- You’ll find incredible Nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) sound throughout this vintage import copy of the band’s Prog Rock Masterpiece – just shy of our Shootout Winner
- We had a wide variety of Islands (Pink and Sunray) and UK Polydor pressings, and only two of those labels can have Hot Stampers based on the many shootouts we’ve done over the years
- On a pressing as good as this one, turned up to seriously loud levels, the horns blasting away on “21st Century Schizoid Man” are guaranteed to blow your mind
- 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
- 5 stars: “The group’s definitive album, and one of the most daring debut albums ever …. it blew all of the progressive/psychedelic competition out of the running, although it was almost too good for the band’s own good — it took King Crimson nearly four years to come up with a record as strong or concise.”
- We’ve recently compiled a list of records we think every audiophile should get to know better, along the lines of “the 1001 records you need to hear before you die,” but with less of an accent on morbidity and more on the joy these amazing audiophile-quality recordings can bring to your life. In the Court of the Crimson King is a good example of a record many audiophiles may not know well but should get to know better
Best on Vintage Imported Vinyl
Thin Lizzy – Johnny the Fox
More British Blues Rock
- A Johnny the Fox like you’ve never heard, with solid Double Plus (A++) grades on both sides – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- This vintage UK pressing has real depth to the soundfield, full-bodied, present vocals, plenty of bottom end weight, and lovely analog warmth
- The sonics are lively, punchy, and powerful – with all due respect, it should murder whatever copies you may have
- 4 stars: “All the same strengths [of Jailbreak] are still here — the band still sounds as thunderous as a force of nature, Phil Lynott’s writing is still graced with elegant turns of phrase, [and] his singing is still soulful and seductive…”
This vintage UK Vertigo pressing has the kind of Tubey Magical Midrange that modern records can barely 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.
Yes – Time And A Word
More of the Music of Yes
- You’ll find INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it throughout this vintage UK pressing
- Some of the best High Production Value rock music of the 60s and 70s, thanks to the band and a Mr. Eddie Offord
- If you’ve ever heard one of our Yes Album or Fragile Hot Stampers, you’ll know what to expect here – huge and powerful sound
- “…the group was developing a much tauter ensemble than was evident on their first LP, so there’s no lack of visceral excitement. ‘No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed’ was a bold opening [and] ‘Everydays’ is highlighted by Anderson’s ethereal vocals and Kaye’s dueting with the orchestra.”
On the better copies of Yes’s second album, the cymbal crashes are big and powerful with correct high frequency extension. The sound of the organs and synths is huge, immediate and — above all — real.
Eurythmics – Revenge
More of the Music of The Eurythmics
- This vintage import pressing was doing practically everything right, with both sides earning INCREDIBLE Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- A superb copy 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
- Guaranteed to be a huge improvement over anything you’ve heard, this Brit is big, punchy, and full-bodied – Annie’s leads really soar
- “On their fifth album, Eurythmics moved away from the austere synth-pop of their previous work and toward more of a neo-60s pop/rock stance. Of course, the primary element in the group’s sound remained Annie Lennox’s distinctive alto voice, which was still impressive …”
Fleetwood Mac – The Original Fleetwood Mac
More of the Music of Fleetwood Mac
- Here is an original UK import pressing with KILLER Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades or close to them on both sides – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Most of the time this album sounds like Fleetwood Mac is playing live in the studio, which they probably were, and on big speakers at loud volumes that is a glorious sound
- 4 stars: “An undeniably strong collection culled primarily from the band’s first incarnation, featuring John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Green, and Jeremy Spencer.”
- If you’re a Fleetwood Mac fan, and what audiophile wouldn’t be?, this Peter Green era title from 1971 is one of their best sounding
The music on this album was recorded when they were still a blues band — tracks left off their early albums for one reason or another.
As is so often the case with unreleased material, these songs do not have that overproduced, too-many-generations-of-tape sound. This sounds like Fleetwood Mac live in the studio most of the time. In other words, awesome.
If the drum sound on the first track isn’t enough to convince you this is an amazing sounding record, I don’t know what would.
These British imports are the only way to go. The domestic copies are definitely made from dub tapes. They can sound good, but they sure don’t sound this good! (more…)
Paganini / Caprices / Ricci
More Imported Pressings on Decca and London
- A Whiteback second label London pressing with rich, textured, and dynamic Double Plus (A++) sound from start to finish
- It’s also impossibly quiet at Mint Minus to Mint Minus Minus, a grade that practically none of our vintage classical titles – even the most well-cared-for ones – ever play at
- This copy showed that it had the balance of clarity and sweetness we were looking for in the tone of the violin – it is so rich, natural and real, you will forget you’re listening to a record at all
- These works are performed with skill and passion by the incomparable Ruggiero Ricci, one of our favorite violinists
- These are practice pieces – if you want real music written for the violin, we have plenty of albums to choose from that should fit the bill
Tears for Fears – The Hurting
More of the Music of Tears for Fears
- Very good sound for TFF’s debut album, with both sides earning Hot Stamper grades – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Classic tracks like “Mad World,” “Pale Shelter,” and “Change” have stood the test of time – they’re played in TFF’s concerts to this day (we saw them not that long ago)
- We guarantee there is 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
- 4 1/2 stars: “…powerful pieces of music, beautifully executed in an almost minimalist style…an exquisite sonic painting sweeping the listener up in layers of pulsing synthesizers, acoustic guitar arpeggios, and sheets of electronic sound…”
Mozart – Clarinet Quintet / Vienna Octet
More of the Music of Mozart
- You’ll find lush, sweet and rich Double Plus (A++) sound or BETTER throughout this early London pressing of these famed compositions
- Both sides of this pressing of CS-6379 are open, high-rez, and spacious, with depth like you will not believe and some of the least shrill string reproduction we have ever heard for this music
- Clear and transparent and natural – your ability to suspend disbelief requires practically no effort at all
Supertramp – Crisis? What Crisis?
More of the Music of Supertramp
- This UK import copy was doing most everything right, earning solid Double Plus (A++) grades on both sides
- Lots of quiet passages make this title one of the most difficult to find in audiophile playing condition, but here one is!
- Most pressings are painfully thin and harsh, but this one had much more of the richness and smoothness we were looking for, miles away from the painfully bad original domestic pressings we know to avoid
- Credit the man behind the board, Ken Scott (Ziggy Stardust, Honky Chateau, Crime of the Century, A Salty Dog, Magical Mystery Tour, America and more), who knows a thing or two about Tubey Magic
- A Desert Island Disc for TP, from all the way back in 1975 when I first gave it a spin on my Ariston RD 11 turntable
- “Even simple tracks like ‘Lady’ and ‘Just a Normal Day’ blend in nicely with the album’s warm personality and charmingly subtle mood. Although the tracks aren’t overly contagious or hook laden, there’s still a work-in-process type of appeal spread through the cuts, which do grow on you over time.”
Jethro Tull – Songs From The Wood
More Folk Rock
- This original UK pressing of Tull’s tenth studio album boasts INSANELY GOOD Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) grades from top to bottom – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
- Both of these sides are amazingly big and full with wonderfully breathy vocals and deep punchy bass
- No other copy in the shootout earned 3 pluses on any side other than this killer copy right here — this was a tough shootout!
- Forget the domestic originals and reissues, they’re medicore at best and more than likely awful
- Forget whatever dead-as-a-doornail Heavy Vinyl record they’re making these days too – if you want to hear Tubey Magic, huge size and powerful energy, a vintage UK pressing like this one is the only way to go
- 4 stars: “Far and away the prettiest record Jethro Tull released at least since Thick as a Brick and a special treat for anyone with a fondness for the group’s more folk-oriented material.”