⭐ Quick Review My ongoing Police saga (AKA another day, another Universal record for the reject pile...)

For a few years I've been on a quest to replace some great-sounding records that I stupidly traded in or gave away when I downgraded (yes) to the CD versions. One of my side quests has been to find the best sounding vinyl by The Police. I finally found a sealed copy of Synchronicity pressed on the KC-600 vinyl that sounds exactly as I remember it--clean, dynamic, powerful. And the US SACDs from many years ago are very, very close to sounding like the records I used to own, so those have been my gold standard in finding replacements.

I located a sealed Ghost in the Machine via Discogs, but the seller first sent me the wrong record--it was used, and smelled musty. Didn't even stick it on the turntable. They exchanged it, and sent me a sealed copy but again, not the one I ordered (which was supposed to be a sealed promo...but I was tired of dealing with this mess). Well, I opened it and played it, and whichever pressing this is, it does not sound very good. I have an earlier used copy that sounds better. So, this one's a scratch--another mistake for the reject pile.

The real kicker is that I almost thought about buying the Nautilus pressing I saw at Earth Pig Records even though it was a bit pricy--I had a dbx version of Zenyatta Mondatta that sounded quite good so I don't doubt the Nautilus pressing of Ghost would also sound good. It'll be a few months before I can get back there and chances are it won't be there.

I was at the point where I thought I'd try some new vinyl. I had a previous Zenyatta Mondatta from Universal that was dull and lifeless--who knew someone could suck the life out of a record by remastering it? Terrible. At least that one I bought used, so it didn't hurt too much to stick it in the reject pile.

I took a chance and ordered the three titles I needed, and chose the pressings that were allegedly remastered at Abbey Rd. Studios by...whoever.

Welp, got 'em in today. Opened up Zenyatta and hoped for the best. Oh, the dynamics were mostly there unlike their previous botched attempt (Stewart Copeland's snare drum should "Pop!!" when it's properly mastered), but the highs sounded awful on this cut, as though it were made from a poor tape copy. The highs are badly slurred.

Seriously, Universal??

On top of it, all three records were "made in Poland." I'm not against Poland (after all, I am allegedly ¼ Polish, just shy of a quarter kielbasa I suppose), but many European pressing plants leave a lot to be desired. This record has a few micro-warps in it, and there are a lot of clicks and pops throughout side one. Hell, out of my recent haul from my record crawls in Colorado, none of them were this noisy (except for a woebegone copy of Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire which has more scratches than Grandpa's '73 Buick).

I've asked the seller if I could return the other two unopened copies, and hinted about returning Zenyatta as well. I'm so disgusted that I want them out of my life.

It's also disgusting how Universal gets so much wrong on the vinyl they release. When the pressure is on and the cost is higher, sure, they can get a good product out. (The few Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds series reissues I've purchased are nearly flawless, and even the Geffen Can't Buy a Thrill released a few months ago is of good quality, since many Steely Dan fans are fussy about sound quality.) But for so many other releases, they tend to screw up the mastering and press decent vinyl, or do the opposite and release noisy vinyl for superb mastering (like Dire Straits' On Every Street on an EU pressing from about a decade ago...they used Czech bottom feeder GZ Vinyl to press it, and it arrived complete with visible (and obviously audible) scratches and scuffs straight out of the factory sleeve...on two different copies!).

You think I'd learn. Well yeah, OK, I did learn. I'll stick with the better-known engineers and mastering studios like Cohearant (Kevin Gray), MoFi (even though they royally messed up Thriller--they're very hit and miss but at least they try to put out a good product), and others who are doing quality work. Or buy good quality used or new old stock sealed records. Biggest lesson--Universal once again disappoints. Why nobody else calls them out on it still amazes me.

I'll update if the seller takes these back. They're a big, well-known record seller, so I don't think there will be a problem.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

For a few years I've been on a quest to replace some great-sounding records that I stupidly traded in or gave away when I downgraded (yes) to the CD versions. One of my side quests has been to find the best sounding vinyl by The Police. I finally found a sealed copy of Synchronicity pressed on the KC-600 vinyl that sounds exactly as I remember it--clean, dynamic, powerful. And the US SACDs from many years ago are very, very close to sounding like the records I used to own, so those have been my gold standard in finding replacements.

I located a sealed Ghost in the Machine via Discogs, but the seller first sent me the wrong record--it was used, and smelled musty. Didn't even stick it on the turntable. They exchanged it, and sent me a sealed copy but again, not the one I ordered (which was supposed to be a sealed promo...but I was tired of dealing with this mess). Well, I opened it and played it, and whichever pressing this is, it does not sound very good. I have an earlier used copy that sounds better. So, this one's a scratch--another mistake for the reject pile.

The real kicker is that I almost thought about buying the Nautilus pressing I saw at Earth Pig Records even though it was a bit pricy--I had a dbx version of Zenyatta Mondatta that sounded quite good so I don't doubt the Nautilus pressing of Ghost would also sound good. It'll be a few months before I can get back there and chances are it won't be there.

I was at the point where I thought I'd try some new vinyl. I had a previous Zenyatta Mondatta from Universal that was dull and lifeless--who knew someone could suck the life out of a record by remastering it? Terrible. At least that one I bought used, so it didn't hurt too much to stick it in the reject pile.

I took a chance and ordered the three titles I needed, and chose the pressings that were allegedly remastered at Abbey Rd. Studios by...whoever.

Welp, got 'em in today. Opened up Zenyatta and hoped for the best. Oh, the dynamics were mostly there unlike their previous botched attempt (Stewart Copeland's snare drum should "Pop!!" when it's properly mastered), but the highs sounded awful on this cut, as though it were made from a poor tape copy. The highs are badly slurred.

Seriously, Universal??

On top of it, all three records were "made in Poland." I'm not against Poland (after all, I am allegedly ¼ Polish, just shy of a quarter kielbasa I suppose), but many European pressing plants leave a lot to be desired. This record has a few micro-warps in it, and there are a lot of clicks and pops throughout side one. Hell, out of my recent haul from my record crawls in Colorado, none of them were this noisy (except for a woebegone copy of Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire which has more scratches than Grandpa's '73 Buick).

I've asked the seller if I could return the other two unopened copies, and hinted about returning Zenyatta as well. I'm so disgusted that I want them out of my life.

It's also disgusting how Universal gets so much wrong on the vinyl they release. When the pressure is on and the cost is higher, sure, they can get a good product out. (The few Craft Recordings and Acoustic Sounds series reissues I've purchased are nearly flawless, and even the Geffen Can't Buy a Thrill released a few months ago is of good quality, since many Steely Dan fans are fussy about sound quality.) But for so many other releases, they tend to screw up the mastering and press decent vinyl, or do the opposite and release noisy vinyl for superb mastering (like Dire Straits' On Every Street on an EU pressing from about a decade ago...they used Czech bottom feeder GZ Vinyl to press it, and it arrived complete with visible (and obviously audible) scratches and scuffs straight out of the factory sleeve...on two different copies!).

You think I'd learn. Well yeah, OK, I did learn. I'll stick with the better-known engineers and mastering studios like Cohearant (Kevin Gray), MoFi (even though they royally messed up Thriller--they're very hit and miss but at least they try to put out a good product), and others who are doing quality work. Or buy good quality used or new old stock sealed records. Biggest lesson--Universal once again disappoints. Why nobody else calls them out on it still amazes me.

I'll update if the seller takes these back. They're a big, well-known record seller, so I don't think there will be a problem.

The part of vinyl I don't miss---whether it'll be a good pressing, on-center, not warped, etc.

And Universal....well, they've been a dumpster fire for 50-plus years. I have told the story here about five attempts to get a clean copy of Elton John's GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD album----including the fourth one, which was made from vinyl so poorly recycled that bits of label were embedded in the grooves.

 

[Bobberman]

This is the very reason why I've forever been wary of modern vinyl reissues and remasters many are not using the best Analog masters and the vinyl used is not the same High quality that was used back in the day and same with why I'm wary of investing In a new turntable and unsure of how it will handle my remaining vintage records I spent so much money upgrading everything to Digital over the years and if I ever get a turntable again I will get one similar to the professional types they have at the radio station I work out ( the technics SL series comes to mind except I need to find one at a reasonable price) as for getting vinyl again my standard has always been getting the best quality pressing in the best condition as humanly possible as well as the Best sounding as well as a Good price regardless of whether it's an early pressing or a later one if it's sealed new old stock that is a no brainer for now though the holdout continues

 

[Rudy]

The part of vinyl I don't miss---whether it'll be a good pressing, on-center, not warped, etc.

These days, the better boutique labels are doing a knock-out job and releasing things that sound way better than anything the original record labels could ever muster. Even the joint projects (Acoustic Sounds doing Verve and Contemporary, Cohearant and RTI doing the Craft Recordings releases, the newest OJC reissues, etc.) are worlds better than what we had several years ago. It's actually a better time than ever to buy some of these records.

(When I went through Analogue Productions/Acoustic Sounds/QRP back in May, they had some relatively new machinery they now use to cut the center hole on the stampers. I haven't had an off-center record from the label in a long time now.)

But the major labels are in it now for a money grab. Just look at the chaotic Record Store Day feeding frenzy. Scrape the vaults for table scraps that even the family dog would reject, and/or package something common in a unique package in order to price gouge record buyers. Much as I like Toto and "Africa," nobody asked for an Africa-shaped picture disc of that single.

Finding clean, new old stock vinyl is a challenge but still will sound better than most early-pressing CDs, I've found, or in the case of the Police albums, the SACDs are the closest to the vinyl copies I originally owned. (Any early pressing of Synchronicity on KC-600 vinyl still cannot be topped.) And on many titles I've bought that are still sealed from the 70s and 80s in recent years, I think many of us are remembering things a bit worse than they actually were--I can count on one hand out of dozens of NOS sealed records where there were actual defects where I had to reject them. (One was an Isaac Hayes record on Polydor--one side was really off-center. Next sealed copy? Perfect. Very rare exception.)

One label that really stuck with me as being poor quality was Motown through most of the 80s when MCA was pressing their records. I was getting into Stevie Wonder through reissues, as well as keeping up with current released by Rick James and many others...and more often than not, those records would always be noisy, even promo 12-inch singles. And those "Platinum Series" Steely Dan reissues (which is how I first discovered their records) were not only pressed on noisy vinyl, but poorly mastered.

And Universal....well, they've been a dumpster fire for 50-plus years. I have told the story here about five attempts to get a clean copy of Elton John's GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD album----including the fourth one, which was made from vinyl so poorly recycled that bits of label were embedded in the grooves.

Understatement. 🤣

Yet the early pressing my mother's cousin owned is playing right now (see what you started? 😁), and it's a really good slab of vinyl. Fast forward to the 80s and reissue vinyl, though, and I'd never find a good one. I like this vinyl a bit better than the SACD since the bottom end is more fleshed out. I'm surprised she didn't play it more, to be honest, but she was more into Beatles.

and if I ever get a turntable again I will get one similar to the professional types they have at the radio station I work out ( the technics SL series comes to mind except I need to find one at a reasonable price)

A genuine Technics SL would be hard to find at a reasonable price, new or used--they are in high demand. And rightfully so--they are workhorses, and the newer Grand Class series (redesigned from the ground up) is an audiophile favorite. But something like the Audio Technica that looks like the SL seems to get good reviews.

 

[Rudy]

Update! The shop sent me a return label for the items. I won't mention their name, but they are operating under a new name and were previously very well known under their original name. Still left them a fantastic review as they shipped the items securely and quickly. Can't fault them at all because the product was rubbish. 😉

 

[jfiedler17]

I haven't bought much at all in the way of modern-day vinyl reissues of older albums (or, for that matter, vinyl copies of modern-day albums), but the handful I've bought in recent years have all sounded terrible. (Or even looked terrible. Heck, I've opened more than one newer reissue that had fingerprints on it!) I seem to have far better luck sticking to new or gently-used copies of older pressings.

One label that really stuck with me as being poor quality was Motown through most of the 80s when MCA was pressing their records. I was getting into Stevie Wonder through reissues, as well as keeping up with current released by Rick James and many others...and more often than not, those records would always be noisy, even promo 12-inch singles. And those "Platinum Series" Steely Dan reissues (which is how I first discovered their records) were not only pressed on noisy vinyl, but poorly mastered.

Yeah, I've noticed that as well about Motown's '80s releases (whether LPs, 12-inch singles, or 45s). They can look perfectly fine upon inspection but still end up having a surprising amount of surface noise.

 

[Rudy]

I haven't bought much at all in the way of modern-day vinyl reissues of older albums (or, for that matter, vinyl copies of modern-day albums), but the handful I've bought in recent years have all sounded terrible.

It really depends on who is releasing it. When you get someone like Kevin Gray (and his assistant Matt Lutthans, who also has a great ear), Bernie Grundman and his cohorts (like Chris Bellman), the guys at MoFi (Rob LoVerde, Krieg Wunderlich...hope I spelled that right), and a handful of others still in the game (Ryan K. Smith at Sterling, for instance), you can get a record that exceeds expectations. But if they come right from the major record labels (and they are not in one of their "special" series like Tone Poet, Acoustic Sounds Series, recent Craft Recordings, etc.) it can be a roll of the dice as to whether it sounds any good. I had excellent luck with some of the Warner vinyl reissues from a dozen or so years ago, especially those which Steve Hoffman remastered (Moondance, the 45 RPM Rumours, etc.). In fact, the first Van Halen album on 180 gram used the metal parts from Hoffman's mastering originally on the DCC label.

Same with pressing plants. QRP (Salina, KS) which I visited in May has been knocking it out of the park lately with clean, quiet pressings. RTI in SoCal has also been doing good work. Pallas usually has good pressings. Other plants can be hit or miss. I haven't yet tried anything pressed by Third Man Records (Jack White's pressing plant), but I know I've had back luck with product from GZ Vinyl (Czech.), perhaps Optimal, and Rainbo (US) was notoriously bad on the Beatles stereo box set from a dozen years ago whereas UK/EU pressings were flawless.

When labels send out their pressing orders to the lowest bidder, we're not going to get good results. And that's how these Police records turned out so lousy. Made in Poland? Spare me.

It's a good chunk of this hobby to follow all of this, but it's worth it. Once I learned of all the good mastering engineers and which pressing plants were putting out good product, that made the job much easier.

I seem to have far better luck sticking to new or gently-used copies of older pressings.

That's been a niche of mine--finding new old stock sealed records. Sometimes they really don't cost too much more than used copies. And actually, even if I paid 50% more for a sealed one, that saves me burning through two or three copies trying to find one that is worth keeping. It's even more of a thrill if it hasn't seen daylight since it left the factory 50-60 years ago, like the Al Hirt/Pete Fountain record I picked up on Verve for $2.99. It's like a time capsule!

 

[Nemily]

This is the very reason why I've forever been wary of modern vinyl reissues and remasters many are not using the best Analog masters and the vinyl used is not the same High quality that was used back in the day and same with why I'm wary of investing In a new turntable and unsure of how it will handle my remaining vintage records I spent so much money upgrading everything to Digital over the years and if I ever get a turntable again I will get one similar to the professional types they have at the radio station I work out ( the technics SL series comes to mind except I need to find one at a reasonable price)

I was also in the market a while back for a new turntable and I wary just like you said. I wanted to get the best experience possible when I was listening to my original collection. It was all a little overwhelming for me so I went with one that had a preamp because it just an easy pick considering my limited knowledge of electronics. I have since invested in a nice Amp and CD Player so I guess I could I could upgrade my turntable and integrate them now if I wanted to.

The reason I haven't yet though is I am really happy with what I have. It's a Fluance RT-81. It's a little older now and they have a series going up to I believe RT-85. After RT-81 and RT-82 they stopped making them with preamps. All of the models have either Ortofon or Audio Technica Cartridges. I've heard the later models have a lot of notable improvements, and even the newest models are still in a reasonable price range.

Just something to consider when you are checking out reviews of different brands in addition to the Audio Technica that Rudy suggested for you. This model has my original LPs from the 60s and 70s sounding amazing and it passes the test for me.

 

[GDBY2LV]

I have the RT-85, and it’s an incredible buy at just under $500, on Amazon and a couple of other sites. The Ortofon blue cartridge it comes with is nice, but I upgraded to the black and bronze, depending on the quality of the vinyl I’m playing.
The Fluance turntables have very high ratings, and reviews, and the price is right too. It tracks at 1.5 grams for light vinyl wear.

 

[jfiedler17]

That's been a niche of mine--finding new old stock sealed records. Sometimes they really don't cost too much more than used copies. And actually, even if I paid 50% more for a sealed one, that saves me burning through two or three copies trying to find one that is worth keeping. It's even more of a thrill if it hasn't seen daylight since it left the factory 50-60 years ago, like the Al Hirt/Pete Fountain record I picked up on Verve for $2.99. It's like a time capsule!

Me, too! I did have one big bit of luck at one point early last year with that: one of the local record stores near me came into something like two dozen boxes of still-sealed cutout titles (mostly from the '70s and most of which they had between five to ten copies of each) and put the majority of them out for a buck a piece to try to clear them out as quickly as possible, since most of them weren't by very well-known acts. I must have grabbed at least twenty of them - I remember picking up Dobie Gray's Drift Away, The Searchers' self-titled '79 reunion album, Andrew Gold's Whirlwind, the sole album by the Bernie Leadon-Michael Georgiades Band, Airwaves' New Day, both albums by the Tarney-Spencer Band (I love anything Alan Tarney writes or produces, so those were must-haves for me), Ian Matthews' Stealin' Home, the self-titled debut from Jigsaw, Sailcat's Motorcycle Mama, a 2-LP Four Tops best-of, and John Fred & His Playboy Band's Agnes English, to name just a few - but, in hindsight, I regret not picking up even more at that price. Most of them were gone by the time I came back for a second round, sadly. One of the most fun hauls I've ever come home with from a record shop, though!

 

[Steven J. Gross]