Boasting INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it on both sides, this vintage UK pressing is guaranteed to blow the doors off any other Babylon and On you’ve heard – very quiet vinyl too!
We shot out a number of other copies and the midrange presence, bass, and dynamics on this outstanding copy placed it head and shoulders above most other pressings we played
I put Squeeze right up there with Elvis Costello and Peter Gabriel in the pantheon of British Pop Music of the era
I’m a huge fan of their earlier work, as well as two from their later days, this title and the amazing-to-this-day Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti (1985) – all of them get played regularly and enjoyed immensely
Clapton’s 1986 release makes its debut on the site, with STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound throughout this vintage Duck pressing – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
We guarantee there is dramatically more richness, fullness, vocal presence, and performance energy on this copy than others you’ve heard, and that’s especially true if you made the mistake of buying whatever Heavy Vinyl pressing is currently on the market.
“Phil Collins and Eric Clapton joined together for a second collaborative effort with the November 1986 release August. They shared producing chores as Collins pop sensibilities combined with Clapton’s blues/rock foundation to provide a solid and satisfying listening experience… It remains a good effort by one of rock music’s guitar gods.”
Amazing sound throughout this original Shaded Dog pressing, with both sides earning INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades
It’s also fairly quiet at Mint Minus Minus, a grade that even our most well-cared-for vintage classical titles have trouble playing at
These sides are wonderfully full-bodied, rich and present, using state-of-the-art All Tube Living Stereo recording technology that was so advanced in 1961 it thought it could transport a living, breathing Julian Bream directly from his studio into your listening room
It turns out that with today’s playback systems and cleaning technologies, the dream of being in the “living presence” of the performers has become a reality
Bream’s guitar sounds sweetly natural, not overly detailed and the orchestra is exceptionally well recorded, as we would expect from a good RCA of this period
Bedtime Story debuts on the site with INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound throughout this original Epic pressing
Here are just a few of the things we had to say about this amazing copy in our notes: “sweet and open”…”vox so present and breathy and dynamic”…”huge, deep and rich bass”…”huge, punchy, and tubey”
Both of these sides are full-bodied and lively, with exceptionally solid, present and breathy vocals, and plenty of vintage Tubey Magic
Marks 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
“In many ways, Tammy Wynette deserves the title of ‘the First Lady of Country Music.’ During the late 60s and early 70s, she dominated the country charts, scoring 17 number one hits. Along with Loretta Lynn, she defined the role of female country vocalists in the 70s.” – AMG Biography
Setting Sons appears on the site for only the second time ever, here with STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them throughout this vintage Polydor pressing – fairly quiet vinyl too
Both of these sides have 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 the things (among many) that Heavy Vinyl does so poorly
It’s the rare copy that’s this lively, solid and rich… drop the needle on any track and you’ll see what we mean
5 stars: “Setting Sons often reaches brilliance and stands among the Jam’s best albums….”
Hello, I’m Johnny Cash debuts on the site with solid Double Plus (A++) grades on both sides of this original Stereo 360 pressing
The vocal presence and freedom from coloration will put a very real sounding Johnny Cash front and center right in your very own listening room
Rich, smooth, sweet, full of ambience, dead on correct tonality, and wonderfully breathy vocals – everything that we listen for in a great record is here
4 stars: “The energy that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three captured on the legendary Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison live record can probably never be duplicated. That being said, Hello, I’m Johnny Cash comes very close, blending slow talking-blues songs with steam-engine-paced country rockers. This forgotten album may be one of the five best in the Cash discography.”
The band’s sophomore LP debuts on the site with seriously good Double Plus (A++) grades or BETTER on both sides of this vintage Reprise pressing – fairly quiet vinyl too
The sound here is rich and full-bodied with much less grain and much more Tubey Magic than most of the other copies we played
We guarantee there is dramatically more space, richness, presence, and performance energy on this copy than others you’ve heard or you get your money back – it’s as simple as that
Starker and Sebok’s virtuoso performances debut on the site with the rich, dynamic, and tubey sound we were hoping for, earning INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades throughout this original Plum Label Mercury pressing
Both of these sides are big, full-bodied, clean and clear, with a wonderfully present and solid piano, and plenty of 3D space around it
The cello is present and immediate, with sound that is remarkably textured, full and harmonically natural
Not only is this the best sounding copy we have to offer from our recent shootout, but we are happy to report that the vinyl is reasonably quiet for a vintage Plum Label Mercury stereo pressing, with no marks that play or problems with the inner grooves
Martinon and the LSO’s lively performance of Slavonic Dances debuts on the site with big, rich and Tubey Magical Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) Living Stereo sound throughout this original Shaded Dog pressing
These sides are clear, full-bodied and present, with plenty of space around the players, the unmistakable sonic hallmark of the properly-mastered, properly-pressed vintage analog LP
We’ve been trying to get this shootout going for many years – some of the pressings we’ve come across have been absolutely some of the best sounding Living Stereo titles we’ve ever played
If we ever create a Living Stereo Top Ten, this album will be a serious contender of the honor
This record will have you asking why so few Living Stereo pressings actually do what this one does. The more critical listeners among you will recognize that this is a very special copy indeed. Everyone else will just enjoy the hell out of it.
Marks and problems in the vinyl are sometimes the nature of the beast with these early pressings, but once you hear just how incredible sounding this copy is, you might be inclined, as we were, to stop counting ticks and pops and just be swept away by the music
Chester & Lester makes its Hot Stamper debut with INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades on both sides of this vintage RCA pressing
Huge, rich, present, with an abundance of energy and great depth and room around the guitars — it’s all here
The notes for this copy rave about the sound — apparently, this live in the studio recording from 1975 has the sound that RCA and Chet Atkins were famous for back in the 50s and 60s. Who knew?
Chester & Lester won the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 1976
Les Paul’s recordings from back in the day can be off the charts Tubey Magical, but the music is rarely compelling, so we don’t do shootouts for his records anymore, but you can be sure this wonderful sounding title will be a regular on the site from now on
4 stars: “After eight years away from the microphones, Les Paul joined forces with country music’s Chet Atkins in a marvelously relaxed, tasty session of cross-cultural jamming. You won’t have any problem telling Chester and Lester apart on these tracks; Les’ bright, almost metallic sound and twirling, yet now more economical flurries are a world away from Chet’s mellow fingerpicking, lightly tarted with echo. Yet the two styles play brilliantly off each other….”
