Janelle Monáe ‎– The ArchAndroid

Mine came without the front sticker but with a back white sticker that says "Made in Germany". The sheet with the credits is also not included. Regarding the sound quality, the pressing is great and I have no complaints about the mastering, I guess they were looking for a certain lo-fi feel (specially on the voice or the high frequencies). Either way, much more dynamic than the CD or digital version.

Agree with the previous comment. Quality of the pressing is very good, but the mastering is muddy. Particularly towards the end tracks on a side. Not much consideration given to the music when mastered. Soundstage is quite limited too. Would love this to get a serious do over. It's an immensely influential album that birthed a whole new era of R'N'B and paved the way for the likes of Kelela, SZA, Lizzo and more.

Still one of the too-good-to-be-true, riveting, imaginative, and fully-realized debuts that pop music has seen in the last fifteen years or so. Mind you, there are several concept albums that have knocked me on my ass in recent years, but there's still something about this one that mesmerizes. Here is a rising pop talent emerging fully formed, with enough forward-thinking vision and virtuosic ambition artists twice her age don't tap into until the middle stage of their careers. She fearlessly ventures a range of styles and influences— from Tin Pan Alley, funk, hip-hop, afrobeat, dance-pop, and electro-pop to jazz, folk, soul, psychedelia, hard rock, swing, orchestral, ambient, and tons more—and weaves them around a rather compelling storyline that would serve as killer source material for a big-budget Hollywood musical epic about a messianic cyborg, Cindi Mayweather, dealing with the transgressions of a wretched futuristic dystopia, Metropolis, comparable to the United States of America. She is sent from Earth to free the citizens of this dystopia from years of being restricted of their humanity and freedom. There's also a love story intertwined in the heart of this kooky saga, where Cindi has the hots for another cyborg, Sir Greendown, but she must choose between saving her people from disillusionment, or getting lost in love. Camp, yet haunting, ain't it? Bless Janelle Monáe, forever.

(Note about the vinyl edition of this album: I can't get over how expensive and largely sought-after this has gotten on vinyl. The quality of my copy, an Optimal pressing, is pretty good for the most part. Aside from a few pops and clicks, the mastering is well-done, with balanced sound and less emphasis on the low end (compared to the CD, which is very dynamic, too.) My copy isn't plagued with warpage or defects that some have reported about this particular pressing. Plus, the campy grandeur of this album's art can only be fully enjoyed and appreciated on this format, with its nice gatefold.)

I think there are two different pressings for the US release. The first one was done by United Record Pressing (as shown by the test pressing in the database). But I just purchased a new copy and while it has the US copyright info on the back cover, the vinyl is an EU pressing (by Optimal Media). This pressing sounds quite good - minimal surface noise, no warping - it's also very dynamic and crankable. The other reviewer may have the pressing done by URP, which would explain the poor quality.

Artwork is beautiful, but the mix leaves a lot to be desired...quite muddy.

A very unique album, that mixes Janelle Monae soul with many other genres in an almost flawless way.

10 of 10