Definitive Audiophile pressings

[dhodo]

I am also in my 30s and I think every song on Electric Warrior slaps and is single-worthy haha. I also really love The Slider. Outside of those two, none are really must haves for me.

Same! Tanx is worth a grab for cheap given the opportunity and I like some of the earlier Tyrannosaurus stuff but not essential as you said.

 

[NathanRicaud]

haha. Just keep the KG cut! I'm sure it will be more than good enough especially if it's not a super important album to you. You don't NEED to get the best possible audiophile version of every album ever. You'll slowly drive yourself crazy (and become poor). The KG cut is nothing to scoff at. I said earlier, if I had the KG cut first, I would have skipped out on the MoFI because it's still fantastic.

Think of it this way: keeping the 33RPM KG cut means more room on your shelf for other albums!

@Joe Mac is on point as usual. Keep the KG cut and dig deeper into some of the other artists from that time period if you dig Glam rock. There are tons of awesome Bowie pressings for great value that you can probably get easier.

This is good advice! I do really like Electric Warrior as an album! I’ve listened to it a few times and it’s a very tasteful, modern album for its time and has a few extremely sexy cuts on there! I’m very excited to receive it and spin it! And would probably eventually love to own a MoFi pressing of it, if it is indeed notably better than the Kevin Gray 2017 pressing!

Also, as @Joe Mac said, I will dive deeper into the glam rock era! I have a bit of Bowie on vinyl, but only 5 albums of his. I briefly checked out New York Dolls a while ago and really liked them! I was going to actually buy their debut but was sort of waiting for an audiophile pressing to be released first!

 

[Joe Mac]

This is good advice! I do really like Electric Warrior as an album! I’ve listened to it a few times and it’s a very tasteful, modern album for its time and has a few extremely sexy cuts on there! I’m very excited to receive it and spin it! And would probably eventually love to own a MoFi pressing of it, if it is indeed notably better than the Kevin Gray 2017 pressing!

Also, as @Joe Mac said, I will dive deeper into the glam rock era! I have a bit of Bowie on vinyl, but only 5 albums of his. I briefly checked out New York Dolls a while ago and really liked them! I was going to actually buy their debut but was sort of waiting for an audiophile pressing to be released first!

There’s no need to get an audiophile pressing of New York Dolls, it’s raw and dirty and scuzzy in the most wonderful way possible. I just have some reissue from last year on pink vinyl and crank it right up loud, that’s how it’s supposed to be enjoyed!

But yeah Bowie is definitely worth digging into deeper, there’s so many veins from almost hippyish to glam to plastic soul to ambient to pop to electronic to jazz.

 

[NathanRicaud]

There’s no need to get an audiophile pressing of New York Dolls, it’s raw and dirty and scuzzy in the most wonderful way possible. I just have some reissue from last year on pink vinyl and crank it right up loud, that’s how it’s supposed to be enjoyed!

But yeah Bowie is definitely worth digging into deeper, there’s so many veins from almost hippyish to glam to plastic soul to ambient to pop to electronic to jazz.

Yeah, I was looking at that pink pressing around 2-3 months ago actually! It was only AUD$30 so I had a feeling it was going to be poor quality (as it’s so cheap) but to know that you have that pressing and blast means I will definitely grab myself that pressing in the future!

I definitely know what you mean by the recording/sound of the album being raw and dirty! You want those albums to still have that energy, and not be too corrected and clean like you’ve mentioned! A bit like The Stooges Raw Power; you need to have a faithful pressing! I actually really like playing that one loud!

I will definitely make an effort to dive deeper into Bowie’s catalogue. I only have his heavily acclaimed albums on vinyl, except Blackstar! I spun Let’s Dance earlier this week and loved it! Pressing I have sounded excellent too!

 

[Joe Mac]

Yeah, I was looking at that pink pressing around 2-3 months ago actually! It was only AUD$30 so I had a feeling it was going to be poor quality (as it’s so cheap) but to know that you have that pressing and blast means I will definitely grab myself that pressing in the future!

I definitely know what you mean by the recording/sound of the album being raw and dirty! You want those albums to still have that energy, and not be too corrected and clean like you’ve mentioned! A bit like The Stooges Raw Power; you need to have a faithful pressing! I actually really like playing that one loud!

I will definitely make an effort to dive deeper into Bowie’s catalogue. I only have his heavily acclaimed albums on vinyl, except Blackstar! I spun Let’s Dance earlier this week and loved it! Pressing I have sounded excellent too!

I think a good overview of Bowie and the real stone cold classics would be:

Hunky Dory
Ziggy Stardust
Station to Station (the most essential to my mind)
Low
Scary Monsters
Let’s Dance

After that I’d dig deeper into

Aladdin Sane
Diamond Dogs
Young Americans
“Heroes”
Some of the 90s electronic stuff
Heathen
Blackstar

Then go back and fill in the holes because none of it is bad! Usual mid 80s disclaimer applies...

 

[Turbo]

My 2014 Parlophone "The Bends" is already here. Skipped through several of the tracks and it sounds fantastic! High and Dry was just sublime. The pressing is very dynamic. Can't wait to play through this with the volume cranked up.

The vinyl itself is more like VG+ (rather than the NM- I was sold) because there's a small audible scribble scratch at the start of My Iron Lung. I spun-cleaned it but it could probably use something a bit stronger to eliminate all the dust. But still happy since there doesn't seem to be a lot of these available right now and I definitely cannot afford a 1994 Parlophone.

 

[NathanRicaud]

I think a good overview of Bowie and the real stone cold classics would be:

Hunky Dory
Ziggy Stardust
Station to Station (the most essential to my mind)
Low
Scary Monsters
Let’s Dance

After that I’d dig deeper into

Aladdin Sane
Diamond Dogs
Young Americans
“Heroes”
Some of the 90s electronic stuff
Heathen
Blackstar

Then go back and fill in the holes because none of it is bad! Usual mid 80s disclaimer applies...

Thank you so much for this response! I took a screenshot of this, so then I know which albums to dig into! I’ve heard all those six “highly acclaimed” albums and love them! I have them all except Scary Monsters. The only Bowie album I’ve heard from the next group is Blackstar. I like the album, but not as much compared to those other six!

Blackstar is an incredible track, but I don’t love the rest of the album as much as the title track. It’s just not as exciting for me.

 

[Joe Mac]

My 2014 Parlophone "The Bends" is already here. Skipped through several of the tracks and it sounds fantastic! High and Dry was just sublime. The pressing is very dynamic. Can't wait to play through this with the volume cranked up.

The vinyl itself is more like VG+ (rather than the NM- I was sold) because there's a small audible scribble scratch at the start of My Iron Lung. I spun-cleaned it but it could probably use something a bit stronger to eliminate all the dust. But still happy since there doesn't seem to be a lot of these available right now and I definitely cannot afford a 1994 Parlophone.

View attachment 85607

Awesome! Glad you’re enjoying it! I think exactly the same about it, I have to remember that I have neighbours and not just keep cranking it up and up and up

 

[Crabbers]

My 2014 Parlophone "The Bends" is already here. Skipped through several of the tracks and it sounds fantastic! High and Dry was just sublime. The pressing is very dynamic. Can't wait to play through this with the volume cranked up.

The vinyl itself is more like VG+ (rather than the NM- I was sold) because there's a small audible scribble scratch at the start of My Iron Lung. I spun-cleaned it but it could probably use something a bit stronger to eliminate all the dust. But still happy since there doesn't seem to be a lot of these available right now and I definitely cannot afford a 1994 Parlophone.

View attachment 85607

 

[Mather]

I think a good overview of Bowie and the real stone cold classics would be:

Hunky Dory
Ziggy Stardust
Station to Station (the most essential to my mind)
Low
Scary Monsters
Let’s Dance

After that I’d dig deeper into

Aladdin Sane
Diamond Dogs
Young Americans
“Heroes”
Some of the 90s electronic stuff
Heathen
Blackstar

Then go back and fill in the holes because none of it is bad! Usual mid 80s disclaimer applies...

Wasn't Lodger one of your favs?

 

[tvham]

Carnegie? Incredible. Worth every penny.

It's fantastic. I'm so glad it came back into stock/got a repress. Sound quality is really good and as you know, it's an amazing concert.

Annnnnnnd bought. Thanks?

 

[Joe Mac]

Wasn't Lodger one of your favs?

i like lodger, quite a lot, I like nearly all Bowie that isn’t from the mid 80s quite a lot. It is, however, the weakest of the Berlin trilogy and I didn’t want to just list every Bowie album out as one he had to listen to NOW!

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

i like lodger, quite a lot, I like nearly all Bowie that isn’t from the mid 80s quite a lot. It is, however, the weakest of the Berlin trilogy and I didn’t want to just list every Bowie album out as one he had to listen to NOW!

I prefer Lodger to Diamond Dogs but like you said, at a certain point you’re really just splitting hairs.

 

[Joe Mac]

I prefer Lodger to Diamond Dogs but like you said, at a certain point you’re really just splitting hairs.

Yeah I probably do too on personal preference but when recommending where others should delve as an introduction I feel guilty for not giving them Rebel Rebel in their lives.

 

[Russ I]

Yeah I probably do too on personal preference but when recommending where others should delve as an introduction I feel guilty for not giving them Rebel Rebel in their lives.

Somehow that leads me to wonder where you all stand on Lou Reed's discography. What are your faves/recommendations?

I'll throw out Rock N Roll Animal as a must-have.

 

[MikeH]

Somehow that leads me to wonder where you all stand on Lou Reed's discography. What are your faves/recommendations?

TRANSFORMER.

 

[Joe Mac]

Somehow that leads me to wonder where you all stand on Lou Reed's discography. What are your faves/recommendations?

Im not as big a Lou Reed fan yet so my knowledge isn’t extensive but it won’t surprise you to know that given the influence of Bowie and Ronson Transformer is a huge favourite of mine. Also the speakers corner press

I have and like Songs for Drella and The Blue Mask and Coney Island Baby is being delivered to me tomorrow.

 

[Joe Mac]

If you want to know about Lou Reed though the man you have to ask is @Yer Ol' Uncle D

 

[Russ I]

TRANSFORMER.

Im not as big a Lou Reed fan yet so my knowledge isn’t extensive but it won’t surprise you to know that given the influence of Bowie and Ronson Transformer is a huge favourite of mine. Also the speakers corner press

I have and like Songs for Drella and The Blue Mask and Coney Island Baby is being delivered to me tomorrow.

Ditto! The Speakers Corner Transformer is worth jumping on.

 

[NathanRicaud]

Im not as big a Lou Reed fan yet so my knowledge isn’t extensive but it won’t surprise you to know that given the influence of Bowie and Ronson Transformer is a huge favourite of mine. Also the speakers corner press

I have and like Songs for Drella and The Blue Mask and Coney Island Baby is being delivered to me tomorrow.

I love the Speakers Corner pressing for Transformer and love the album too! It’s favourite Speakers Corner pressing I have, along with Bill Withers’ Just As I Am and Earth Wind & Fire’s Spirit!