📣 News Carpenters: "The Vinyl Collection"

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Amazon UK now have a price £257.51.
How can The Spin site sell it so much cheaper? I'm sort of worried about whether there may be something wrong with the set. Could there be such a thing as slightly damaged? Although the description is identical to the more expensive sellers!

The price of an item (especially CDs, Vinyls, DVDs, Blurays) on Amazon typically fluctuates widely before its release date (more so on the US than the UK site). This is because Amazon's pricing is based on an automated algorithm that takes into account of such factors as the number of clicks, the frequency of the item being added into the shopping cart, etc. The price usually settles down at a much lower--and competitive--level on the release date, and often (but not always) goes even lower post-release.

Unless you think an item risks of being selling out immediately upon release, there is really no need to pre-order an item on Amazon (although Amazon guarantees that the price you pay on a pre-ordered item would be no higher than the price on its release date, you may miss out if the price goes even lower post-release).
 
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Hi all,
Could you let me know please which of the vinyl releases had printed inner sleeves?
Some of mine do but some don't, I am getting very tempted with this set, despite my reservations.

Here is a rundown of all the original vinyl albums packaging:

1. Offering--sleeve has artwork not related to the Carpenters.
2. Ticket To Ride--plain sleeve.
3. Close To You--sleeve has artwork not related to the Carpenters.
4. Carpenters--gate fold; plain sleeve.
5. A Song For You--sleeve printed with lyrics.
6. Now & Then--gate fold; sleeve printed with lyrics.
7. The Singles 1969-1973--gate fold; plain sleeve with insert booklet.
8. Horizon--sleeve printed with picture and lyrics.
9. A Kind of Hush--sleeve printed with picture and lyrics.
10. Passage--gate fold; plain sleeve.
11. Made In America--sleeve printed with picture and lyrics.
12. Voice Of The Heart--sleeve printed with picture and lyrics.
13. Lovelines--plain sleeve.
14. An Old-Fashioned Christmas--plain sleeve.
14. Christmas Portrait--sleeve printed with lyrics.
16. Live At The Palladium--plain sleeve.

Edit: In an earlier post when I referred to the revised artwork of Close To you, I obviously meant Ticket To Ride.
 
Universal has a poor track record with vinyl reissues, at least in my experience. What they did with the Dire Straits reissues in the EU is shameful. (Beautifully mastered, pressed at a hack pressing plant that left physical marks on the brand new records.) The mastering on other Back to Black series records has been dismal as well. I don't think anything good comes of some of these reissues unless someone oversees every step of the process. I just hope Richard is still the stickler for quality that he's always been, and that he still has the clout to get everyone a nicely produced and good-sounding all-analog reissue series.
 
Most of what is being posted about vinyl pressings here is way over my head.

But my advice to any of you who are purchasing brand new vinyls for the first time is:
Unwrap the plastic and take a moment to savor the smell of brand new vinyl records. Makes me feel sentimental just thinking about it.
 
I think I'll wait until I see a review from someone who has already purchased the set. Can't see laying down that kind of cash for something that may ultimately turn out to be rubbish.
 
I’ve pre ordered two of the box sets from Spin CD , I am a little worried to be honest as since ordering I’ve read multiple reviews of them not sending out the records others have purchased over recent months?. There is in particular one scathing video review of them from a chap who reviews most boxed sets that have recently been released. I’m just hoping that the Carpenters set isn’t one of those!. fingers crossed that they come though on this at the unbelievable low price. I hope this is going to be a pleasant transaction, I paid via my debit card so I ain’t protected if they start to become difficult. I’m taking them at face value though and will treat them as any other company I deal with , as I haven’t ever ordered anything from them I expect things to be ok!. As others have ordered things from them and not had an issue I just hope I get similar satisfaction.
 
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I just hope Richard is still the stickler for quality that he's always been, and that he still has the clout to get everyone a nicely produced and good-sounding all-analog reissue series.

Does anyone know if Richard will have had final approval on the quality of the packaging as well as audio? From what I'm reading this is a Universal-led project so I'm wondering if he's been asked to sign off or not?
 
I seem to recall Chris May stating that this is solely Universals baby. If they are smart they will have quality or a disaster. Nonetheless obsessive me is waiting with antici...paaaaaation.
 
^^Jeff, I can well imagine that many a reader will be keeping an eye on the reviews
of this Vinyl Set...that is, reviews as they appear from members of this Forum.
And, if Universal does do a dis-service to the Carpenters' Legacy,
the reviews will come honestly and swiftly...and, that will really spell disaster !
So, while it may be that Richard Carpenter has his hands off this project
(and, I hope that that is not the case !) I do hope the project is accomplished well,
if not, I will never purchase another product from Universal Music, no matter what it is....
We will see--and, hear by the end of November 2017 !
 
Is this just another ploy by the music industry to encourage punters to part with their money? Many albums are being released on vinyl at very expensive prices. Just be careful not to get carried away with the hype, and make sure you are buying a well produced product before committing yourself financially.
 
If a label like Mobile Fidelity, Analogue Productions, ORG, Impex, etc. had released these, you could guarantee they would be properly mastered from original analog tapes. Those labels usually won't touch something unless it is the best possible master available. And furthermore, there would also be a good chance former A&M mastering guru Bernie Grundman would have had a hand in it! (I have some titles he mastered at 45 RPM on the ORG label that sound unbelievably good.)

But when a major label is involved, it can go either way. Warner/Rhino has actually had some good reissue series, with reputable remastering engineers having been involved, and product pressed at RTI so the vinyl is quiet and flat. Other labels have been hit or miss. Some never give us any indication as to what the record was mastered from, like Sony. (And with Sony, I would suspect many of theirs are reissued from their DSD archives--they co-developed the DSD digital format as an archival format, and it stands to reason that it makes for an excellent format for high-resolution digital, either as SACD or downloadable files. So the vinyl could sound really good anyway, from a DSD master, but still not really be considered all analog.)

Universal has been all over the map as well. It's at the point where the titles have to be taken on a case-by-case basis. Some of the Back to Black series sounded dead and lifeless. The Dire Straits reissues in the EU (they are on Warner only in the US) were a mess--the sound was fantastic (mastered by Chris Bellman at Grundman's studio), but the vinyl was farmed out to the GZ Vinyl pressing plant and came with visible (and audible) marks all over them. The Rush 180g reissues are very well done; some are digitally sourced since they were recorded digitally to begin with, but they are all flat and very quiet.

My main wish for this set is that it is a sonic treat and a good investment, not a "me, too" set of records just to cash in on vinyl buyers. ("Because vinyl" should never be a reason to release LPs. Yet, it happens.) The wiser buyers among us (both the vinyl buyers like myself, and collectors such as the Carpenters fans in this forum) know enough about the product and its sources that we expect to get something worth the substantial amount of money being paid for this set.
 
I really enjoyed reading the above Rudy, lots of good comments thanks, I agree with all you say. If Chris Bellman had anything to do with it ( most likely not ) it would have been amazing as I love what he does, he’s magical ie, Joni Mitchell Rhino re issues spring to mind.
 
Attention to every tiny little detail in this Carpenters vinyl project is so important as it will determine if the fans are being ripped off or not.
 
The last new vinyl I purchased was the Beach Boys “That’s Why God Made The Radio” and on vinyl it sounded like the levels were only set at half. Whereas I have vinyl (I also have it on CD)from the 80’s, such as Tiffany’s “Hold An Old FriendsHand” and the CD has the triple -D on the back and the vinyl still sounds really good.
 
Besides myself...who else has intentions of purchasing the album set and how many? I read a lot are on the fence. Certainly I'm not the only obsessive one....or am I ?
 
I placed an order for this, and then cancelled it. Not having a turntable, and having every album at least twice: the original release, and then I purchased all of them again when Karen passed away, I can't justify purchasing them just to put in a cabinet. I'm a #1 fan, and a completest - to a point obviously; my cupboards are bursting with vinyl, CD's, DVD's, cassettes - and with there being nothing 'new' on these, I decided to pass.
 
Since this box set actually seems to have nothing to do with the commemoration of the duo's 50th anniversary, I am now looking for one Richard Carpenter, to step up and make it special. Come on, brother, GIVE US ALL YOU GOT!! GIVE US ALL YOU GOT!!! Empty that vault (photos, home movies, studio outtakes, unreleased Karen vocals, ANYTHING!)...and throw in a tell-all biography, bearing your soul:

 
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I'd love a set, but I can't afford it. Besides, I do have all the originals, even Lovelines and Offering.
 
Besides myself...who else has intentions of purchasing the album set and how many? I read a lot are on the fence. Certainly I'm not the only obsessive one....or am I ?
I've pre-ordered the set but will likely buy another to play or individual releases...
 
Besides myself...who else has intentions of purchasing the album set and how many? I read a lot are on the fence. Certainly I'm not the only obsessive one....or am I ?

It's of no use to me - I don't have a turntable and I already have the original vinyl albums framed anyway.
 
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