Vinyl News

[Eppie]

Three more came in today, ordered from Plaid Records of Loveland Ohio. The way these were packaged is an abject lesson in how to do it right. (I can post photos of that later if anyone is interested.)

The Andrew Bird Trio "Sunday Morning Put-On" is in indie record store exclusive Ruby Red vinyl. The Twenty One Pilots "Clancy" is clear w/red splatter vinyl ACS came in a heavy clear printed polyethylene outer sleeve. The David Bowie "Diamond Dogs" is black vinyl though is a half-speed cut master.

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Do you have Bowie's Aladdin Sane? I have the 2013 remaster but the recording quality is very disappointing. Just wondering whether it's a bad remix or the original master was not very good to begin with?

 

[highfigh]

Not usually, though there's been a couple. Most new records are remarkably clean.

You didn't ask, but I'll add this for the benefit of those who may need to clean records and have nothing good.

IMO, nothing beats an ultrasonic cleaner for getting both the deepest-seated grime and static from records. No vacuum type device nor a Dust Bug can approach the way the ultrasonic cavitation action can clean a record. And it's relatively CHEAP to get into it when you can buy the Vevor setup and have everything (including a 3-D printed drying rack) for about USD $200. Another $10 or so gets you the one thing it really needs, which is a lower voltage (3vdc) power supply for the rotation motor, so the speed is down to 1rpm or so.

There's much discussion about what fluid works best, plus temperature and time. I can say that I use a formula I found on the "Tanked Out" FB group that does get the fingerprints and most everything gone in one run. I use about 85% distilled water that I can buy at my local supermarket for USD $3.50 for 3 gallons. Then I add almost 15% of a concentrated isopropyl alcohol (91% dilution from CVS) and 10 drops of Tergikleen that acts as a detergent and wetting agent for fast & clean drying on the rack. I run an 18 minute cycle at 36°C and that all seems to work quite well.

New records may be clean, but mold release agent is used and always has been. It's often Silicone-based and can gum up the stylus. Stamping and injection molding require it because the plastic will stick to the molds/stampers.

 

[highfigh]

Ok, I get it. You don't like her voice. I'm sure there's others too that don't like her voice. I don't think it's terrible, many millions don't think so, and many music critics and journalists don't think it's terrible. There are a number of artists whose singing voices I don't like but I'm not going to condemn them for being horrible singers when I know that many others, more than don't, think they're great.

To each their own, it's your right to like what you do and dislike her stuff. Eight years ago is a while, maybe she got better before I heard the two albums I own, I just don't know.

I'll say one thing, she's no Yoko Ono or Bjork.

 

[Squishman]

My brother-in-law had the gold pressing of American Band. Very well recorded record as far as I can recall. I have the black vinyl. Loved playing Railroad and cranking it up to the get morning started!

I still have to clean all three of those. I actually looked for that record on Discogs a year or so ago but they were way more than I wanted to pay. I was happy to find it and darn near, if not mint.

 

[KenM10759]

I'll say one thing, she's no Yoko Ono or Bjork.

Far from that type of singer. My youngest gave me her latest issue for Fathers Day, "Tortured Poets Department", and it's got a lot of collaborations on it. The song entitled "Florida" is written by her and Florance Welch of Florence + The Machine. It is performed by Taylor and Florence + The Machine and is *really* good. I would have bought the whole album for that one song, though there's a couple other interesting ones on it too.