This early Orange Label Epic pressing boasts two very good Hot Stamper sides
It’s richer and fuller than the average copy, with notably more presence, and that will be especially true when you compare it to whatever godawful Heavy Vinyl pressing may be currently available
This is true of even our lowest-priced, lowest-graded copies – they are guaranteed to sound much better than any pressing you can find on the market today, as well as any pressing you may already own
4 1/2 stars: “Perfect Angel is the best Minnie Riperton album, and still the closest she came to stardom.”
All FOUR sides of this vintage domestic copy were giving us the big and bold sound we were looking for, earning solid Double Plus (A++) grades – remarkably quiet vinyl too
These sides are Tubey Magical and lively, with the kind of rich, solid sonics that will fill your listening room from wall to wall
“Live…captur[es] the Stones’ transition from a lean, lethal rock & roll band to accomplished showmen.”
With solid Double Plus (A++) grades or BETTER from top to bottom, this original British Reprise pressing is doing most everything right – fairly quiet vinyl too
Big, rich, energetic, with an abundance of Analog Tubey Magic, this UK copy has exactly the right sound for this music
Surprisingly rich and smooth, with excellent bass and the kind of breathy immediacy to the vocals that only vintage vinyl can offer
An original UK Virgin import pressing with solid Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them from start to finish
This British pressing is huge, spacious and rich, with prodigious amounts of bass, guaranteed to sound better than any other copy you’ve heard (particularly on side two)
“For Sparkle in the Rain, [the band] sought U2 producer Steve Lillywhite, whose approach helped shape their performances into a forceful, direct set of commercial rock designed to shake nosebleed seats. [T]he move worked.”
The Weavers At Home appears on the site for only the second time ever, here with solid Double Plus (A++) grades on both sides
The sound throughout this original Stereo Vanguard pressing is rich, full-bodied, lively, and warm, with breathy, clear vocals
Remarkably present, real and resolving, this pressing is guaranteed to murder any remastering undertaken by anyone – past, present and future
Problems in the vinyl are sometimes the nature of the beast with these early pressings – there simply is no way around them if the superior sound of vintage analog is important to you
The mono pressings we played on the early Red Label were passable, even good on some sides, but they are very unlikely to ever win a shootout, so for that reason it is doubtful that we will bother with them in the future. This is a stereo recording from 1959 and it’s clear to us that it will sound better in stereo
Hollywood Byrd appears on the site for only the second time ever, here with solid Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them throughout this original Stereo 360 pressing
Forget the later pressings — none of them can compete with the right originals on this title
This side one is remarkably transparent, rich, spacious, sweet and tubey, and side two is not far behind in all those areas
Columbia records produced by Teo Macero in the 60s have consistently open, natural sound – this one recorded in 67 is no exception (particularly on side oine)
Both sides of this original UK Island pressing (the first copy to ever hit the site) were doing everything right, earning INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades from top to bottom – fairly quiet vinyl too
This is an album I have been playing regularly lately and it has really grown on me over the last couple of years – a truly fine album that rewards repeated plays, as should any classic release from this incredible band
A tough shootout, as no other copy earned a 3+ grade on either side, which simply means that when you find a top copy, it sets such a high standard that everything else ends up falling short of the standard and must be marked down accordingly
Guaranteed to be a huge improvement over anything you’ve heard, this Brit is big, punchy, and full-bodied – Bryan Ferry’s leads really soar
A killer pressing with energy and presence that positively JUMPS out of the speakers, two of the qualities that we prize most highly in our Hot Stampers, and two of things among many that Heavy Vinyl does so poorly
“…Viva! is a tough, powerful document of Roxy at the peak of their live powers, featuring a fine cross-section of their best work.”
You’ll find outstanding Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them throughout this vintage UK pressing
We shot out a number of other imports and this one had the midrange presence, bass, and dynamics that were missing from most other copies we played (particularly on side two)
The sound is lively, punchy, and powerful (also particularly on side two) – with all due respect, it should murder whatever copies you may have
“Invisible Touch is, without a doubt, Genesis’ poppiest album, a sleek, streamlined affair…”
The Hot Stamper debut of Rafferty’s 1979 release, here with KILLER Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them on both sides of this early British pressing
You won’t believe how rich, Tubey Magical, big, undistorted and present this copy is (until you play it anyway)
If all you know are the domestic pressings, you should be prepared for a mind-blowing experience with this UK copy
In fact, the original domestic pressings, the ones cut by Wally Traugott, had completely unacceptable sound — sound that was so bad you have to wonder how the label and the artists involved approved it
Marks and problems in the vinyl are sometimes the nature of the beast with these vintage LPs – there simply is no way around them if the superior sound of vintage analog is important to you
“On his second release for United Artists, Gerry Rafferty focuses an equal amount of attention on his lyrics and on the sincerity of the song’s moods to create one his strongest and most heartfelt albums. Delicate, touching, and extremely poignant, Rafferty blankets all of Night Owl’s tracks with a late-night/early-morning earnestness that is highly effective throughout.”
These vintage Paisley Park pressings were doing just about everything right, with all FOUR sides earning solid Double Plus (A++) grades or close to them
The sonics are big, full, lively and spacious with more rock solid energy than most other copies we played (particularly on sides one, two and four)
Problems in the vinyl are sometimes the nature of the beast with these vintage LPs – there simply is no way around them if the superior sound of vintage analog is important to you
5 stars: “Fearless, eclectic, and defiantly messy, Prince’s Sign ‘O’ the Times falls into the tradition of tremendous, chaotic double albums like The Beatles, Exile on Main St., and London Calling — albums that are fantastic because of their overreach, their great sprawl. Prince shows nearly all of his cards here, from bare-bones electro-funk and smooth soul to pseudo-psychedelic pop and crunching hard rock, touching on gospel, blues, and folk along the way.”
