Traffic: The Studio Albums 1967-1974 vinyl box set (05/17/2019)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by pghmusiclover, Apr 4, 2019.

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  1. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Hey!

    No, I haven’t purchased it yet. I’m on the fence. I have no doubt that the mastering is first rate, but I’m worried about the quality of the pressings. The albums were pressed at MPO (or was it GZ?) and some of the folks here have already reported issues with some of the LPs. Not sure if I want to drop $180 - $200 on this set.
     
  2. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    Picked my box out today as looking at changing posters in my room and can probably fit 2 of these small ones in a frame.

    Didn't have time to play anything but the glue on my John Barleycorn sleeve is coming away. A real shame but i'll need to do some DIY. It wasn't perfect when I bought it but I've squeezed it together and put it back in the box. I'll look at doing a repair soon and then pegging the sleeve edges together, carefully.

    That aside it is a great box. No complaints, just that Barleycorn sleeve:rolleyes:
     
  3. allbrosca

    allbrosca Dancing Madly Backwards

    Location:
    Toronto
    Ditto on the sleeve. My recollection is that one disc had more surface noise than the others. Maybe Where the Eagles Flies. Other than that minor annoyance, I am very happy with it,
     
  4. Kristan Reed

    Kristan Reed Active Member

    Location:
    Brighton
    First press UK. As far as I've read, this is normal. Don't get me wrong, the original has a nice warmth to it, but the clarity was always lacking — something the new pressing makes up for dramatically.
     
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  5. Kristan Reed

    Kristan Reed Active Member

    Location:
    Brighton
    M
    [QUOTE="Didn't have time to play anything but the glue on my John Barleycorn sleeve is coming away. A real shame but i'll need to do some DIY. It wasn't perfect when I bought it but I've squeezed it together and put it back in the box. I'll look at doing a repair soon and then pegging the sleeve edges together, carefully.

    That aside it is a great box. No complaints, just that Barleycorn sleeve:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

    Same - glue wasn't fit for purpose, but immediately did some DIY and now it's perfect.
     
  6. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Interesting. Mine seems fine to me. I think its a mid Seventies UK. Also have a first US that I like.
     
  7. sjaca

    sjaca Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto ON, Canada
    Mine is the same.
     
  8. Vinyldood

    Vinyldood Active Member

    Yes, but that was a live album. And this box set focuses EXCLUSIVELY on their STUDIO albums. That said, I'd like to see them do individual reissues of OTR and the "Welcome To The Canteen" album.
     
  9. dkurtis

    dkurtis sonoftheFather

    Have there been any indications that after the box has been out for a predetermined length of time that they will release them individually?
     
  10. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    No, but the box is currently $120 on Amazon US, or at least it was over the weekend
     
  11. Graham

    Graham Senior Member

    Location:
    Perth, Australia
    It hit £80 last week on Amazon UK. Currently £86. Still won't bite until it drops further.
     
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  12. Almost Simon

    Almost Simon Forum Resident

    £80 is decent. I picked up at £100. I reckon you'll bite soon:winkgrin:
     
  13. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Now nearly 9 months later, I'm playing all my Traffic again, and I couldn't be happier. The new turntable even brought new life to the 40+ year-old originals. This box more unnecessary than it was back in April.
     
    Christopher B likes this.
  14. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    I bit at $120 and the box was delivered to my home today. The mastering is fantastic, the pressings, well that’s another story. The 1st 3 albums in my box are pristine. The final 3 are all flawed. One has a mark that causes my stylus to jump. Each have tiny marks/hairlines that sound. Typical GZ fare. The problem is the LPs are stored in heavy cardboard sleeves that are filthy. Universal never gets it with this ****. All of the LPs should have been stored in nice inner sleeves. None of this cardboard crap.

    I’m getting another box. That being said I agree with some of the posters in this thread. It would be hard to top the mastering.

    And yes Mr. Fremer it’s digital.
     
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  15. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    every traffic album available on an MFSL CD is remarkable sounding every one.
     
  16. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    And they also cost a ***t ton of money on the secondary market. Thanks anyway though. Congratulations on being the first CD troll of the thread.
     
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  17. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    troll?

    really, for trying to help you out, and possibly save you some time and money. :tsk:

    happy new year to you too.
     
  18. Dr. Funk

    Dr. Funk Vintage Dust

    Location:
    Fort Worth TX
    I could see myself pulling the trigger on this box set, but I've had atrocious luck with GZ vinyl. I don't trust this pressing plant, as I've yet to own a GZ pressing that hasn't had some sort of annoying issue.......hell, I really don't trust any plant pressing new vinyl these days.

    By the way.....when you visit a thread that is showcasing a specific VINYL box set, and recommend long out of production audiophile cd's?? You're either oblivious to the world around you, or a troll.
     
    Christopher B likes this.
  19. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Number 1, this is a thread about a vinyl box set and not about CDs. :tsk:

    Number 2, the CDs that you are referring to are long out of print and the cost of one would go for just as much as this box on the secondary market. :tsk:

    Number 3, not saving money :tsk:

    Happy new year to you too
     
  20. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    Imagine the kind of "Happy New Year" one has that involves threadcrapping vinyl discussions. We should all be jealous.

    Meanwhile... This thread has inspired me to fill the gaps in my Traffic 45s collection, based on my earlier post suggesting the ideal supplemental LP this set should have had. I recently got a very clean UK Island "Paper Sun" that has the ending coda, which sounds fantastic. Still missing a few items.

    A Traffic 45s set would be pretty cool. They were not slouches when it came to putting out singles.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2019
    ODShowtime and Tommyboy like this.
  21. Man at C&A

    Man at C&A Senior Member

    Location:
    England
    This is pathetic.
     
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  22. sennj

    sennj I'm slower than I look...

    Location:
    Muskegon, Michigan
    I seem to have similar "luck" to you when it comes to vinyl, Tommyboy, but my box was pressed pretty well overall. The only issue I really had (and others reported as well) was When the Eagle Flies was very poorly pressed, with clicks and pops galore; GZ returning to form for the final LP in the set.

    Another set might do the trick. Good luck!
     
    Tommyboy likes this.
  23. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Thanks!

    The mastering is exceptional. They have a terrific staff at Abbey Road.
     
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  24. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    :doh:

    could have just said thanks, but no thanks, or just ignored the post, why start s**t about trolls and then, of course and like clockwork, the posse chimes in with the word "threadcrap"

    i apologize for what i did, there was no harm intended whatsoever, nor was i trying to be a dick in any way either.
     
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  25. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    I went through 3 box sets (all through Amazon) and and I’m still not totally satisfied. The last 3 discs are the common denominators, due to the ill-conceived heavy cardboard inner sleeves. The last box I received contained acceptable pressings of Low Spark and Shootout. All pressings of Eagle were terrible. If these LP were placed in poly lined inner sleeves, like the first 3 records, there wouldn’t be QC issues. Once again the geniuses at Universal made the wrong decision.

    I also emailed GZ and requested that they send me 3 replacement discs and they’re going to do so.

    I agree with the others who posted here regarding the SQ. Really well done. These albums hold their own against the other Traffic LPs that I own.
     
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