1990-best

Sinead O’Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

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  • A vintage copy of Sinead O’Connor’s brilliant sophomore release with outstanding Double Plus (A++) sound from first note to last
  • This early import pressing is big and rich with superb clarity and three-dimensional space that most pressings barely hint at
  • You won’t believe how good “Nothing Compares 2 U” sounds here – it’s surely one of the best torch songs ever written, and her performance of it (as well as the arrangement) is perfection
  • 4 1/2 stars: “…the album plays like a tour de force in its demonstration of everything O’Connor can do… it’s evidence that, when on top of her game, O’Connor was a singular talent.”

I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, a brilliant and unique piece of work, is widely considered one of the best albums of the ’90s.

I positively adore the album. The emotion is every bit as naked and compelling as that found on Joni’s Blue, and I do not say that lightly. I know the power of Blue, and this album has that kind of power. This is some heavy heavy stuff. Hearing it sound right is a thrill you won’t soon forget.

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George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1

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Records We Only Sell on Import Vinyl

  • This original import pressing was doing practically everything right, with both sides earning incredible Nearly Triple Plus (A++ to A+++) grades, just shy of our Shootout Winner – fairly quiet vinyl too
  • Dramatically more “natural” than almost all other copies (the scare quotes are there for a reason; it’s clear that George has never been interested in that kind of sound) – feel free to donate your dubby domestic pressings to the Goodwill, they’re a joke next to this
  • Michael’s second studio release, a far superior album to Faith in our opinion, shows the maturation of his skills in songwriting and production – it’s a Personal Favorite of mine to this day
  • The sound may be too heavily processed and glossy for some, but we find that on the best copies that sound really works for this music
  • 4 stars: “… the highlights — the light, Beatlesque harmonies of “Heal the Pain,” the plodding number one “Praying for Time,” and also “Waiting for That Day” as well as the Top Ten “Freedom” — make a case for his talents as a pop craftsman.”
  • This recording ranks high on our Difficulty of Reproduction Scale. Do not attempt to play it using any but the best equipment.

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The Notting Hillbillies – Missing…

  • A superb sounding copy with solid Double Plus (A++) sound from start to finish
  • These sides get the sound of the plucked instruments with all the speed. body and harmonic information they need to sound their best
  • 4 stars: “… a low-key, joyous run-through of mostly traditional, blues-based songs with a handful of originals… Despite the high-profile presence of Knopfler, the Notting Hillbillies succeed in sounding like a band with Knopfler often taking a backseat to his bandmates… a delightful record that doesn’t overstay its welcome.”

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Peter Gabriel / Shaking the Tree

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New British import pressings with EXCELLENT SOUND. 

There is not a track here that wouldn’t KILL the sound of that track found on any of the Classic Heavy Vinyl pressings in a head to head shootout. And if you don’t agree we are more than happy to take this copy back and refund your money.

These pressings typically have some surface noise at the start of one side or the other, mostly caused by dust in the jacket that scuffed the vinyl in transit, so they have been priced far below what they would sell for if they were quieter, because the sound is, as I said, excellent.

This “greatest hits’ package comes across as a nice overview of his solo career, since he virtually had no hits in this country until So.

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