Not Now Records? What's the deal?

Take a look at the titles

http://www.notnowmusic.co.uk/newreleases.htm


They are also available on UK iTunes. Any info on quality?

 

another Euro grey market
playing copyright arbitrage
between Euro/UK and US markets

 

my favorite line: "all albums digitally remastered for optimum listening"

 

I've gotten...
Robert Johnson - The Complete Collection
Essential Delta Blues
Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues
The Best Of Ricky Nelson
The Very Best Of Buddy Holly.

Darryl

 

So basically, these are ripped from the "official" label releases. In theory, they should be (sound wise) exact copies of the official release?

 

Bump

 

Not Now? Not ever.
I just joined the forum to enter this reply. Well I just came home with a copy of their "The Best of Robert Johnson" and within 2 seconds I knew it was a dud.
Nice fat pressing but apalling sound quality. It sounds distorted through my reasonable mid-fi system in a way that is not pleasant. I have been listening to and collecting re-issues of jazz and blues from the 20's onwards since 1982 and am familiar with what 78's sound like . I know that you can't have it all in remastering and what is tolerable and this is not. This would be my fourth copy of Robert Johnson on vinyl since 1985 including the budget double album I bought new when I was in high school in the mid 80's. I also have the Columbia? from the 60's and the recent facsimile reissue. The facsimile reissue has by far the best sound of the lot but my new pressing was faulty. Side 1 Track 1 "Crossroads Blues" is warped and has a patch with a curious matt texture so it sounds like a combination of a scratch and pizza grease. I was impatient to hear the master again after a 2 decade or so hiatus and took a punt on another label. Well I regret it now, I have two different records to return to two different stores. But I recommend the Columbia reissue if the pressing is good.
Two dud pressings of the master in one week? Perhaps I better go down to the crossroads and ask the Lord above for mercy if you please...

 

I've bought a couple of these 'collections' - the first as a gift for someone who wasn't/isn't too concerned about sq... just more interested in collection music by their favourite artist (I had a listen and didn't have the heart to say what I could hear was wrong with it...)

And then I picked up (VERY cheaply, I hasten to add - only so I could sample the music, after the above experience) a set of Bill Evans CDs (a three albums set they gave the title 'Sharp Notes') and their is some weird fizzling going on there if I turn it up a bit loud! I'd bet if was made from quite low bitrate mp3s as well.

Not Good; for definite. And I'm seeing these appearing in a number of places now - they look like very attractive bargains and maybe there ARE good 'releases' by them but I've seen nothing to recommend them on the Internet... just people disappointed, mainly.