Kate Bush

I brought the album back to my local record store I got it from and the manager "sampled" it on his Sony turntable at home and said it sounded fine. I guess he was nice enough to offer me a brand new replacement. I thought I'd try it first without cleaning, and a few seconds into the first song, exactly the same thing: swoosh every rotation in the left speaker, then disturbing surface noise as the song progresses. Absolutely unlistenable. No problem with any other record in my collection or the few used ones I acquired since the original purchase of this album. WTF? I'm convinced it's some sort of a manufacturing quality issue with the album in general, not just my copies, that is evident with a more resolving system. I'm very annoyed as I'm now stuck with a brand new double album of amazing music I cannot listen to.

Does this new disc show the same problems at exactly the same places, Actus? Is the disc drilled dead centre? MRA is often the root of all evil in situations like this but it looks like you accounted for that with your cleaning regime.

To finally nail the problem, take it down to your local hifi dealer and ask him to play it. If it exhibits the same symptoms then it's the disk. If not, it's mechanical.
Hope this helps...

I had a similar? problem with a Lucinda Williams LP.

With carefull adjustment of azimuth and anti-skate I was able to get rid of my 'left channel 'hiss''. I am not sure if you are having the same type of problem.

The other side of the album played perfect regardless of tonearm adjustments. Yes I am/was baffled.

Dear Actusreus: As Atmesphere my copy is just fine. Yes it is pity that this fine KB recording you can't enjoy it.

What worried a little is that your dealer play your copy with out trouble. If this is absolutely true by his part then IMHO you are in " trouble " because that LP is showing " something " in your cartridge/tonearm set up. The Lp is not so deamnding for your cartridge fail to track it in good shape.

So, the trouble is on both LPs samples that you already try it.
In the past I had a similar problem with an LP and with two samples and was with the third that problem gone.
Seems to me that " there " is a problem ob not very good quality control pressing and your dealer or the manufacturer must solve that problem given you a right LP sample.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Moonglum: The first copy I got had one of the the labels off center, but other than that it appeared ok on visual inspection. I cannot say for sure the noise occurs in exactly the same spot as it was just pretty much every few seconds throughout the first side. It did seem to get a tad batter into the record, but still unlistenable and unacceptable for a brand new pressing.
The store has a Stanton or one of those DJ turntables that they use to play records with and some vintage speakers on the floor so I'm not sure how determinative it would be if the records sounded "fine." The manager said he had a "nice" Sony turntable at home so again I'm not sure how convincing his test was.

Raul: I too thought that the record revealed some deficiency or misalignment in my system, but all other records, both new and used, play without any problems.

Here is my take on this after a closer look: The first record released by Kate's record company, Fish People (aka Noble & Brittle), was "Director's Cut." The record was pressed in Europe. It sounds terrific. "50 Words for Snow," even though on the same label, was licensed to Anti, Inc. in the US. I'm convinced this is where the problem lies. They most likely did not pay enough attention to the quality of the vinyl pressing and botched the job. I don't know where Raul's and Atmasphere's copies came from, but I bet the copies manufactured in Europe sound fine.