Are Speakers Corner LPs Worth The Money?

Anyone have the Blue Yusef Lateef? It seems like a good album but a few people on discogs are reporting noisy pressings.

 

Just came home after buying tommy bolin - private eyes SC press. Put on the record and dead silent and sublime dynamic range and it gets to the last song, side 2 and on the guitar outro … the records skips and repeats in the groove. Either way, great press but this copy goes back.

 

That’s a bummer - it’s a great pressing.
Mine plays thru without issue - so I assume you’ve got a one-off problem. Hope so.

 

I'm still waiting for Music Direct to get a copy of Santana Borboletta in stock...I'm holding my order of Santana Welcome until Borboletta shows up.

When I looked a few weeks ago- none of the majors had it in stock, but looks like Elusive and Acoustic Sounds are stocked. Not sure whats up with the prices also- as Music Direct is still listing $35, and the others are now are $41.99! YikeS!

Chris

 

I cancelled my order with Music Direct today...I don't believe they had any intention of filling the backorder for Borboletta. They've been stringing me along since mid January about having no control over what they get from SC, and they get deliveries every 3 months, yet their website says they have it on order.
I checked with SC and they show stock of it, and also confirmed with me it is not out of print. I explained I'd been waiting for Music Direct to get their copies, and SC told me they have none on order with them. When I spoke with MD this AM, they would not confirm an order in place, and said we'll get them when we get them, but we have no control over what shows up. They'd be happy to ship me Welcome, but add in their $8 shipping price. Any other SC title I wanted from them was out of stock.

 

Smart to cancel I think.

 

Honestly...I've only had one Speakers Corner LP. It wasn't as good as my semi early DJM pressing of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". I just picked up a 1978 UK yellow vinyl pressing (haven't listened yet). Sold my MFSL (stupidly)...so I just re-bought a sealed MFSF. Gotta stop this.

 

Speakers Corner did tell me they took a price increase around the 1st of the year. I see Acoustic Sounds, Elusive and others are all at $41.99, while Music Direct was still at $35. I guess it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why they would not place an order for any, because they have ZERO intention of selling them at $35.

 

Adding :

Amigos - Santana

 

Sorry to hear your experience on this title — it was one I’ve been contemplating. Have you tried a different copy? (Does anyone else have experience with BUABS?)

 

Not in the Vinyl game at all myself but I find the old MFSL Gold CD to be the best I've heard of it so far.

 

I’ve got it - mastered by Kevin Gray - plays flawlessly. Great stuff.

 

Their reissue of the 1st Cheap Trick album is pretty much perfect.

 

No idea why my thread was closed:


Two releases only this year both in February. More and more difficult to get licenses, more labels offering digital copies only, problems with getting records pressed - maybe this is the beginning of the end for them. I sincerely hope not but things do not look good.

In fact the era of the boutique audiophile label maybe coming to an end. Major labels doing it themselves, the MFSL debacle and a singular lack of new titles speak volumes.

AP seem to be strong, albeit they have only had 3 new releases this year. Of the others Impex, Sam and Intervention continue to do what they do but their niche is really small (disclaimer - I love these labels).

Thoughts anyone?

 

I've been worried by their lack of releases as well.
On the bright side - I received their email newsletter this morning.
On the not so bright side - it announced repressings of old releases. Nothing new being done.

 

Yes - I appreciate that these things take a while but SC have been issuing records on a regular basis for 20 years. I think they are really struggling to get any titles.

 

Lou Reed transformer
Blue Oyster Cult secret treaties/tyranny and mutation
Little Feat Time loves a hero
Santana Caravanserai

 

Supertramp - Crime of the Century
Steely Dan - Can’t Buy a Thrill
There’s more - including some great classical and jazz - but they top my list of rock.

 

See post # 109 please.

 

I can’t imagine these songs sounding any better

Muddy Waters - The Best Of Muddy Waters

 

Anybody heard SC's Nina Simone Sings the Blues? There are a couple good signs on 'scogs, but would prefer someone who visits this forum to chime in, if you might be so kind. Cheers!

 

I have it...it was done sometime ago but it's well worth getting. The sound is very good, not quite on par with some of their more recent releases, but I'm sure you would be quite happy with it. What a great record! I need to pull that out and give it a listen this afternoon, its been a while.

 

Does anyone own Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life on SC? I love to see that one on repress.
Actually Herbie Hancock’s Flood is on their way as a repress according to the SC newsletter.

 

IIRC, it was not particularly well received.

Surely, a 1st US pressing will slay.

 

It's brighter sounding than the UK first press. Not bad but not an improvement. Doubt it will be repressed as they likely had a limited license on that one. SC seem to have indefinite use of many titles so they get a regular repress. The owner says they will likely soon stop releasing new titles and just repress the back catalogue where they can.