A nice little haul of secondhand records from Action Records over the weekend. I already have a couple of these albums but their condition is much better than the copies I have, but the main prize being the DB Rare album as I’d never got around to buying that particular record, and every copy I’ve seen used has been tatty. All came up M/NM after an Okki Nokki spin or two, save the Wings album which I think has groove wear - win some lose some. All first or early pressings save The Stones.
Rolling Stones - Rolling Stones (minty early 80s copy).
David Bowie - Rare.
Japan - Assemblage.
Nick Lowe - Jesus of Cool.
The Police - Synchronicity.
Neil Diamond - The Jazz Singer soundtrack.
Wings - Back to the Egg.
The Robert Cray Band - False Accusations.
12” singles…
Hugh Masekela - Bring Him Back Home.
Neville Brothers - Fearless.
And lastly from the Blue Note Classics as has been reported a real sub par pressing from Optimal was Kenny Burrells - Midnight Blue a double disappointment because behind the ripping non fill is one of the best remasters by KG of the series so high hopes for this when a second pressing appears.
Agree, Robert Cray albums on vinyl sound very good indeed, esp compared to the later CD versions. I really like Cray’s first two records, as they have an urgency and rawness compared to the later (slightly) more polished albums.
Hoping my second copy of Grant Green turns up today and will be an improvement over the first one they sent. 75 very noticeable clicks across both sides. I’ve seen comments about the pressings at Optimal and they seem to be a bit hit and miss. Hope your KB is an improvement too.
A query if anyone can help
Run Out Groove US have/are releasing a 2LP version of Curtis Mayfield’s Curtis album.
I emailed to enquire about sources, mastering etc and got a reply that disc 1 is analogue with disc 2 from HiRes files.
Pete Weiss – mastering and Jeff Powell – cutting. anyone know anything, any experience of these guys work?
Cheers
My copy of Axe Victim has arrived and been played through. Very good copy, given its age. Entirely acceptable. Sleeve is a bit worn, but that OK. Credit to the Discogs Seller…
The AS release of Oliver Nelson - a Forum favourite that I wasn’t initially going to buy as I have my old copy…I haven’t compared, but this does indeed sound wonderful!
It’s a shame because up until now the Blue Note Classic Series has been excellent and as I said the mastering on the Kenny Burrell hidden behind the horrible non fill ripping noises is top drawer.
My Grant Green sounds superb so I hope your replacement is ok. My second KB is due to arrive tomorrow (it’s taken an age to get here) but having seen the above, I am not getting my hopes up too much.
And it would, as Bob says, be a real shame if the whole batch is duff as the SQ behind the non-fill sounded amazingly good.
I’ve just tried playing my copy of Kenny Burrell’s Midnight Blue. Oh dear… the first track was full of awful tearing distortion from non-fill. Now onto Grant Green’s Idle Moments and much better, although rather noisy on the lead in groove, but acceptable.
So Midnight Blue is going back. Hopefully I can get a better pressing?? Optimal, you need to sort this out as non-fill is getting to be a really frustrating problem with a number of your recent pressings.
Agreed and it’s a real shame. I doubt Kevin Gray would be too pleased that their making a pig’s ear of his excellent mastering work. Optimal used to be a buy with confidence plant but have increasingly let QC slip. I’m often very hesitant now when a record is pressed by them.
Maybe if more record buyers rejected their faulty wares and emailed them they might take note?
I have two copies of Katanga due to a noisy pressing and badly twisted spine, and will soon have two copies of Idle Moments due to a bad pressing. They are being told, but I do wonder if they really care. They (and others) replace records at the drop of a hat and never ask for the original they sent to be returned.
I agree with you that Kevin Gray cannot be too pleased with the end result after he does such a good job at his end.
Katanga should have been pressed by RTI. They’ve been pretty good of late in my experience. I’ve just received a box set of the first four Joni Mitchell albums from the US, all RTI pressings. I went to the trouble of getting the US issue because I just couldn’t trust the EU Optimal version (the tip-on jackets appear thicker on the RTI pressing too).
My copy came from Blue Note as part of the Tone Poet series. I guess I was having a little dig at Blue Note as I hold them responsible for the products they sell, most of which are great btw.
But you’re right, it was manufactured by RTI. My first copy was warped, noisy and covered in dust, as well as the twisted spine I mentioned above. The replacement was much better, and what you would hope for from RTI.
, the bear/wolf thing looks calmer than the one in the Solstice thread!
