The Heavy – The Glorious Dead

I agree with RyansGoldenRecords in the absolute quality of the packaging. But, a 2nd full LP of the SAME songs but instrumental...? Who the hell thought that one up? Other than the more appreciative RyansGoldenRecords below, WHO wants merely a duplicated instrumental version of the same album? Sorry, just does NOT make any sense to me at all. I will NEVER listen to the instrumental LP.

But, with that said, it is a very good album and it seems to be recorded very well, I just can't seem to get my mind around the waste of the 2nd LP...

Big props to Ninja Tune for assembling this utterly premium vinyl package with the finest attention to detail and quality control. If there's one word I could use to describe this pressing then it would surely be 'spoiled'. That's because just holding it feels like a luxury at an unusually high level for the overwhelming majority of the records I own, both old and new. The gatefold cover and printed inner sleeves are made of a sturdy, high quality, smooth matte-finish stock that has to be seen and felt to be believed. I mean, by GOD it's gorgeous... it makes the artwork and physical experience that much better.

The records themselves are equally as beautiful... totally flawless, 110% quiet, stone mint MPO wax (I was STUNNED by this from the first listen), and the sound quality SIZZLES - full-bodied, dynamic, punchy, bassy, perfectly crispy in the upper end - one of the very best-sounding 'regular' new LPs I've ever heard. It's a mastering job that really compliments the throbbing, soulful rhythm section - especially the lo-fi, distorted hip-hop drum breaks.... which just have an enormous *SNAP* that's hard to resist.

The second record with the instrumental versions (and the hidden track!) is a nice bonus as well. Granted, the hidden track is of slightly lesser sound quality compared to the rest of the album (also compromised by it being placed at the end of side 4), but then again, that's nothing to worry about, and it's not surprising because it's different production-wise, especially because of the lack of a lush string/brass section - it sounds like an outtake/demo that was included as a fun little bonus.

All told, this release is what every new vinyl pressing aspires to be... it more than does justice this top-shelf alternative boogie soul.

D6 is actually titled "A Lesson Learned" and is not listed anywhere on the release.
To confirm this, here's a live performance of this song: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lQP77XySsVU

The inner graphics of my copy are slightly different to the ones shown, I will add a photograph of mine.