New reissue of Exile on Main Street

Has anyone heard the vinyl - compared it to original pressings? I'm just wondering if it's worth the $$$ and hype.

Stay away from the vinyl -- comes from a 24 bit/44.1khz file and doesn't come close to the original Artisan vinyl. These slabs are too loud, compressed & lack the dynamics of the originals.

Bob

Also the new vinyl issue is not mastered by Doug Sax (as some claim); he only cut it (mastered by Stephen Marcussen).

Bob

i do recall that the original release was generally regarded as a botched production job--murky and muddy--which may account for the mixed reactions above. i always thought the sound quality was part of its allure; query whether they've chosen to clean things up in the remastering.
thanks for your responses.

I just received the super deluxe edition and have been listening to it. Initial impressions are that the CDs have been cleaned up quite a bit. The guitars pop and Mick and Keith’s vocals are clearly out in front. They aren’t as murky as the Virgin remasters. Whether that’s a good thing or not is subject to debate. Bob Ludwig did the Virgin remasters, and I GREATLY prefer them to the latest batch of remasters from Universal, which are totally compressed and bright beyond belief. What a disappointment! But this “Exile” is different. It doesn’t sound really compressed, just cleaned up. Personally, I think the Ludwig remaster comes closest to the original intent, but this one allows you to see the instrumental interplay to a greater degree.

I also liked the bonus tracks. Not essential, certainly, but interesting nonetheless. The packaging of the super deluxe box is also really nice. I had to have it, as "Exile" is in my top five of best albums of all time.