Early pressings v remastered

I guess it depends if you're interested in better sound or authenticity. Preference comes into play as well.

I think if you are lucky enough to have a good clean copy of a first pressing, they sound better in general. But those can be hard to come by, and in that case a remastered release will sound better than a badly worn original.

More to the point, I think first pressings are a better document of the artist's original intention at the time of creation because the people who made the music had to approve that version. That doesn't mean it can't sound better. And I have heard some reissues and remasters that do. But that's me and the other people involved in the remastering deciding what sounds good/right years decades after the original recording.

George Lucas thinks his digitally altered and remastered Star Wars trilogy is better than the original releases. I say F-you, Han shot first, but that's me deciding what's right.

I think it is hit and miss. I find alot of the problems with some of remasters especially the non-audiophile pressings of remasters,is that they tend to lack the quality that you would expect from a remaster. For example I purchased reamasters of PInk Floyd in the last year or so and have found the quality of the vinyl they have been pressed on very poor. Slight warps, noisy background noises, pops etc etc. On the other hand I have remasters that have been far better than the original for example many of the releases on the SPEAKERS CORNER label.(eg Joni Mitchell - Hissing of Summer Lawns) This particular label, I do consider to be an audiophile pressing. So I think it depends on the company that is reissuing the represses and who is actually doing the remastering. I have some cheaper 180G remasters released by a company called Rhino and have found them to be rather inconsistent. I have noticed troughs or small indentations on the surface that are quite audible. Early pressings if they are in top notch shape are great to have. Almost never warped, pressed with 180g to 200g vinyl and are comparable to a vintage wine.

The trick is usually to get the original LP that is pressed in the same country as it was recorded.

Reissues have a tough time raising the bar although that is not to say they can't do it. A lot depends on the condition of the master tape and the intention of the artist.

Thanks for the responses. I've noticed lately as I've compared what I thought were excellent remasters head to head with early pressings of the same albums of 30 to 50 year old vintage, there is a presence to the original recordings that the remasters can't seem to capture even if the remasters sound great absent that comparison. Sometimes certain aspects of the recording are actually better in the remasters due to adjustments in the process----but as to the overall sound, I very often prefer the early issue. Also, as Ralph says, it's usually best to obtain an early pressing from the country in which the record was recorded. Makes for much time spent at the used record shop.