Vinyl Me Please Classics

Exactly. I’m way less excited about getting Lightning Hopkins in March now.
For the price/cheaper, you can grab the Pure Pleasure pressing of Lightnin in NY or for $40 you can wait on the repress of some of the AP pressings. I know it’s a different album but if you’re looking to scratch the Lightnin Hopkins itch, those are all solid choices
 
VMP: We will shut down the forums so they don't rabble rouse when we have problems. Reddit will love us

Reddit: driven Storf into exile, organizes boycott of Classics

N&G:. We have so much more room for activities here
they keep shooting themselves in the foot again and again. granted, not sure what else they can do about this if QRP isn't letting them press there, but...

Paulie keeps saying that GZ lately isn't a QC issue for VMP because of their lower return numbers the past month or so. But GZ isn't just a VMP issue--industry wide, they are probably the worst offenders of bad QC. Awarding them with more business after the shitshow of the past few months at VMP is crazy to me.
 
Oh hey that was my question.



It ain't great but I think the first few classics were pressed at gz/other plants. It sounds like the options are either no classics or this. At least cs is still rock solid with problems.
2021 GZ is pretty different from 2018 GZ. They have gone pretty far downhill due to trying to keep up with demand and staff shortages.

My main gripe is that GZ has more QC issues in the past year than any other pressing plant I've gotten records from. And at close to $40/album, it's not good value. I know that CS is good about replacements lately but I just don't really want to deal with having to get 3 copies of albums before I get a good one. Plenty of other great labels out there putting out solid releases with no issues.
 
If they go to the trouble to use AAA with Stoughton jackets, they should settle for nothing less than RTI, QRP, Pallas, Record Industry, or even Optimal. No excuse for pressing at places like GZ.
honestly GZ would be fine if they could guarantee some sort of quality control. But they can't, and more germanely, they haven't in the past, so they have a shitty reputation. I mean, sure, maybe lightnin' is gonna be a killer record with amazing quality.

But given the last 6 months history, I wouldn't bet too long or hard on that. And it's disingenous of anyone (particularly VMP) to act like it's not an issue of concern if you care about the quality of the product. It's exacerbated by the fact that apparently they don't get any quality control copies or any real QC done at GZ before they start fucking shipping the damn things out.
 
Fwiw Three 6 Mafia and Clipse are recent GZ pressings that both sound great and don’t have any widespread reported issues.

So there’s always hope but I get it if people would rather do a wait and see approach before committing to it.
 
If they go to the trouble to use AAA with Stoughton jackets, they should settle for nothing less than RTI, QRP, Pallas, Record Industry, or even Optimal. No excuse for pressing at places like GZ.
It's a situation of lead time. Those plants are booked up solid 6 to 8 months ahead, so if a slot isn't booked in, you wait.

That's why a set like Philadelphia is delayed, but you can't get away with that on a monthly subscription schedule.

And GZ is by far not the worst plant around. There are plenty way worse. Think United.

Having said that, there is zero past January of any interest to me anyways. Barbara Lea is kinda interesting and Iris DeMent is fantastic, but past those - blah.
 
I have that on the way as well.

Also, I have Abbey Lincoln (x2) and Sarah Vaughan fitting that style as well. That's about as much female vocal jazz I probably need.

EDIT: And as I have enough to do a power ranking

Peggy Lee - Black Coffee
Abbey Lincoln - Abbey is Blue
Blossom Dearie - Blossom Dearie
Sarah Vaughan - Sarah Vaughan
Peggy Lee - World Broadcast Recordings
Abbey Lincoln - It's Magic

Not sure if Barbara Lea will ever fit into this rotation. Maybe above It's Magic. Claudia Thompson should nestle somewhere in top 3, maybe jump Abbey is Blue.
I'm hoping for good things with the Claudia Thompson since I suspect they are just repressing the Sundazed version in a different color. The reports on the limited Buck Owen store drop were good and that was just the Sundazed version in another color.
 
Planning to swap Barbara Lea for credit and then use said credit to buy Claudia Thompson. Any objections?
Sounds like a plan, assuming Claudia Thompson doesn't sell out first.

(not trying to stoke the FOMO flames, I have no idea how many copies they have left. Maybe a message to CS would shed some light)
 
Sounds like a plan, assuming Claudia Thompson doesn't sell out first.

(not trying to stoke the FOMO flames, I have no idea how many copies they have left. Maybe a message to CS would shed some light)
I checked earlier today and there were >100. Just has to last until credit gets applied (on the 2nd I think?)
 
Planning to swap Barbara Lea for credit and then use said credit to buy Claudia Thompson. Any objections?
Prsonal opinion only - the Barbara Lea is a way better record. More timeless.

The Claudia Thompson sounds very dated to me, and on the cheesy side of dated. Surely not a classic. Loungey.

Again, purely my taste, but the Barbara Lea strikes me as a true unearthing of a long forgotten minor gem, while the Thompson strikes me as scraping the bottom of the cut-out bin.

Besides - AAA RKS QRP vs. Digital KPG at Third Man? Just on that basis alone, no contest!
 
Prsonal opinion only - the Barbara Lea is a way better record. More timeless.

The Claudia Thompson sounds very dated to me, and on the cheesy side of dated. Surely not a classic. Loungey.

Again, purely my taste, but the Barbara Lea strikes me as a true unearthing of a long forgotten minor gem, while the Thompson strikes me as scraping the bottom of the cut-out bin.

Besides - AAA RKS QRP vs. Digital KPG at Third Man? Just on that basis alone, no contest!
Thanks, this is the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I probably should have said that I personally do not have a strong opinion about one album being better than the other, and that my decision was based largely on (a) positive reviews I've seen about Thompson, and (b) the assumption that I will be able to swap for Lea next month if I decide I need it (which I probably will once y'all receive your copies and talk about how great it sounds).
 
Thanks, this is the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I probably should have said that I personally do not have a strong opinion about one album being better than the other, and that my decision was based largely on (a) positive reviews I've seen about Thompson, and (b) the assumption that I will be able to swap for Lea next month if I decide I need it (which I probably will once y'all receive your copies and talk about how great it sounds).
Different strokes... Lea sounds dated and safe to me and Thompson sounds much more intimate and interesting.
 
I’ll also say, if I had to choose between one I would go for the Barbara Bea as well. I will fortunately own both, but wanted to share my 2 cents
 
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