Those links don't work anymore and I can't find the listing. I think Amazon pulled the listings.

Shoot, you're right. I got an order in, so we'll see if that gets cancelled.

Damn!

What was their reason?

Stupid Canadians doing math wrong!

My friend who ordered one of the mono boxes said his got shipped.

My Beatles set is on the UPS truck right now, so I'll have it when I get home today. A great deal at $97.59 shipped.

Hey, have you guys ever had issues with records getting damaged in shipping?

I had one just mailed to me, and through no fault of the seller (it was wrapped and packaged as well as could be expected), USPS still managed to bend the fuck out of it. The vinyl is fine, but the corners of the outer sleeve are fucked. Also, they left it on my front step in direct, hot sunlight, when it would've been just as easy to put it next to my door, in the shade. Thankfully it didn't warp.

Direct hot sunlight inside a package shouldn't be too big of an issue. I read somewhere that records are usually made at about 200 degrees F, so the temperature would have to get close to that before it starts warping. One recommendation I've read (now that I live in a hot place, too) is not to open it immediately after bringing it in from the heat. Give it time to cool as-is before cracking it open to listen to it.

Could be bullshit but warped records are a pain in the ass.

As for that damage... that sucks. I've been lucky so far. I have a few more records on the way right now, but hopefully they all arrive okay. Some sellers/retailers will say that's what happens when you use USPS media mail, but that's lame. If it's reasonably packaged, it shouldn't arrive all bent up.

Yeah, I saw the crease in the outer package, and all I could think of was how someone had to put some effort into bending it like that - doing it on purpose. But I suppose anything can happen during shipping. Also, the package was so filthy, it's as if it was dunked in a pile of ashes.

I just ordered the new Stone Roses release All for One (stupidly thinking it was an album, not a 45). Amazon shipped it in an envelope without so much as a piece of cardboard to support it, but somehow it arrived ok.

We're getting the 40th Anniversary of The Man Who Fell To Earth on BD (Amazon UK) and we're also getting the score to the film for the first time ever(?) on vinyl. It's cheaper to import, as of now, via Amazon UK. It comes to about 120$ and some change. If you order via the U.S. site it'll run you about $20 more and with tax.





The UK standard vinyl edition is also much cheaper than the U.S. version, too.




EDIT - the standard edition is about $32.58 shipped from the UK. It's almost $50 shipped from the U.S.

Speaking of 45s - is there a list, or do you guys know of full-album vinyl reissues, not singles, where the album is 45 speed? Obviously it would have to be multiple discs, but the faster the speed the better the sound (usually).

I love TMWFTE, one of my favorite films, but the score isn't particularly memorable IMO.

Mobile Fidelity has been release a lot of 45 RPM reissues lately: http://www.mofi.com/category_s/1825.htm

Those Peter Gabriel reissues I mentioned a few pages back are all 45 RPM as well.

Wasn't there a release of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours in 45 format?

Yes, mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray! Absolutely the best the album has ever sounded.

I'm sure it does, and while it's certainly a great album, it's one of those that I can go the rest of my life without hearing again.

I went ahead and finally got Manic Street Preachers' 20th anniversary edition of The Holy Bible.

Fuck Nevermind, Ok Computer, and Achtung Baby, this was the greatest alternative rock record of the '90s!



I already had the picture disc, but it had no extras, and was a little noisy, due to the colored vinyl. The one in this box set sounds much better. And while it's a 180-gram vinyl, being that it's an hour long, they probably should've split it up onto two platters.

Question; what is your vinyl defect rate? I mean, about how many albums out of how many new albums do you receive defective?
Back in the '80s, I would say about 1 out of 100 had manufacturing issues.

These days however, it seems like it's closer to 1 out of 20.

And look at this shit:



A bug? A booger? I can't tell, and it isn't something that was just on the record - it was pressed into the vinyl, a big bump on top of the grooves that can't be taken off. How does this happen, and why so much more regularly now?

I'm good so far. *knocks on wood

I haven't inspected all my new vinyl to the level I probably should, but if you go to the Steve Hoffman Forums you'll find a lot of people who agree with you.

As for why it happens, it's poor QC. The equipment is all decades old, no one's making new equipment, and the vinyl resurgence has made the medium so popular that the few printing plants can't keep up with demand. So instead of pressing less and maintaining QC standards, they press as much as they can every day and pump out the product with virtually no QC at all. Non-fill, dishing, crap pressed into the records are a lot more common now.

Oh geeze, I don't think I'm as bad as the SH forum douches. They complain about the slightest warp or noise - stuff that's just a part of vinyl records. No, I'm taking about manufacturing defects that knock the stylus out of it's groove.

Looks like I will finally get to check out Amoeba Records next week. Probably won't have any money to spend, but I can look!

Give yourself about 4-6 hours to browse.

Like the ol' ball and chain will allow that! I am hoping to check out The Record Parlor too.