Genre – Rock – Alternative Rock

This Year’s Model Is Rockin’ Like No Other (1978)

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With a Triple Plus (A+++) shootout winning side two and a superb Double Plus (A++) side one, this copy will be very hard to beat – quiet vinyl too
This Green Label Radar Records UK pressing has the kind of Tubey Magical Midrange that modern records cannot even BEGIN to reproduce
The bass is right – the moment-to-moment rhythmic changes in the songs are clear and the band swings the way it’s supposed to
5 stars: “The most remarkable thing about the album is the sound — Costello and the Attractions never rocked this hard, or this vengefully, ever again.”

As we noted above, this original British pressing has the kind of Tubey Magical Midrange that modern records cannot even BEGIN to reproduce. Folks, that sound is gone and it sure isn’t showing signs of coming back. If you love hearing INTO a recording, actually being able to “see” the performers, and feeling as if you are sitting in the studio with the band, this is the record for you. It’s what vintage all analog recordings are known for — this sound. (more…)

Identical Stampers + New Vinyl = Very Different Sound?

The dirty little secret of the audiophile record biz is that record dealers can’t possibly know for certain what the sound quality of any sealed record they sell actually is, audiophile vinyl or otherwise. They turn a blind eye to the fact that some copies are simply not going to measure up to the sound of the review copy that they auditioned and described. (A good reason not to sell sealed records, which we don’t.)

But wait a minute. That’s giving much too much credit to audiophile record dealers. Only a small fraction actually review the records they sell. Most cut and paste a review from the manufacturer and let it go at that. And the few that do write reviews are so far off the mark that they might as well be talking about another pressing entirely.
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Matthew Sweet – 100% Fun – Classic Records Debunked

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Sonic Grade: F

A Hall of Shame pressing and another Classic Records LP debunked.

Our Zoo label LP MURDERED the Classic heavy vinyl reissue. It’s not even close. The Classic is a opaque, turgid, muffled piece of sh*t compared to the Zoo vinyl pressing we had on hand to play, and even the CD will kill this embarrassing audiophile reissue.

This is not the easiest record to reproduce, but if you have a big dynamic system, it will really ROCK. I happen to think it’s the best thing Matthew Sweet ever did, and you deserve to hear it sound right, which means stick with the thin, good sounding vinyl and not this heavy RTI trash from Classic.

R.E.M. – Murmur – Our White Hot Shootout Winner

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For the first time ever — a stunning sounding copy with Triple Plus (A+++) sound on the first side and Double Plus (A++) on the second
Both sides here are big and full yet still clean, clear and open with a punchy bottom end
Pretty quiet throughout — Mint Minus to Mint Minus Minus
5 Stars: “R.E.M. may have made albums as good as Murmur in the years following its release, but they never again made anything that sounded quite like it.”

See all of our R.E.M. albums in stock

This is certainly one of the best sounding copies of Murmur that we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. Fans of the band’s music will have a hard time finding better sound for the album than this very copy, that’s for sure. We guarantee it will murder anything you have ever heard. And if you own the ridiculously thick and opaque MoFi pressing from the ’90s then you are really in for a treat! (more…)

Aimee Mann – Bachelor No. 2 – MoFi Debunked

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Sonic Grade: D

A Hall of Shame pressing and another MoFi LP debunked.

I had never actually played the LP when I reviewed the MoFi CD (my bad, apologies to all), noting that the CD sounded great and that I expected the vinyl to be even better. Was I ever wrong, sorry! The vinyl has a bad case of sucked-out half-speed MoFi mids. It’s far too polite and lifeless to be taken seriously.

The comments about the music of course still apply — it’s brilliant — but I recommend the Gold or regular CD over this audiophile Heavy Vinyl pressing.

I used to consider this Mann’s Masterpiece. It’s actually her co-masterpiece, taking its place alongside the amazing I’m With Stupid, which is more the rocker side of Mann. This is her Burt Bacharach side, prettier, sweeter and more melodic. Both are brilliant.

Aimee Mann is one of a handful of artists in the last decade or two who actually makes music that can hold its own against the best popular recordings of the last forty years. There are few albums that I prize more highly or that have provided me with more musical satisfaction than those by Aimee Mann. If you don’t know her music try one or both of the above-mentioned titles. Modern pop music just doesn’t get any better.

TRACK LISTING:

How Am I Different
Nothing Is Good Enough
Red Vines
The Fall of the World’s Own Optimist
Satellite
Deathly
Ghost World
Calling It Quits
Driving Sideways
Just Like Anyone
Susan
It Takes All Kinds
You Do

On The Record