RSD 2021 6/12 (pressing/overall quality review) *first drop*

Anyone spin the Grateful Dead set yet? Debating picking this up later

 

Definitely looking forward to someone reviewing the Link Wray before pulling the trigger later today. Hopefully it's great as originals are not cheap!

 

Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin Companion. Sounds OK. Very bright and "digital". Quiet vinyl, but pretty well dish warped. Even with the disc warp, with my record clamp the LP plays fine - so I can live with the dish warp.

 

Warren Zevon. Get it if you can. It’s a great release and reminds me of why I like the guy. It’s understated but great stuff that makes you feel like he’s a guy you could have grown up with. Maybe you did.

 

My Quiet Kenny had a gouge in side B track A that causes a pop every rotation for 30-40 seconds...

And now I'm REALLY hoping for a stereo regular release so it doesn't hurt quite as much

 

Steely Dan - Two Against Nature
I'm very happy with this. A definite improvement over the CD, which was lacking in low end. Really good job. Disc One had a very slight edge warp, but nothing of concern. Otherwise, no centering issues and was clean and quiet.

L7 - The Beauty Process
The good is that it's free of surface noise and flat, and cut fairly quiet, so it's very crankable. But L7 weren't known for having particularly good sounding albums, and this one isn't much of an exception. The sound is kind of thin and flat, which is too bad given the potential here for great dynamics. I'm not getting any "3-D" experience with this one, definitely. Too bad, since L7 had some really aggressive sounds in their songs; their heavy guitar riffs and pounding drums should sound like you're being attacked and crushed by them. But, they stay at a distance. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of indie '90s bands with similar issues.

 

Also picked the Katanga Tone Poet which was perfect. The glossy sleeve has quite a few marks and scratches which is becoming more and more typical.

 

Any time I see “Picture Disc” I move on. Almost no chance that’ll be a disc I want to play.

 

I’m sorry to hear this. Mine is perfect. Maybe the highlight of this RSD for me given the relative scarcity. How about a mono regular release? The mono sounds like it should. Hope you get one that makes you happy.

 

Mine sound like crap. Strangely flattened. Lots of surface noise. But the look cool so I guess I’m okay. I have great original copies of those two albums anyway.

 

Wow, the Tears for Fears live set sounds great!

 

Yea it was a bummer but i'll try to enjoy it as much as I can. I don't think mono regular release is possible since this was advertised as "RSD Exclusive"

 

Not as quiet as I was hoping. A bit of surface noise and a few too many pops.

 

I found the Def Leppard Live In Oxford 1980.Yes it is the same audio from the boxset but I really like the music .The pressing quality is dead quiet no surface noise.I had a small scratch but it still played okay.This was a good recording too.The vinyl sounds more open and fuller than the cd. ,very crankable and heavy.It may only be to my gear and room,but overall No complaints.It amazes me that this was unreleased for 40 years. I like the simple vintage concert flyer cover too.

 

Out of the ears of babes.

 

Rumor is yes, but standard black vinyl.

NP: Bunnymen Live in Liverpool and it is slightly dished but doesn’t effect playback. Good SQ

 

Dusty Groove rocks. Ordered my Sundazed 'Swan Girls' RSD CD from them this afternoon.

 

It must be pretty good because all I really paid attention to was the superb performance which the sound must have contributed to enhancing.

 

I ordered Sundazed’s Jim Messina & Jesters from them. Sundazed’s Link Wray was sold out so I’m looking elsewhere for it.

 

Last year COVID 19 put everything in perspective, but your situation does too. This is all just stuff (albeit very excellent stuff).

I enjoyed the live TFF with my teenage son earlier. He said “good purchase dad!”.

 

The Doors was excellent with very interesting studio banter throughout the album. Very jazzy at some points and very bluesy at other times. My only con is that it's really only multiple takes of 3 songs, but this is still an excellent release that I much prefer over the Soft Parade Stripped release I was so excited about and ended up disappointedly selling later on.

 

Warpaint "The Fool Andrew Wheaterall Mix"

Discogs has some spectacularly poor reviews concerning surface noise. Agreed, the - great looking - double gold vinyl is not as quiet as it should be but: Mastering, artwork and the alternate mix are really nice. So it's really down to a mix of luck and what one does expect/ is willing to tolerat. I mean... it's gold vinyl not a MFSL disc.

Bottom line: My copy is not a demonstration disc but also not bad enough to return.

 

I'll add to the cheers for the Quiet Kenny. Has that Kevin Gray magic. Vinyl is nice and flat, too. No noise that I've heard so far.

I listened to the first side of Toots and it was noisy - some pops here and there for me. But I almost kind of expect that as most reggae albums I own are beaters. I'll gave to give it a cleaning. It does have improved sound quality overall - some details emerging from the mud of earlier pressings for sure. Vinyl is flat. I already noticed some dirt or something on the white vinyl of side two. I'm almost hoping that's from stems and seeds or something.

 

I would either email Craft or the pressing plant to see if anyone could help you out. Couple years ago I was able to get a replacement copy for a bum copy of the Dylan Blood on the Tracks RSD release.

 

Normally, I agree!

I didn’t know The Kinks Percy is a picture disc, but I was astounded at how quiet it is and such great sound (for a Kinks record).

Years ago, Steve H laid out the EQ moves he would make to coax a good sound out of those Pye mixes. Somebody made notes, I think.