Record Store Day 2014 - sound/pressing quality reviews RSD releases

That sounds like the same as the white vinyl that's been available for a while then. Thanks for the info.

 

Good point. When I raved about the Sam Cooke release someone mentioned the digital sound. They were cool about it and not rude and likely right. I knew that it had a digital step going in and and still enjoyed it on my set up all the same. Yes, I'd love for it to be all analog and many times that's going to produce a "different/better" sound for some. It's hard to pass on good music just because it doesn't meet every single check off. I still think it stands up pretty well compared to the Otis Redding lp that is being raved about. Interesting...

 

I ordered my copy from Bull Moose yesterday! I can't wait for it to arrive.

 

I snagged the Gil, too. Spun it 3 times already. A simple record, but Gil grabs your attention...as he does.

 

I have got it too. I think this new colored version is slightly more silent than the original black one that I also have. But apart from this, they sound identical.

I have also got the Ghostbusters 10" single, more for the gimmickry of the fluorescent vinyl than for the music (although I am a fan of the movie), and it's certainly not the most silent pressing I have ever heard...

I wanted the REM Unplugged, too... but no copies here in Italy...

 

Although I have most of his original vinyl, I'd love to see some get recut from the original analog masters. A lot of them are recorded well.

 

Amazon.com has a 2014 reissue of Pieces of a Man: "A reissue of Gil Scott-Heron's 1972 album taken from the original master tapes". I haven't found any info beyond that.

 

Interesting, it looks like it's an import from the UK. I found this on Discogs: http://www.discogs.com/Gil-Scott-Heron-Pieces-Of-A-Man/release/5489000

 

Would be a sweet companion to Nothing New. IF the vinyl is done right, of course.

 

Pixies- Indie Cindy. Cut at Noiseland, pressed at MPO France.

Cut (pretty hot) at 45rpm. Think it trumps the sound of the EPs by a bit. A little noise at the very beginning of side one and side 4. Otherwise fairly quiet.

 

Looking forward to new stuff! Summer tour has been announced. Checking out the 10" on youtube now...

 

The best it will be is a copy tape cut to vinyl or a high res transfer of the OMT cut to vinyl - both of which can produce great results. Now, if the label isn't legit it could be sourced from a cd file that was sourced from the OMT at some point. Some of those labels exist. I don't know much about this label but they seem legit. I don't think they are trying to be audiophile fakes either so that is good. I added to my Amazon wishlist to do research. I don't have an original for this album and it can be pricey. I have everything from Winter in America On.

 

The Furnace/Noiseland combo is similar to the John Frusciante releases and reissues. I wonder if they have a relationship simliar to Pallas/Furnace and GZ/Pirate Press.

What are the initials in the deadwax and is this one all analog?

 

BGP is a subsidiary of Ace Records. You should be able to buy with confidence from that label. I'm not saying that it will definitely meet audiophile status, but Ace/Kent/BGP is not one of those grey market labels.

 

Pieces, Winter and now Nothing New are my pillars for Gil's discography. Interested in what you'll think of the stripped down sound of Nothing New.

 

Did anyone in UK/EU get the Motorhead releases for RSD? That would be the s/t and What's Wordsworth? live album. They weren't available here in the US and I'm wondering if it's worth seeking them out. Thanks!

 

I'll answer my own question from earlier about the Husker Du CAG record since I picked one up today. It sounds good to me and appears to be mastered pretty well. It's always been a recording that lacked a lot of bass and this one is consistent there, but the clarity is good and the dynamics are pretty good. The grey marble vinyl looks cool too. A good pickup if you are a fan of HD

 

I'm stoked to hear that about Calculated. Ordered it from Bull Moose yesterday before I stumbled on your post.

 

I hope this doesn't insult anyone, but it probably will.

It can really depend on your criteria is for what is a good LP. Quiet surfaces? My RSD Sam Cooke is very good in that department. Relatively full-bodied and tonally balanced? Quite good, too. But it lacks a bit of life as it's a bit dynamically inert. It's also not quite as juicy as a great all-analog recording can sound. There are little tell-tale signs that show that this was digitally sourced. Now that doesn't mean the worst. I have the German 2-LP set of Pat Metheny's "The Road To You". It sounds really good and much more involving than the CD I got when it came out. BUT, there is something that an all analog recording provides that gets stopped in its tracks when it's digitally remastered. A great example is the digital remaster of George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass". One could easily say that the remastered LP set is better than the original UK release. It's certainly clearer, more transparent. You can hear into the mix more. That's interesting to listen to, for sure.

But the original, while murkier (and that may have been Harrison's and Phil Spector's intention anyway), musically flows better. It's more liquid. It moves better. There's a forward momentum in the music that the digitally mastered LP set doesn't have.

That's the thing that I hear consistently.

Now my understanding is that the Doug Sax remastered Otis Redding RSD release was also digitally remastered. I'll hear for myself. I may be disappointed or I may really like it. I have a copy under reserve at a store. I had never heard "Ain't That Good News" as an entire record from start to finish anywhere before listening to the RSD release, but I could tell that it lacked something. Sometimes you get a mastering that just sounds tonally awful as if the engineer has tin ears. That's not the case with the Sam Cooke release, and again, it's great music, but it lacks an involving quality that I know comes with a great recording and a great mastering. I have mentioned the AP 45rpm release of Sam Cooke's Night Beat as an example. An amazing record to listen to.

But it's not just with digital releases where the mastering engineer can get it "wrong". A great while back, I compared an early German pressing on vinyl of "With the Beatles" with an original UK Parlophone. The German pressing, comparatively sounded a hair warmer, but also a bit muffled. The main thing, though, is that while playing the same song, I found myself unconsciously tapping my foot during the song while listening to the UK pressing. During the same song on the German pressing, I found myself more intellectually thinking, good music, but then I noticed that I wasn't tapping my foot. Back to the UK pressing, and I found myself tapping my foot again to that song. It's subtle things like that which I listen and feel for, and renders my decision toward particular pressings.

 

Based on these comments, it amounts to almost a flip of a coin in regard to getting defective RSD vinyl. When I consider
1. the inflated RSD prices
2. the questionable mastering
3. the questionable merit of the recording,
4. possible defects and
5. the non-returnable nature of the items, I couldn't justify many purchases on RSD.
Threads like these are so valuable. I'm basing many post-RSD purchases on these reviews.

 

I wouldn't buy anything if I didn't have the option of returning it if defective.

 

Thee Oh Sees - Drop

My copy came straight out of the sleeve with scuffs all over it. And it sounds like it has scuffs all over it. Very, very disappointing.

Devo - Butch Devo and the Sundance Gig

Very noisy. It's a picture disc, so I guess it's par for the course.

Johnny Cash - Hot and Blue Guitar

Dead silent! Probably one of the quietest records I own.

More later.

 

It would help if you filled out your equipment profile.

 

I will do so as soon as I can.

 

I had a listen to another copy of the Johnny cash, and I have to say it sounded very nice tonally! I still would prefer this mastering as a hi-res option.