SLEATER-KINNEY - NO CITIES TO LOVE (2015, Sub Pop, Deluxe Edition, White Vinyl)

 

2015 Sub Pop, Deluxe Edition, White Vinyl

Cut at Sterling by Ray Janos

Clarity: 4.4

Dynamics: 4.7

Tonality/Balance: 4.6

Soundstage/Image: 5

Pressing: 4.5

This Sterling cut by Ray Janos is loud and perfect! The CD is brickwalled, shrill and flat at high decibels. This pressing does justice to the music. Huge 3D soundstage! Detail and clarity in the midrange just right. Aggressive on the high end without being shrill. Thumps on the low end. Beautiful. My 2015 Album of the Year.

Final Grade: 4.64

GOLDEN SMOG - WEIRD TALES (2018, Rykodisc x2 LP, Green)

 

2018 Rykodisc, x2 LP, Green, Remastered

Lacquer cut by Chris Bellman

Originally released 1998 CD only

Clarity: 4.1

Dynamics: 4

Tonality/Balance: 4.6

Soundstage/Image: 4.5

Pressing: 4

Hot, loud master in the best possible way. Bright on top and hits on the low end all blasting through a 3D soundstage. Chris Bellman winner! This just sounds sharper and more aggressive than my original CD, which is very good too. The cymbal splashes are wonderful!! Great drum sound here.

Final Grade: 4.24

STEVE JONES - FIRE AND GASOLINE (1989, MCA Records)

 

1989 MCA Records, First Pressing

Cut at Precision by Stephen Marcussen

Clarity: 4.2

Dynamics: 4.3

Tonality/Balance: 4

Soundstage/Image: 4.8

Pressing: 4

You are in for a treat! Cut at Precision by the great Stephen Marcussen, this sounds like SONIC TEMPLE cut by the legendary Robert Ludwig. HUGE soundstage with plenty of headroom. This sound could fill at stadium! Guitars are bright and crunchy with drums that kick hard. Really sounds like a lost Cult album and for good reason; Astbury/Duffy/Curry all involved. Had the CD back in the day and couldn't understand why this wasn't huge. Then again, everything I really liked always seemed to stay at the fringes of mainstream success.

Final Grade: 4.26

UNCLE TUPELO - NO DEPRESSION (1990, Rockville)

 

1990 Rockville, First Pressing

Cut at KDisc by Carol Hibbs

Clarity: 3.5

Dynamics: 3.5

Tonality/Balance: 3.5

Soundstage/Image: 4

Pressing: 4

This smokes the remastered Sundazed 89/93 Anthology! Wow. Full-force and hard-hitting fidelity, loud, brash and punk. The headroom makes way for sharp detail in the midrange and kicks hard on the bottom. Drums sound killer. It is cut perfectly. This is how Uncle Tupelo was meant to sound: Raw, a bit unpolished and loud. This is so aggressive on top with buzz-saw guitars.

Final Grade: 3.7

LOW CUT CONNIE - HI HONEY (2015, Contender Records)

 

2015 Contender Records

Mastered at Ardent by Kevin Nix

Clarity: 5

Dynamics: 5

Tonality/Balance: 5

Soundstage/Image: 5

Pressing: 5

Mastered by Kevin Nix at Ardent! You may have heard of his father Larry Nix, legendary engineer who cut the first BIG STAR record at Ardent (among so many other great albums). And this sounds phenomenal. This cut is hot, loud, sharp with plenty of headroom to spare. The bass is groovy and the low-end kicks. Damn, this crushes the CD mastering. This was my album of the year in 2015. Finally getting around to spinning the wax on my new gear and my jaw is literally on the floor. Wow, what a dynamic pressing! I'm falling in love with the album all over again.

Final Grade: 5

THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS - THE GILDED PALACE OF SIN (1969, A&M Records)

 

1969 A&M Records

First Pressing

Clarity: 5+

Dynamics: 5+

Tonality/Balance: 5+

Soundstage/Image: 5+

Pressing: 5

My god, the headroom is incredible. Razor-sharp detail and bright guitars on top, with a low-end that kicks hard. The bass shakes the floorboards and rattles the windows. I don't have a repress or remaster to compare but no need to search for one after spinning this. This is one the best sounding records in my modest collection. The pedal steel guitar haunts the 3D soundstage like a forlorn spirit. I don't see a credit to whoever cut this lacquer at Monarch, but they have my undying respect.

Final Grade: 5+

LLOYD COLE - LLOYD COLE (1990, Capitol Records)

 

1990 Capitol Records

First Pressing

Mastered by Tim Young & Wally Traugott

Clarity: 4.4

Dynamics: 4.3

Tonality/Balance: 4.6

Soundstage/Image: 4.8

Pressing: 4

Mastered by the legendary Tim Young and cut by the legendary Wally Traugott! And this sounds legendary! The space and headroom present here are quite amazing. Matthew Sweet's basslines are very tight and Robert Quine's guitar just the right amount of heat. Fred Maher's drums sound incredible. Blair Cowan's Hammond haunts the ether like a ghost adding to the deep soundstage. I don't believe any repress could match this. It's perfect.

Final Grade: 4.42

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - FLOOD (1990, Elektra)

 

1990 Elektra First Pressing

Cut at Masterdisk by Robert Ludwig

Direct Metal Master

Clarity: 4.7

Dynamics: 4.8

Tonality/Balance: 4.8

Soundstage/Image: 4.7

Pressing: 4.5

Well Holy Shit, this crushes the 2014 MOV repress (which is very good). This should come as no surprise since this is a DMM cut at Masterdisk by the legendary Robert Ludwig. HUGE 3D soundstage with razor sharp detail. Guitars and horns bright and aggressive while low end punches when it’s supposed to. Highest recommendation.

Final Grade: 4.7

THE CLASH - LONDON CALLING (1979, CBS, x2 LP, UK)

 

1979 CBS x2 LP, UK First Pressing

Cut by Tim Young

Clarity: 5+

Dynamics: 5+

Tonality/Balance: 5+

Soundstage/Image: 5+

Pressing: 5

This pressing is fantastic with solid kick ass bass and nice balance, so the midrange isn’t masked. A nice powerful EQ that gets better as you spin the volume knob higher and higher! I have had quite a few US reissues over the years, but nothing sounds like this. The horns on The Right Profile give me chills! The headroom is so amazing. This sounds GIGANTIC and attacks from the speakers and hits hard, all in a holographic soundstage. This is an incredible cut. This is the one to get friends. Cut by the legendary Tim Young!! WOW! Highest recommendation. 

Final Grade: 5

GRAHAM PARKER - BURNING QUESTIONS (1992, Demon Records)

 

1992 Demon Records, First Pressing UK

Cut at MPO by Tim Young

Clarity: 3.8

Dynamics: 4

Tonality/Balance: 3.6

Soundstage/Image: 3.9

Pressing: 4

Cut by the legendary Tim Young! This sounds full and beefy unlike the digital versions which are more “technical”. Here, we get bouncy basslines amid a 3D soundstage with details such as ghostly keyboards and ethereal backing vocals. The headroom is quite amazing. This is my second favorite GP album and it’s a much better experience on vinyl. Though the 2016 remaster on CD only isn’t bad…for the car stereo.

Final Grade: 3.86