Rolling Stones "Sticky Fingers" 2015 Polydor vinyl record edition: sound reviews

Listening to the first LP now - gave it a pass through the Audio Deske beforehand due to all the visible surface crud. I have to say, I think it needs a better scrub. The surface noise is pretty bad in several sections - probably the worst I've heard on a new record in recent memory.

It's too bad, because I am really enjoying the sound of this release in the quieter sections. I think another post mentioned this earlier, but the bottom end is nicely represented here and there is some nice detail on the some of the acoustic numbers that I'm not used to hearing. The mix is bright overall - not a problem for me, but maybe not to everyone's taste. If I can reduce some of the noise with another cleaning, then it's probably a keeper.

 

I played my single Lp version earlier. Excellent pressing; sound quality-to be honest-is comparable to my original seventies pressings. The tracks that sound great sound equally great (but no greater) and the ones with issues (Sway, throughout, distortion during the jam on CYHMK, the overloaded organ on I Got The Blues) are still issued. AND NO REAL ZIPPER (be forewarned if anyone is ordering this without having seen it).

 

Got my Spanish cover 2lp set in yesterday. Cleaned with my disk doctor solution and brushes then a few spins on my nitty gritty. I must say it definitely sounds better than my well worn original. As some previous posters have said it sounds great and is VERY crankable. Had my volume knob at high noon on my rig and it was sublime. Definitely recommend a goood cleaning before play though. Mine had fingerprints and dust all over it. Sounds perfect after cleaning. Another nice reissue to add to the collection. Cheers!

 

I have the 2lp edition and both discs sound great to me! There was a couple of fingerprints on side 1 of the regular lp.

 

At this point it would be interesting a comparison with the 1st UK press and/or with the MFSL edition...

 

you mean they WERE out there!! hahaha

seriously, why dont you sell a few after you keep your fave 2,for example. you can only play one at a time, and its notlike youd ever play one, and then another right after....youd just pull out the same best copy and do it again. really no reason for that at all imho....although surely impressive, its totally impractical. why so many? just curious

 

Come on over and pick one or 3 out. I don't like to sell through the mail. Too many instances where even grading more conservatively than I thought the condition was people were still upset. So at this time not worth it for me.

That said, there are still lots of copies out there in shops, and certainly through Discogs, Ebay, etc.

 

fair enough...and dont tempt me, or I WILL COME OVER, I know you got a LOT of records I would buy!!

 

I needledroped my 2-LP set, and the resulting files yield a DR11 value on average (some DR10 and some DR12 in there).

I think the vinyl sounds quite nice, but it is my only vinyl copy. I received one copy that had some pressing flaws (warping), but a second copy was fine. Nice to have the original cover somewhat closely reproduced. I think it is a quite nicely done reissue, and I do like the bonus material on the 2nd record, which was completely new to me.

It wasn't exactly cheap at 35 Euros, but I think it is worth it.

 

Are you planning on keeping the other ?

 

I'm fairly certain people here will think I have some interest in the Vinyl Flat product. I don't, I swear, other than it's fixed just about every warp I've come across since I got it for about $79 as I recall. Again the warping thing. Fixable guys. Keep sending these back and the price of vinyl manufacturing sky rockets. How much did it cost you to send your last warped copy back? What did it cost the manufacturer to send you a new one, which may also be warped BTW? It works. It's perfectly safe. It saves everyone a lot of trouble, and money. In the old days, the Furtech device cost $1500. I get why that didn't catch on. This? I just don't see why anyone into vinyl as their primary format wouldn't have one.

 

I'll keep that in mind.

 

I once read that all you need were two pieces of glass and to carefully place the record in between them and leave in the sun for 20-30 minutes. I did it once a long time ago and it worked. I would allow the record to cool off before removing the glass.

 

The deluxe edition was the most problematic for me. Fingerprints on the vinyl and other crud from the inner sleeve that I couldn't remove using my VPI and an enzyme cleaner. The vinyl was quiet though. The single edition LP was in much better visual shape.

I think GZ is terrible.

 

Are you going to purchase the MFSL to do a comparison?

 

So after a more thorough scrub I think the surface noise is noticeably reduced, but there is visible/audible gunk in the grooves on "You Gotta Move" that I CAN'T GET OUT. It sounds like I'm listening to a 78 it's so crackly - it's ironic because it's a old-style blues number, but I'd rather it not sound as if it was recorded in 1930. To sum it up, I think GZ dropped the ball on this one.

 

Does anyone know why all the LPs were not pressed in France? Why only the single LPs? Why split the orders up like that?

 

Unfortunately it's one of GZs strengths.

Return it for another copy. That's unacceptable

 

Bandwidth?

 

I just picked up the Spanish cover 2LP set at Urban Outfitters today (first time I'd ever been in one). Anyway, the sound quality of the main album is quite good. I compared it to my NM Japanese issue ESS-63001, itself a very good and quiet pressing. This new pressing is a bit brighter (but not overly so), with perhaps a bit more clarity on the top end. The acoustic guitars and cymbals really ring quite nicely. However, the bass is not quite as deep. In CYHMK, the Japanese issue almost gets sub-bass level (and I don't have a sub woofer) but it is not bloated. The new reissue's bass doesn't get quite that deep. That track sounds better on the Japanese version, but I'd say Wild Horses sounds a bit better on the new version. My pressing is pretty quiet after I cleaned all the paper dust and gunk off with my VPI 16.5.

The second record also sounds quite good. I think it's worth buying the 2LP set just for this. The live tracks sound great.

 

Did you do a sonic comparison between the GZ and the single lp?

 

Or a UK 1st press?

 

No, I haven't yet. Going by memory only, they pretty much sound the same.

 

At the moment I have "only" a NM A3//B3 1st UK pressing: neither MFSL nor recent Polydor reissues in my collection.

 

Have you compared your A3//B3 UK to the new one ? If so, I would be interested to hear what you think.