📣 News Carpenters: "The Vinyl Collection"

[Rudy]

Wow...this is crazy....I have replaced some of my old worn out original LP's with sealed original ones probably 10-15 yrs ago but most were only $20.00 at the most. The only ones I paid $80.00 to $100.00 was for an Offering Promo LP and Lovelines but that was quite a while ago.

That's my point right there--sealed copies are outrageously expensive, and even the used copies (which are in far worse shape now than 10-15 years ago) have even been spotted with inflated prices. I don't see a value proposition there at all. 20 years ago I could have found perfectly good used copies for $3-$5. Nowadays they are in worse shape, at a higher cost, like $5 and up (unless they are stuffed into a dollar bin, and those are usually in terrible condition).

So today, three of the new LPs are $16 or less. I bought the one I was interested in. To me it's a bargain, compared to the buy/discard cycle I would go through finding a clean playable used copy.

I'm wondering if the price for sealed copies are due to many online record dealers (ebay) are just running out of supply that they have held since the 70's?

I think it's purely opportunism. Records are a hot item now, so these sellers think they can jack up the price and people will buy them. Thing is, those might be listing prices, but how long do they sit on those high prices before they sell, or they drop the price? I might even call it the eBay syndrome.

There was a record shop in the Minneapolis area that bought up hundreds of thousands of sealed LPs, from the stock of a long-defunct record store or distributor. That is one store I would go out of my way to visit. I'm sure they might price a few rarities higher than others but on the other hand, if you buy that many records, you also have to sell them to cover costs. If I find the article I need to link to it. Interesting read!

 

[Cuppadan]

Check these opinions in amazon, is it true that they sound so bad or did not clean the lp and arrived and put them like that on the record player? Even now it's cheaper at 134 dollars... Regards
https://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Collec...4545&sr=8-1&keywords=Carpenters+lp+collection

Misael,
I want to set the record straight no pun intended. The Carpenters vinyl I received was horrible. Of course I cleaned them. I clean all vinyl whether it's new or not. I only opened two of them and they were both like sandpaper. Super loud pops and visible specks in the vinyl itself. Close To You side one was pressed off center and sounded like a old worn LP from the dollar bin. In my 40+ years of collecting records I've only seen one other LP worse than this. The one reviewer on Amazon who said the edges were sharp is not lying. Mine were the same. You can read my review there under Dan.

 

[Rudy]

@Cuppadan, our friend @Rick-An Ordinary Fool posted above that he had to clean the vinyl quite a few times to get it suitably clean. I have received dirty records myself in the past, even 180- and 200-gram releases, and the record pressing plant is definitely not a clean room environment. However, there is no excuse for vinyl to be this grungy when it comes out of a pressing plant! It almost sounds like a rush job. I have a few recent records with spindle holes that are snug, and mine runs a hair larger than normal anyway. That is why I am curious to see who pressed it. United comes to mind, but their symbol is not in the deadwax (unless the label requested it that way).

I have had really poor vinyl from GZ Vinyl, but they are located in the Czech Republic. I highly doubt UMe would use them for what is primarily a US release, but, anything is possible! My problems with GZ were more with scuffs and scratches fresh out of the shrink-wrapped album cover. And this was the Dire Straits On Every Street which was a UMe release in the EU. (Dire Straits is only on Warner in the US.)

Thanks for the feedback. We can only hope that someone from Universal gets wind of these QC problems and fixes them. As for me, I have a copy of Horizon heading my way in a couple of days, and I will give it a bit of an inspection before playing. It's only fair that if any Carpenters fans are interested in this set, that they know what they are getting for their money.

 

[Cuppadan]

@Cuppadan, our friend @Rick-An Ordinary Fool posted above that he had to clean the vinyl quite a few times to get it suitably clean. I have received dirty records myself in the past, even 180- and 200-gram releases, and the record pressing plant is definitely not a clean room environment. However, there is no excuse for vinyl to be this grungy when it comes out of a pressing plant! It almost sounds like a rush job. I have a few recent records with spindle holes that are snug, and mine runs a hair larger than normal anyway. That is why I am curious to see who pressed it. United comes to mind, but their symbol is not in the deadwax (unless the label requested it that way).

I have had really poor vinyl from GZ Vinyl, but they are located in the Czech Republic. I highly doubt UMe would use them for what is primarily a US release, but, anything is possible! My problems with GZ were more with scuffs and scratches fresh out of the shrink-wrapped album cover. And this was the Dire Straits On Every Street which was a UMe release in the EU. (Dire Straits is only on Warner in the US.)

Thanks for the feedback. We can only hope that someone from Universal gets wind of these QC problems and fixes them. As for me, I have a copy of Horizon heading my way in a couple of days, and I will give it a bit of an inspection before playing. It's only fair that if any Carpenters fans are interested in this set, that they know what they are getting for their money.

@Rudy First off I want to thank you, your forum and it's members for providing great information and perspectives on A&M vinyl. I love this place.
I agree that some vinyl needs to be cleaned at least 3 times maybe more. Especially those than have 30 years of dried up silicone record cleaner/lubricate or even worse ones that have been cleaned with Windex (yes I said Windex). But in my experience it's always been used vinyl that needs that level of cleaning. Never have I had to clean a brand new LP more than once. And that once is to generally take off the mold release agent and maybe some factory particles. I agree also about the GZVINYL and some others I heard about on this forum and elsewhere. A while back I bought the Steely Dan Greatest Hits reissue with the Back To Black sticker and it was horrible. Crackle and low volume made it UN-listenable. I kept it as a reminder to never trust gzvinyl again.

 

[Cuppadan]

@Rudy
I forgot to say that I hope your copy of Horizon is good. No vinyl lover deserves this kind of torture.

 

[Rudy]

@Cuppadan I have seen quite a few dirty used records in my day--some days I think a chisel and hammer may be more appropriate than a rinse 'n' vac! I've had records arrive in those "gummy" plastic sleeves (like the ones that the Musical Heritage Society used to offer) where they had adhered to the record, to where I had to use some strong solvent to get the residue off. (Nitty Gritty used to sell it until it was banned.) I also had an A&M promo LP from the 60s that looked like something was smeared all over side two. Others were impossibly dusty.

I have switched to using an ultrasonic cleaner first, then hitting it with a clear water rinse and vacuum. The results are the best I've ever had. I pretty much follow the method Harry Weisfeld (VPI) has been using with his records--there is a lengthy thread on VPI's site where he was exploring ultrasonic cleaning and arrived at his own method for cleaning his large vinyl collection. (Granted, he has access to the VPI Cyclone for his record vacuum, so that is beyond what I currently have.)

I get the impression I may have mud at the bottom of the ultrasonic when I get 'round to cleaning Horizon when it arrives. For kicks, I might hit it with one of my USB microscopes and see what the grooves look like. If the entire set is this filthy, maybe UMe should throw in a free record cleaner as a bonus with each purchase...

 

[Wayne Crozier]

I am reading a lot of negative reviews of the set due to poor quality control standards, ours ain’t due till next month I am now getting slightly concerned that these issues are wide spread?. Not looking good - sharp edges and dirty records - oh no!!.
I have a very expensive Linn Sondek Turntable which is suspension based, no way will I be forcing records into the spindle as it may damage the suspension, which if out of kilter costs over £100 to have re set and serviced and I’ve only recently had a full strip down and rebuild done!.

 

[Toolman]

Can't speak to whether or not it's a good idea to put these on a "very expensive" turntable. Mine wasn't cheap, but I'm also just your average joe music fan who bases his appreciation on what enters his ears and not on graphs. Listened to "The Singles" last night, in bed, near-total darkness, dead quiet. It sounded quite good to me. Very marginal surface noise lasting a second or two. Out of the 5 I've opened so far, only "Ticket" caused me any concerns, and I'll quickly add that I didn't clean it at all before playing. Not saying the critics of the set's quality are wrong...or that my opinion won't change after listening to the entire set. For now, as reluctant as I was to pony up $160+ for music that I already owned in various formats, I have no regrets. Expectations differ.

 

[Cuppadan]

Can't speak to whether or not it's a good idea to put these on a "very expensive" turntable. Mine wasn't cheap, but I'm also just your average joe music fan who bases his appreciation on what enters his ears and not on graphs. Listened to "The Singles" last night, in bed, near-total darkness, dead quiet. It sounded quite good to me. Very marginal surface noise lasting a second or two. Out of the 5 I've opened so far, only "Ticket" caused me any concerns, and I'll quickly add that I didn't clean it at all before playing. Not saying the critics of the set's quality are wrong...or that my opinion won't change after listening to the entire set. For now, as reluctant as I was to pony up $160+ for music that I already owned in various formats, I have no regrets. Expectations differ.

@Toolman
I totally agree about the expectations. I have vinyl that is less than great with audio I can't leave behind. I have two original copies of Tubular Bells that i wish were better but i still listen cause i love that damn thing.
However there is a fine line that I have when it comes to quality and the carpenters box crosses that line and then some.
Like the song says, sometimes bad is bad.
I hope the other discs you have are good for you because you will have a rare set.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I'd agree with Cuppadan, I've not seen brand new vinyl this dirty. I've given it several cleaning and I know it needs more. I've only opened 2 so far and hoping the others are not as dirty.

 

[Cuppadan]

I'd agree with Cuppadan, I've not seen brand new vinyl this dirty. I've given it several cleaning and I know it needs more. I've only opened 2 so far and hoping the others are not as dirty.

@Rick-An Ordinary Fool
Please let us know if more cleanings help. I scrubbed mine and it made no difference at all. I've never seen that except when the vinyl was trash. On my copies I could actually see specks embedded in the vinyl. I have a picture of that if anyone cares to see it?
I can't upload it now cause I'm not at home. I can tonight.

 

[newvillefan]

Out of the 5 I've opened so far, only "Ticket" caused me any concerns, and I'll quickly add that I didn't clean it at all before playing.

For a set that costs in the region of $160 I'm not sure you should have to clean the vinyl before use!

 

[Felipe Rayes]

Expecting my set to arrive in Brazil tomorrow. Being a Carpenters fan for almost 25 years and reading all those bad reviews makes me bite my nails. I have some brazillian original pressings and the one that sounds best is Now & Then. The others like Carpenters and Song for You are really noisy, so I was really excited to give them a spin. Let´s pray!

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

There is also no guarantee that if one were to buy older vinyl that is still sealed that it will be quiet, in fact it could be noisy and worse it could be warped. I would hate to pay 150.00 or 350.00 for a sealed older vinyl to only have surface noise or a warped record. There is older used vinyl out there that is clean it's just a hit or miss search.

 

[theninjarabbit]

This is always disheartening to read.

 

[Felipe Rayes]

The pressing hole in this pic confirms whats people are saying at Amazon.

 

[Misael Castillo Lopez]

This is always disheartening to read.

The same thing happens to me, mine arrives in Chile in a week, and I do not know what to believe, I have all the discography in Japanese lp and I must say that they sound very good even those who are more poorly cared for. Regards to all..

 

[Cuppadan]

This is always disheartening to read.

You got that right. I was quite sick when I found out about mine.

 

[Wayne Crozier]

The pressing hole in this pic confirms whats people are saying at Amazon.

Wouldn’t it be possible to insert a pen or something to possibly make the hole larger prior to putting the pressing on the deck?, not ideal admittedly but possibly would prevent the rips to the label?. I’m hoping the European release is pressed at a different pressing plant (well my fingers are crossed that it is).

 

[Cuppadan]

Wouldn’t it be possible to insert a pen or something to possibly make the hole larger prior to putting the pressing on the deck?, not ideal admittedly but possibly would prevent the rips to the label?. I’m hoping the European release is pressed at a different pressing plant (well my fingers are crossed that it is).

A reaming tool would work but you have to be careful. I hope you get a good press. Please let us know if you do.

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

Wouldn’t it be possible to insert a pen or something to possibly make the hole larger prior to putting the pressing on the deck?, not ideal admittedly but possibly would prevent the rips to the label?. I’m hoping the European release is pressed at a different pressing plant (well my fingers are crossed that it is).

So far both LPs I've opened have rips near the holes, none of this affects play or sound but it's too bad there not completely clean.

 

[David A]

Maybe it's area-dependent? No such luck in my travels. Any vinyl of theirs I have looked at locally have been poor, and I have had similar luck elsewhere (Columbus, Chicago, etc.). The couple I have bought that have looked good enough to purchase were unacceptably worn (groove burn) or noisy once they were cleaned and played.

I also don't trust buying any online unless they were factory sealed--most sellers grade visually, and visual grading to me is worth the value of a $3 bill (in other words, nothing), and some of that grading is rather on the optimistic side. Can't even count the number of VG and VG+ records I've purchased that sellers feel is NM.

In my travels over the past decade or so, used vinyl has been disappointing at best--as a whole, not just one specific artist or group. I've cut way back on buying it, as I end up rejecting at least half of it once I get it here to play it. Pop and rock music usually is the worst; I have better luck with some of the lesser-known music I tend to purchase. But I do buy used vinyl from friends and acquaintances who I know and trust, who have owned and lived with the record.

At the end of the day though, given used vinyl prices today, do I shell out $5 or more each for six or more worn copies of A Song For You (not including wasted time, gas or postage) or just buy one brand new 180 gram pressing at $20-$25 that at least starts off on the right foot? If there is clean, undamaged used Carpenters vinyl out there, it hasn't crawled over to my corner of the nation yet.

I don't doubt there still may be a few clean copies out there, but clawing my way through piles of poor quality used records to find those few good ones is not worth the effort. Are my standards high? Maybe, but all I really ask is that it not be worn or overly noisy (and much of that noise goes away after a good, thorough cleaning...as long as it was a good pressing or there isn't hidden damage).

I've purchased used vinyl in the past that has played like new (literally hundreds). In my experience lately, that is a rarity. And I am betting if I had looked for these Carpenters titles over a dozen years ago, I would not have had this dilemma... Hindsight being what it is, I would have purchased new copies right when vinyl was being phased out.

YMMV, as they say.

Same here in Phoenix/Scottsdale area. I haven't found any decent old Carpenters vinyl, which is one major reason I bought this set.

 

[GaryAlan]

The Amazon reviews, few as they are for the Vinyl Collection---
are quite disconcerting !
I'm afraid to say, I have decided to pass this up for good.
This marks one of the very few instances where a "new" product has failed to compel
me to a purchase....UMG may never get another 'sale' from me.....

Now, I am compelled to purchase the Christmas Memories DVD--that is, a pledge to PBS for it,
as the entire product was obviously lovingly done.

Now, how about a mass-market Christmas DVD !!

 

[Rudy]

My one thought? Wait until Richard hears about this...

 

[Rick-An Ordinary Fool]

I don't think it's as bad as some are making it out to be. I can only speak for myself but the 2 I've opened are very listenable once properly cleaned. The few ticks or pops I've encountered I'm not sure at this point if there permanent or if further cleaning will resolve.

I won't judge the set until I've heard all the albums. I was pretty impressed with Close To You.

I wish there was a way to find out where these were pressed and will folks in other countries like the UK be shipped sets from the US or are these being pressed in different plants across the world.

When I get around to opening the Tan album I'm going to try and takes some really close up shots of the vinyl grooves before ever cleaning it to see what I find.