Big Star – Radio City

Never felt the need to get the recent Craft pressing, even though I am very curious with how it sounds.

Regarding some of the complaints below, I could be wrong but I believe that the recording is very bright “by nature”, meaning that its first pressing sounded very bright, so there’s that.

My understanding is that in a sense the Craft version - by removing some of this brightness - is “changing” how the original album sounded, so some purists did not like it.

Nevertheless, this exact pressing I am reviewing sounds glorious, and I have probably spun it a hundred times or more through the 10+ years I have owned a copy of this.

My copy is kind of getting (very) worn (ie with a few crackles and surface noise - blame it on years of playing this on a bad setup, which by the way is something that is not occurring anymore) but it still sounds great - the awesome mastering and quality wax still shine through any shortcomings of dozens of plays.

Supposedly this pressing right here was also cut by Chris Bellman just like the 2009 “Holy Grail” Classic Records pressings were, even though his signature is not on the deadwax. Never could compare the Classic pressings to this but this one sounds awesome - and is much cheaper.

Bright and crisp, not overly so. Every sound is well defined and balanced. Great version for a good price.

IMHO given that this is essentially the 2009 Classic Records, Chris Bellman-mastered release, pressed on lighter vinyl, these records are a steal. I have both, and find the difference very minor.

if you absolutely need this album on vinyl quickly, this press will do. If you have the money to get the new press, an original, the classic records press, or the twofer, there's absolutely no point in getting this. Sound is decent, but gets really distorted. Labels are also pressed like shit as well. It looks like a bootleg. There is also absolutely ludicrous amounts of scuffing and wear on my BRAND NEW copy. Wouldn't recommend this at all.

Saw a used copy of this in my record store thinking it was the most recent pressing. #1 Record was an excellent press so I obviously wanted to pick this one up as well. Once I got home, I realized it wasn't that pressing but the one found here. All was well as it wasn't the 4 Men With Beards pressing and there was no evident surface noise but there were still issues present. Right away, I noticed some loud sibilance on O My Soul and Life is White. Then came a skip on O My Soul which doesn't appear to be a scratch or anything. I've cleaned the record and examined the spot multiple times with the toothpick method and yet the skip is still there. Perhaps it's just my copy or maybe the previous owner did something to mess it up but the vinyl looks completely clean. My last disappointment with this pressing is that the sound quality is just OK. The Craft Recordings pressing of #1 Record really made the sounds sound vibrant and pop out of the speakers. Everything sounded clear and detailed but here, I found that Radio City was lacking in some detail. Some parts did sound loud and clear and others just sounded flat. Not the worst sound I've heard from a record but judging from what I've read about original pressings and the Craft Recordings pressing, Radio City has definitely sounded better than what this pressing has to offer. Others may be happy with their copy and that's perfectly fine but I'll probably end up trading this in and going for the Craft Recordings press.

Review of 2009 Repress:
The claims regarding this and the Classic pressings being sibilant I find to be somewhat exaggerated and most likely derive from the equipment.
In general, this is a harsh, loud and gritty recording, so there will be some of that if you want a true to the source experience. But at no point did I find it to be overbearing and whats likely gained over lesser cuts is some nice separation, clarity and bass at points when tracks are able to display it.
With a thin profile stylus the pressing should be among the best Stereo experiences you can get of this album.
Speaking of pressing quality these 2009 reissues are likely your best middle ground, using the Bellman Classic plates but with better vinyl and jacket than the 2011 repress done at United.

Equipment Used:
Rega RP1 with Paratrace tipped Nagaoka MP-200
Cyrus 2 Amplifier
System Fidelity SF-3050 Tower Speakers
Custom made HQ Speaker Cables

This is a 2011 Reissue by Ardent Records / Concord Music Group. Sounds good!

Pressing sounds fantastic. One problem I've noticed is right out of the plastic there was a significant skip on "September Gurls". No visible flaws in the vinyl but it skips in the same spot every time. I wonder if this is a common issue or if I just bought a bad copy.