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Vinyl - toes back in the water - advice on what to buy?

B

BrendanD

pfm Member
Hi,
I was an early convert to CD in 1988 (I'm 54) and sold my 70s vinyl collection to fund CDs (and now stream everything). I have a few that I bought a bit later as they were '£1 each' and I couldn't justify buying the CD!
Anyway I have a Devialet 250, and finally gave in to my wife's wishes to get a Rega P3 - she still has her vinyl and wanted to get the new Nick Cave on Vinyl rather than a download.... (technology she hates)
So - it sounds great I must say. 'Different' to a high res download but no less enjoyable. Thought I might pick up a few of my previous classic albums again - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Clash, Stiff Little Fingers. Bloody Hell....... the prices on some of these in 70s pressing good condition.
What's the deal? How can The White Album be worth £400, and Animals £100? Is there a trick to getting some nice vinyl without getting scalped?
I would want to have a few classic albums to enjoy playing 'slowly' rather than just streaming. Don't see the point of a 'digitally remastered' on vinyl...
 
Original issues of those bands you mention are getting highly collectable.

For Zep, I'd start with the 2014 reissues which for the most are very good indeed. The Beatles vinyl box set is also good value.

Pink Floyd have also done recent reissues though I have not heard them yet.

For the most part you won't beat a first press but then the Rega 3 whilst excellent at it's level is not the last word on vinyl replay, so the new presses may be best.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXHBMLS/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0041KVW2K/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
BrendanD said:
...Don't see the point of a 'digitally remastered' on vinyl...
Click to expand...

Well, it's all rather tricky!

After many, many, threads on the subject I believe most (but by no means all) here agree that the digital/analogue argument boils down to mastering more than format.

I have just opportunistically put my (beautifully mastered) 2014 Zep vinyl in the classifieds…
 
I agree, it IS all down to the mastering + the slightly different 'non-linear' presentation of vinyl. I have all the PF and LZ re-masters and I agree they are way better than the earlier digital ones - which were barely listenable. I suppose the point is, if I get an additional vinyl copy, it should be the original release mastering for vinyl.
 
Skeleton Tree, the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album, is truly excellent although not an easy listen but you need to be wary of buying the vinyl just now as there have been numerous reports of poor pressing quality and split inner sleeves. Mine has been returned and I won't be buying again until it's re-pressed.

You can see some of the problems in the comments at the bottom of the Discogs page:

https://www.discogs.com/Nick-Cave-The-Bad-Seeds-Skeleton-Tree/release/8989572
 
Thanks for the heads up on Skeleton Tree. It was sold out and awaiting more at the distributor when I went to Rough Trade East (Spitalfields) yesterday. Perhaps they will sort the issue.
 
BrendanD said:
Thought I might pick up a few of my previous classic albums again - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Clash, Stiff Little Fingers. Bloody Hell....... the prices on some of these in 70s pressing good condition. What's the deal?
Click to expand...

It's the same deal with anything that they don't/can't make any more. Limited supply can't meet demand and price goes up.

Even using the LZ1 master tape that came out of Olympic studios in 1969, and feeding it directly (no digital jiggery-pokery) to the cutting lathe, I doubt very much you would better the original, as the tape simply will not be in as good a condition as when it left the studio that year.

This is why the early Zep vinyl is in demand. It will not have decayed as much as the master tape.

We could well find that vinyl is the format to outlast them all, even the original master tape.
 
Julf said:
Pretty much everything on vinyl has passed through a digital chain (due to how modern record cutting lathes work).
Click to expand...

When was this introduced, though? 1980? 1983 or thereabouts?

So everything prior to this will not have gone through a digital chain?
 
formbypc said:
When was this introduced, though? 1980? 1983 or thereabouts?

So everything prior to this will not have gone through a digital chain?
Click to expand...

Yes, stuff pressed before the early 80's is probably "digital free", but anything that has been cut after that has probably passed through the digital chain.
 
Platte sind wie Würste, man sollte besser nicht dabei sein, wenn sie gemacht werden
 
Prices tend to drop rapidly between first, second and third pressings. I tend to go for the earliest reasonably priced pressings as they come up on eBay. Having been told tales about how the big record companies handle modern reissues I only go down that route as a last resort, unless something is vouched for widely on the forums.
 
To clarify:
I've nothing against digital in the chain. The Devialet after all does its phono stage in the digital domain. Its not seeing a point in getting recordings remastered for digital but cut on Vinyl when I already have them as downloads.
Lots of good advice on pressings etc here. Thanks.
I'm not 'collecting' so no point paying way over the odds.
 
You may not want to hear this but if I were in your shoes I wouldn't bother with looking for vinyl versions. I'd just focus on enjoying the CDs given the ridiculous prices being asked for records.

Funny, 15 years ago I would have suggested the opposite since used vinyl was so cheap and plentiful.
 
Personally, I'd spend the time to visit some good second-hand record stores, getting the chance to thumb through records & start to build a decent collection for not much money.

...buying new vinyl is riskier IMO, lots of digitally remastered stuff appearing on vinyl, warping, poor pressing quality etc.

I'd much rather spend half an hour in Grey 'n Pink records in Chester for example, spend £25 & come out with at least 3x excellent condition albums.
 
But you do not know they are excellent until you play them. Scratch, click, bump cannot be visually detected. Don't forget the RCM

And if you don't have the amazing record store of Yoman near you you are stuffed. Dream shattered
 
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