Your opnion on picture discs?

[nico]

Lately I see more and more records labels press picture disc, instead of normal records. This seems odd to me.

I can't get over the fact that:

- picture discs often sound shitty.

- picture discs most of the time lack a real cover and a lyric sheet.

- picture discs are often more expensive then regular records.

- I am not going to hang a record on the wall, I want to play it, so when the are in a stack, I cant find the record that I am looking for, since they lack a spine.

How do you feel about picture discs?

[weare138]

they suck. i like having a full cover of art to look at and a lyric sheet to read while i listen.

imo regular records are better for hanging because you can frame the artwork and keep the LP in a plain white sleeve, so you can listen and see without compromising anything.

[rochambo]

The Boris the Sprinkler, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and the Spazz picture disks, I have, are cool looking, but definitely a novelty. I haven't listened to them in over ten years, though, so I can't comment on the sound. Maybe I'll throw them on the turntable this weekend.

[clydethejackal]

I hate em. for the above reasons.

[im138]

I don't have a problem with them, but I tend to think of them less as records and more as a decoration, like having a poster or something.

[apeman]

But records are for playing on your turntable - the purpose of them isn't to serve as wall decorations.

[moonbeams]

There are good sounding picture discs. The Riverdales Tarantula picture sounds better than the regular LP. I ordered a jacket from recess and now no problems.

[jordyedge]

I really dislike them.

The sound is not as well delivered, and there is nothing more I dislike than shitty sound.

However, Graveface released that Dreamend picture disc, and the animated scheme was a pretty awesome concept.

[harryq]

The Riverdales Tarantula picture sounds better than the regular LP

I was unaware this existed...

[boobz09]

I really dislike them.

The sound is not as well delivered, and there is nothing more I dislike than shitty sound.

However, Graveface released that Dreamend picture disc, and the animated scheme was a pretty awesome concept.

agreed. fuck shitty sound.

[xrecordx]

don´t like them ....

[christhepiece]

Definitely not a fan of picture discs, but I have a Casket Lottery record, half clear, half picture disc and the sound is great.

[derkwithano]

- picture discs most of the time lack a real cover and a lyric sheet.

OOOOOOOOOOOO this fucking pisses me off the most. My NFG self-titled picture disc is like that...just in a plastic sleeve. And it's ugly. wish they'd have a regular press of it.

[scarnage]

i hate them. with a passion unrivaled.

[hollisbrown]

And the purpose of colored vinyl is?

[lonesomexloveus]

i dislike them solely because of the crappy plastic sleeve they're usually contained in.

[selfreliable]

I hate them when the A side and B side are the same picture. Or just the front and back of the regular album. I own a few, and the only one I really like is the H2O-FTTW one.

[whenslunchrecords]

There are good sounding picture discs. The Riverdales Tarantula picture sounds better than the regular LP. I ordered a jacket from recess and now no problems.

agreed on this, Pirates Press did them. I find PP pictures disks are the best sounding ones compared to Erika.

[blanketbyday]

I mostly just hate the plastic sleeve, If they come in a legit jacket I'm not complaining.

Meanderthal Pic Disc Rules, as well as TWDY.

[raidenradio]

I hate them. And this is coming from someone who does hang records on his wall.

In related news, anyone want the Mastodon Divinations pic disc? Someone got it for me as a present and I don't want it.

[circlingvultures]

And the purpose of colored vinyl is?

Well I think having a picture on a record is a little different then having the vinyl colored. Colored vinyl, I'm willing to bet, was either a result of wanting to sell more copies as a novelty or someone being bored in the factory and trying new things. Either way I think it's great and while I don't really go nuts over variants too much I still highly prefer color vinyl over a picture disc. Colored vinyl can also add a lot to the original artwork, instead of just repeating it.

Picture discs to me usually are very lacking. Some often only feature the albums artwork, scaled down, on the vinyl. Some sound worse then regular pressings. Mostly all come in those terrible clear plastic sleeves. I have seen some picture discs that come in full packaging IE: torche meanderthal and Jesu s/t, and those look great. Still though I generally will avoid picture discs. If a band I am on the fence about releases a picture disc I almost always skip it. If a band I love releases one I juggle with the idea. I own a few but if they stopped making them tomorrow I wouldn't miss them at all.

[circlingvultures]

Also the higher cost associated with a picture disc is usually not worth it. I like OWTH but a triple combination of picture disc+higher cost+ smaller sized vinyl = me not purchasing.

I am really trying to stop buying vinyl smaller than 10". I have too many of them and they don't get played. Also OWTH has a ton of 7"'s so unless I find this record on a super sale somewhere it won't ever be purchased.

[thenuthouse]

Screw 'em. It's not so much the packaging or imagery on the discs - it's primarily due to the fact that nearly every picture disc I've ever purchased sounds terrible.

[Dillhole]

I don't like them. I'll take the regular LP version if possible every time.

I will say the new Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier double picture disc is easily the best sounding picture disc I've ever heard. All the rest are littered with background noise and sibilance.

[scarnage]

I don't like them. I'll take the regular LP version if possible every time.

I will say the new Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier double picture disc is easily the best sounding picture disc I've ever heard. All the rest are littered with background noise and sibilance.

Seems like it's only available as picture disck, eh? Was holding off buying it because of that (and the price) but if you say it does sound good I may change my mind....

But I seriously hate them (picture discs).