Tom Petty "Hypnotic Eye"


I'm a huge fan, IMO, one of the greatest American bands to date. Their lps have always sounded very good. So what's wrong with their latest, (sonically)?

It's obviously trending in the digital direction which somehow has mostly been avoided up until now.

I'm a dedicated analog listener. I realize most of the recent recordings are digitally based. Somehow this latest TP lp is not grabbing me. It lacks SOUL! I love the content, it doesn't grab me as much as "Mojo" did.

Compared to "Mojo", their last lp, "HE" is sterile, bland, while being a record I really want to get into! I'm not tapping my foot/feet, bobbing my head.

128x128slaw
I bought the CD and I like it. It has good sound quality and several tunes that I like.
Much better than his last efforts.
I can't speak to the vinyl release, but if you have the seedee version and you don't like the quality of the recording, you should question your playback gear. This one is pretty darn good.

Shakey
I haven't heard the vinyl yet, but every darn song on the HE CD sounds great to me, and I've listened to it a number of times now. Listening to it here in Tallahassee, I find it to have a convincing soundstage and presence, and overall I just find it to be an exceptional recording.
I haven't investigated this issue with my vinyl copy further but I will say the following:

(1) I pre-ordered mine from Amazon
(2) When it arrived, I found the (issues) I've described
(3) A fellow A'goner, whose opinion I value, disagreed with mine
(4) I noticed my lp is an (import), not a heavy vinyl either.
(5) I asked the fellow A'goner if their copy was an import, no reply
(6) I noticed on Amazon that after my purchase, the going price now is under $12.00 (I initially paid over $26.00
(7) I contacted Amazon with the difference in their asking price.
(8) Amazon refunded my cc over $16.00

My gut tells me that there is an import vinyl that you need to stay clear of.
Hi Slaw, Sorry that I missed your query the first time around and then became fully absorbed by the Beatles in mono...

My good-sounding copy of Hypnotic Eye was pressed at Pallas in Germany. "Reprise Records. Manufactured in Germany." on the label with 1-544259 engraved in the dead wax. As Pallas generally does top-notch work it is no surprise that this sounds good.