I've really liked most of the live records I've gotten on RSD. Almost all are pretty high quality.

Yeah, especially on expensive vinyl, no thanks.

Yeah, I've picked up RSD live album exclusives by David Bowie, The Cure, The Tragically Hip, and Tears For Fears and they've all sounded excellent.

That said, it may not be the case for The Ramones if a single microphone was used to record them. It's too bad that the reviews won't be in beforehand.

I managed to pick up 3 of the ones I went there to get ... INXS - Live From Royal Albert Hall '86, A Charlie Brown Christmas (the double LP with the outtakes, not the RSD single album reissue that was released today), and the MOFI version of The Knack's debut album. The store had two copies of Warren Zevon's Epilogue but a couple of guys got there just ahead of me and snagged them. Oh, well. Happy with what I got ...

whoa. Where did that Knack LP come from? I don't remember seeing it on any RSD lists. Is this just a favour the band did to you Canadians?

Anyway, my day went well even if I had to backtrack. Started at M-Theory, usually a good starting point because I've found they get the most RSD titles of any store in town, and today was no exception. Still at least half a dozen copies of Talking Heads, a couple English Beat, and even the Young Fresh Fellows record. Then off to Record City, but no Ramones record, the only one remaining on my have-to-have list. Off to Vinyl Junkies, no Ramones, but I did score some good cheap records in their newly expanded "Digger's Den" where everything is either $3 or $5. They even had a rare copy of Mary's Danish's debut There Goes the Wondertruck in the sawbuck section, but I already have one. I still almost considered buying it just to flip it for at least 5x the price.

Got a text from a friend asking how my searching was going, told him about the futile effort to find the Ramones record, and he said he was AT Record City, and they had a copy. They could even put it aside for me, something NO store does on RSD, but they did. So I had to circle back to RC, got my copy (and picked out a few used records as a thank you, because I know the profit margin on used records is much greater than the RSD stuff). I guess they keep some off the main floor for some reason, and you just gotta ask them, which I should actually know because that's exactly how I scored a copy of Special Beat Service there last year on RSD.

Didn't see the live Fleetwood Mac record at any store (went to four total), but as I mentioned already I didn't see that as a must-have due to the song selection.

So yeah, 4 RSD titles, and like 6 used records from the stacks. About $75 over budget, but manageable.

It's an older release. The only RSD exclusives I was looking to pick up were the INXS and the Warren Zevon but I came away empty handed on the Zevon. That Jazz Sabbath piqued my interest, though. I may have to look around and try to find a copy.

I haven't listened to the Ramones record yet, but I can bet that as poor as it sounds, it's gotta be better than the Bad Brains live LP that came out yesterday. There weren't any copies at any of the stores I went to, but if I know me (and I do), I can bet it would have gone immediately into my purchase stack had there been one available.

Yeah, the Ramones record is just for the hardcore fans like myself. It sounds like what it is; a couple of microphones at a club. The drums are weak, the vocals completely inaudible much of the time.

Strictly for fans like me. If you're a casual fan you're much better off with either of the It's Alive records.

Not a RSD release, but I picked this up today. Just listening to it and it sound fantastic!

Not my picture:

Cool! Hopefully the use of recycled vinyl doesn't mean a noisy pressing?

^Yeah, I read that and wondered the same thing, but no... definitely a quiet pressing!

On sale at Amazon for $150 now.

Coming soon for your brand new 1962 Buick!

Roads used to be much better back then.

I wouldn't get to the end of my street without it skipping. And man, how distracting would it be to have to constantly flip sides and change records ever two to three minutes!

Winter time is jazz time for me so I hit up my local record shop today for a little Boxing Day shopping and walked away with holiday deals (10% - 20% off) on a few choice albums ...

The brand new Time Traveller re-issue of Roy Brooks: The Free Slave (live at the Left Bank Jazz Society 1970)




An original 2-Eye release (U.S. first pressing) of Miles Davis: Bitches Brew. Vinyl looks to be in very good condition.




And a well-worn on the outside but hopefully clean sounding on the inside copy of McCoy Tyner: Enlightenment (hard to find fantastic live album from 1973). Going to give it a thorough cleaning and keep my fingers crossed here.




Two absolutely incredible live jazz albums and one of the best jazz-fusion albums of all time, I've had these on my wish list for some time now. Looking forward to spinning all 3 of them soon ...

The winter shopping continued today as I walked away with sealed copies of some sweet 1960s & 70s jazz album reissues ...


Bill Evans - Interplay
Numbered Limited 45RPM Riverside AcousTech Mastering by Kevin Gray & Steve Hoffman


Miles Davis - Big Fun
2016 Music On Vinyl EU pressing


Miles Davis - A Tribute To Jack Johnson
Numbered Limited Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Gain 2 Ultra Analog edition


Freddie Hubbard / Stanley Turrentine In Concert
Speakers Corner Analogue Mastering German pressing

Some fantastic music that I'll be diving into very soon ...

Generally speaking, and all things being equal, would you rather buy a new copy of a re-issued classic album, or would you rather have a VG+ (or higher) copy of an original issue of that album?

I ask because I feel that I'm definitely in the minority--I vastly prefer owning as close to a first pressing copy of an album as I can find, warts and all, over a new re-issue.

As an example, there's no way I can afford a first pressing of Etta James's At Last LP on the Argo label, but I did find a 1987 re-issue on the Chess label for what I thought was a pretty good price. I could have bought one of the many re-issues from the last ten years or so for probably ten bucks cheaper, but I'd rather have the older copy.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

I'd prefer a vintage pressing, as long as the record and sleeve are in excellent condition (I'm picky about that), and it's at a price I can afford. That's often not the case though, so in those situations I'll go for a reissue (after checking reviews of the pressing in question).

I'll use the Steve Hoffman forum and other resources (including Discogs) to get a feel for what the consensus is re: original vs. reissue. Usually the original is the most sought after but there are some incredible sounding reissues available being mastered from the original tapes (by someone like Kevin Gray for instance) that can sound as good or even better than the original. That said, there can be some poor sounding reissues out there as well. I always strive to find the best quality mastering/pressing that I can afford.

Original, but it has to be in a high grade. I buy records to listen to, so I don't care for a one-of-a-kind super rare pressing if it sounds like total ass. And I'm on a budget, so I'll take a $25 reissue over a $100 original.

But, if the price is right, I'll take the original any time. Mostly because an original will be true analog, but a reissue will have been converted to digital, monkeyed with, then back to analog for the record pressing. An original was made in the days where the entire process was analog from start to finish. Get yourself a copy of something like Al Stewart's Year of the Cat and be blown away by the true analog richness of it.

What Paff said

There are labels that still use an all-analog process. I have some of their albums in my collection. Sometimes the original tapes will be in very poor condition, though, and a digital master will have to be used instead. Here's where having a Kevin Gray or a Bernie Grundman in charge of mastering can make a world of difference soundwise.

A good read here ... "Mastered from Original Analog Tapes": What does it really mean?

Speaking of all-analog and mastering from the original analog tapes...

I bought this album recently and it sounds fantastic! No clicks, no surface noise, just pure music detailed in a way that I never heard before on the CD.



A review

RSD '26 list is up. A LOT of wants: Marshall Crenshaw, The dBs, Bad Brains, Talking Heads, Joan Jett, XTC, Prince Buster, a power pop compilation, yet another live Ramones record.

But there's one absolutely gotta have in this bunch.

The Muffs: Live at Fort Apache Studios.

One way or another that record will be in my hands before the weekend is over.