Various – Nuggets (Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968)

В общем и целом, звук как из бочки. Ужасный релиз.

This 2012 reissue sounds great. At first I had the 2021 European reissue and that's rubbish.

OK, I got this pressing from the library in a new, very clean copy. I don't think it sounds bad, though I have no other vinyl reissue with which to compare.

However, I've also heard the CD box, and it seems that entire thing is mono, whereas some (many?) tracks on the vinyl version are stereo, including the first track. The CD box is also mastered loudly and is borderline harsh. I gotta say that even this 2021 vinyl reissue is more pleasing.

I wonder if anyone out there could do a needledrop of the Electric Prunes track from a prior reissue so we could actually compare. I suspect this one isn't as bad as some claim. I'd be happy to share my recording of this.

EDIT 11/27/2022: I previously had done a needledrop of the entire 2021 Rhino reissue. Then on Black Friday I grabbed a very nice copy of the 1976 Sire reissue. For the sake of a quick comparison, I did a needledrop of Too Much to Dream from the Sire.

Here are my findings.

The Sire is definitely cut much louder, but it's not distorted. I recorded both the Rhino and Sire on Windows 10 using Cool Edit Pro with a line-in level of 55. This was perfect. Peak amplitude averaged over both channels: Sire: -1.1 dB, Rhino: -6.9 dB. Yes, the Rhino is that much quieter.

Then I normalized both to -1.0 dB. They're very different in character. The Sire is clearer but also more in-your-face. The Rhino is smoother but also veiled and maybe a tad compressed. Overall I definitely prefer the Sire reissue, but I don't think the Rhino is necessarily bad. I'd be interested to hear the earlier Rhino reissue. I suppose the more aggressive Sire is better for this kind of music. Of course, there's always the issue of finding a clean copy of the older pressing. However, since the Sire is cut so much louder, that would help mask surface noise. On the other hand, the artwork on the Rhino is the original, which is way way better. Overall I'm very glad I grabbed the Sire and won't be seeking out this Rhino; it seems like it's no longer widely available anyway.

BUT, this article - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/oct/05/it-paved-the-way-for-all-of-us-the-classic-garage-rock-compilation-nuggets-at-50 - has an interview with Lenny Kaye. Apparently there's a 5xLP box set coming in 2023. I'll be very interested to see how that turns out. Hopefully they can do a better mastering job.

In the meantime, here are my cleaned-up, normalized needledrops:

Sire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYZw6Zgidrs

Rhino: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgzCqGkmhI4

No wonder I found it used in Mint condition for cheap. Like others have said, it is mastered too quietly. I have to turn up the volume knob to about 80% of maximum when I want to listen to it loud. This is garage rock and should be listened to loudly. When you have to turn it up that much, you just can't help but hear surface noise. Before you say it's my stereo, I don't have this issue with other LPs. Disappointing. Now I wish I had bought the Sire '76 reissue when I had the chance.

I also own the four CD boxed set, and this 2012 vinyl pressing sounds fantastic. There's a solid low-end presence in most of the tracks, and only occasionally do things get a little harsh in the higher frequencies, but taking into consideration that the original recordings were not anything to write home about, this release is well worth picking up, IMO.

This pressing sounds pretty good to my ears. Great songs!

Anyone who thinks this is a bad pressing needs to clean the crap out of their ears and stop nerding out. Firstly, sounds great. Secondly, it's garage punk. If you want to get all up your own arse about sound quality go and listen to your Phil Collins records you fucking saddos.

Ok, my turn to review this pressing!
I bought it few weeks ago and was highly disapointed ! No dynamic, different level on each track, no bass...
I return my copy and the store give me another one and its a better one ! Not perfect but very enjoyable.
I guess its kind of a lotery with that edition

Well, as many have let on, this is quite a flat and bland pressing. It's not as terrible as some people are making it seem, it doesn't sound too muffled to me, just bland, like I'm listening to mp3's. If you're not a serious, audiophile it's not a bad listen... but I own a lot of the original LP's and 45's that these cuts are from and this definitely doesn't compare to those. I will say the discs are probably lower quality too, as I barely have any noticeable marks or scuffs on my copy yet there's still a ton of intermittent surface noise (definitely not debris or my stylus causing it either). Overall, probably not bad for the casual record listener... but more serious collectors won't likely be thrilled.

This pressing is flat, dead quiet and sounds great! I can't compare it to the first pressing, but to the 2021 repress: Yes, compared to the 2021 pressing (https://www.discogs.com/de/release/17050404-Various-Nuggets-Original-Artyfacts-From-The-First-Psychedelic-Era-1965-1968) most others will sound great anyway. But this 2006 pressing delivers, I recommend it and I'm happy to have it in my collection.