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Genesis - ...Calling All Stations... - 01-Sep-08 10:00 AM
Horribly, horribly underrated. Considering how terrible most of the Genesis material after Duke was, this is not only a genuinely excellent record but a return to form after nearly two decades of embarrassing soft rock. Ray Wilson's voice is stunning and brilliantly suited to the darker tones of what is essentially a complex, sinister breakup album. It's a shame that, because this came so late in Genesis' genesis (ahem), it tends to be discounted - as on the Platinum Collection, to which this LP's title track is welded with no regard to chronology as an afterthought. In truth, this is probably their strongest work since 1978. It even managed to produce three solid pop singles without selling its soul. Which is something one wouldn't expect from the band that released 'Illegal Alien' and 'I Can't Dance' and 'Invisible Touch' and, erm, well. The record is highly reminiscent of some of their best synth work and song construction, but without sounding watered-down or ersatz. This vinyl edition is particularly nice, with its gatefold and etching. It's quite a good pressing, too.

Björk - Medúlla - 24-Apr-08 08:12 AM
I really don't understand why record companies do this - just like Vespertine, this album is pressed far too loudly, and the vinyl just distorts all the time. In addition to which the volume means it doesn't fit on a single vinyl, necessitating three side changes instead of just one. Debut, Post, Telegram and Homogenic all sound lovely, and then suddenly One Little Indian apparently forgot how to make LPs. It's a shame, because it completely ruins the album. I actually might buy the CD. That's how bad it is.

Björk - Telegram - 17-Apr-08 06:40 AM
This LP is intriguing, as track A3 seems to be identical to the 'Enjoy (Further Over the Edge Mix)' that appears on the CD edition of the album, apart from its containing vocal fragments from 'Hyperballad' instead of 'Enjoy'. There was an 'Over the Edge Mix' of 'Hyperballad' that was featured on 'It's Oh So Quiet' CD1, but this is clearly not the same mix.

Also, the way the vinyl is pressed is FINE. Pressing it loud enough to fill two (or, ridiculously, three) vinyls would have led to lots of distortion, as on the practically unlistenable vinyl pressing of Vespertine. If it's too quiet, turn the bloody thing up. You'll notice that the louder tracks are cut in more space anyway: on visual inspection, A3 appears to be about twice the length of A2.

Moby - Ambient - 30-Mar-08 06:05 AM
Contrary to what the industry would have you believe, anything up to 35 minutes on one side of vinyl sounds absolutely fine. Compilation albums for roughly fifteen years were released with 40 minutes per side. The only deterioration in sound quality is the increased ratio of background noise to signal, which is far less a problem than the distortion you get from pressing the music sufficiently loud to get under fifteen minutes to fill a side.

The practice of issuing albums that are under about 50 minutes on double vinyls is possibly the most irritating thing to happen to the industry in (NB) about the last ten years. Three side breaks across one average-length album is enough to drive anyone to listen to the CD. On the contrary, I was remarkably pleased to discover that this album only came on one disc.