I've seen some pressings of records I want to own that are "half speed masters", and I wondered if anyone here has already listened to some records using this mastering technique? Is there a noticeable (and better) difference in audio quality? I'm very much looking for opinions here, I know a bit about how the process works but haven't had the opportunity to do any side-by-side comparisons.

My turntable and speaker setup isn't high-end, so if the quality improvement is only really apparent on very sensitive equipment then I'll stick with the regular masters.

I bought this album entirely for the cover aesthetic, and seeing the coloured vinyl I was well chuffed about my purchase. It's really a lovely package.

Now, I may be spoiled in terms of music, but I've played this several times and... nothing sticks or stands out. It's an entirely unremarkable album, but fortunately also quite inoffensive and well within my usual genre habits. It's not bad in any regard, just... mid everything?

So I guess this is That Album in my collection that I can put on without a second thought, not really pay attention, and someday it may click.

Anybody else have similar albums in the shelf?

Cortez, Cortez, what a killer! I'm willing to argue that Zuma surpasses Harvest for Neil Young's beat album. This is am original copy i poked up at the local flea market a few years ago, and it remains one of my favorite records in my collection. Neil Young was such a brilliant lyricist/guitar player as a young man, and i am happy to keep that memory alive. To me, Neil Young is as iconic an artist as Prince, Freddy Mercury, and Ozzy Osbourne. He definitely starts to drift into "noble savage territory during " Cortez, What a Killer" but the song is sung eith sich passion and feeling that only the coldest hearted bastard could ignore the intent of the song. Neil used to be sicha passionate and dedicated young man, and i feel that it makes his music absolutely timeless.

This is one I inherited from my late brother. I have a handful of his half obscure vinyls that I pull out every once in a while, with no real clue what the madman got his hands on and why.

I was surprised how much I dug this abstract, ambient piece of black metal/noise. It could well score a particularly nasty, late David Lynch experiment. The orchestral synths and howling chorals supplement the walls of drone really well.

Not that this is a pleasant listen — I'm quite sure it wasn't meant to be — but it's surprisingly adventurous, and with particularly non-euclidic angles to its soundscapes.

I know this comes up regularly, I don't need an originality badge to play or post one of my favourite bands 🙂

First came upon these guys a couple years after this record came out. Blew my mind wide open, and I haven't bothered closing it since.

If you don't know him, Johnny played jazz guitar, starting from the 1940s. In 1954 he wrote, "Walk Don't Run", which was then covered by Chet Atkins, and later the Ventures made it a surf tune. He kept playing and recording through the 60s, then he moved to Colorado and ran a music store, gave lessons till he passed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Smith

I love his cool, laid back style combined with his excellent guitar technique and tone.

Example from YT with Stan Getz: https://youtu.be/NPVS2ZnjLY8

D.O.A. - War On 45
https://www.discogs.com/release/6979428-DOA-2-War-On-45

Cop Shoot Cop - Ask Questions Later

Noise rock band from NYC, I got turned onto them a few years back. They're pretty different from a lot of what I'm used to, They've got an industrial edge with some interesting instrument lineups in studio.

Finally bought my favourite album of theirs and although I wasn't planning too, I got an original 1993 UK pressing for £25 and it still sounds great!

First vinyl I own that's older than I am.

Is your muffin buttered? Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?

I'm a big fun of girl rock, and Wet Leg is one of my favorite rock bands out there right now. I came across the video for Wet Dreams at the end of 2023 and feel in love with the band . Rhain Teadale's got a great voice, and Hester Chambers guitar riffs are heavy yet catchy. Plus, their videos are super cool. I'm not quite sure what genre i would describe them as more on the pop-side of pop-punk, but you can definitely hear how Jack White, the Strokes, and Kings of Leon really come through in their music.

I've never heard the vocals on Money for Nothing so clearly, the Spotify version doesn't do it justice.

I've been listening to this today. It came with a cheeky little 7" included: "I Feel Nothing When You Cry".

This is the 4 men with beards reissue from 2007.

Big Star - 3rd https://www.discogs.com/release/1034486-Big-Star-3rd

Went to Detroit for a concert this weekend. Had an absolute blast, and swung a record shop this morning on my way hom to pick up a little Motown! I've been hoping to get some more funk and soul music in my collection, so i grabbed this one since it's an older pressing and my local radio station plays the 4 Tops all the time so i know them well.

Motown scares me a bit since they were such a single heavy label, so they're aren't really "essential" albums like other genres, it's mostly greatest hits comp albums and singles, and I'm not ready for 45's yet. Anyone else around here collect funk/soul albums to give some advice? I live along the I-75 corridor which was so essential to the genre so i want to expand out on them in the future.

Getting our house ready and final meal prep for our wedding today so might as well put Zeppelin’s best album on.