Tom Waits ‎– Closing Time

Just got this black vinyl reissue. My copy sounds perfect. Only a slight pop between ol55 and I hope I don’t fall in love with you which I’m pretty sure was caused by the liner insert and can be cleaned. What a great album.

While I was very supportive of the earlier pressing, with it's quiet, from-across-the-bar feel, THIS is the right way to do it - lush, textured, so nice.

Edit: the earlier pressing I had was Closing Time.

Picked up a pressing today and it sounds great. I think the issue has been resolved.

Here is a link to the vinyl reviews review of this specific pressing: https://vinylreviews.com/album/closing-time/

Sat. 20th Octobre 2018

Today I picked up a VG+ copy of this blue-clouds label, Specialty Records Corporation-pressed (confirmed by the “SP” suffix on labels) reissue for a reasonable $15. Lo and behold, my copy has the desired Artisan Sound Recorders “circle and sticks” logo on both sides! Artisan is reportedly who cut the lacquer(s) for the first, 1973 issue, when the white Asylum labels were used.

I also noticed in the dead wax scratched out matrices that mostly match those for the 1973 issues. So, could this plant have used old (or new) plates that stem from the Artisan lacquer cut? In other words, would this later issue be just a repress? My copy’s mastering sounds fine to me; balanced, clear and dynamic (at least for a mostly ballad-oriented album it does). But, I’ve no other vinyl version w/which to compare, not even the 2000s Rhinos or the latest, digitally remastered LPs.

If this is indeed a later ish which is, fortunately, a repress, are there other early Waits titles which were also repressed using their original Artisan masterings?

I am not very familiar with this album in other formats but I can say this LP sounds really good.

Has anyone purchased the 2018 clear re-issue of this record?

I also found there was some surface noise at the start of either side, but definitely worse on side A. Also I did notice a weird 8-bit like audio quality dropout for a second or 2 on side B, which could be an issue with the master or the groove; seems a little better after a couple of plays. Besides that I have to agree that the remaster sounds really good otherwise, nice definition in the bass.