Vinyl Me Please Classics

TenderLovingKiller® said:
Probably not. Their Current ROTM subs usually go in and out of being available until the next month is announced. The only way this one would be out of stock (as it did not seem like a supremely inspired selection) would be if they purchased less stock than normal. My guess though would be it will be back in stock shortly just have to keep a look out.
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I should of known that. For some reason I was thinking it was 2 months ago.
 
[RANT] Is it just me or are the 2020 classics extremely uninspired? I appreciate Otis and Aretha - those mono records sound as great as they ever will - but I haven't returned to them much since I got them. McCoy Tyner is, what, the 4th eastern-influenced jazz record we get? This is already a type of jazz I'm not fond of. Patrice Rushen is average. I can't listen to Errol Garner because the grunts are so distracting. Besides that, we have second-rate selections with Hancock, Albert King and the Bar-Kays. So many other Hancock or King records would have been better. Both are "meh". Especially the Albert King - so disappointing to get a so-so cover record. The Bar-Kays may end-up being the record I return to the most among all these. With the price hike, the next selection will have to be amazing because I'm finally going to break my classics chain. Where is the inspiration of the first year or the absolute fire of Al Green, Muddy Waters and Art Blakey? [/RANT]
 
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Turbo said:
[RANT] Is it just me or are the 2020 classics extremely uninspired? I appreciate Otis and Aretha - those mono records sound as great as they ever will - but I haven't returned to them much since I got them. McCoy Tyner is, what, the 4th eastern-influenced jazz record we get? This is already a type of jazz I'm not fond of. Patrice Rushen is average. I can't listen to Errol Garner because the grunts are so distracting. Besides that, we have second-rate selections with Hancock, Albert King and the Bar-Kays. So many other Handcock or King records would have been better. Both are "meh". Especially the Albert King - so disappointing to get a so-so cover record. The Bar-Kays may end-up being the record I return to the most among all these. With the price hike, the next selection will have to be amazing because I'm finally going to break my classics chain. Where is the inspiration of the first year or the absolute fire of Al Green, Muddy Waters and Art Blakey? [/RANT]
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I agree and it's the main reason why I'm stopping my sub, the new pricing just made the decision easier.
It also sounds like this month's pick is also along the same lines, something I have no interest in.
It's such a shame because Classics was awesome for a long time, now it's just okay at best.
 
Turbo said:
[RANT] Is it just me or are the 2020 classics extremely uninspired? I appreciate Otis and Aretha - those mono records sound as great as they ever will - but I haven't returned to them much since I got them. McCoy Tyner is, what, the 4th eastern-influenced jazz record we get? This is already a type of jazz I'm not fond of. Patrice Rushen is average. I can't listen to Errol Garner because the grunts are so distracting. Besides that, we have second-rate selections with Hancock, Albert King and the Bar-Kays. So many other Handcock or King records would have been better. Both are "meh". Especially the Albert King - so disappointing to get a so-so cover record. The Bar-Kays may end-up being the record I return to the most among all these. With the price hike, the next selection will have to be amazing because I'm finally going to break my classics chain. Where is the inspiration of the first year or the absolute fire of Al Green, Muddy Waters and Art Blakey? [/RANT]
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Not just you...Otis and Aretha were great. Everything else has been meh for me. Tyner was at least an interesting choice IMO but I understand that it's not everybody's cup of tea. I've dipped in and out this year (mostly just joined on those 3 for 2 deals) and haven't really regretted not picking up any of the classics I missed.
 
MikeH said:
Not just you...Otis and Aretha were great. Everything else has been meh for me. Tyner was at least an interesting choice IMO but I understand that it's not everybody's cup of tea. I've dipped in and out this year (mostly just joined on those 3 for 2 deals) and haven't really regretted not picking up any of the classics I missed.
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Agreed. Otis/Aretha were fantastic choices. I enjoyed the Tyner. Garner was fine (would have been between 10th and 12th best record for the past few years, but not a horrible choice) and Hancock was a weird choice, but not horrible. Everything else was completely sub-par whether for the bizarre choices or just not being a Classics-quality record.
 
wmeugene said:
Agreed. Otis/Aretha were fantastic choices. I enjoyed the Tyner. Garner was fine (would have been between 10th and 12th best record for the past few years, but not a horrible choice) and Hancock was a weird choice, but not horrible. Everything else was completely sub-par whether for the bizarre choices or just not being a Classics-quality record.
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I really enjoy Garner. Listened to it a few times now and it always cheers me up some.
 
Turbo said:
[RANT] Is it just me or are the 2020 classics extremely uninspired? I appreciate Otis and Aretha - those mono records sound as great as they ever will - but I haven't returned to them much since I got them. McCoy Tyner is, what, the 4th eastern-influenced jazz record we get? This is already a type of jazz I'm not fond of. Patrice Rushen is average. I can't listen to Errol Garner because the grunts are so distracting. Besides that, we have second-rate selections with Hancock, Albert King and the Bar-Kays. So many other Handcock or King records would have been better. Both are "meh". Especially the Albert King - so disappointing to get a so-so cover record. The Bar-Kays may end-up being the record I return to the most among all these. With the price hike, the next selection will have to be amazing because I'm finally going to break my classics chain. Where is the inspiration of the first year or the absolute fire of Al Green, Muddy Waters and Art Blakey? [/RANT]
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My issue with it is that for the most part (basically all the non-jazz titles) the musicians they feature are new to me. So when they select a sub-standard or basic album from their discography it leaves me with a less than an enthusiastic impression of that artist, when in reality I would be more excited hearing their more acclaimed albums and actually would be left with a more realistic understanding of their music.
 
Selaws said:
My issue with it is that for the most part (basically all the non-jazz titles) the musicians they feature are new to me. So when they select a sub-standard or basic album from their discography it leaves me with a less than an enthusiastic impression of that artist, when in reality I would be more excited hearing their more acclaimed albums and actually would be left with a more realistic understanding of their music.
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Yep, I mean the Bar-Kays are awesome but why choose an album of outtakes as the pick?
There are albums that have been a bit of a stretch in some ways, Freedom Rider in a sense is one but the music is solid and it still works as a great intro to Art Blakey.
Even Albert King is passable because the album can work as an introduction to the artist but Money Talks... nope, that's just doesn't pass the sniff test.
I've used Money Talks as the example only because it's the most extreme. The same can be said for most of the picks from 2020
 
CCKrone said:
Yep, I mean the Bar-Kays are awesome but why choose an album of outtakes as the pick?
There are albums that have been a bit of a stretch in some ways, Freedom Rider in a sense is one but the music is solid and it still works as a great intro to Art Blakey.
Even Albert King is passable because the album can work as an introduction to the artist but Money Talks... nope, that's just doesn't pass the sniff test.
I've used Money Talks as the example only because it's the most extreme. The same can be said for most of the picks from 2020
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Money Talks and the Albert King were both 3rd tier choices from artists that had better to offer (certainly for King)
 
Here's how it works in the reissue licensing world.

You call up your label rep. You have a list of titles you want to reissue. You read them to the rep and he\she punches them into the label database and says ' no, that one isn't available' or ' yup, you can have that one and this is the cost\ terms.' If you punch up ' Live Wire\ Blues Power ' it may very well come up as unavailable, due to the label having identified it as a candidate for reissue themselves. It may come up as available, but no master tapes - so you have to decide if you want to reissue it from digital, and take the flack for that.

if you call up Universal with a list of Impulse or Verve titles, you will get mostly 'no' as you go through your list. You might get lucky and hit a few that are available, and even say there is tape available. Great - you agree to license it, and find out when the tape is delivered to the mastering studio that it is a copy of the third generation Yugoslavian cutting master - and you cancel the project and eat the costs incurred so far.

That is how you end up with Money Talks.
 
RHANDMJ said:
Here's how it works in the reissue licensing world.

You call up your label rep. You have a list of titles you want to reissue. You read them to the rep and he\she punches them into the label database and says ' no, that one isn't available' or ' yup, you can have that one and this is the cost\ terms.' If you punch up ' Live Wire\ Blues Power ' it may very well come up as unavailable, due to the label having identified it as a candidate for reissue themselves. It may come up as available, but no master tapes - so you have to decide if you want to reissue it from digital, and take the flack for that.

if you call up Universal with a list of Impulse or Verve titles, you will get mostly 'no' as you go through your list. You might get lucky and hit a few that are available, and even say there is tape available. Great - you agree to license it, and find out when the tape is delivered to the mastering studio that it is a copy of the third generation Yugoslavian cutting master - and you cancel the project and eat the costs incurred so far.

That is how you end up with Money Talks.
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Doesn't change the fact that they aren't good choices.
 
RHANDMJ said:
Here's how it works in the reissue licensing world.

You call up your label rep. You have a list of titles you want to reissue. You read them to the rep and he\she punches them into the label database and says ' no, that one isn't available' or ' yup, you can have that one and this is the cost\ terms.' If you punch up ' Live Wire\ Blues Power ' it may very well come up as unavailable, due to the label having identified it as a candidate for reissue themselves. It may come up as available, but no master tapes - so you have to decide if you want to reissue it from digital, and take the flack for that.

if you call up Universal with a list of Impulse or Verve titles, you will get mostly 'no' as you go through your list. You might get lucky and hit a few that are available, and even say there is tape available. Great - you agree to license it, and find out when the tape is delivered to the mastering studio that it is a copy of the third generation Yugoslavian cutting master - and you cancel the project and eat the costs incurred so far.

That is how you end up with Money Talks.
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Thanks for your insight. This makes me feel so much better about paying $43 for a dollar bin album.
 
agutierrezb said:
Thanks for your insight. This makes me feel so much better about paying $43 for a dollar bin album.
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Thanks for your contribution.

Money Talks I took a pass on, because I am not stupid enough to pay $43 for a dollar bin album, and I did want BVSC so I simply swapped. It is a subscription service so not every title will be a winner for everyone. People can, however, curate for themselves at any of the online vinyl stores. When you subscribe, you accept that there will sometimes be records not to your taste. If that is the case frequently drop out.
 
Otis, Aretha, Albert King, McCoy Tyner, and Erroll Garner were all on par IMO with the quality I expect from Classics. True they could've picked a better Herbie title, but Mr. Hands is still excellent. They could've done better than Patrice Rushen and Money Talks though. They better have some top titles up their sleeve for the price hike, but I have a feeling the rumors about them trying to cut demand are true.
 
I have a feeling that Money Talks wouldn't be nearly as hated here if people weren't so stuck on the stigma of it being outtakes. It slaps harder than the Isley Brothers album and sounds better than most of the classics or essentials. Its certainly more interesting than an album of lazy Elvis covers.
 
RobbieBobby said:
I have a feeling that Money Talks wouldn't be nearly as hated here if people weren't so stuck on the stigma of it being outtakes. It slaps harder than the Isley Brothers album and sounds better than most of the classics or essentials. Its certainly more interesting than an album of lazy Elvis covers.
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Oh RobbieBobby, no... just no.
This isn't a competition on which Classics release is the worst.
I gave Money Talks as many playthroughs as I could handle (about 2.5) and realized that it wasn't an album I liked.
I don't care that it's an album of outtakes other than the chances of an album of outtakes being a key release for an artist is incredibly slim.
I don't think I would ever call Albert King's music lazy. He also changes the music to fit his style and not play them just like Elvis did.
I'm glad you like Money Talks. It's just not for me.
I'm happy to hear it sounds fantastic. I just don't like the music and I don't like the album. It's not worth what VMP is selling it for.
That's my opinion but I wouldn't call the music lazy (or stupid as was suggested by another person earlier)
 
RobbieBobby said:
I have a feeling that Money Talks wouldn't be nearly as hated here if people weren't so stuck on the stigma of it being outtakes. It slaps harder than the Isley Brothers album and sounds better than most of the classics or essentials. Its certainly more interesting than an album of lazy Elvis covers.
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I just found it boring outside of the title track. Maybe would have been a little better with the 12" version of that track. Not sure. Does it make you feel better that I passed on all three? :p

Edit: oops I meant the ghost one
 
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