George Strait – Ocean Front Property

On the fence regarding this one, has great punch and stunning clarity but I dunno if it’s just me or if the mix at times feels a little too spacious?? Like almost eerie? I cant tell if it’s the mix of the vinyl or if this albums just naturally like that but in a couple songs it can feel a bit empty to my ears. That’s a nitpick tho, this is a great pressing otherwise

Could not disagree more on these reviews. While the mastering is top notch, there are some serious problems with the pressing. I'm not kidding when I say this is one of the worst examples of distortion I've ever heard. I have now listened to two copies, and the high notes have so much sibilance and distortion, its unlistenable. I'm talking nearly every song.

I dare anyone to listen to "You Can't Buy Your Way Out Of The Blues" and tell me the vocals aren't seriously messed up. The distortion is like nails on a chalboard. This is not only limited to this song, but one that seriously sticks out. It's quiet vinyl (rare for GZ), but I could never recommend this over the digital version due to 90% of the high notes having distortion/sibilance.

I'm writing this review, so anyone considering this doesn't make the same mistake I did based on these reviews.

Rega P10
Rega Apheta 3

This is a great album, but I'd suggest to AVOID this pressing. I purchased it brand new, and there's a good amount of surface noise throughout, even after cleaning it twice. What's even worse is the great lack of dynamic range. The entirety of the album sounds very compressed. The mastering here is horrible, nowhere close to the original CD, which is highly dynamic. I would bet that the original vinyl pressings are superior, but I don't have one to compare it to. Awful pressing, absolutely not worth the $30 I paid for it.

Great sounding record. Most of my 80s country vinyl is some of the best sounding stuff I have, but this is a notch above.

One of the best sounding albums I own, and George Strait delivers all songs perfectly! Buy it, learn it, love it.

Perfect album, perfect pressing. I don’t know how this could get any better. I don’t think this is the best sounding VMP pressing in my collection, but it’s the best sounding George Strait album I own, and heavy contender for best sounding VMP country pressing I own.

Fluance RT-81 TT
Ortofon 2M blue stylus
Fluance PA-10 preamp
Pioneer VSX-516 Receiver
Marantz SX-9 Speakers
Klipsch R-101 SW

Man, it took me until yesterday to realize there is no ocean in Arizona. Well played Mr. Strait, you had me going for 29 years. Sounds good by the way, nice sounding record

An essential album for a country music vinyl collection with its title track being a classic

Even though nearly all of Strait’s albums were recorded digitally, including Ocean Front Property, this one sounds very good. It is by far the best sounding version of this album that I’ve heard. For that it gets the 4 star rating. VMP would be wise to pick one of King George’s best album from the 90s for a future release, such as Blue Clear Sky, or even one of his best 2000s albums such as Troubadour—a Grammy winner.

My Husband got me in to George Strait, I have a couple of his albums, so I picked this up since my Birthday is in December. :)
All I can say is that this sounds fantastic. No issues on my system, no noise. All around great! my only complaint is I didn't get my listening booklet in the sleeve. Has that ever happened to anyone else before?