Elvis Costello on vinyl

Picked up UK vinly copy of This Year's Model (so far my favorite Costello album). Fun stuff, though unfortunately my copy skips in the first few seconds.

I was surprised that Radio Radio isn't on the album, I thought it closed it... or maybe it's one of those UK vs US track things.

 

Yes I have the UK version of "This Year's Model" but mine did not include the 45 although it did have a UK phone number to call. I never called it. I can't look at the LP right now but didn't the cover look like it wasn't put on correctly?
Anyway I was really into Elvis and still have the American LP's and a number of the Radar British singles with picture sleeves.
I saw him for the first time at a high school in Long Beach, CA. Also on the show was Nick Lowe and Mink Deville. Ah memories.

 

The, first letter from Elvis' name and the album name are lopped off.
So it was fun to listen to His Year's Model...

 

I was so annoyed that none of the CDs (except the Japanese card edition?) duplicated that; I LOVED the color bar on the side and the spine moved to the back cover. It was my favorite thing about the album cover.

 

I have valued Tom's opinions for many years now. Would you please ask Tom if he had to buy just one for the same price, which would he buy, the original UK Vertigo or the Rhino reissue?

 

If you can track it down, find the UK F-Beat promo for Get Happy!! - It's on two 45 RPM discs pressed on purple vinyl (looks black.) This is easily the finest sounding version on LP you will hear.

As far as CDs, go for the Rhino versions (most, if not all of the Ryko ones are mastered with inverted polarity - one listen to the bass and drums on Trust and you'll see.)

There's a white label promo Japanese MAIT on virgin clear-ish brown (looks black) vinyl that sounds pretty great (see lower right corner of pic.)

The only version of the Juliet Letters on LP I can think of was pressed in Europe (it may be French, but, it's in the other room and I have a guest crashing there.)

 

"There's a white label promo Japanese MAIT on virgin clear-ish brown (looks black) vinyl that sounds pretty great (see lower right corner of pic.)"

Hello, a fellow new member. Thanks for the heads up. I have thought about trying out a copy of the Japanese pressing. How does the Japanese pressing (with the obi shown on your picture) compare sonically against the UK original Stiff? I am guessing that you really like this album and am hoping that you would compare not just one song or two before letting me know. I thank you in advance for your response!

 

Well, there's not exactly a straightforward answer to your question; judging from a good deal of the posts in this forum, many of you appreciate the minutiae. My short answer: it depends on which version of of the UK Stiff you want.

The Japanese pressing is desirable for the quality of the vinyl. However, it is the re-cut version of the album (most noticeably distinguished by the abrupt end on "Mystery Dance" on Side 2.) The UK Stiff with the green posterised front pic (similar to the early yellow US cover graphics) should have the re-cut version of the album, unless someone swapped covers. You'll see the name "STEVE." etched on Side 2 in the run-off groove. There's a nice sense of spaciousness on a track like "Less than Zero"...

For the very first version of the UK Stiff with all the neat George Peckham writing in the run-off, you'll need to track down an Island pressing with a black and white photo of EC on the front cover. "Mystery Dance" ends with a fade out. To the best of my knowledge, there were 11 different coloured backs made for the Island pressing (see top row in photo.) From the relatively small sampling of each of the various colours I've seen over the years, there is a bit of correlation to the stamper numbers and the colours, but, nothing I would call definitive. However, I can tell you that the first 1000 copies of the original Island pressing were issued in high gloss laminated jackets (with bright yellow backs) and should be the earliest pressings made (barring a secondhand cover swap - there is also a yellow backed unlaminated cover.) They also came with a neat promotional flyer inviting a friend to receive a free copy of the LP (compliments of Stiff) if you wrote a short essay; sadly, many stores used it to get free stock.

The original plain inner sleeve will be black on most of the earlier Island Stiff pressings, white on later ones, and, a later blue backed cover will likely have a stiff cardboard Island company sleeve advertising a variety of Island records.

 

I guess I didn't exactly answer your question, so here goes: If you want the very first version of the album, find an Island pressing with a high gloss laminated yellow cover. If you don't mind a version that differs from the original Porky cut, get the Japanese pressing.

 

Hi Donald - Thanks! It's but a fraction of the madness - I have hardcore collector friends with EC collections that dwarf mine, especially in the 7" single front. There are about 40 MAIT LPs in my pic (including test pressings for the UK Porky Island MAIT and the the re-cut UK Stiff seen in the top row on the left, some American & Canadian pressings, some German ones with different coloured front lettering, a couple New Zealand pressings, at least three different Australian ones, some French & Belgian, Israeli, Greek, Portuguese, and the Japanese promo.) There are track differences on several, as well as slight mix differences. I've got maybe a half dozen others not shown. It took me about 25 years to get all 11 Island colours - I got the cheese yellow and pale aqua blue only just last year. I knew it would be tough to track down all of them, but, not 25 years hard! Only just this year I've located one of the free copies sent by Stiff from the promotion done with the first 1000 LPs. I've only ever seen one other in an EC collection. It's actually making its way across the pond to me now.

 

Thanks, Jeff.

I already have a laminated yellow first pressing, which I did not know until now was one of only 1,000. And to think that I bought it within the last year for only $12.

I also have a pink-backed Porky pressing, which is my preferred copy for now.

My question is, notwithstanding the abrupt ending on one of the songs, does the Japanese pressing that you have SOUND better (i.e., clearer vocals, less sibilant, tighter and deeper bass, clearer highs, bigger and deeper soundstage, etc.) than the original UK pressings with Porky etchings?

Admittedly, this recording is not the best recorded, audiophile quality album but I am trying to find the best possible pressing given the limitations of the original tapes.

 

Please allow me to shift gears for a moment: was When I Was Cruel ever released on vinyl, and if so, how does it compare to the CD?

 

Sung - It really isn't the best recorded album, is it? While the Japanese pressing still has cymbals that are a bit thin and slightly splashy sounding like the Island pressing, I think you might enjoy it for its presentation of soundstage and depth. I'm not sure if this is attributable to the pressing/vinyl, or that a touch of reverb was added to the re-cut version in general... it's just that the Japanese pressing seems to have more apparent depth even as compared to its UK re-cut counterpart. I dug out several pressings today (a UK April 19th 1977 Porky test, a UK I-4/I-12 stamper Island yellow laminated pressing, the UK "STEVE." re-cut test, the UK "STEVE." stock, and the Japanese WLP) and the Japanese WLP has more of the audiophile cues you're looking for, but, not by a huge margin because of the limitations of the recording. You'll certainly get more front to back layering as compared to the Porky Island. Pitch definition in the bass might actually be a tad better on the UK re-cut as compared to the others, but, the overall choice might be the Japanese for the sonic attributes you want.

 

Thanks for the detailed response! I think your explanation is good enough for me to buy a copy of the Japanese Stiff pressing. Thanks again, Jeff!

 

Hi Jeff,

Could you please fill out your profile? Thanks.

 

I too am wondering about this. I saw a sealed copy at a local shop today for $22, and was wondering about the sound quality, because I have heard some horror stories about Island vinyl

 

I just picked up a used UK version of KOA for six bucks. Sounds good, no better or worse than the US Columbia pressing. I compared it to the Rhino and Ryko Gold CDs and found two things: The usual loudness on the CDs and a small drop out on the Ryko Gold. It's also present on the Demon and regular Ryko issues. On "Poisoned Rose" it's in the left channel just as EC sings the second half of the word "poison" for the first time. Rhino fixed it.

 

Yes, there's a loudness on the CD that's not there on the vinyl.

 

Good to know. Thanks

 

so is the UK Stiff label the ones to track down for the 1st 2 albums?

 

how does North sound on vinyl?

 

Nobody mentioned the cool "Costello" label on initial US copies of "This Year's Model", it's what we got to make up for the cover art being put on wrong here...

 

Stiff for the first, Radar (newly formed for this release) for the second.

Both mastered by George 'Porky' Peckham, and signed so. Very loud first cuts, not exactly clean sounding, but great.