Prince - 180g Vinyl - Warner/Rhino

Bump again. Has this thread died? Nobody has Controversy or 1999? I understood that people liked Dirty Mind a lot but what about these two?

 

I have both versions of 1999. Comparing the two today, with my Grado 325 headphones, the only thing I am noticing is the vocals might be ever so slightly less compressed, a little more air, not so tight sounding. But for the music, not much difference to my ears. If I wasn't a/b comparing them, not sure I'd have noticed.

 

They have all of these at Best Buy near me. I have all the old versions, so I'm cool with what I have.

 

Reading Matt Thornes great new book on Prince makes me want to buy these classic releases all over again. Are the new Rhinos really worth it?

 

Bumping a VERY old thread to say that I picked up all four Prince Rhino reissues, used but basically unplayed, for cheap last year... And the first 3 are as good as I've heard these albums sound (including the OP vinyl). Purple Rain was just a step down from the others (maybe Bernie didn't do that one?)... But considering I tend to only find noisy originals of PR, that was worth it for me.

FYI, I'd love to see Rhino reissue the later, hard-to-find Prince titles... Specifically the Black Album, D&P, Symbol, and (especially) Gold Experience. I've been able to find minty versions of S/T, ATWIAD (with the "balloon" outer sleeve!), Parade, and SOTT, all of which slaughter the current CDs. (The S/T, in particular, sounds wonderful on the original vinyl. Not my personal favorite title but I love the sound.)

 

Looks like For You, his first album (his self-titled album was actually his second, yeah, kinda crazy) is seeing a vinyl reissue in April! So at least the whole reissuing of his catalog on vinyl isn't completely dead!

http://www.elusivedisc.com/Prince-For-You-LP/productinfo/WEALP49220/

 

- I completely agree about the later albums needing a vinyl reissue!

 

I would like to see those albums get released on vinyl myself. The Black Album & the Gold Experience were released on vinyl as Promo only, UK imports & bootlegs. The D&P & Symbol albums were released as UK & German imports.

 

I have the original LPs and they're pretty good. I rebought "Controversy" a few years ago on CD because I didn't have a turntable at the time and I was in a Prince fever and it was terrible. So thin and lifeless. The LP bounces out of the speakers. It's my favorite of his early work. I just came to think of it.

 

An old girlfriend took my original pressing, but the re-issue of 1999 is superb in every way.

 

I think the originals and reissues are both great, so it may just depend on how easily you can lay your hands on a decent used copy and whether you want the effort, or whether you just want to plump for new ones with guaranteed posters etc. I've got a mix of the 1999 original (German pressing) and the Dirty Mind and Controversy reissues. The Kevin Gray Purple Rain remaster is also very good, and usually cheap, though to me it's a different sound to the (equally good or better) Grundman original. Prince is one of those artists well served by great mastering on originals and reissues/remasters, in my view, and who really does sound better on vinyl.

 

I HATE 80's and 90's vinyl. Especially the Prince ones. They're like dyna-flex crap. They weren't making any money off vinyl at this point, so they weren't putting any into it. Flimsy, lightweight, and just plain horrible. Which is why if a reissue gets done properly, it immediately gets added to my collection.

 

sorry man, but the sound of the early prince albums on vinyl is pretty dang amazing. let's not forget that dynaflex vinyl existed in the 70s.

 

Parade is exceptionally great sounding. I even remember thinking that when I was 15 and I didn't care about things like that.

 

totally. controversy, purple rain, 1999 and parade just jump out of the speakers. i think someone said that earlier. they're correct. they sound awesome.

 

I have 1999 and agree with the positive reviews.

 

A sealed/stickered original Dirty Mind just sold for $135+ship, I HIGHLY recommend the reissue- it's the most improved of the reissues so far.

 

I have full collection of originals and they sound great. However, if some forum members that have also bought the reissues are saying there are no major differences I urge everyone to buy these records as soon as you spot them. They just kick ass

 

I have both originals and reissues with some crossover on both (DM, PR and 1999). The reissues sound at least as good as the originals and you get them on better vinyl, so if the price is the same, I'd go for the reissue but originals are great sounding as well.

The reissue of his first 2 are being done by WB and hopefully they remaster these as well as the others. The price is only $19 on each. Any other info on these that I'm missing?