Great sounding new vinyl

The recently released Pretenders "Break up the Concrete" is among the year's best rock albums(two 10" 33RPM LPs with CD.) Wide ranging original material feels at turns like Dylan's Highway 61, Lucinda, Janis, Grateful Dead, and british blues like some of Clapton's better material. Some songs are multitracked; others have a great live-in-the-studio sound. Chrissie Hynde has grown considerably as a song writer but her voice is untouched by time. Sonically excellent, though one side had excessive surface noise.

The included CD allows close comparison of RBCD to vinyl. With good front ends, it's remarkable how close the two mediums sound-- with the edge going to the vinyl, of course.

J,

It's easy for people to become jaded toward new vinyl issues after being bitten a few times. It doesn't help that magazine reviewers gush about almost everything they hear. That's why I would steer you toward the Better Records site for recs on new vinyl. The "Hot Stampers" are high priced and probably overhyped but Tom is not afraid to stand up and call a spade a spade. If it doesn't sound good, he'll trash it. Conversely, if he recommends it, you can bet there's something behind it. I buy most of my new releases from him just because I appreciate his honesty.

Sorry,
Also meant to say that, although the Classic is getting out of reach for FBR, keep your eyes open for the Cypress. My last two NM copies were $11 and $6, both quite good.

Here's some great new and available vinyl that I've been listening to over the past two weeks:

"Percussion Direct" from Groove Note (AGRN 1041) is very good.

"Little Johnny C" - Johnny Coles - Music Matters Blue Note reissue

The ongoing Beethoven symphony cycle by Kajski and the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Ordestra on the Tacet label continues to be very good. They now have out symphonies 1 & 2, 7, and 5.

The new ZZ Top reissue of "Tres Hombres" from Rhino via the mastering team of Hoffman and Gray.
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Have you heard any of Vanska's Beethoven? These are not available on Vinyl, but the SACD's are very good...and the performances are even better. ..just my thoughts