Top Artists – Level 42

Level 42 – World Machine Is Back

More Records We Only Sell on Import Vinyl

  • An original UK pressing with solid Double Plus (A++) grades from top to bottom – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • The sound is huge — far richer, bigger, clearer and more open than most other copies we played
  • A Better Records favorite for more than thirty years, the rare 80s album that holds up today
  • The big hit here is “Something About You” and we guarantee you’ve never heard it with more space, richness, presence, and performance energy than on this very copy
  • 4 stars: “World Machine pushes their newfound radio-friendly sound into the forefront, and the result is one of the finest pop albums of the mid-80s. ‘Something About You’ exemplifies Level 42’s sound at the peak of its success.”

This British Polydor pressing of Level 42’s BEST ALBUM makes a mockery of most of what’s out there — who knew the sound could be this good? Punchy bass, breathy vocals, snappy drums; it’s all here and it reallyl comes JUMPIN’ out of the speakers on this pressing.

What was striking this time around was just how smooth, rich and tubey the sound was on the best copies. It’s been a few years since we last did this shootout and it’s amazing to us how much better this title has gotten in that short span of time.

Of course, the recording very likely got no better at all, but our system, set-up, room, electricity and who-know-what-else sure did.

A Favorite Since 1985

World Machine has been a personal favorite of mine since I first played it way back in 1985. Of course in 1985 I had a domestic pressing, and if you want to hear what happens when you use a dub of the British master tape and then brighten the hell out of it in the mastering process, I heartily recommend you find yourself a copy, there’s one sitting in every record store in town. The grain and the grunge on the domestic LPs is hard to believe — yet somehow I actually used to put up with that sound!

I could listen to it then but I sure couldn’t listen to it now. No doubt you have your share of records like that.

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World Machine Sure Sounds Better than It Used To

More Hot Stamper Pressings We Only Offer on Import Vinyl

Our commentary below is from 2019, our last shootout before the one we just did in 2024.

This British Polydor pressing of Level 42’s BEST ALBUM makes a mockery of most of what’s out there — who knew the sound could be this good? Punchy bass, breathy vocals, snappy drums; it’s all here and it reallyl comes JUMPIN’ out of the speakers on this pressing.

What was striking this time around was just how smooth, rich and tubey the sound was on the best copies. It’s been a few years since we last did this shootout and it’s amazing to us how much better this title has gotten in that short span of time.

Of course, the recording very likely got no better at all, but our system, set-up, room, electricity and who-know-what-else sure did.

The sound may still be too heavily processed for some, making it fairly difficult to reproduce, but the best sounding pressings, played at good, loud levels, on big dynamic speakers, in a large, heavily-treated room, are a fun listen.

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Letter of the Week – Comparing the Speakers Corner, MoFi, and a Super Hot Stamper

Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of The Moody Blues Available Now

One of our good customers had this to say about some Hot Stampers he purchased a while ago. [Bolding and italics added.]

Hey Tom, 

Just thought I’d drop you a line on the two albums I just received yesterday. I had some free time on my hands today so I was able to do some comparisons.

I have an original Days of Future Passed, which sounds about as dull as they come.

I have that reissue I bought from you years ago [no doubt the Speakers Corner Heavy Vinyl pressing] and the MoFi.

The reissue was pleasing to the ear but lacked that lifeforce which makes listening to records so involving.

The MoFi was always my favorite, but with this Super Hot Stamper I was hearing the whole recording studio.

There was a lot more depth and realism which I didn’t hear in the other records.

The Level 42 World Machine was always a fun record to listen to. The CD was just bright and bass heavy, so I bought an import lp off you years ago. It sounded pretty good until you turned it up, then it became so shrill I had to turn it back down.

The Super Hot Stamper sounds great and I can turn it up as loud as I want.

The sound stage is deep and believable which for an 80’s record is a rarity.

That Simply Red Picture Book Super Hot Stamper I purchased last year was a gem also.

Shane

Shane,

Thanks so much for your letter.

If you have an original domestic pressing, you definitely have a dull record. It’s made from a dub tape and sounds smeary and dark. This is, of course, the one we all owned back in the day unless you were one of those crazy people who ordered imported pressings from your local record store and waited weeks if not months for them to show up from across the sea.

The Speakers Corner pressing I used to sell was a good record, not a great one. (It was made from the remixed tapes since the masters had long ago been damaged or lost.)

Like many of their reissues, it was tonally correct, something most Heavy Vinyl pressings could not claim to be.

The MoFi I used to like somewhat. No idea what I would think of it now. Phony up top I’m guessing.  I can’t think of a single Stan Ricker-mastered MoFi title that doesn’t have a boosted top end, so the chances of Days of Future Passed being the exception are remote.

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