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Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissues

That's exactly what they do, I bought a copy of Songs For My Father about a month ago. No wrapping on it , thought it was strange took it out to play, scuff mates all over it, is wenr back for some other sucker.

I'd return anything that I got from Amazon that wasn't sealed.

They seem quite good at selling higher value returns via their 'warehouse', where they are advertised as 'Used' for a very small discount compared to the new price. I don't know why people would go for those.

Perhaps they don't do that for records/media?
 
I'd return anything that I got from Amazon that wasn't sealed.

They seem quite good at selling higher value returns via their 'warehouse', where they are advertised as 'Used' for a very small discount compared to the new price. I don't know why people would go for those.

Perhaps they don't do that for records/media?

I've seen an Ebay seller with lots of stock of opened records described as being mail order returns so perhaps they sell them on wholesale.
 
I have a feeling my BN order may have now shipped. The site is confusing with no time-line, tracking or anything, but I can no longer spot the word ‘pending’ anywhere!
 
I'm really enjoying Something Else which arrived on Saturday. I'd previously only had the RVG remaster CD - listening to the new edition is a completely different and far more enjoyable experience.
 
Why are some of the RVG's so poor? Just rushed out maybe?

It has to be a deliberate, maybe to make them sound more like original mono vinyl, but it fails spectacularly. The basic traits, which Somethin’ Else does to real extremes, is to narrow the stereo soundstage to near mono, apply ridiculous levels of compression (you can actually hear background instruments ‘ducking’ it is so extreme!) and apply a rather harsh and boomy EQ. The mastering actually destroys the music on this one IMO. It just doesn’t survive the mangling. There was nothing terrible about the earlier Ron McMaster CD issue either, that sounds like a flat master copy, wide soundstage, natural dynamics, maybe just a little thin, but nothing that gets in the way of what is a superb album.
 
It has to be a deliberate, maybe to make them sound more like original mono vinyl, but it fails spectacularly. The basic traits, which Somethin’ Else does to real extremes, is to narrow the stereo soundstage to near mono, apply ridiculous levels of compression (you can actually hear background instruments ‘ducking’ it is so extreme!) and apply a rather harsh and boomy EQ. The mastering actually destroys the music on this one IMO. It just doesn’t survive the mangling. There was nothing terrible about the earlier Ron McMaster CD issue either, that sounds like a flat master copy, wide soundstage, natural dynamics, maybe just a little thin, but nothing that gets in the way of what is a superb album.

I assumed that they established particular settings and then poured the whole library through in a one-er. The earlier BN CDs are not bad at all in my (limited) experience...
 
The earlier BN CDs are not bad at all in my (limited) experience...

Absolutely, I’d recommend them to anyone. I’ve got a good stack of them myself, but do tend to go for vinyl with Blue Note when I can find it.
 
I think the RVG CDs get a bad rap. Not all are bad, I've a few (early ones in the series with slip-cover) that are very decent. I have some Japanese RVGs (totally different, unrelated series but also 'remasterd' by van Gelder) that are downright rotten though.

I am not convinced that van Gelder necessarily did all the RVGs given the varying quality of the sound. Van Gelder was already very old by then, his hearing was probably shot, and perhaps some assistant in his studio did some of the remastering. Which will help explain why they were all over the place sonically.

Ron McMaster's masterings were ok, nothing great but can't compare with the quality of the OJCs that were reissued at roughly the same time. I've heard some of his mastering work for vinyl records too and again, they are ok but not great.
 
I wonder what playback the RVGs had in mind when they were being remastered?

I recall an article or programme back in the late 90s about final mixes of recordings being played back on boomboxes in the studio before being competed. If memory serves the Chilli Peppers were used as an example. I've always found that RVG CDs sounded pretty good on the car CD player but sounded flat and bright on the hi fi. In fact, the better my system has gotten, the worse they've sounded.
 
There are a few good Japanese market CD series too, e.g. the ones with ‘BN Works 1500 Series’ and ‘BN 4001 Series” on the obi. I like these, they kind of ‘fatten up’ just a little from the McMasters, but don’t destroy the soundstage and add obvious compression artefacts the way the RVG Edition range so often do (assuming a good replay system!). I compared Somethin’ Else between the BN Works, McMaster and RVG Edition and would rate them as the BN Works just edging ahead on my system (I used the Leak/149s IIRC), and both killing the RVG Edition to a quite laughable extent. The earlier Japanese series mostly seem to be lovely Japanese pressings of the McMaster masterings. I have some of these, plus the BN Works and a good number of McMasters. Everything else is in vinyl.

PS I’m pretty certain the McMaster CDs are the same mastering sessions as the mid-1980s Pathe Marconi DMM vinyl, which has its haters but I’ve never been offended by in the slightest. You’ll find a lot in my collection.
 
This arrived yesterday. No obvious clicks but some bits have some light pressing noise. Some instruments don’t sound right on some tracks, but overall ‘not bad, not exceptional.’
I don’t know this album, so I will play it a few times, but I am already interested in trying to find better. The muted trumpet and brushes on the drums sound okay. Piano sounds like it is covered with a sheet... or in the next room.

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Cannonball Adderley ‎– Somethin' Else
Label:
Blue Note ‎– 0746555, Blue Note ‎– BST 1595
Series:
Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180g
Country:

Released:
12 Feb 2021
Genre:
Jazz
Style:
Hard Bop
 
Something Else was the first Blue Note officially released stereo but it was recorded in 1958 for mono release. It was not released in stereo until a year later. If you want better, get a good mono (expensive), but unfortunately it won't fully cure the piano, because as Tony said this is how he liked them or perhaps how he didn't like pianists. The bit better ones for piano only seem to be when the pianist is the featured leader. ;)
 
Something Else was the first Blue Note officially released stereo but it was recorded in 1958 for mono release. It was not released in stereo until a year later. If you want better, get a good mono (expensive), but unfortunately it won't fully cure the piano, because as Tony said this is how he liked them or perhaps how he didn't like pianists. The bit better ones for piano only seem to be when the pianist is the featured leader. ;)

Yes, I have heard this muffled or background piano a few times now, on different albums.

I will get a c.d. version and try that as well. Still getting used to the album. I quite like it.
 
Yes, I have heard this muffled or background piano a few times now, on different albums.

I will get a c.d. version and try that as well. Still getting used to the album. I quite like it.
To be honest although I have not heard as as I have a good earlier copy this Stereo BN Classic is probably the best you are going to get at anywhere near this price. These the previous BN80's are generally excellent. As we noted the piano is the weakest point of nearly all Van Gelder recordings.
 
The Real McCoy turned up at last from Amazon - ordered months ago - and I’m finding the recording to be one of the better balanced, for my setup.
 
Same here - in fact 5 records I had on pre-order since March arrived within a few days prompting some questioning looks from the family!

The Real McCoy is another one where the RVH edition did the recording few favours. Its good to hear it with better sound quality.
 


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