Definitive Audiophile pressings

Joe Mac said:
The newest rhino remasters are the best I have heard the smiths sound. Johnny Marr went through them all and remastered them at the turn of the last decade and did a great job. Anything 2012 onwards. They’re usually in print and cheap. This is the one I have, i am pretty sure it’s never gone out of print and is still the same one on sale.

I’m 99.9% sure the 2017 box set uses the same mastering.

www.discogs.com

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2012 Vinyl release of "The Queen Is Dead" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com
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Excellent. $34 shipped. Thank you!
 
Alright I caved and got the Waltz for Debby new Kevin Gray OJC (plus the Mal/2 and the Cannonball Adderley in Chicago AS Series).
I wasn't gonna get it because I have the 1980s Waltz for Debby OJC which is fantastic.....and I know that some 80s OJCs that are just as good or better than the Kevin Gray AP Prestige Series reissues (Soultrane, Relaxin, Cookin in particular).

The new Kevin Gray one is better. I'm gonna have to sell my excellent 80s WFD now. Thanks FOMO.
 
keylime_5 said:
Alright I caved and got the Waltz for Debby new Kevin Gray OJC (plus the Mal/2 and the Cannonball Adderley in Chicago AS Series).
I wasn't gonna get it because I have the 1980s Waltz for Debby OJC which is fantastic.....and I know that some 80s OJCs that are just as good or better than the Kevin Gray AP Prestige Series reissues (Soultrane, Relaxin, Cookin in particular).

The new Kevin Gray one is better. I'm gonna have to sell my excellent 80s WFD now. Thanks FOMO.
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I caved at my local yesterday too with the OJC’s - Workin, Mal, and Waltz (and Cannonball AS! 🫣)
 
A little confused 🤔
Not familiar with this one

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His Band And The Street Choir (Rhino High Fidelity)

Cut From The Original Analog Master Tapes By Kevin Gray Pressed On 180-Gram Heavyweight Vinyl At Optimal Heavyweight Glossy Gatefold Jacket Features A Lyric Sheet And An Interview With The Album's Engineer Elliot Scheiner Limited & Numbered To 5,000ABOUT RHINO HIGH FIDELITYRhino is synonymous...
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Jbraswell said:
A little confused 🤔
Not familiar with this one

store.warnermusic.ca

His Band And The Street Choir (Rhino High Fidelity)

Cut From The Original Analog Master Tapes By Kevin Gray Pressed On 180-Gram Heavyweight Vinyl At Optimal Heavyweight Glossy Gatefold Jacket Features A Lyric Sheet And An Interview With The Album's Engineer Elliot Scheiner Limited & Numbered To 5,000ABOUT RHINO HIGH FIDELITYRhino is synonymous...
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Van Morrison. Interesting.
 
JonnyH said:
Van Morrison. Interesting.
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That was one of the ones Rhino already did a nice press off with a big Kev master. I have it and it cost me €16.99 new. It’d have been nice to look past the 3 or 4 albums they did then. I was hoping for Into the Music if they did Van. That said his catelogue was largely sold off so maybe they don’t have the rights to that one anymore.

But, all that said. it’s a really great album and I’m really tempted!
 
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Jbraswell said:
A little confused 🤔
Not familiar with this one

store.warnermusic.ca

His Band And The Street Choir (Rhino High Fidelity)

Cut From The Original Analog Master Tapes By Kevin Gray Pressed On 180-Gram Heavyweight Vinyl At Optimal Heavyweight Glossy Gatefold Jacket Features A Lyric Sheet And An Interview With The Album's Engineer Elliot Scheiner Limited & Numbered To 5,000ABOUT RHINO HIGH FIDELITYRhino is synonymous...
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Wow. Cool direction.
 
Joe Mac said:
That was one of the ones Rhino already did a nice press off with a big Kev master. I have it and it cost me €16.99 new. It’d have been nice to look past the 3 or 4 albums they did then. I was hoping for Into the Music if they did Van. That said his catelogue was largely sold off so maybe they don’t have the rights to that one anymore.

But, all that said. it’s a really great album and I’m really tempted!
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Yea I've got the KPG RE from a couple years back too (2015, I believe). Real nice. Are these Rhino HF nice? They seem to make it a selling point in the description that it's pressed by Optimal. That...can be good. It can also be bad.
 
I'm Just Diaper Baby said:
Yea I've got the KPG RE from a couple years back too (2015, I believe). Real nice. Are these Rhino HF nice? They seem to make it a selling point in the description that it's pressed by Optimal. That...can be good. It can also be bad.
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The Cars was very good. The big Kev master is really meaty.

Yeah I have the same one, I think it was originally released in 2008 (with Astral Weeks and Moondance) and repressed in 2015.

Other than the dip during the pandemic I’ve mostly found optimal to be really good at pressing. They seem to have got back into their groove again the last year. The in house mastering on some of the older euro rhinos that they did in house for was a definite turn off though.
 
Joe Mac said:
The Cars was very good. The big Kev master is really meaty.

Yeah I have the same one, I think it was originally released in 2008 (with Astral Weeks and Moondance) and repressed in 2015.

Other than the dip during the pandemic I’ve mostly found optimal to be really good at pressing. They seem to have got back into their groove again the last year. The mastering on the older euro rhinos that they did in house for was a definite turn off though.
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Oh yes, I couldn't remember what else had come out in the Rhino HF series. I remember y'all talking about how good it was (I have that album on SACD and that's enough for me).

I guess I haven't thought about it in a while, but you're right - I can't think of a recent release by Optimal that suffered from big defects. TBF, my vinyl consumption has slowed considerably overall so my sample size has shrunk.
 
Jbraswell said:
A little confused 🤔
Not familiar with this one

store.warnermusic.ca

His Band And The Street Choir (Rhino High Fidelity)

Cut From The Original Analog Master Tapes By Kevin Gray Pressed On 180-Gram Heavyweight Vinyl At Optimal Heavyweight Glossy Gatefold Jacket Features A Lyric Sheet And An Interview With The Album's Engineer Elliot Scheiner Limited & Numbered To 5,000ABOUT RHINO HIGH FIDELITYRhino is synonymous...
store.warnermusic.ca store.warnermusic.ca
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If you like Van, you will like it. I have the last remaster like @Joe Mac , I have no desire to upgrade. I'm sure it's better. I really don't care.
 
I'm Just Diaper Baby said:
Yea I've got the KPG RE from a couple years back too (2015, I believe). Real nice. Are these Rhino HF nice? They seem to make it a selling point in the description that it's pressed by Optimal. That...can be good. It can also be bad.
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Cars is great. Everyone says it is the reference. Coltrane is good. So you know we don't really know yet. Optimal definitely did not screw up either.
 
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