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

I have most all of the Traffic stuff used in vg+ shape or better. This includes the 2LP On The Road - tricky to find. Also Welcome to the Canteen. My Shoot Out is Friday Music - Friday is hit and miss but this sounds good. Found it used mint $10. I do also have VG to VG+ British Barleycorn and a few UA of that one - love it, The one thing I would like to find is a clean Heaven Is In Your Mind original. When I do see it it's trashed or overpriced. I like the American version beginning with Paper Sun.

 

Amen to used clean is awesome but less readily available in this brave new vinyl world so new pressings - especially with 20-25 price point - are becoming more attractive IF done well. It has gotten weird.

 

The Friday Music version of "Last Exit" is currently on sale in France in the FNAC for 10€.



https://musique.fnac.com/a8920570/T...pe=1&omnsearchpos=2&OrderId=2&page=1&SortId=2

 

Speaking of Last Exit, on my mid Seventies UK copy Shanghai Noodle Factory has another audio track running through it at low level. Anyone know the story behind this? I’m used to it but I think I heard another pressing where that wasn’t there?

 

I’ll check mine shortly but I know that the US "Heaven is in Your Mind" has snippets of "Mulberry Bush" throughout.

 

If these are of the same quality as the 2016 reissue of Traffic ST then it will a waste of time me purchasing this box.

 

What did you find wrong with it ?

 

It’s crazy we havent found out mastering details for this box set. I havent found anything either. Im on the fence with this one...

 

One thing was how quiet it was cut, another was when it was up against my UK first issue It pretty poor. When you have to adjust the volumes it is hard to tell. It seem a lot less alive. I also have a Pink Rim Island reissue & a US UA original. I thing I got rid of the 2016. This is one of my favourite albums so for digital I have the SACD, that sounds nice.

 

I played all three last Saturday morning following similar comments on Discogs. I thought the 2016 held its own very well. Obviously I much prefer the 1968 or even the Pink Rim but I didn’t have to make any volume adjustments and the detail was pretty good.

 

Yes I just checked I got rid of it so I can't even test it again.

 

Nothing's ever perfect or satisfactory to everyone, but as a 60 year old who grew up with these and only has a crusty old John Barleycorn and Welcome to the Canteen left over from wilder days, I'm excited for this reissue. I preordered it on Amazon for about $160.

I'd also like to know if it's AAA. Many have asked but no one seems to know.

 

And I wish somebody did, these could sound like crap, we have no way of knowing.

 

This set has more holes in it than Dave Mason’s shoes.

 

Lowest I can find with someone I trust to ship such a box, Bull Moose $189.97 ? $32. per record ? I'm not seeing anything to justify that price.

 

$160.87 from Amazon (at the moment).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NY6N4JY

 

Well anyone can buy via Amazon and listen for themself. Keep if you like. Return if you don’t.

Easy.

 

Here’s how I’d do it

• Heaven Is In Your Mind (US mono)
• Mr. Fantasy (UK stereo)
• Traffic
• Last Exit
• John Barleycorn Must Die
• Welcome To The Canteen
• Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
• Shootout At The Fantasy Factory
• On The Road
• When The Eagle Flies
• Rest Of Traffic (new 2LP comp with long version of Paper Sun, Mulberry Bush tracks, stereo Smiling Phases, stereo Hole In My Shoe, and all single edits/mixes up to Walking In The Wind)

 

I'm not about to trust the monkeys at Amazon, from the warehouse worker, to the housewife they hire to deliver it, to deliver me a 6 album box set, and not expect some form of damage. Then have to go through the rigamarole of repackaging it, and shipping it back, then have it go on my list of returns, which if my percentage becomes too high, gets me banned from shopping at Amazon altogether. Use the right vinyl retailer, who knows how to properly pack albums for shipment, again, especially a 6 album box set. Do it right the first time, don't have to worry about having to do it all over again.

 

I have no issues w amazon delivery and packing. I Hardly do returns with them and overall I buy a lot from them for me and my business.

If there is an issue I can drop off my return here in Seattle. Many cities have drop off lockers. Plus I hate to return a box set back to a record store just because I don’t like the sound of it. Amazon takes back items for any reason And I don’t abuse that.

 

$32 average per album cost does seem a little steep, especially not knowing the mastering details. Im still on the fence and may wait to see reviews once the set is released.

 

No drop off lockers for 30 miles here. Second, makes a helluva lot more sense to not even buy such a box, until I know more about it. Esp. since I just bought new Traffic just two months ago, as I already posted. Let's stop going back and forth on this, since we're never going to agree on this, and just move on.
Thank you.

 

Amazon sometimes gets it wrong. They mostly get it right, and they make returns/exchanges so easy peasy compared to everyone else. I've been a loyal customer of AS, MD, ED, etc but I don't mind buying from Amazon. There are some advantages. And lately AS/MD have taken to using slow media mail for shipping. I'm waiting on a shipment from Acoustic Sounds to St. Louis and it just sat at the post office in Salina for a full week. Boo on that. I used to get records in two days. I'm sure it's a cost cutting measure, but might hurt them hurt them in the long run, IMHO.

I never return anything to Amazon just because I don't like it. It's because something is wrong with it.

 

That's great.

 

Agreed MYKE. Box sets are the most difficult to receive undamaged due to their weight. I have recently had a number of bad experiences that have convinced me to purchase box sets from local dealers.