Praise & shame - rate your new vinyl here

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I've just ordered the re-issued OTC double vinyl, and have just received the Cat Power vinyl. I'm still yet to play it, busy working hard, but really looking forward to it.

Will report back soon.......

 

[Al ears]

Buy loads of vinyl, but rarely risk newly released stuff. Very pleased with Old Ideas, the new LP by Leonard Cohen. Great pressing on 180g and sounds truly engaging. Comes with CD too.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll do my Civic duty here also. Not all new but within the last year are these:

First of all I can be criticised for buying a new expensive 180g copy when there are plentiful $1 ones in good coniditon around, but last year's Island re-issue of "Tea for the Tillerman", is great sounding EXCEPT for the the inner tracks where there is noticable distortion, a tizzy on the top end. Not sure what they did or whether this album is famous for that or not. I don't beleive it's my turnatable as other albums are not affected in the same way.

Four Men with Beards reissue of Funkadelic's "Free Your Mind..", aaarrrgh. What a thin sound for a classic funk record, what happened to the Bass? Another purchase that should have been a few dollars at an Op Shop.

Finally a new release, and really the only Vinyl you should by new is John Legend and the Roots "Wake Up!" on Columbia. Nice heavy Vinyl, silent andf clean, but a flat, uninvolving sound, a pity because the music is great. I wonder if the CD sounds better?

I haven't posted GOOD sounding Vinyl, because most of it is in my experience, and some truly excellent, and I have a lot more of that than these few disappointments.

edit: My local store has the new Leonard Cohen LP - by the sounds of it I will now have to pop out this arvo and by it!

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

Another good purchase to report.

The new Lambchop LP, Mr.M, is a really fantastic set. Double 180g discs, download card and a DVD, all for £9.99. (Amazon).

 

[CJSF]

Jennifer Warnes, 'the Hunter' . . .

Oh dear, I have been fighting to get hold of a vinyl copy of Jennifer Warnes 'the Hunter' finally tracked a copy down. Arrived on Tuesday :bounce: have not had time to listen until today. What a disappointment, she has changed her style, more jazz oriented, the record is compressed, her voice is in there amongst the instruments, somewhere. I expected the compression on the CD, but not on the record as well? In fact I did an A-B comparison with CD and vinyl synchronised, I actually thought the CD had the edge!

Not only has she changed style, If I had not known better I would have said it was Mary Chapen Carpenter singing? I detected a bit of Streisand as well?

Just to bring me back to reality, I have put on Famous Blue Raincoat which she Recorded in 1987 . . . that better.

If you want 'the Hunter', have a listen first on Spotify, then look for the CD, £28 for a 180gs vinyl is not worth it, its not very clean either, I have 30 year old vinyl that is as good.

Thumbs down I'm afraid :wall: . . .

This compared with the recent purchase of ‘Raising Sand’ by Robert Plant and Alison Krouss, so clean its black sound between tracks, voices are where they should be, its is an experience to listen to.

Two thumbs up for Raising Sand . . .

CJSF

 

[nick12]

THE COOL LATIN SOUND OF ANTONIO PEDRO HATCH (Tony Hatch Orchestra)

£4.00 Oxfam purchase. Not bad condition considering it's a 1968 LP, though I love that vinyl crackle underneath Tony's bossa rhythms. Sounds like an open fire...

 

[shropshire lad]

CJSF ,

Please don't think I am having a go at your grammar and choice of words , but you made me smile at the thought of Scott Walker being "dissolutioned " , like wot Henry VIII did to the monasteries all those years ago . I suspect you meant to say " disillusioned" . But then again , maybe you didn't .

Hope you enjoy the record ,

Nick

 

[CJSF]

CJSF ,

Please don't think I am having a go at your grammar and choice of words , but you made me smile at the thought of Scott Walker being "dissolutioned " , like wot Henry VIII did to the monasteries all those years ago . I suspect you meant to say " disillusioned" . But then again , maybe you didn't .

Hope you enjoy the record ,

Nick

You see Nick . . . I'm a thick-ead!. . . I cant put two sentences together, so they tell me, but I have a lot to say . . . plus I'm old, wave my walking stick at you, that lets me off a lot? I can push to the front of queues waving said stick menacingly and mumbling old man things . . . :?

It may of course be that my 'Dyslexia' may have something to do with the fact that I'm thick???

I won’t go any further, we have been there on the site before with a few 'holier than though types in the spelling police'. I try my best, even use a spell checker, sorry if my disability upsets your sensitivity . . . and yes you are right Nick, I did mean 'disillusioned' . . .

CJSF

 

[CJSF]

Its all Claire’s fault, came home from work, waiting for me, a 1992 compilation; 'No Regrets, the best off Scott Walker and the Walker Brothers'. I researched on Spotify first, this was a good representation of what I remember of 1965-1976 period, then a bit of digging on t'internet, came up with the vinyl, listed as Ex con+ sleeve and disc. Looking I can’t see a mark on the disc and the sleeve is excellent! Cost me a whole load of cash . . . . £3 + £3pp. I'm in big trouble spending that much . . . :rofl:

Could not resist a listen . . . as a used 1992 record I have no complaint, the sleeve notes indicate a disillusioned (spelling changed courtesy of Nick!) Scott? . . . making solo recordings when he feels the need, and what recordings, the ones on this compilation, so deep? The Walker Brother tracks are good but Scott’s solo tracks need a lot more listening to to appreciate them fully. I will be looking at some more of his solo work.

Bit of a feast tonight, a second go at Scott Walker, I also had another album delivered, Leonard Cohen's 'Old Ideas' . . . thats Horlicks time taken care of . . . :cheers:

CJSF

 

[shropshire lad]

CJSF ,

Please don't think I am having a go at your grammar and choice of words , but you made me smile at the thought of Scott Walker being "dissolutioned " , like wot Henry VIII did to the monasteries all those years ago . I suspect you meant to say " disillusioned" . But then again , maybe you didn't .

Hope you enjoy the record ,

Nick

You see Nick . . . I'm a thick-ead!. . . I cant put two sentences together, so they tell me, but I have a lot to say . . . plus I'm old, wave my walking stick at you, that lets me off a lot? I can push to the front of queues waving said stick menacingly and mumbling old man things . . . :?

It may of course be that my 'Dyslexia' may have something to do with the fact that I'm thick???

I won’t go any further, we have been there on the site before with a few 'holier than though types in the spelling police'. I try my best, even use a spell checker, sorry if my disability upsets your sensitivity . . . and yes you are right Nick, I did mean 'disillusioned' . . .

CJSF

CJ ,

It takes alot more than a miss spelt word to upset my sensitivity , I was trying not to upset your sensitivity by attempting to make my post gently humourous .

And there is nothing thick-eaded about you , it is just sometimes you have problems with your worms !

Nick

 

[CJSF]

CJSF ,

Please don't think I am having a go at your grammar and choice of words , but you made me smile at the thought of Scott Walker being "dissolutioned " , like wot Henry VIII did to the monasteries all those years ago . I suspect you meant to say " disillusioned" . But then again , maybe you didn't .

Hope you enjoy the record ,

Nick

You see Nick . . . I'm a thick-ead!. . . I cant put two sentences together, so they tell me, but I have a lot to say . . . plus I'm old, wave my walking stick at you, that lets me off a lot? I can push to the front of queues waving said stick menacingly and mumbling old man things . . . :?

It may of course be that my 'Dyslexia' may have something to do with the fact that I'm thick???

I won’t go any further, we have been there on the site before with a few 'holier than though types in the spelling police'. I try my best, even use a spell checker, sorry if my disability upsets your sensitivity . . . and yes you are right Nick, I did mean 'disillusioned' . . .

CJSF

CJ ,

It takes alot more than a miss spelt word to upset my sensitivity , I was trying not to upset your sensitivity by attempting to make my post gently humourous .

And there is nothing thick-eaded about you , it is just sometimes you have problems with your worms !

Nick

Yes Nick, its the worms crawling about in my head . . . :rofl: Sorry, I was a bit sharp, but after the last fracas over my spelling, I have a tender spot:? . . . that I must learn to control, again my apologies.

CJSF

 

[CJSF]

. . . so onto 'Old Ideas' . . . I kept it for my regular late night Horlicks session. I knew what to expect as I had sampled it on Spotify, typical modern Leonard Cohen, laid back, deep, thought provoking . . . True, it was all of this, I could best describe the performance as 'poetry to music' . . . Leonard was sitting in the chair opposite, backing behind, he was 'talking' to me, so personal, it was uncanny.

. . . 180gs vinyl, comes with the CD, £18 pounds-worth of personal, one to one performance . . .

What more can one say other than you have to appreciate the Cohen delivery and style, its not a dance record, it quietly searches the soul.

I tell you what, it searches the system too, I think it would sound really off on some of the kit I have seen described?

So simple? . . . yet there is a complexity in there one needs to search out, more listening required . . . I'm not objecting

. . . '5 star+' . . .

CJSF

 

[DandyCobalt]

Glad you like the Cohen cjsf !

Without a turntable at the moment (hoping for the Inspire Quest to arrive by end of week), my pile of unopened vinyl has been growing. I currently have the following waiting to be opened, played and reviewed for this post:

- First Aid Kit "Lion's Roar"

- Sinead O'Connor "How about I be me (and you be you)?"

- Lynryd Skynyrd "Street Survivors" (new Mobile Fidelity Silver label version)

- Carole King "Music" (new Mobile Fidelity mastering/pressing)

Anyone heard these vinyl yet?

 

[DandyCobalt]

Now I've got my fab Inspire Quest Rega, I've started going through the unopened new vinyl.

First up is First Aid Kit "The Lion's Roar" from Wichita Recordings.



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lions-Roar-VINYL-First-Aid/dp/B0062Y9DF6/ref=mb_oe_l

Very good quality, great sounds if you like strong female vocals, and comes with a 320kbps MP3 download voucher. Good value too at £14.99

Far better in my opinion than new kid on the block Lana Del Rey ( and her debut vinyl costs £27 !!! No thanks.)

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

The new Shins LP, Port Of Morrow sounds great. Heavy vinyl, five tracks per side, plus download card.

Oh, and in James Mercer, the greatest writer of quirky pop melodies since those cheeky scouse chaps Mac and Lenin, or whatever they were called.

 

[mickeyjoef]

I can recommend the new Black Country Communion album 'Live Over Europe". Nice flat, quiet pressing. Volume needs whacking up a bit on the amp though, as it is not a 'loud' pressing. Also it's a double live, in a gatefold sleeve, just like they used to make in the good old days.

Beach Boys 'Smile'. A lovely pressing, likewise The Civil Wars 'Barton Hollow'. I have the CDs of both these albums, and the LP is superior.

Pink Floyd 'Wish You Were Here'. I returned one copy, as it was warped, and off centre. The replacement is flat, and only slightly off centre. I'm waiting for a third time lucky to come in!

 

[fishheads]

Went on a vinyl binge including some Light In The Attic re-issues

I'd recommend checking out this label

Michael Chapman's "Fully Qualified Survivor" is a great album the job they've done is terrific

Looks wonderful and sounds great - a lot of time and effort gone into this

The kind of thing that makes you realise Spotify will never be enough

 

[DandyCobalt]

Beach Boys 'Smile'. A lovely pressing, likewise The Civil Wars 'Barton Hollow'. I have the CDs of both these albums, and the LP is superior.

Civil Wars is very good - but a few crackles - and no mp3 download or CD (17.99 from amazon - that deserves a download voucher, no?)

But, a real bargain...Laura Marling's "A Creature I Don't Know"...for some reason Amazon have only charged me £7.37 for the vinyl version...ok, no download included, but this is cheaper than the CD (and the download?) Very good record - and I thought her previous stuff was rather forgettable.

 

[DandyCobalt]

Here's a new one that you might not have come across...

Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts

http://milesnielsen.com/



I got a copy of the vinyl from the states and it is fabulous americana. A kind of Tom Petty, Drive-By Truckers, Jayhawksy type of thang. PLus mp3 download.

A very pleasant vinyl listen and excellent production, with lots of instrumentation to test your system. Valvey guitars, twangy acoustics and clarinets even.

I saw them through an advert in Vintage Guitar magazine, because they are on the Hofner supported artist list.

 

[CJSF]

Looking through my record collection this afternoon, I came up with a gem . . . in fact a few gems but one in particular . . . the original 10 track recording of Nat King Cole's 'Love is the Thing', I’ve been hankering after the new audiophile version, but £50 and 45rpm put me off a bit.

This original is in perfect condition, I dont remember buying it . . . ? but there it was and it plays like a dream, not a pop or click . . .

I also came across an equally mint version of a 1962 recording, a Nat King Cole/George Shearing collaboration, 'Let There Be Love', now playing as I type. Some lovely tunes that one does not usually associate with Nat King Cole, Shearing and Cole at their best . . . my type of music.

Plus a few others of various artists I have not played for many years, I'm looking forward to the next few sessions.

CJSF

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

The new pressing of Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden is pretty good. My original is a little crackly during the many quieter sections, so I bought this. Also comes with a 24bit DVD audio-only disc too, which sounds excellent. Includes the fabled B-side John Cope too.

Less impressive, to my ears at least, is the "newly remastered" Viva Hate by Morrissey. One of my all time most played albums, so I'm very familiar with the original vinyl. The new take is okay sound wise, but Morrissey has messed about with the tracks, replacing one (The Ordinary Boys) with a previously released, highly average demo (Treat Me Like A Human Being), and having the audacity to trim Vini Reilly's playing on Late Night Maudlin Street. Yes, it's Morrissey's album to do with as he pleases, but he hasn't enhanced it in any way, quite the opposite.

Still, as a record it's a startling Betjamin-esque (Everyday Is Like Sunday) by way of Larkin (Bengali In Platforms) lyrical masterpiece. The greatest pop lyricist bar none.

 

[The_Lhc]

Looking through my record collection this afternoon, I came up with a gem . . . in fact a few gems but one in particular . . . the original 10 track recording of Nat King Cole's 'Love is the Thing', I’ve been hankering after the new audiophile version, but £50 and 45rpm put me off a bit.

Well it shouldn't, it's extraordinary, actually made my other half cry!

 

[CJSF]

Looking through my record collection this afternoon, I came up with a gem . . . in fact a few gems but one in particular . . . the original 10 track recording of Nat King Cole's 'Love is the Thing', I’ve been hankering after the new audiophile version, but £50 and 45rpm put me off a bit.

Well it shouldn't, it's extraordinary, actually made my other half cry!

Its more the '50 quid' I supose . . . recently retired on a fixed pitance! Anything I can do to save cash . . . finding the original in A1 condition was a plesant suprise, especialy as I did not remember I had it. Put the penies away, it will come . . .

I also came across Sarah Vaughan with 'Songs of the Beatles' . . . not a fan of the beattes, but their song writing I like and Sarah Vaughan rendition, superb . . . again the condition was as new.

CJSF

 

[CJSF]

Having a nose at Diverse Vinyl’s 'nearly new' listings over the weekend. Spotted a real cheapie in William Jackson 'inCHCOLm' . . . £3 on the Linn label . . . researched who William Jackson was, nothing on Spotify but Google helped with the fact that he was a Scottish Folk musician.

As I generally like folk music, it was on the Linn label for £3, it seemed worth a punt? Three pound for postage . . . see if they have anything else I fancied to spread the postage. Spied Linda Ronstadt 'Different Drum' for £6 and Fairport Convention 'Angel Delight' an old recording 1972 . . . a bit pricy at £15, but I liked what I heard on Spotify.

Arrived this morning, William Jackson is worth every penny, not earth shattering but good quality and great for the Horlicks hour. Fairport Convention . . . Island Records label, absolutely amazing, superb recording quality, amazing enormous sound stage. I have never hear Fairport like sound like this, simply filled the room, again worth every penny, although a bigger penny.

I've not listened to Linda Ronstadt yet . . . what with getting dinner, washing up, fiddling with the spindle puck, walking the dog . . . there are only so many hours in a day, I will save Linda for Horlicks hour.

Be keeping an eye in the future on 'Diverse nearly new listings' . . . and looking out for some more Fairport Convention.

CJSF

 

[chebby]

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