Graham H
pfm Member
I've never heard or seen these reissues. I agree that if Blue Note albums lack 'energy' then something is not right.
Thankfully I have an earlier repressing of Dialogue and my Talkin' About is a Music Matters 2x45rpm version. The MM reissue sounds good but I bought it more out of curiosity and I can't be bothered with the inconvenience of flipping 45rpm versions. In fact I have very few 45rpm records.
So far I am a bit jaded by the Tone Poets or whatever BN reissue programs there may be simply because I already have many other versions of the albums. I only focus on original blue notes or earlier represses (including japanese versions).
I understand your jadedness, but equally I can understand other people’s excitement about the Tone Poet and 80th series. I think they sound excellent and the team deserve full credit when so many other labels are falling short.
You’re not missing anything with the Elemental series. My Conn CD of Dialogue sounds better.
I’m using the Tone Poet series to replace worn or lacklustre pressings and CDs, as well as fulfilling a latent interest in soul jazz (I’m working backwards in some ways, as I began collecting the likes of Incus, Ogun and ESP in my teens and early 20s). I can’t afford the ridiculous prices of original or early Blue Note pressings, although I am fortunate enough to have acquired some in the days before internet pricing. (I remember one infamous second hand record dealer in Norwich - who began dealing in the 50s and stopped in the 90s - once saying to me ‘everything is a fiver because this is Norwich’. Imagine that happening anywhere now).
On a thread derailing note, I see London Jazz Collector is blogging Capra Black by Billy Harper, a fantastic Strata East album IMO. He confirms my observations and hunch about the recent Pure Pleasure reissues being needle drops. He’s confident about this as he reckons his DJ pal loaned PP original pressings to copy. Thought you might be interested.
https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/