- This Milestone 2-LP set boasts solid Double Plus (A++) grades or BETTER on all FOUR sides
- We know of no better way to hear these legendary MONO recordings – these are by far some of the better sounding pressings of both these albums we’ve yet to play
- The 1979 transfers of tape to disc by David Turner are superb in all respects – this is remastering done right
- Can anybody working today make a record that sounds as good as this one? We can think of only two, and one of them we only know by his work, not by his name, as there is no trace of it in the credits for the great sounding Bill Evans title he remastered!
- 4 1/2 stars: “When Thelonious Monk first signed with Riverside Records in 1955, producer Orrin Keepnews thought that it would be a good idea for the unrecognized giant to record an album of Duke Ellington compositions and follow it up with a set of standards so as to discount his eccentric and forbidding image. The results were quite satisfying, trio performances that made Monk’s playing seem more accessible to the regular jazz audience without watering down his style.”
Genres
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Deja Vu
More of the Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
- Boasting two solid Double Plus (A++) sides or close to them, this early pressing of CSNY’s magnum opus is doing just about everything right
- The sound is huge throughout – lively, present and rich in a way that nothing you’ve heard can compete with (particularly on side two)
- And that’s especially true if you own any audiophile pressing of any kind – none of the ones we’ve heard can begin to compete with the real thing we are offering here
- One of our all-time favorite albums at Better Records and one that almost never sounds this good (unless you know exactly which stampers to buy, of course)
- We find ten to fifteen RL Zep II’s for every Déjà Vu with the right stampers – we’ve only done three shootouts since 2020, if that tells you anything
- 5 stars: “…this variety made Déjà Vu a rich musical banquet for the most serious and personal listeners, while mass audiences reveled in the glorious harmonies and the thundering electric guitars…”
If you play this copy at serious levels and have the kind of full range system that’s both loud and clean like live music, we guarantee you will be nothing less than gobsmacked at the size and power of the music on this album, the band’s inarguable masterpiece.
Both sides here are super high-resolution, tonally perfect, Tubey Magical and ALIVE. The vocals are silky and sweet with very little strain or grain (a very common problem in the loudest choruses). The highs are extended, the bass is deep and punchy, and the overall clarity is breathtaking.
Just listen to the guitars during the solos — you can really hear the sound of the pick hitting the strings. The rhythm guitars sound meaty and chunky like the best sounding copies of Zuma and After The Gold Rush. (more…)
The Allman Brothers – The Allman Brothers
More Southern Rock
- A vintage copy of the band’s debut LP with killer Nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) grades on both sides – just shy of our Shootout Winner
- Our last shootout was more than five years ago, which simply reflects the fact that the right pressings of this album in clean condition are all but unfindable
- Forget whatever dead-as-a-doornail Heavy Vinyl record they’re making these days – if you want to hear the Tubey Magic, size and energy of this wonderful album, a vintage pressing like this one is the way to go
- 4 1/2 stars: “This might be the best debut album ever delivered by an American blues band, a bold, powerful, hard-edged, soulful essay in electric blues with a native Southern ambience. There isn’t a bad song here, and only the fact that the group did even better the next time out keeps this from getting the highest possible rating.”
Eartha Kitt – St. Louis Blues
More Living Stereo Recordings
UPDATE 2026
Years ago we wrote:
Don’t expect to see another copy of this album on the site any time soon. Pressings of this album are extremely rare in any condition, and this one not only sounds great but plays surprisingly well for RCA in 1958.
For us audiophiles both the sound and the music here are enchanting. If you’re looking to demonstrate just how good 1958 All Tube Analog sound can be, this killer copy may be just the record for you!
Unfortunately, it seems as though at least 80% of the Eartha Kitt albums on Living Stereo that we pick up end up being too noisy to sell.
Unless we luck into an exceptionally quiet copy with good sound, for now we give up.
Yes, we’re throwing in the towel. Never again.
Bernstein – The Music of Leonard Bernstein / Rogers
More Orchestral Spectaculars
- A STUNNING pressing with Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it throughout – a true Orchestral Demo Disc from 1970
- Here is a vintage London Phase 4 import pressing with INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them on both sides – a true Orchestral Demo Disc from 1961
- The Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story” sound stunning here – big, rich and Tubey Magical
- The performances are wonderful – energetic yet lyrical when the score requires it
- Vibrant orchestrations, top quality sound and fairly quiet surfaces combine for an astounding listening experience
- We’ve identified a number of Orchestral Demo Discs of superior quality, and they can be found here
This London Phase 4 British import has some of the most spectacular sound we have ever heard reproduced from disc. The sound is so BIG and BOLD that it handily puts to shame 95% or more of all the Golden Age Shaded Dogs, London Bluebacks, Mercury Living Presences, EMIs and Deccas we’ve ever played. If we had a Classical Top 100 list, this record would belong in the Top Ten, right near the top judging by what we heard when we played it.
If you have a system with the speed, power, and size to play this record properly (yes, you will need all three and a whole lot more), it’s hard to imagine it would not qualify as one of the best sounding orchestral recordings you’ve ever heard.
Demo Disc barely begins to do it justice. What sound. What music. What a record!
Eric Clapton – Unplugged
More of the Music of Eric Clapton
- STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it brings Clapton’s latter day Masterpiece to life on this vintage Reprise pressing – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- The sonics of this superb import are rich, full-bodied, lively, and warm, with solid bass and breathy, clear vocals
- There are a number of records that Eric Clapton has made over the years that are Must Own titles, and we would have no problem putting this album on that list
- Consistency has never been the man’s strong suit, but you will simply not be able to find a bad track on this live album from 1992
- 4 1/2 stars: “Unplugged is the concert and album that established the MTV program as a classy, tony showcase for artists eager to redefine themselves via reexamination of their catalogs, which is what Clapton cannily did here.”
The Moody Blues – A Question of Balance
More of the Music of The Moody Blues
- With INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them on both sides, this vintage UK pressing is doing practically everything right
- Huge and spacious, as well as wonderfully Tubey Magical – to our way of thinking, if this isn’t exactly the way the band wanted to sound in 1970, we can’t imagine what would be
- This pressing has some of the best Moody Blues sound we’ve ever heard – it’s a truly exceptional recording in their canon
- Includes the big hit “Question,” one of the all time greats by the band, which sounds fantastic here of course
- Marks in the vinyl are sometimes the nature of the beast with these Classic Rock records – there simply is no way around them if the superior sound of vintage analog is important to you
Achieving just the right balance of “Moody Blues Sound” and transparency is no mean feat. You have to be using the real master tape for starters.
Then you need top end extension, a very rare quality on these imports, and finally, good bass definition to keep the bottom end from blurring and bleeding into the midrange.
No domestic copy in our experience has ever had these three qualities, and only the best of the British imports (no Dutch, German or Japanese need apply) manages to get all three on the same LP.
“We could appreciate every tiny decision Heiftez was making. When the orchestra came in, it was thunder.”
Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Tchaikovsky Available Now
A good customer wrote us the following letter. It’s mostly about the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and The Wall. (Emphasis added.)
Dear Tom,
The next best thing to a big pile of Better Records is a friend with a big pile of Better Records.
Last night my good buddy Bill came over with a selection from his recent spate of hot stamper purchases.
You remember Bill, right? He’s the friend who knew I was into stereos, so he came over for some advice about how to assemble a top of the line modern digital playback system.
I played him my White Hot Stamper of Rumours, he buried his face in his hands, and took a deep plunge into building himself a Port-recommended vinyl playback rig, and he’s now a Better Records aficionado.
First up, we played his White Hot Stamper of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto. It was magnificent. We could appreciate every tiny decision Heiftez was making. When the orchestra came in, it was thunder.
Then, we played my Super Hot Stamper. Same stamper, and mine had quieter vinyl, but man, the sound just wasn’t the same. Mine was more shrill (but slightly), and the orchestra was less meaty (but slightly.) I’ve always loved my copy, still do, but the White Hot Stamper clearly improved on it. We were simply hearing more music.
I know a lot of people say they have great sounding records. For anybody who thinks they may have stumbled across a hot stamper out in the wild, I have one simple test: turn it up. If it’s a true White Hot Stamper, you just want to keep turning up the volume. If you get to the point where you say, “actually, that’s a little too loud. Let me just dial it back a little. Ah, that’s better.” Well then, you don’t have a hot stamper on your hands. White Hot Stampers just invite you to play them loud. There’s no limit, they just cohere without getting shrill or strident. It’s a truly strange effect, and until you hear it for yourself, you won’t believe me.
Next up, we put on Bill’s White Hot Stamper of The Wall. Very loud, of course.
It was probably the best my stereo has ever sounded.
Peter Tosh – Bush Doctor
More Reggae, Soul, Blues, and R&B
- Tosh’s third studio album debuts on the site with KILLER Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades from start to finish
- 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 getting marked down
- Bigger and bolder, with more bass, more energy, and more of the “you-are-there-immediacy” of vintage analog that set the best pressings apart from reissues, CDs, and whatever else you care to name
- “…the title track, ‘I’m the Toughest,’ ‘Stand Firm,’ and a remake of an old Wailers’ track ‘Dem Ha Fe Get a Beatin,’ complete with I-Threes-style backing vocals, are some of Tosh’s best songs.”
Deep Purple – Burn
More British Blues Rock
- The Hot Stamper debut of Burn, here with STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them on sides of this early import pressing – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Turn it up and you will hear sound that is incredibly powerful and natural with amazing presence, energy and weight down low
- Forget the dubby domestic pressings and whatever crappy Heavy Vinyl record they’re making these days – the UK LPs are the only way to fly on this album
- 4 1/2 stars: “The phenomenal title track started things off at full throttle, actually challenging the seminal ‘Highway Star’ for the honor of best opener to any Deep Purple album, while showcasing the always impressive drumming of Ian Paice. Up next, the intro to the equally timeless ‘Might Just Take Your Life,’ however simple from a technical perspective, remains one of organist Jon Lord’s signature moments; and the downright nasty ‘Lay Down, Stay Down’ roared behind wildly careening starts and stops and a fantastic Ritchie Blackmore guitar solo which left no doubt as to who was the band’s primal force, regardless of lineup.”