Ok, that is definitely not sincere! I just haven’t been paying attention closely then. I thought most people were just really pissed off at the label and faulty jacket we got (which they replaced). But that is bad if they are lying. I hate dishonesty like that.....
I was gonna say, because I have 2 or 3 and they've been fine. And so far the Tone Poet releases have been stellar.
I think you touch on a valid point and one of the reasons some of us have issue with VMP, the assumption that customers don't know any better. And unfortunately, I think that's what drives their business some times, as far back as I can remember, all that VMP subscribers from the forum, past and present, have asked for was transparency, or at least as transparent as possible, I don't think the majority of us are looking for tax returns, but the things they do screw up, they have an automatic knee jerk reaction of "it wasn't our fault" and inevitably end up having to back peddle because of it.
I refuse to buy any 75th pressings. Just double check the year they were released on amazon if that’s where you are buying from and any cheap blue notes before 2019 release date are probably the 75th pressings. I got 3 or 4 75th pressings and all has to be returned. Warping, scratches, noise etc. I get what they were trying to do with that series— cheap introduction copies of jazz classics to get new vinyl collectors into jazz and BN but the execution was really poor. Even Blue Note admitted it. But glad they tried again with slightly more expensive pressings for 80.I’m definitely buying the 80th Blue Note reissues then!!!
I just remember all the other Blue Note reissues (which had to have been the 75th Anniversary reissues), being really cheap! But now I know why they were cheap! And I actually remember Canvas but Robert Glasper being more expensive but I really like that album. I was just hungry for more new Blue Note records and thought I was getting a bargain, but what I got was a load of
Hopefully the big labels realize that quality is still important and the "fly by night" enthusiasts always seem to come and go.....then your left with us, and 'Us" don't like crap, lol
I also bought the “we are a new young company just trying to figure it out” for awhile, but if you can’t figure it out in 5 years or so, maybe you’re in the wrong business.
Or at least understand that there are different tiers of collectors! I do know plenty of people who were introduced to jazz through the 75th and ended up upgrading their copies later or buying MM or some other nicer copies as they got more into jazz. Seems like they are understanding that more by having the more expensive TP releases (they seem to be $30-$35 in record stores) and the 80th clocking in at $20-$25. I’m just glad that the 80th are also pressings that I look forward to quality-wise. Obviously they leave something to be desired like the sleeves being thinner and the records being pressed at an okay plant, but I’ll gladly pick up records from either series at this point.
I feel like I only want to start buying jazz on vinyl because it really is the best when you get high quality pressings like the Tone Poet or VMP Blue Note or MOFI releases etc. When 50’s, 60’s and 70’s Jazz, Soul, Funk or Disco albums get a very high quality vinyl reissue, it’s legit the best thing ever!
Thirding this notion. VMP may put out a good product some of the time, but it's they way they run things that is the major problem. The anthology is a microcosm of it all. Not only did they lie more than once, they denied it and deleted the evidence. The only real moderating of that FB page they did was to make sure no evidence of how bad they looked there remained. A lot of people were rightly outraged at having paid such a premium and then being treated basically like assholes by the company themselves. Everything about how they handled the Gordon jacket was horrendously bad, not least of which was how they allowed a group of people to go around attacking and insulting anyone who expressed any disappointment over it. And now people go around saying how great VMP handled the Anthology because even though there were some mistakes they fixed them, completely forgetting that after the very first mistake they lied multiple times, tried to put the blame on Blue Note, then claimed they tried extremely hard and found it impossible to recreate, then magically were able to fix it after a major outcry that they tried desperately to silence. If we hadn't literally FORCED them to fix that mistake, it seems obvious that it follows they wouldnt have bothered with any of the others.
I totally agree with you right now. But when I first started out collecting and listening to vinyl and jazz, I was a poor college student who couldn't afford to spend $40+ on one record. I went to flea markets and thrift stores and bought records for $10 and under. It made me more adventurous in my music listening because if I was only paying $5-10 on a record and I didn't love it, I wouldn't feel awful for having bought it. I assume this is what they were trying to do with the 75th series. Put out albums you probably have heard of jazz-wise (and some you haven't) but for $10 or so a piece, it was a good way to get into jazz music if you had a record player and didn't want to dive right into the MOFI/Music Matters, etc price point.
Hm, yeah that's what I figured. Interesting choice to tell customers they can't use store credits to purchase Anthology because of the different platform, then use store credits as a way to placate Anthology customers who experience issues.
Eh, I don't find it that odd but that's just me. They used shopify for Anthology. Would have been sketchy if they used the same platform as VMP and wouldn't let people use store credits. My local record store has 3 locations in NYC and they only let me use store credit at the one location I sell stuff at.
Oh yeah, I get why it makes sense from the perspective of locking in more purchases. It’s just a little bit of crossing the streams in terms of how frequently they proclaimed this was a completely different, separate thing.
They offered refunds to some people who either cancelled or returned it as far as I know. You can always ask for a refund. I know people typically get store credits because that is what is offered, but I have also asked for a refund INSTEAD of store credit and they have never said no to me.
I dunno...first example I can think of...but if I have a gift card at Old Navy and want to use it at J Crew, I'm not sure I would be able to even though they are owned by the same company. I sort of viewed it from that angle, but I also didn't have many store credits and can see why people would think otherwise!
I always thought that was interesting too. In the handful of times I had issues as a VMP customer, even the time when I suggested a partial store credit, I was only ever given a full refund to my card.
Yeah, but being owned by the same parent company and offering a new product at the same company aren't really the same.
