mikewilliamson

I said it in another thread, but I'll say it again. Biggest disappointment is the sound quality on EMPIRE RECORDS.

I don't want to overstate it, as it's not like totally distorted defective crazy bad...But it IS poorly mastered/pressed. It's a double LP, with only 3-4 songs per side, so it should have plenty of room for quality sonics.

But the sonics are just squashed sounding. Everything sounds a little muffled and distant and by the last song on each side, noticeable distortion. I seriously want to know what plant pressed this shit. Inexcusable.

Anyways, I will end on a positive note that FREAKBEAT RECORDS in Los Angeles does RSD right. They let people in 10 at a time, you give them your list, and they prepare it for you behind the counter. No mad rush.

Before they open, they go down the line making their own list, asking what your #1 want is. They reserve it for you if they have it in stock by the time they reach you in line. So basically, if you are 150th in line, but you reserve the last RYAN ADAMS they have in stock, you get it because it's your #1...Not the first guy in line who just had it on his list of 20 titles. That guy gets HIS number 1, and whatever else HASN'T been reserved. I was 20th in line (out of about 150) and got ALL 9 items on my list.

It's a great way to ensure that if you wait in line, you WILL get at least SOMETHING you really want.

EMPIRE RECORDS

Yeah, it didn't sound great. Didn't really expect it to.

Why would you not expect it to sound good? With only 3-4 songs per side, and a major record company behind it, there should be no reason to have such a poor vinyl pressing job.

Really, it's probably the worst sounding record I've bought in years. It sounds kind of like a crappy 33rpm 7", all squashed sound, rather than a double 12".

Sigh...It'll look good on the shelf, but honestly the CD sounds better, which is a shame.

I got the EMPIRE RECORDS vinyl today (it was high on my list, ...MEICES!) and I think it sounds like shit. Poorly mastered. All songs are kinda distorted. I have audiophile all tube equipment and Music Hall turntable. It's not my equipment...Whoever pressed this record should go out of business.

Anyone feel the same way about this pressing?

Anyways, here's everything I bought:

EMPIRE RECORDS

ELECTRIC ANTHOLOGY OF DINOSAUR JR (purple wax)

RYAN ADAMS 7"

WHITE STRIPES 7"

METALLICA

JAY FARRAR, etc 10"

The best LA record stores:

AMOEBA

FREAKBEAT (Sherman Oaks)

ATOMIC (Burbank)

ROCKAWAY

CD TRADER (Tarzana)

Thanks man, appreciate it. We're really excited about this new batch of songs.

Hi guys. Mike from JR JUGGERNAUT here. We're recording our second record, "WAKE", this week.

Join us at www.facebook.com/jrjuggernaut and watch it happen as we'll be posting pics and vids of the session as it happens. We're setting up Thursday night and start tracking Friday morning.

Happy New Year!

Mike

Hey guys...Someone did an audience recording of our set at the SUBURBAN HOME 14th ANNIVERSARY party last week in Denver. And it sounds pretty good!

Here it is...I guess it disappears after 12 days or something.

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&send_id=741623459&email=7c221f47ee0e0b379c324e61fa5b611d

Setlist was:

HANGMAN'S TIME

EARLY MORNING BLACKOUT

TONIGHT, COME HOME

COMING IN BACKWARDS

WAILING WEST

NOTHING LASTS

HEAVEN KNOWS MY NAME

ANOTHER TWO WEEKS

TROUBLE (Cat Stevens)

If you couldn't make it out, this is the rock that went down!

Mike

Yeah, the ONLY Westerberg solo on vinyl is:

GRANDPABOY "Dead Man's Shake"

OPEN SEASON Soundtrack 10"

I also agree about his solo stuff surpassing the Replacements...I love SUICAINE and STEREO/MONO more than any Mats album, I think.

Mike

PS: There is a 14 SONGS promo 7"....But there is no music on it! It's blank wax!

And I fully support the notion of "Okemah" geting pressed too, despite popular opinion I think it's maybe their 2nd best album.

I don't think it's their 2nd best...But I do think it's the most listenable of the 3 Son Volt records he's done with the new lineup.

I can't really get into the new one at all. And the last one had some great moments, but a lot of filler as well.

Uncle Tupelo represses.....I am there.

This is actually NOT a repress.

This is the only UT album that has NEVER been made available on vinyl.

That's why I'm so stoked.

Now if SON VOLT would only press OKEMAH...Don't you hate it when a band has all their albums on vinyl except for ONE random one in the middle of their catalogue?

Oh heeeeeeeeeeell yeah!

Hi guys. We're back in LA and have one more show left (Long Beach, with SCOTT REYNOLDS and THE LAST). Tour was great, and I thought it would be fun to show you vinyl nerds the wax we picked up along the way.

These are the records Kevin and I bought. Wal bought a bunch of Jazz, but it was all on CD so fuck him.

Mike

I happen to love both TCG singers.

I am telling your wife.

First, I want to say I have never heard of any of the bands you guys are talking about (except for FAILURE). Does that make me old?

Here's what I want Virgil to put out on wax:

UNCLE TUPELO - Anodyne

LUCINDA WILLIAMS - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

BOB MOULD - Modulate

PAUL WESTERBERG- Any of his solo albums

FAILURE- Fantastic Planet & Magnified

DRAG THE RIVER- Hobo's and Closed

BLUE CHEER- What Doesn't Kill You

IGGY POP-Skull Ring...Or just an EP of the Stooges tracks even better...

JR JUGGERNAUT- Ghost Poison

Hi guys. And now I'm a visitor to the VC message board, too.

For the person who asked...

Wal is holding a MINUTEMEN record.

I'm holding HUSKER DU.

Kevin is holding AC/DC.

Yep, that about sums us up.

Mike