Heavy Vinyl ScorecardClick here to sort this section alphabetically by manufacturer (which allows you to put all the ratings for any label together) and here to sort the section by artist.This section contains ratings and reviews of some of the Heavy Vinyl records that have come our way over the years. The most recent reviews are at the top. We have another section specifically devoted to our favorite way to waste time here at Better Records, a little something we like to call Debunking The Audiophile LP. The Audiophile's Choice -- the record that will do the best job of communicating the music through its superior sound quality -- is almost never going to be the one marketed as an Audiophile Pressing. If you find this in any way hard to believe, we encourage you to read on.
Is This Really An Audiophile Record?
A Hall of Shame pressing and another Classic Records LP debunked. I've long held that the Classic Records Heavy Vinyl remaster (scandalously it's on the TAS List of Super Discs) is nothing less than a crime against music lovers and audiophiles of every stripe. Boosting the bass and highs and adding transistory harshness is the last thing in the world that Witches' Brew needed. At the risk of insulting some of you out there, if you think the Classic Records version of this album sounds good, your system must be very dull and bass shy, or you must like really hi-fi-ish sound. more Info
I've long held that the Classic Records Heavy Vinyl remaster (scandalously it's on the TAS List of Super Discs) is nothing less than a crime against music lovers and audiophiles of every stripe. Boosting the bass and highs and adding transistory harshness is the last thing in the world that Witches' Brew needed.
At the risk of insulting some of you out there, if you think the Classic Records version of this album sounds good, your system must be very dull and bass shy, or you must like really hi-fi-ish sound.
Classic Records Debunked
A Hall of Shame pressing and another Classic Records LP debunked. Classic did this title on heavy vinyl in the '90s, which is only fitting since it is one of the better Heifetz recordings. As expected, their version was awful, as bad as LSC 1903, 1992, 2129 and others too numerous to list. It's both aggessive and lacking in texture at the same time, the worst of both worlds. Bernie's cutting system is what I would call Low Resolution -- the harmonics and subtleties of the sound simply disappear. If you have the Classic, do your own shootout. We guarantee any Hot Stamper pressing will murder theirs. more Info
It's both aggessive and lacking in texture at the same time, the worst of both worlds. Bernie's cutting system is what I would call Low Resolution -- the harmonics and subtleties of the sound simply disappear. If you have the Classic, do your own shootout. We guarantee any Hot Stamper pressing will murder theirs.
S&P (DCC) Debunked
S+P's 180g reissue has some nice qualities, but it isn't especially natural, nor is it Tubey Magical the way the real Capitol pressings are. Ambience and instrumental textures are sorely lacking, although to be honest, considering how bad most Capitol pressings are, it's still a step up from the average copy sitting in your local store's used record bins. Our commentary for the DCC Nick of Time lays out in more detail some of the same sonic shortcomings we heard with Just One of Those Things. more Info
S+P's 180g reissue has some nice qualities, but it isn't especially natural, nor is it Tubey Magical the way the real Capitol pressings are. Ambience and instrumental textures are sorely lacking, although to be honest, considering how bad most Capitol pressings are, it's still a step up from the average copy sitting in your local store's used record bins.
Our commentary for the DCC Nick of Time lays out in more detail some of the same sonic shortcomings we heard with Just One of Those Things.
Speakers Corner Debunked
A Hall of Shame pressing. This has to be one of the worst sounding versions ever pressed. You think the average ABC or MCA pressing is flat and lifeless, not to mention compromised at both ends of the frequency spectrum? You ain’t heard nothin’ yet! As bad as the typical copy of this album is, the Speakers Corner pressing is even worse, with not a single redeeming quality to its credit. more Info
This has to be one of the worst sounding versions ever pressed. You think the average ABC or MCA pressing is flat and lifeless, not to mention compromised at both ends of the frequency spectrum? You ain’t heard nothin’ yet! As bad as the typical copy of this album is, the Speakers Corner pressing is even worse, with not a single redeeming quality to its credit.
Impex (Cisco) Debunked
The new Impex (Cisco) 180 gram remastering of 52nd Street was cut by Kevin Gray, under the direction of Robert Pincus, at the now defunct AcousTech Mastering in Camarillo. We noted in our recent Hot Stamper review: "Side one is a joke (zero ambience, resolution, energy, etc.) but side two is actually quite good. Side two fixes the biggest problem with the album: hard, honky vocals". more Info
A Hall of Shame pressing and another Classic Records LP debunked. As wrong as it is, I can still play the MoFi of Pictures and enjoy it. I can’t play the Classic of Pictures at all. The shrillness, the hardness, the sourness, the loss of texture to the strings, the phony boosted deep bass -- this is the kind of sound that makes my skin crawl. After a minute or two I’ve had it. And the performance by Reiner is dreadful. Harry Pearson put this record on his TAS List of Super Discs? Yes he did! more Info
As wrong as it is, I can still play the MoFi of Pictures and enjoy it. I can’t play the Classic of Pictures at all. The shrillness, the hardness, the sourness, the loss of texture to the strings, the phony boosted deep bass -- this is the kind of sound that makes my skin crawl. After a minute or two I’ve had it. And the performance by Reiner is dreadful.
Harry Pearson put this record on his TAS List of Super Discs? Yes he did!
Well, I Guess If You Don't Know Any Better...
When I read the reviews by writers such as these I often get the sense that I must've fallen through some sort of Time Warp and landed back in 1982. How is it that our so-called experts evidence so little understanding of how records get made, how variable the pressings are, and, most importantly, how absolutely crucial it is to understand and implement careful protocols when attempting to carry out this work.
Finally, Fremer and Better Records Can Agree on Something
The short version of our review of the new Rubber Soul vinyl would simply point out that it's awful, and, unsurprisingly, it's awful in most of the ways that practically all modern Heavy Vinyl records are: it's opaque, airless, energyless and just a drag. I was looking forward to the opportunity to take Michael Fremer (the champion of thick vinyl dreck from sources far and wide) to task in expectation of his rave review, when to my surprise I found the rug had been pulled out from under me -- he didn't like it either! Damn it all.
