Month: June 2019

Even In The Quietest Moments… on Sweet Thunder

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Supertramp Available Now

A hall of shame pressing and a Half-Speed Mastered disaster if there ever was one.

We’re big fans of this album here at Better Records and consider it to be one of Supertramp’s best. That said, this Half-Speed is a disgrace.

There is absolutely no presence to the sound of the copy we played. The guitars, which on some cuts are double tracked, each coming directly out of the speaker hard right and hard left, are so dull it sounds like the speaker is facing the back wall!  

I think I know why — there is quite a bit of processing distortion and grit on the vocals. The Audiophile Masterminds at Sweet Thunder thought the best way to deal with it was to suck the hell out of the presence region (3 to 6k), which takes off some of the edge on the vocals but throws a thick blanket over the acoustic guitars.

On the opening track of side one, the big hit off the album, it takes all the energy out of the one element that really drives the music — the guitars.

This is truly one of the worst Half-Speed mastered records we have ever had the displeasure of hearing.

Shame on you, Sweet Thunder.

This link will take you to some other exceptionally bad records that were marketed to audiophiles for their supposedly superior sound. On today’s modern systems, it should be obvious that they have nothing of the kind and that, in fact, they offer only the reverse: junk sound for bad stereos.

Further Reading

If you are still buying these remastered pressings, making the same mistakes that I was making before I knew better, take the advice of some of our customers and stop throwing your money away on Heavy Vinyl and Half-Speed mastered LPs.

At the very least let us send you a Hot Stamper pressing — of any album you choose — that can show you what is lacking on your copy of the album.

And if for some reason you disagree with us that our record sounds better than yours, we will happily give you all your money back and wish you the very best.

Letter of the Week – “The strings on side one are meltingly sweet, especially on You Made Me Love You.”

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Harry Nilsson Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased recently:

Hey Tom,   

I played the A Little Touch Of Schmilsson White Hot Stamper and loved it. The strings on side one are meltingly sweet, especially on You Made Me Love You. Anytime you get a hot Nilsson stamper please keep me in mind.

All the best,
Phil

Sounds Unheard Of! Was Killer in Our Last Shootout from 2019 Too

Hot Stamper Pressings Featuring Shelly Manne Available Now

This Black Label Original Contemporary pressing has SUPERB sound on BOTH sides. All that stuff we tend to say about the original tube-mastered Contemporary pressings being fat and dull does not apply here whatsoever. This record is mastered beautifully, with real transient attacks to all the percussion.

When Shelly bangs on the bass drum it goes Ka-Boom and really rattles the walls.

As a Demo Disc this one is pretty hard to beat.

Remember the old Acoustic Sounds Analog Revival series mastered by Stan Ricker? This was one of the titles they did, and completely ruined of course. Ricker boosted the hell out of the top end, as is his wont, so all the percussion had the phony MoFi exaggerated spit and tizziness that we dislike so much around here at Better Records, but that many if not most audiophiles never seem to notice.

The whole series was an audio disaster, but funnily enough, I cannot remember reading a single word of criticism anywhere discussing the shortcomings of that groupof pressings. Outside of my own reviews of course. Has anything in audio really changed? (more…)

Letter of the Week – “…the bass from this pressing is just ridiculously deep, solid and tight.”

Reviews and Commentaries for the Music of Bread

Radio Friendly Pure Pop Albums Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased recently:

Hey Tom, 

I’m listening to this Bread Hot Stamper… just stunning. The simple 3 minute songs… Keyboards coming out of the speakers and the bass from this pressing is just ridiculously deep, solid and tight. I can’t believe how much I love this music in all its glory.

Andy

Letter of the Week – “I am never disappointed in any pressing I purchase from you.”

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased recently:

  Hey Tom, 

I can not tell you how many re-issues and crappy sounding LP’s I purchased over the years…… that is until I found your site. I give you props, I am never disappointed in any pressing I purchase from you. 

Thanks again Tom. Always a pleasure to deal with you and your crew….

Best,
Dennis

AC/DC – Highway To Hell

  • Superb sound for Bon Scott’s final outing with the band, with solid Double Plus (A++) grades throughout this vintage copy (only the second to hit the site in years)
  • These sides have plenty going on down low, real meat on the bones, and all the life, energy and richness that’s missing from the average copy
  • Forget the dubby domestic pressings, forget the later imports and other reissues, only the right UK pressings have the potential to sound the way this copy does
  • Angus Young’s guitar jumps out of the speakers here like almost no other copy we played in our recent shootout
  • 5 stars: “Filtered through Mutt‘s mixing board, AC/DC has never sounded so enormous, and they’ve never had such great songs, and they had never delivered an album as singularly bone-crunching or classic as this until now.”

(more…)

Bobby Darin – From Hello Dolly To Goodbye Charlie

  • This original Capitol rainbow label LP has excellent Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER throughout – exceptionally quiet vinyl too 
  • Having played a good dozen or more vintage Bobby Darin albums, we can tell you that finding sound as good as this is a lot harder than we thought it would be
  • Like the recordings of Nat King Cole, many Darin records are ruined by the heavy-handed use of reverb, but every once in a while you find one like this with the glorious sound of ’60s All Tube Analog in its grooves
  • “Darin focused on standards done with jazzy arrangements on this 1964 album… “The Days of Wine and Roses,” “Call Me Irresponsible,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Sunday in New York,” and of course “Hello, Dolly!” and “Goodbye, Charlie” are all on board.”

This vintage Capitol stereo pressing has the kind of Tubey Magical Midrange that modern records rarely begin to reproduce. Folks, that sound is gone and it sure isn’t showing any sign of coming back. (more…)