no-demo-disc

We would never claim these titles have top quality sound.

The Hot Stamper pressings you see on our site offer the best available sound and nothing more.

Born in the U.S.A., for example, is not a great sounding record, but some pressings of it sound a lot better than others, and those are the ones we sell.

If you like the music found on these albums, we guarantee that our pressings will sound better than any others you may have heard, or we will get you your money back.

John Cougar Mellencamp – Uh-Huh

More John Cougar Mellencamp

  • You’ll find STUNNING Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound from first note to last on this original pressing of Mellencamp’s 1983 release – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • The sound is HUGE – wide, deep, and open, with a solid bottom end and rhythmic energy to spare
  • 4 1/2 stars: “… the first half — with the dynamic rocker ‘Crumblin’ Down,’ his best protest song, ‘Pink Houses,’ the punky ‘Authority Song,’ the melancholy ‘Warmer Place to Sleep,’ and the garage rocker ‘Play Guitar’ — makes the record his first terrific album.”

(more…)

Jimmy Witherspoon – Witherspoon / Mulligan / Webster At The Renaissance

More Jimmy Witherspoon

This is an original Hi-Fi Records Mono LP from 1959. Jimmy is joined on stage by Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster, with support from Mel Lewis, Leroy Vinnegar and Jimmy Rowles. Now that is some group of top jazz talent.

The sound is decent, but the music is the real thing, as you can imagine from the list of players. There’s also some slight groove distortion which is almost unavoidable on vintage pressings such as this.

John Fogerty – Centerfield

More John Fogerty

More Roots Rock LPs

  • KILLER sound throughout with Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound on the first side and solid Double Plus (A++) sound on the second
  • We guarantee there is dramatically more richness, fullness and presence on this copy than others you’ve heard can offer, and that’s especially true for whatever godawful Heavy Vinyl pressing is currently being foisted on an unsuspecting record buying public
  • “… a clutch of terrific songs: that giddy ode to his beloved game, the equally sunny rocker “Rock and Roll Girls,” the snappy Sun tribute “Big Train from Memphis,” the gently swaying “I Saw It on TV,” the rip-roaring “I Can’t Help Myself” and, of course, “The Old Man Down the Road,” a callback to CCR’s spooky swamp rock… a cheerful, glorious comeback.” – All Music

(more…)

Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man

  • This outstanding pressing boasts solid Double Plus (A++) sound from first note to last – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • These sides are doing everything right — big, rich and full of Tubey Magic with a wonderfully extended top end and a more natural sound than most other copies we heard
  • Top tracks here include First We Take Manhattan, Take This Waltz, and the classic Everybody Knows
  • 4 1/2 stars: “A stunningly sophisticated leap into modern musical textures, I’m Your Man re-establishes Leonard Cohen’s mastery….”

(more…)

Bob Dylan – Oh Mercy

More Bob Dylan

  • This pressing boasts very goodsound from the first note to last
  • These sides were doing just about everything right – they’re clean, clear and spacious with weight down low and strong vocal presence
  • “Oh Mercy was hailed as a comeback, not just because it had songs noticeably more meaningful than anything Bob Dylan had recently released, but because Daniel Lanois’ production gave it cohesion… at the time, this production made it seem like the equivalent of his ’60s records, meaning that its artiness was cutting edge, not portentous…”

(more…)

Eric Clapton – Money and Cigarettes

More Eric Clapton

  • Money and Cigarettes makes its Hot Stamper debut here with outstanding Double Plus (A++) sound from start to finish – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • A superb pressing, with lovely richness and warmth, good space, separation between the instruments, and real immediacy throughout
  • “Eric Clapton’s first album for Warner Bros. is an unexpected show of renewed strength after a debilitating illness and too many sleepy records… the simple, unaffected blues power at work here is surprising and refreshing.”

The one real flaw in the recording is the amount of compression the engineer used — it’s a bit heavy-handed. This is after all a radio-friendly pop album, so no surprise there.  (more…)

R.E.M. – Lifes Rich Pageant

  • This outstanding copy of the band’s fourth studio album boasts solid Double Plus (A++) sound on both sides – fairly quiet too
  • You’ll hear more energy and more immediacy, plus an extra shot of analog richness that really ties the sound together
  • 4 1/2 stars: “Where previous records kept the rhythm section in the background, Pageant emphasizes the beat, and the band turns in its hardest rockers to date… the band sound more contemporary both musically and lyrically than they did on either Fables or Murmur, which helps give the record an extra kick.”

(more…)

R.E.M. – Document

More R.E.M.

  • This original I.R.S. pressing has insanely good Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sound or close to it from start to finish – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • You will not believe how punchy, lively, dynamic, and exciting these sides are
  • Clean and clear and open are nice qualities to have, but rich and smooth are harder to come by on this record – yet here they are!
  • 4 1/2 stars: “Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made all the more indelible by its righteous anger. In other words, it’s not only a commercial breakthrough, but a creative breakthrough as well, offering evidence of R.E.M.’s growing depth and maturity…”

(more…)

R.E.M. – Reckoning

More R.E.M

  • An outstanding pressing of Reckoning, with solid Double Plus (A++) sound from start to finish – exceptionally quiet vinyl too
  • Both sides are big, rich and analog sounding, yet uncongested, clear and open – a combination not heard on many ’80s recordings
  • 5 stars: “Reckoning runs through a set of ten jangle pop songs that are different not only in sound but in style from the debut. Where Murmur was enigmatic in its sound, Reckoning is clear, which doesn’t necessarily mean that the songs themselves are straightforward. Michael Stipe continues to sing powerful melodies without enunciating, but the band has a propulsive kick that makes the music vital and alive… the songwriting is more direct and memorable than before…”

Most of the copies we played were somewhat veiled and stuck in the speakers. The music is dramatically better on a copy like this one where there is real depth to the soundfield and lots of space separating the instruments. (more…)

The Rolling Stones – Steel Wheels

More Rolling Stones

  • With two Shootout Winning Triple Plus (A+++) sides, we would be very surprised if you’ve ever heard Steel Wheels sound remotely as good as it does on this pressing
  • We guarantee there is dramatically more space, richness, vocal presence, and performance energy on this copy than others you’ve heard
  • 4 1/2 stars in Rolling Stone: “All the ambivalence, recriminations, attempted rapprochement and psychological one-upmanship evident on Steel Wheels testify that the Stones are right in the element that has historically spawned their best music – a murky, dangerously charged environment in which nothing is merely what it seems. Against all odds, and at this late date, the Stones have once again generated an album that will have the world dancing to deeply troubling, unresolved emotions.”

(more…)