rsimms3 wrote:
Well, to be fair you can't really say something that sticks for all eternity because time marches on and things change. Specifically, equipment changes. If you go back in this thread to a post of mine related to the mastering to vinyl and the issue of the tape machine not having a preview head. I'm not sure how much, if any, this affected the new transfer but with any mastering house the equipment you use and the sound you are going for will influence the final product on vinyl. I've listened to Icky Thump (track) only for comparison quite a bit and what I hear is the vocals are a little brighter and the sibilance is a bit harsher. The CD version completely crushed any sibilance that may have been on the master. I think the sibilance harshness is part of boosting the vocals while toning the bass down just a tad. I would say the reissue sort of falls between the original pressing and the CD in terms of brightness and bass with the original sounding slightly dark compared to the other two sources. Jacks vocals sound more lively in the reissue to me. These aren't intensely drastic changes but subtle and definitely noticeable if you've listened to the vinyl a lot in the past 10 years. I'd be interested in getting a copy of the URP pressing that's come out in the past few years. Original was pressed at RTI in California which has a good reputation for quality. I think URP started pressing Icky 5-6 years ago. Based on what I saw then, I think the URP pressings come in pink plastic inner sleeves and the original RTI (which I have) came in lined white inner sleeves.
As for noise, I listened to the A side of the reissue and noticed several pops. I don't have a record cleaner, only a dry brush, so I haven't properly cleaned the records. Didn't have this happen with the original black, always has been quiet.
Didn't Steve Hoffman say that the original was the first record to be mastered from 2'' tape directly to vinyl or something? Without bouncing down in between? Gotta wonder in there was a digital intermediary in this new pressing. I don't mean to spit all over it, but it wasn't the behemoth I was hoping for. It sounds amazing until you put on the original...then you go "oh man, THIS is amazing!" I listened to the new one a little more last night, and I definitely don't hate it. But the 07 will always be my go-to-demo disc.
A few things I noticed....Copter76 has valid points about the lack of tip-on sleeves and the color the vinyl. Last night I noticed the edges of all of the LPs in my package are jagged, like they were trimmed with a dull blade. The spindle hole is so freakin' tight that it is almost impossible to get the demos LP off and on my turntable. (A little sandpaper will fix that.) After much listening last night, I've found all the LPs have substantial surface noise. Nit-picking? A little. But it's not hard to get this stuff right...or is it?
But...the best part of this package? The book. Seriously! Holy cow, freaking amazing. I must have gone through it three times. I love it!!!