Universal Back To Black 180 gram vinyl *

Anyone else get this yet?

**Bellari has a $399 deluxe phono, the VP 530.

**Musical Surroundings has the new version out of the Phenomena II for $600.

**Benz has a new "S Class" version of its cartridge line. Benz S Class.

Vinyl and analog gear seems to be doing well. On page 133 is a listing of a first batch of 22 Universal LPs including Tea for Tillerman, Zenyatta Mondatta, Gaucho, and Blind Faith.

 

I got it and it is well done. Very tempting to spend more on analogue.

 

Try to stay away from the Universal Europe re-issue LP's.

 

Got mine today.

 

Really? No good?

 

Well, I tried the Cat Stevens' Tea' and Teaser, and a couple of the Police titles, and they were pretty brittle up top. They don't sound very analog at all, at least to my ears. The originals and MFSL's(!) were much smoother in comparison. Wanna try some?

 

Sure, wanna send me some?

 

It is a shame that the major companies are jumping in to vinyl and when you read the new catalog it is impossible to tell which are prepared in proper analog and which are records made from compact disks. My significant other looked through the LP part of the new catalog and shook his head. "The waters are really being muddied", says he, with a worried expression.

Too many of these are just made from digital and it will be very difficult for the consumer to know which are mastered in analog with care and which are not. Some of the best looking ones are digital all the way. That is sad. People will spend money on them and not understand what is supposed to be so good about vinyl.

This part of the "vinyl resurgence" is nothing to celebrate.

 

I just picked up the new Supertramp Breakfast In America LP and I thought it was very poorly done. The old US LP that Bernie Grundman cut is better.

 

You're absolutely right. That is why I rely on this forum to figure the details of the new vinyl re-issues before I buy. As far as the general public.... well, they should join the forum if they are interested in finding the best audiophile analogue vinyl.

 

You ain't kiddin'.

Covers look bad. Sound is horrid. AND they want $20/ea. Completely insulting.

Might as well take home a Bernie-cut Blind Faith RSO for $6. At least you won't be totally dissapointed AND ripped off.

 

I was very disappointed. I thought it was just a smiley faced sounding cut, but no...There's this hazy upper end that sounds completely different from the other LP presses. I'd really like to talk to the engineer(s) that are cutting these, and ask what they used as sources.

All the ad's claim 'original analog masters'.

 

Are you sure these are Universal 'Europe' and not USA? The European vinyl isn't out here (UK) yet and the release dates are around 19th August.

 

I agree with you about the above, they suck, but the following sound quite good compared to the originals I have.

Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping

JG

 

I think you are totally correct. Thankfully, we have this website to help us figure out which are the "right" ones to get!

In that muddy water, there are a few gems to be found.

 

What about the "Vinyl Lovers" label? Anybody know about that stuff?

 

Michael Fremer didn't like the sound of their reissue of John Cale's Fear. He wrote that it "sounds mastered from a CD, using a bad CD player."

 

I was going to take the plunge and get a few of these. After reading this thread I have changed my mind.

 

Polydor has also just released some 180-gram LP reissues. Titles include Blind Faith, Disraeli Gears, 461 Ocean Boulevard and Tupelo Honey. They're priced at $19.98, so it looks like they're U.S. domestic market, but, other than that, there's not much information.

 

I agree 100%.

I understand capitalism, and the need for dealers to make a buck, but offering these LPs on a (mostly) unsuspecting audience is disturbing to me.

 

Agreed Randy. However, it is ultimately it is not a sustainable business model as fewer repeat purchases will occur once the poor performance is noted.

 

So the record companies are getting it wrong again. Shouldn't be surprised. All they're probably looking at is numbers. They're seeing that a lot of music consumers are buying vinyl, and turntable sales are up. What they aren't "getting" is the audiophile aspect of buying vinyl. Buyers want better sound than CDs have been giving, not the same sound again on a vinyl LP.

 

We've had a thread going for some time:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=137463

 

:thumbsdn: I bought two. The early Rod Stewart was unlistenable. I'm not sure that is actually a word, but I'm sure you get my drift. I listened to a few songs on the first side, took the LP off my TT, and placed the record on the loser shelf (outside of my listening room).

I also bought Traffic's Mr. Fantasy. It was listenable but not very good.

I endorse the sentiments expressed by some of the previous posters about the value of this Forum as a site to get reviews of new vinyl before purchasing mistakes like this are made. (I bought these two on impulse when I saw them on the shelves at Virgin.)

 

According to Michael Fremer, stay away.

http://www.musicangle.com/album.php?id=615

Quote
..."while nicely pressed, perhaps at Pallas, sounds mastered from a CD, using a bad CD player. It's not even close to the original.

This overpriced piece of "product" offers decent pressing quality, but little else for your $30.00 Stay away and proceed with caution with everything from "Vinyl Lovers." That's my advice."