Would be fun to see a long-form recap video from Japan similar to the road trip video. I would also enjoy watching a set budget drop as the video went on. Could build up some excitement (if you choose to shop for more records while you're there).
Hey, Rich! It’s great seeing you post more frequently! My frustration with collecting has mainly stemmed from me being unable to allocate free time to listen and spin! School and work have taken up my entire life. I stopped going on social media and RU-vid. But I think at the end of the day, everyone goes through these bumps in the road and what makes the journey great is that there are others out there who are in the same situation you are! I hope all is well and I can’t wait to see about your time in Japan. Cheers!
Hello, Rich. I'm from Madrid, Spain, and I've been feeling exactly the same way about collecting vinyl, mainly buying them online, for months now. Luckily being from a big city is not really a problem, cause I can get vinyl on several stores we have here, but online, and after the bad experience with the scammers of craftrecordings I'm basically done with it. And yes, the main thing is the music inside, and not if this or that edition has more dynamic range lol. All the best.
I was thinking about making a video with her selections as the theme, it's a good idea! Her thing is definitely to go against the grain! And like your best friend, we enjoy exercising patience and waiting for great deals.
I got into vinyl as a kid/musician because CD's where $17 and I had already ripped off Columbia house, BMG etc too many times. I remember buying blue notes for 25 cents from my college library. Then later for $5 in NYC in early 2000's from a hip hop dj, producer who opened a store downstairs from his studio. Started charging me $10 for blue notes once he saw me spending my last $40 every month or so. Now CD's are cheap. With a decent system they can often sound as good or better than what many people's turntable setup may be. Everything outside of the music itself is a trade-off, but with many, I think that wears off and music becomes the enjoyable part again.
„Out to Lunch“ is one of the few avant-garde records I still play regularly to this day. When I first got into jazz some 20+ years ago, I was much more open-minded when it comes to the more out-there genres. But perhaps I was just felt it was my „duty“ to listen to that stuff. As years went by, I was less and less inclined to do so. The Eric Dolphy album is a big, big exception. I find it absolutely enthralling. When it comes to CDs, I‘ve really taken a 180 approach when it comes to the RVG Edition. A friend of mine who is a successful electronic music producer is a big fan of some of the Blue Note albums. And he told me he always chooses the RVG Edition when listening to on Tidal. And I found that very interesting given the fact that he is not a jazzhead, but he‘s definitely somebody who knows a lot about sound and is a musician. That made me re-listen to my collection of RVG CDs, and I must say the general hatred was way over-the-top. Especially nowadays when the so-called „unremastered“ CDs are getting a bit more expensive, RVG CDs are great value, have excellent liner notes and especially for the older mono recordings have still the best sound. For the stereo recordings it might be debatable given your preferences and whether or not you consider yourself an audiophile, but I still find that out of all the digital options available, the RVG editions have the tendency to „open up“ the music the most - which is good, in my opinion.
I own my fair share of RVG Editions, and in line with your comments, mostly mono. I find the stereo to be hit-or-miss depending on how wide it is. End of the day, I do agree with the stereotypical audiophile preference for wide stereo or narrower stereo. Sometimes I do find them a little "slammed" for (digital) jazz, sometimes a bit too bright, but for some albums (by Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan and the like) I have decided the more aggressive sound of the RVG Edition works better IMO when compared to other CD reissues.
I live in the Hudson Valley on the border of Orange/Sullivan County on the west side of the Hudson River and just before the Catskills. There's a lack of record stores once you came across the river. New York Attitude was the cd version of Kenny Barron's Autumn in New York Lp. Cds are a better deal as they almost always have bonus tracks and don't degrade.
The older cds are fantastic. I feel they sound better than the original lp release or the modern mastered equivalent (digital or vinyl). The old OJC cds in particular are incredibly good. I find it difficult to buy modern reissues as well, more and more than sound the same as the streaming version or slightly not as good. My understanding is many of the new versions for streaming are created when the vinyl mastering is done. Hence the similarity. Those 70’s or even 80’s pressings do sound great, especially when clean! Even DMM copies I’ve had sound great when played with a mono cartridge. These are all reasons I too have slowed my buying, but still retain a small level of interest in vinyl. Wonderful video, great content.
As I just wrote in another reply, I actually prefer the more current remastering style popularized by Harley & Grey, but I'm not sure it's worth all the hassle, for me anyway. I totally love OJC CDs and records, and in several cases have found that the CD is free of occasional imperfections in the all-analog vinyl mastering. '70s Blue Notes have the potential to sound great, though I will admit that the quality control dropped when compared to the Plastylite and Liberty eras, and as a result I have found that duds are more common.
I bought that NightDreamer by WS just a couple weeks ago.. excellent remaster. Sounds fantastic. Lucked out and had no jacket damage and no non-fill issues. Win. That Elvin Jones album is great. Out to Lunch- i really like the music for some reason.. even though most jazz in that genre is not for me. Great cover too. I love the cover a lot too.
I failed to mention it in this video but that is one advantage newer vinyl reissues often have over CDs: I prefer the Harley/Grey philosophy of remastering (for stereo), and yes, end of the day I prefer their work to Ron McMaster's, for example. It kinda stinks that digital releases in that style are limited to a handful of titles on HD Tracks, which for many titles makes vinyl the only game in town for that remastering style. The question for me personally remains though, whether it's worth the headaches of potential flaws, returns etc. for that slight edge in mastering style. Fortunately and as said in the video, the music is the same either way. 😊
Ive seen that Kenny B Autumn In New York on Discogs .. and they are not expensive .. I’ve streamed it from a RU-vid channel a while back. Good stuff. Mybe I’ll take a chance on the vinyl
You and I are at uncannily identical situations. We both have gone into modular synthesis, and cooled on current records because they have too many quality issues.
You should head on over to my RU-vid channel "R-Omega"! I have mostly Intellijel modules, some ALM, and just got an Erica Synths sequencer. I also have a Roland TR-6S drum machine, but that's about it at the moment!
If sound reproduction were the only factor, CDs and digital would be a no-brainer. For me though, at the end of the day, these damn records are more fun and more collectible though! This is why I try to find a balance. I'm with you 100% though.
Rich, perhaps you won’t mind me saying this since we’re not complete strangers and I do feel a bit bad given your background in audio engineering - but please get a proper microphone ❤
It's on the way hahaha, I literally just gave in yesterday and ordered it. (You may have noticed that my first videos had better sound as I was borrowing one from a friend.) I hope everyone can appreciate that I make a teacher's salary, and that my camera, lens, tripod, lighting equipment, and computer have all costed a fair amount of money, and for a long time a new microphone was simply not a priority in consideration of that investment.
