing them are holding up any potential releases, jewel cases are perfectly accceptable.
Hehe. While I definitely appreciate the beautiful attention to detail of the Stoughton sleeves on the IR LPs, I'm kinda with you on this point, especially for optical discs. I'd pay $5 less for just the disc in a paper sleeve (if it won't scratch the disc sliding in and out!), if I still get the excellent remastering and audio quality bits out of the physical disc. But that's assuming I'll never want/need to sell the disc later. I might regret my siding with the "physical case/sleeve doesn't matter if the disc sounds great" crowd if I ever fall into hard financial times and need to liquidate some of my collection to stay solvent. Craig.
I don't think we said SJB, just cases, or if cardboard foldouts then not the plastic inner-sleeve. Regular jewel boxes work fine for me; all the Audio Fidelity ones were that way and I don't remember people complaining [Edit, AF point made earlier but I'll leave it here for emphasis. 2nd Edit, ok I see some AF case complaints now, but I honestly never noticed myself]. Thanks Shane
Most of the complaints about the AF cases were that they were thin and flimsy jewel cases, not that they were jewel cases instead of SJB.
