What albums, in your opinion, sound unquestionably better on Vinyl rather than Digital?

Some more great things to check out! I confess I have always been slightly wary when people say ‘vinyl is always better’ because 1) I have not always found that to be the case and 2) there are restrictions to the medium that don’t apply in the digital sphere: for example back in the day the equivalent of mastering for apple earbuds was mastering for scratched-to-all-hades records played on a record player worth tuppence ha’penny. Generally (so I read) this meant not getting too excited about the bass so the needle did not have too hard a job tracking properly - with this becoming a greater concern towards the end of each side.


However there are some well articulated views to the contrary put forward here by people obviously more knowledgeable than I, do perhaps I must change my view!

Forgot to mention El Camaron/Paco de Lucia analog recordings. They are not good, some pretty bad. Original Spanish cds were very well done.

From a practical point of view it can be useful to know which albums sound better on which format, especially if those are your favourites. But surely even the most diehard vinyl aficionado (Michael Fremer excepted) wouldn't argue that vinyl always sounds better, or vice versa, digital is superior technically so must always sound better.

Perhaps it's more helpful to acknowledge that all formats have potential, yes all the way from the original wax cylinders, 78s, LPs, Cassettes, FM radio, CDs, Minidisc, DAT, DAB, SACD, HD, streaming etc.

All we really need is a change in attitude trickling down all the way from the artists themselves to the suppliers. It would be nice to think that this is starting to increasingly happen. Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Dire Straits, Kate Bush amongst others have expressed a desire to have their work issued in as high quality as possible.

Sure they all have to also pay the bills, but it is difficult, at least for me, to respect a recording artist that seems to pay little regard as to how their work is presented. But of course it's the performance that counts, and as that line from Pulp Fiction once said, "personality goes a long way".

Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Welcome to the Pleasuredome’ (1984). Had the double LP, and the title track inhabited on whole side. Absolute sonic blast of a vinyl, and at least the CD’s I know of sounded malnourished, dynamically flat and bleached by comparison. What a letdown.

Before digital it was all gaslight.       Herbie the K.