Vinyl Me Please Essentials

Skalap said:
One of my favorite AOTM, Experience Unlimited, was suggested by a forum member and it was before N&G. As for me they could hire @Yer Ol' Uncle D and I'd subscribe for 24 months.

What I was expecting with VMP at the beginning was this kind of curation. Fugees, Beck or Moby are good records but I don't need to be introduced to me. Give me Ayalew Mesfins and Experience Unlimiteds every month and I'll be happy with.
Click to expand...

Skalap said:
not the best selling records but I don't know what kind of deals they make with major labels. I always had the idea that in order to release a certain record they had to release others from the same artist/label. So at the end of the day, they may sit on many different releases from an artist/label while they sell out only one, the most popular,
Click to expand...
the problem is they are probably too big (and expensive) for this model of curating crate digger / obscure/ overlooked albums because you won´t make 20.000 people happy with an ayalew mesfin records. boards like this always tend to distort the view, because here you´ll find a vocal minority of people who like to discuiss and dig into music deeper. but i rememeber them saying in the old forum, that they got tons of complaint e-mails about the ayalew mesfin pick, because it´s not even sung in english. These kind of discovery records are better for smaller operations like Wax Buyers club ( and even he struggled in the end) , but vmp has to deliver something that 20.000 people want to pay 40$ for and that is getting harder and harder, because more labels are releasing all sorts of special vinyl records, rsd exclusives. interscope, partisan, blue note, verve etc. even started their own subscriptions. so not only does that make it harder for them to license really exclusive ( not colour variant) records it also competes for the vinyl budget of customers. as someone pointed ou above, that is whrer their future success inspired others to put out more vinyl and without them owning the rights to anything themselves it gets harder for them. So i understand that they want to get a little smaller in thir output again. we´ll see what that means for them in the future
 
Jan said:
the problem is they are probably too big (and expensive) for this model of curating crate digger / obscure/ overlooked albums because you won´t make 20.000 people happy with an ayalew mesfin records. boards like this always tend to distort the view, because here you´ll find a vocal minority of people who like to discuiss and dig into music deeper. but i rememeber them saying in the old forum, that they got tons of complaint e-mails about the ayalew mesfin pick, because it´s not even sung in english. These kind of discovery records are better for smaller operations like Wax Buyers club ( and even he struggled in the end) , but vmp has to deliver something that 20.000 people want to pay 40$ for and that is getting harder and harder, because more labels are releasing all sorts of special vinyl records, rsd exclusives. interscope, partisan, blue note, verve etc. even started their own subscriptions. so not only does that make it harder for them to license really exclusive ( not colour variant) records it also competes for the vinyl budget of customers. as someone pointed ou above, that is whrer their future success inspired others to put out more vinyl and without them owning the rights to anything themselves it gets harder for them. So i understand that they want to get a little smaller in thir output again. we´ll see what that means for them in the future
Click to expand...
actually that mesfin record is a unique situation in that it's a compilation that they (vmp) created that did not exist; it's not a reissue at all. they wanted to put out a 1LP of mesfin and he (and presumably whatever labels were involved) were game, so....
 
yukbon said:
actually that mesfin record is a unique situation in that it's a compilation that they (vmp) created that did not exist; it's not a reissue at all. they wanted to put out a 1LP of mesfin and he (and presumably whatever labels were involved) were game, so....
Click to expand...
Oh, right I remember that, but basically what I said above holds true .while it was received enthusiastically on the forum but did not go overly well with the general subscriber base. Although it is unique, copies on discogs are below 10$.
 
Last edited:
I also think the biggest thing that has eaten into what VMP can offer are labels that can offer high quality versions of their own catalog (Rhino) or cultivate a niche (Trust with punk reissues, Rubellan with new wave, Analog Africa for world, etc). VMP is trying to cover this wide berth of genres where they are an inch deep/mile wide across all these various genres rather than specializing in one or two genres. They are having to wait in line behind a large label self-reissuing its own catalog like Rhino or Sony; they even had the Impulse box underminded by Verve reissues. When they reissue a Mr Bongo or other indie LP and the indie has it cheaper, I am not sure what the point of that leasing program is.
 
Biscuit said:
I also think the biggest thing that has eaten into what VMP can offer are labels that can offer high quality versions of their own catalog (Rhino) or cultivate a niche (Trust with punk reissues, Rubellan with new wave, Analog Africa for world, etc). VMP is trying to cover this wide berth of genres where they are an inch deep/mile wide across all these various genres rather than specializing in one or two genres. They are having to wait in line behind a large label self-reissuing its own catalog like Rhino or Sony; they even had the Impulse box underminded by Verve reissues. When they reissue a Mr Bongo or other indie LP and the indie has it cheaper, I am not sure what the point of that leasing program is.
Click to expand...
Rubellen just called it quits, so VMP can be the new Oingo Boingo reissue label.
 
Hemotep said:
Rubellen just called it quits, so VMP can be the new Oingo Boingo reissue label.
Click to expand...
I know Scott mentioned his own struggles and competition with reissue labels in the past. Crowded field I suspect. He did a nice job with what he had. VMP should hire Scott, he did a hell of a job single-handedly and they might learn something.
 
Last edited:
Biscuit said:
I know Scott mentioned his own struggles and competition with reissue labels in the past. Crowded field I suspect. He did a nice job with what he had. VMP should hire Scott, he did a hell of a job single-handedly and they might learn something.
Click to expand...

However, that would involve them learning something. Something they've already proven time and again they're not interested or able to do.
 
Biscuit said:
I know Scott mentioned his own struggles and competition with reissue labels in the past. Crowded field I suspect. He did a nice job with what he had. VMP should hire Scott, he did a hell of a job single-handedly and they might learn something.
Click to expand...
He got screwed by a label and kind of rage quit. I don't blame him. It's so much time and money for little reward. But he did put out some top quality reissues so I'm grateful for the effort he made.
 
Hemotep said:
He got screwed by a label and kind of rage quit. I don't blame him. It's so much time and money for little reward. But he did put out some top quality reissues so I'm grateful for the effort he made.
Click to expand...
Indeed. From Berlin, Divinyls, Missing Persons to Oingo Boingo, Visage, Suzanne Vega, Ric Ocasek and Guadacanal Diary (to name a few), he brought forward quality reissues of acts that might otherwise have been overlooked for reissue by the majors. He added unreleased tracks. He did all the work from soup to nuts to shipping. I am glad there was a guy like him, tip my hat to him.
 
duke86fan said:
The make idea is that this is going to be the October ROTM... it fits all the clues, its super rare, it is from stax, and the weirdest thing they've done in a while... It's practically storf bait




If this is really it then this will fail on the level of something like cutthroat island
Click to expand...

Yes I listened to this and it is so self indulgent as a pick. This could affect membership numbers. Better be something good in Classics
 
duke86fan said:
The make idea is that this is going to be the October ROTM... it fits all the clues, its super rare, it is from stax, and the weirdest thing they've done in a while... It's practically storf bait




If this is really it then this will fail on the level of something like cutthroat island
Click to expand...

Btw… Cutthroat Island Dukey!!! What a reference! Well done!
 
This will be one of the harder sells VMP has had on the Essentials track for sure. And its hard to imagine it's the album VMP wanted to lead with the first month after cutting two potential swap tracks. Likely that their hands were tied by production schedules and such. Whatever the case, this is one hell of a time to dig up what may be the first legit lost sound they've delivered since adopting that mantra.

Either way, it's a really interesting pick. And as I've historically had a soft spot for stuff like this, I might be inclined to give it a go depending on the swap options. But in all honesty, this is probably a selection better suited "super special store exclusive" status than Essentials track headliner.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top