Colonel4Bin
Well-Known Member
Discipline and Larks' Tongues in Aspic are my two favorites. Three of a Perfect Pair is pretty good too. Could never really get into Red.
Definitive Audiophile pressings
- Thread starter Mrjay07
- Start date
wmeugene
Well-Known Member
Their most recent reissues sound great. The KC folks take their audio seriously. If you're looking for a way in, In The Court of the Crimson King is definitely the place to start.
Colonel4Bin
Well-Known Member
My second Record City shipment came in the other day. Just got through all of them this morning and they sound excellent. Extremely happy with these. They were all graded appropriately as well. Also had to picking the Japanese issue of Phish’s “Farmhouse,” which has two excellent tracks that were never released elsewhere (“Driver” and “Mountains in the Mist”).
This will likely not be my last RC order.
This will likely not be my last RC order.
Yes. All the reissues currently on the market are digital, but the recent 200g pressings of original mixes sound great, as do the Wilson remixes.
But - they do miss something that analog has. Search out original Uk or European Polydor pressings for the first 4, which are far cheaper and easier to find than Island pink rims, and use the Island stampers - they sound superb.
Poly-Rythmo
Well-Known Member
Attention European RecordCity buyers - I got stung this delivery by a customs charge, and on querying it with them they said it was due to the VAT change/Discogs policy. (I then replied that this doesn't apply to Norway as it has its own customs rules - but that's a different discussion). In any case, RecordCity said they're currently no longer declaring a v low value and that actually some customers had been asking for the true value to be used to avoid VAT problems. But I can commend their customer service otherwise - I complained that an EX Led Zeppelin I played with a lot of crackles and they said they would send me a new EX copy...
Russ I
Well-Known Member
Wow. That last part….Wow.
Portland Sheriff
Well-Known Member
Perhaps my avatar gives it away, but KC is a top 3 band for me. You’ve had plenty of suggestions already, and it’s either an embarrassment of riches or a minefield bc the band’s playing style and personnel changed so much throughout the years. If you like ITCOTCK, you might hate the Discipline era material (and vice versa). And that’s true for several other eras.
Bc this is the Def. Audiophile thread, I’m reluctant to suggest live KC, but, really, for my money, live material is really where the magic shines w/ improvisation and raw power, especially in the Larks 72-74 era. But, if you’re looking for studio sound quality, the Wilson remix of Larks is killer, and any of the Discipline-era KC will sound great, but especially the remixed versions. If you like improv, Thrackattack from 90s is excellent both performance and production. I like ITCOTCK a lot, but the original production is such that, to my ears, it’ll never sound close to audiophile.
Fwiw, musically, my fav eras are 72-74 (Larks (my avatar!); Starless & BB; and Red) and 81-84 (Disc; Beat; ToaPP). There are two significant reasons for this: I’m incredibly partial to Bill Bruford in any band (he left Yes in 72 after recording CttE to record Larks w KC) and the absolute bombing bass power of John Wetton during the Larks era, which you really can hear that on the live material. There’s a ton, but The Great Deceiver box was a revelation when it was released, and there’s much more. The song “Fracture” on S&BB is also live, although i think they may have been some overdubs for the album. For Discipline-era, Absent Lovers (Montreal) and Live @ Frejus are my tops.
Sorry for long reply.
Portland Sheriff
Well-Known Member
One more thing — if you can deal w/ digital, the best sounding KC are actually the 5.1 DVD-A remixes. I have Larks and Discipline in this format, and the mixes of both are unbelievable.
Mather
Unknown Member
Spinning the 45 of Tiger Mountain right now. I have no point of reference but it's pretty dang good. Lots of staging, you can hear him moving around off mic. It might be a little bright? But again, I have never heard any other version. And also I haven't room corrected the new speakers yet so everything is still a little wonky...
Academy
Active Member
Record City order arrived Wednesday. Finally got around to opening everything and inspecting condition. Almost everything is super clean and in excellent condition. A couple are closer to VG+.
Haven’t had a chance to listen yet, but if you’re curious on any, I’ll report back.
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Rio (1982 Japan EMI) vs. Rio (2014 Parlophone Limited edition with US mixes on LP2)
So I thought I'd do the exercise of doing an A/B comparison between the two version of Rio I now own. This is one of my all-time favorite records.
Rio was released in multiple different versions, having notably been remixed for the North American release. The North American versions are quite similar to the original UK's overall but have certain subtleties. In essence the entirety of side 1 contains different mixes on the NA release (the Kershenbaum mixes). The US mixes are preferred by many because they tend to be punchier, longer and notably include a whole extra verse for Hold Back The Rain. There is a good rundown of the different versions and how they differ at the end of this page: Duran Duran - Rio . Personally I think both are good. I played the US mixes to death growing up and when I later discovered the UK mixes, it was like listening to the album anew. The UK has been my go-to for the last 20 years or so.
The Japanese release contains the original UK mixes so it can be fairly compared to LP1 of the 2014 Parlophone.
Some photos.
I did the comparisons by listening on my headphones.
Overall impressions: I actually took song-by-song notes, but several points are relevant throughout. The Japanese issue has an adequate, tight bass, clear vocals and smooth highs. The highs are more prominent on the 2014 but you can tell this comes from digital because they have a harshness to them in comparison. This is the biggest negative of the 2014. Also, the vocals are a little more veiled and while the bass has presence, it fells looser and slightly distorted. The synths on the 2014 also appear more forward, giving an impression of wider soundstage, but this is not always preferable. It works for well for 2014 Rio and Hold Back The Rain but I overall prefer the presentation of the Japanese issue on all the tracks as keeping the synths further in the mix gives the other instruments more space. Hungry Like the Wolf is punchy on the 2014 but again, the spacious soundstage gives the edge to the Japanese release. The guitars are also crisper on several of the Japanese release tracks, particularly evident in the opening of New Religion. Finally, being mellower tracks, the Japanese release versions of Save A Prayer and The Chauffeur are to me the biggest beneficiaries of the clearer vocals and airy synths in the comparison.
Bottom line, the Japanese issue is a great way to get a pressing of this with the UK versions of the tracks. It's unquestionably superior to the recent reissue. If you're looking for the K-mixes, well look for a clean US or Canadian issue. That said, the 2014 is just fine if that's what you can find. Clean North American issues may not be easy to find so while the remaster is not ideal, it's acceptable, the records are decently quiet and it gives you both the UK and US mixes.
Edit: corrected some mistakes, clean-up the flow of text and added a few extra observations from my notes.
So I thought I'd do the exercise of doing an A/B comparison between the two version of Rio I now own. This is one of my all-time favorite records.
Rio was released in multiple different versions, having notably been remixed for the North American release. The North American versions are quite similar to the original UK's overall but have certain subtleties. In essence the entirety of side 1 contains different mixes on the NA release (the Kershenbaum mixes). The US mixes are preferred by many because they tend to be punchier, longer and notably include a whole extra verse for Hold Back The Rain. There is a good rundown of the different versions and how they differ at the end of this page: Duran Duran - Rio . Personally I think both are good. I played the US mixes to death growing up and when I later discovered the UK mixes, it was like listening to the album anew. The UK has been my go-to for the last 20 years or so.
The Japanese release contains the original UK mixes so it can be fairly compared to LP1 of the 2014 Parlophone.
Some photos.
I did the comparisons by listening on my headphones.
Overall impressions: I actually took song-by-song notes, but several points are relevant throughout. The Japanese issue has an adequate, tight bass, clear vocals and smooth highs. The highs are more prominent on the 2014 but you can tell this comes from digital because they have a harshness to them in comparison. This is the biggest negative of the 2014. Also, the vocals are a little more veiled and while the bass has presence, it fells looser and slightly distorted. The synths on the 2014 also appear more forward, giving an impression of wider soundstage, but this is not always preferable. It works for well for 2014 Rio and Hold Back The Rain but I overall prefer the presentation of the Japanese issue on all the tracks as keeping the synths further in the mix gives the other instruments more space. Hungry Like the Wolf is punchy on the 2014 but again, the spacious soundstage gives the edge to the Japanese release. The guitars are also crisper on several of the Japanese release tracks, particularly evident in the opening of New Religion. Finally, being mellower tracks, the Japanese release versions of Save A Prayer and The Chauffeur are to me the biggest beneficiaries of the clearer vocals and airy synths in the comparison.
Bottom line, the Japanese issue is a great way to get a pressing of this with the UK versions of the tracks. It's unquestionably superior to the recent reissue. If you're looking for the K-mixes, well look for a clean US or Canadian issue. That said, the 2014 is just fine if that's what you can find. Clean North American issues may not be easy to find so while the remaster is not ideal, it's acceptable, the records are decently quiet and it gives you both the UK and US mixes.
Edit: corrected some mistakes, clean-up the flow of text and added a few extra observations from my notes.
Last edited:
Oldwhitelincoln11
Well-Known Member
Which version of The Dead Europe 72 is better? Olive artisan or Grundman remaster?
The CB remaster in the VMP Anthology is the best, but the standard Rhino CB is also good. Then again, a clean, cheap olive original isn’t bad, just may have a hard time finding a clean copy. Most heads of that age probably wore this one out… I know I would have.
Oldwhitelincoln11
Well-Known Member
I’ve got a line on the standard CB for just under 100 or an EX olive for 60….. check that the olive sold already. Damn.
wmeugene
Well-Known Member
The normal Rhino is a great sounding record. Almost all of the GD reissues are great, so no need to try to hard. Essentially MoFi>VMP>Rhino except for Live Dead, but any of the three are the way to go.
agutierrezb
Well-Known Member
Currently spinning this, and it is great! I have listened to this album a gazillion times, but this is the first time I've owned a vinyl copy, and boy does it deliver. I thought I knew pretty much every musical detail of this record - every horn line, rhythmic pattern or background vocals -, yet I'm picking up new things in this listen, especially on the bass, which is absolutely killer.Didn’t realize Craft is starting to press some more AAA Fania albums:
Willie Colon + Ruben Blades - Siembra (Emerald Green LP - Fania Exclusive) - Fania Records Store
Buy Willie Colon + Ruben Blades - Siembra (Emerald Green LP - Fania Exclusive) and and more at the Fania Records Storefania.com
Supposedly they will be issuing a bunch of other titles as well.
I don't know how much interest this album will stir around here, but if anyone is vaguely into salsa or Latin music in general, this is a must grab!
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Lush Life (Small Batch, One-Step Pressing)
John Coltrane’s iconic 1961 album, Lush Life is the first release in our Small Batch series — a carefully curated one-step process vinyl collection that is devoted to creating the highest quality reissues of legendary recordings from our vast catalog. This reissue features features all-analog...
craftrecordings.com
Coltrane One Step seems to be back in stock?
Sonicpharmacist
Well-Known Member
Well how about that. Grabbed one.Lush Life (Small Batch, One-Step Pressing)
John Coltrane’s iconic 1961 album, Lush Life is the first release in our Small Batch series — a carefully curated one-step process vinyl collection that is devoted to creating the highest quality reissues of legendary recordings from our vast catalog. This reissue features features all-analog...
Coltrane One Step seems to be back in stock?
MikeH
Well-Known Member
sold out again!