Labels We Love – Colgems

The Monkees / More of The Monkees – Actually Sounding Pretty Good

More of The Monkees

More Sixties Pop

  • Both sides of this copy have outstanding sound for the band’s sophomore LP, earning solid Double Plus (A++) grades or BETTER – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • Amazingly QUIET for an early Stereo Colgems pressing – not many survived in this kind of audiophile playing condition
  • The key to any Monkees record is the midrange, and here is the low-distortion, rich, breathy, present, Tubey Magical sound that no other copy had in such abundance
  • This is no Demo Disc by any means — we grade on a curve, and considering the limitations of a heavily-processed, 60s pop record designed to be heard over AM radio, this is very good sounding pressing for what it is, and one of the best we have ever played
  • The key to any Monkees record is the midrange, and here is the low-distortion, rich, breathy, present, Tubey Magical sound that few of the copies we played had in such abundance
  • The sound may be too heavily processed for some, but we find that on the best copies that sound works about as well as any for this album
  • 4 stars: “…the Monkees rate with any pop band of their era and More of The Monkees solidifies that position.”

(more…)

The Monkees – Self-Titled

More of the Music of The Monkees

More Sixties Pop Recordings

  • Surprisingly quiet for an original Stereo Colgems pressing – not many survived in this kind of audiophile playing condition
  • 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
  • 4 stars: “The record wasn’t only a commercial juggernaut, it also stands as one of the great debuts of all time, and while the record and the group have faced criticism from rock purists through the ages, it stands the test of time perfectly well, sounding as alive and as much fun 40 years later.”
  • If you’re a fan of The Monkees, this title from 1966 is clearly one of their best
  • The complete list of titles from 1966 that we’ve reviewed to date can be found here

(more…)

The Monkees / The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees – Yes, Some Copies Actually Do Sound Good

More Monkees

More Sixties Pop Recordings

  • KILLER sound throughout for this original Colgems pressing with both sides earning Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or very close to them – the vinyl is fairly quiet for a vintage Monkees record too
  • The key to any Monkees record is the midrange, and here is the low-distortion, rich, breathy, present, Tubey Magical sound that no other side one had in such abundance
  • Daydream Believer was the big hit and it is absolutely killer here
  • “Featuring more than half of its material written by band members, The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees ranks as a favorite among longtime fans… it’s one of the band’s finest records, a great representation of the era and an even better pop album.” – Ultimate Classic Rock

(more…)

Casino Royale Can Be Amazing on the Right Copy, If You’ve Got the System For It…

More of the Music of Burt Bacharach

Reviews and Commentaries for the Music of Burt Bacharach

Reviews and Commentaries for TAS Super Disc Recordings

This is a record that has its share of problems, but if you’ve got the system for it (huge, heavily tweaked, fast, free from obvious colorations and capable of tremendous resolution), the best pressings are sure to impress.

Having heard the best sounding pressings I now understand why this has been such a highly regarded long-term resident of the TAS Superdisc List. The best copies are SUPERDISCS… while the average copy of this album is anything but. Who could take such harsh, grainy, thin, veiled, compressed sound seriously? What was Harry Pearson smokin’?

I can honestly and truthfully say that until we discovered the Hot Stampers for this album, I never thought this record deserved the praise Harry heaped upon it. Now I do. I once was blind but now I see, or something like that.

And by the way, does his copy sound as good as this one? Let’s face it: the late Harry Pearson was simply not the kind of guy who would sit down with five or ten copies and shoot them out.

When you listen to the average pressing of Casino Royale, you get the feeling that you’re hearing a standard-issue, boxy, lightweight, blary ’60s soundtrack. Perhaps you hear some promise in the recording, but it’s a promise that’s unfulfilled by the record on your turntable. This copy will completely redefine what you know about the sound of this music.

The space is big and the sound relatively rich (although the sound does vary quite a bit from track to track). The vocals have notably less hardness than most and the orchestra is not as brash as it can be on so many of the copies we audition. Huge amounts of Tubey Magic as well, which is key to the best sounding copies, and critical to The Look of Love.

The sound needs weight, warmth and tubes or you might as well be playing a CD. (more…)

Burt Bacharach – Casino Royale

More Burt Bacharach

  • A superb original stereo copy with solid Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER from start to finish – exceptionally QUIET vinyl for this album too
  • A record that has its share of problems, but if you’ve got the system for it (huge, heavily tweaked, fast, free from obvious colorations and capable of tremendous resolution), this copy is sure to impress  
  • A TAS List favorite that sounds amazing on a the right early pressing and dramatically better than any Heavy Vinyl reissue that we know of
  • “The more recognizable and certainly more straightforward side of Bacharach is here, too, on the Dusty Springfield smash ‘The Look of Love.’ This is one of Bacharach’s best soundtracks…”

The space is big and the sound relatively rich (although the sound does vary quite a bit from track to track). The vocals have notably less hardness than most and the orchestra is not as brash as it can be on so many of the copies we audition. Huge amounts of Tubey Magic as well, which is key to the best sounding copies, and critical to The Look of Love. The sound needs weight, warmth and tubes or you might as well be playing a CD. (more…)