Tag: vinyl

A Pile of Partridge 2025 – Come on, Get Happy!

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Well I’m back after a long absence of a couple months or so. Since it was winter and dreary I really wasn’t in the mood to do much so I took a bit of an extended break.

Luckily in the last three weeks or so I’ve had a chance to search antique and record stores far and wide and have found three particularly wonderful finds.

It just so happens that they all are fairly rare Partridge Family finds, two of which I never found in the wild, and all three in lovely minty condition!

Here’s what I found:

* “The World of The Partridge Family” – this is probably the rarest of The Partridge Family albums. It’s a two record set released in 1974 at the end of the television series. Not only did it look unplayed but was in the shrink wrap with a hype sticker!

* “The Partridge Family At Home with Their Greatest Hits” – this particular pressing I didn’t even know existed. I searched online after I found it and was surprised to learn that Arista records must have released this in the ’80s sometime. Another stone mint record that actually sounds better than the Bell Records pressing from 1972.

* “The Partridge Family Album” – this is a pressing of their first album from the UK. I have another copy of this UK pressing but it’s fairly beat up so I was glad to find that this one doesn’t look like it’s ever been played, truly near mint condition.

How do they sound you ask?

Well I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that all three of these albums sound superb. The biggest surprise of all of them was “The World of The Partridge Family” which is probably the best sounding Partridge Family vinyl I own.

Not only was the two-disc set mint but this pressing is truly wonderful with super quiet vinyl (a rarity for Bell Records from the 1970s I assure you) and very dynamic with a lot of bass and a clarity that isn’t present on most Partridge Family Bell Records pressings.

Original Partridge Family albums are notoriously hit or miss sound wise but this set just shines and may be my favorite sounding Partridge Family album – truly superb from start to finish and a nice song selection to boot.

The Arista pressing of “The Partridge Family At Home with Their Greatest Hits” was also surprising as it bests the original 1972 pressing though it’s not quite as dynamic sounding as “The World of The Partridge Family”. Lovely to have and another great listen. Odd to see the Arista label on a Partridge Family vinyl release but nice.

I guess the biggest surprise was how great the UK pressing of “The Partridge Family Album” sounds! UK pressings of Partridge Family albums were most likely made from a tape a generation away from the ones that made their first US pressings but this particular first UK pressing is dynamic sounding with a lot of nice bass and a truly wonderful quality pressing that was silent and very warm sounding. 

I have to say of all the pressings I own of this album this may be my favorite. I have other UK pressings of Partridge Family albums that don’t sound nearly this good.

The other wonderful thing about these albums is that all three of them were each under $5. Yes, you heard right, $15 for the three of them!!! I found them at an obscure antique mall that weirdly enough had a lot of foreign pressings and oddities.

I’m guessing that most people don’t think that Partridge Family albums have much value but “The World of The Partridge Family”  is especially tough to locate and on top of that near impossible to find still with the shrink wrap with a hype sticker and in near mint condition. This album didn’t particularly sell well at the time so they aren’t as plentiful as their regular albums which are fairly easy to locate.

And again I never even knew the Arista pressing of “The Partridge Family At Home with Their Greatest Hits” even existed so I was ecstatic to find it. I’m guessing this was reissued sometime in the 1980s but I don’t know the exact date or how long it was available. I have never seen one before but online I do see that it is out there but I’m guessing it’s fairly rare.

I can honestly say that all three of these albums are probably my favorite Partridge Family find ever while antiquing. Cheap, rare and wonderful – which is the best way to find them.

A great way to start 2025, collecting wise at least.

Well that’s all for now. I have a few other finds I’m going to be posting shortly so I just wanted to add this to the list of truly wonderful record discoveries found in some out of the way and obscure places.

Until next time I hope everything is well in your world and hopefully we’ll all be able to survive 2025 intact LOL.

See you soon!

 

At Last: A True Mono Pressing of “The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees” (From Venezuela) Has Landed!

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Good things come to those who wait – or so they say.

As for me I have to say this year has turned out to be one of my best years so far for vinyl purchases and it’s only 16 days old!

Today I received a package containing a Venezuelan pressing of The Monkees fifth album “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” and to top it off this particular pressing is in MONO! True, glorious mono!!!

If you read this blog at all you’ll know that the true mono mix of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” album on vinyl is supremely rare and very difficult to find. The true mono mix was of course first issued in the United States but there were several other countries that also released this particular mix.

(Note: Countries that issued the true mono mix of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” include: Australia, El Salvador, India, Israel, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, USA and Venezuela – this list comes from the superb Monkees Website Monkee45s.net)

The several countries like the UK and Canada that did issue a mono mix of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” album didn’t use the true mono mix but instead used a fold down of the stereo mix. While this version sounds fine it’s missing all of the unique mixes that make the true mono USA mix sound so special.

I’ve had a couple of those fold down versions and while they’re decent listens they’re nothing like listening to the actual mono mix which is my preferred way of hearing this album.

As far as the songs go the two most radically different sounding mixes are for “Auntie’s Municipal Court” and “Tapioca Tundra” as they both sound far superior to their stereo counterparts with a snap to the guitars and vocals that’s not present in stereo.

Many of the other songs have subtler differences like more echo or a better blend of the instruments and overall the sound of this mono version comes across as a bit grittier and a bit more psychedelic sounding than the regular stereo mix that most people have know for decades. 

And trust me, it’s nearly next to impossible to locate a mono Colgems pressing of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” in the wild as I’ve searched for over forty years and never found one. I do see online people finding them at antique stores or yard sales but I’ve personally never found one.

Of course I could always have paid a fortune for a USA mono mix on ebay but the hunt for a decent copy at a decent price has always been one of my favorite pastimes and lo and behold the day after my last birthday, January 14th, this gem landed in my mailbox. Happy birthday to me.

There has been a reissue on Rhino Records in 2009 of the true mono mix that was taken from a vinyl copy of a foreign mono pressing of this album and while that version is decent there’s no comparison to a true mono pressing which has a sparkle and vibrancy that’s missing on any other version.

For some reason the the mono transfer from that 2009 3 CD box set of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” just sounds lackluster compared to a 1968 mono vinyl copy. Don’t get me wrong it’s a decent transfer but this Venezuelan vinyl copy just blows away the sound of the version on the 3 CD set for sure.

Until the mono master tape of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” is found the best way to hear this unique mono mix is a vinyl copy of the album from 1968.

(Note 2: the mono master for “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” has been missing in action for decades. There are mono mixes on tape of some of the songs from the album but the entire mono master has yet to be found.)

I do have some of the mono mixes of songs from “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees” on two Mexican EPs (see a previous blog post in search) and those sound just as exciting as this mono LP that I just received. For anyone who’s never heard the true mono mix from a vinyl source it’s an unbelievably great sounding recording and well worth tracking down if you can find one at a decent price.

Weirdly enough just this past Friday I was looking online at the Discogs Website (a great Website to buy physical media – discogs.com) and stumbled upon a listing for a Venezuelan mono copy for $40.

Of course my eyes nearly popped out of my head and while there were photos of an actual Venezuelan pressing I had the sneaky suspicion that these weren’t photographs of the album that this person was selling. They were the same photos of the mono version from Monkee45s.net.

Because the price was so good I decided I’d go ahead and order it and if I got burned I got burned. The seller said the album cover and the vinyl itself were both in VG condition with ink marks on the back of the cover and a few tape marks on the front and back of the cover as well.

After receiving the album yesterday and playing it I am happy to state that the covers really in pretty decent shape except for the marker on the back (truly in VG condition) which doesn’t matter to me as the vinyl inside I would say is VG++. And it does indeed play the rare true mono mix!

In fact I can honestly say this is probably the best sounding vinyl copy of any Monkees foreign pressing  I’ve ever purchased! Not a hint of crack or pop and it looks like it’s been super well cared for and in great shape.

Needless to say I couldn’t be more pleased and after all these years having tried to hunt down the true mono mix on vinyl all I can say is it was well worth the wait.

So there you have it. Happy 2025 and may the rest of this year bring such good luck in physical media pursuits!

As usual you can see photos above of this groovy mono copy of “The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees”.

Until next time be happy and well and see you soon!

 

Be Here Now – “Living in the Material World” by George Harrison Gets New Life with Remixed 50th Anniversary Editions

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Well here we are, yet another 50th anniversary of a beloved record from my past.

(Note: It’s technically the 51st anniversary but I won’t quibble)

Yesterday, several brand new 50th Anniversary editions of George Harrison’s 1973 “Living in the Material World” album were issued on both vinyl and CD formats and of course I have a couple of them to share with you: the 2 CD set which features a nice poster, booklet as well as a second disc of outtakes and the orange vinyl version of the single album that is a Barnes & Noble exclusive.

(Note 2: There’s also a deluxe set that includes CDs, vinyl, Blu-Ray and a hardback book as well another vinyl version available separately that includes a double vinyl version of the album with the outtakes on a second vinyl disc.)

My history of this album dates back to 1977 when I purchased the album on vinyl at a local record store called Karma Records. I remember it well as the guy at the register looked at the album as I brought it up to pay for it and said that this album wasn’t as good as Harrison’s first album and then he proceeded to take me to a copy of the “All Thing Must Pass” 3 Lp set.

Of course the eleven year-old me only had enough money to pay for the single album of “Living in the Material World” and besides I was so attracted to the front cover which I thought looked like some sort of pirate hand outstretched from the great beyond that my mind was set on (sorry for the pun) getting this particular record.

My oldest brother who was buying “The Stranger” album by Billy Joel came up behind me and said to the clerk that I wanted the album that I brought to the counter so off I went with my first copy of “Living in the Material World”.

I have always enjoyed this record and even way back in 1977 I thought the musical textures of the songs on the album were very rich and I was then, and still am, a huge fan of the album especially the songs “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”, “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long”, “Try Some, Buy Some”, the title track “Living in the Material World” and most especially “Be Here Now” which is my favorite song on the album.

Since that time of course I have purchased multiple copies of this album, mainly various CD issues, and each time I have enjoyed it more and more and as time goes by it stands up as one of my all-time favorite solo albums by George Harrison.

I will say the thing about many of the most recent CD and vinyl reissues of the album, and the original vinyl album as well, is that the sound of the album is a bit murky in spots.

That may be a hallmark of Harrison working with Phil Spector but nevertheless while I enjoy the songs on the album I have always wanted a bit more clarity in the mix to help make the album sound a little less congested.

With this new 2024 remix I think Dhani Harrison, George Harrison’s son, along with Paul Hicks who are responsible for this new remix have done an admirable job of making the album sound less congested and they’ve also boosted Harrison’s vocals up more in the mix this time out.

I’ve read online that some people don’t like Harrison’s vocals this much up front as they think it exposes his weaknesses as a singer but for me I think it works fairly well. While not being known as quite the vocalist that Lennon or McCartney were George Harrison still has a way with his vocals in that the emotion always filters its way to the top even if he isn’t quite as smooth at times as he fellow Beatles in his delivery.

My only real criticism of this new 2024 remix is that it’s mixed a tad bit too loud for my tastes but it’s not horrible. In fact I think the vinyl version as usual sounds a bit more dynamic than the CD but at lower volumes the CD sounds good as well. If you play the CD loud though the bass tends to overwhelm the mix making it somewhat congested sounding as the original mix which is a shame.

The outtakes on the second disc of the 2 CD set however have really nice dynamics and aren’t as punched up sounding as the regular album. I would have preferred that the main album remix was mastered this way but overall I think it’s a nice mix and one I will return to when I’m in the mood for this album.

I also have to say my pressing of the orange vinyl was perfect, no distortion, no ticks and played perfectly all the way through and didn’t really need a major cleaning.

The loudness of most current remixes these days of older albums makes the vinyl versions well worth seeking out if they’re available as most of the time they sound more dynamic allowing you to enjoy the remix more than the CD counterpart.

(Note 3: Why oh why don’t they save the loudness for streaming and let the CD and vinyl issues have the best dynamics. I’m sure it’s mostly an older crowd buying these formats so why not make them sound as good as possible – rant over.)

And I must say I really enjoyed the alternate takes of the songs on this album from the 2 CD set as they are more stripped down then the original 1973 versions which really benefits some songs on the album such as “Sue Me, Sue You Blues”, “The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)” and “Try Some Buy Some” for instance.

The only other nitpicky thing which I think is kind of crazy is that on the deluxe set with the vinyl, CDs and Blu-ray there’s a bonus track on CD 2 as well as a 7-in single – “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)” . That bonus track could easily have fit on CD 2 of the regular issue. You can stream it and download it but I think that’s really short-sighted not to include that track on all versions. Just my opinion.

As for the groovy orange vinyl Barnes & Noble version that I bought if you’re interested in it it seems like they didn’t press a lot of them. In fact at the Barnes & Noble store I bought it from they only had one copy sent to them and it wasn’t even unpacked when I went to the store to inquire about it.

If you’re a diehard fan of The Beatles or George Harrison this new remix is well worth it in my opinion. Of course to me these remixes aren’t better then the originals just a different way of listening to a particular album. If you don’t want a physical copy check it out online and give it a sample.

I can see the resistance to remixing older recordings but with the lovely outtakes and the nice liner notes it really does give a new way of appreciating older recordings like “Living in the Material World” album and if you can afford it and are a fan of physical media then you should seek a copy out.

As usual you can take a gander at the two different versions of the new “Living in the Material World” that I bought above and below.

Well that’s all for now.

Until next time be healthy and well and see you soon!

“Cuartel General” and “Piscis, Acuario, Capricornio Y Jones, S.A.”- Surprising Monkees Import Finds To Usher in Fall

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This week has been interesting. I’ve been on vacation so I’ve had some time to explore some of my favorite record/antique store locations and I must say I’ve found some true gems.

As I’ve said many times before you just never know what you’re going to find especially at some of the most unlikely hole in the wall places and this week that has never been more true.

Much to my surprise the first finds of the week popped up in a small town in the Midwest about an hour from where I live, someplace I would have never guessed I’d find two obscure imported mono Monkees records from 1967!

As luck would have it I found a mono copy of The Monkees “Headquarters” from Argentina (“Cuartel General”) and a mono copy of “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.” (“Piscis, Acuario, Capricornio Y Jones, S.A.”) from Mexico.

Trust me when I say that original imported copies of Monkees albums are a rare find in the Midwest, at least in my experience. I have on occasion come across a beat up UK copy of “More of the Monkees” but I have never, until now that is,  come across some really interesting albums especially with different cover art.

As it would happen I was rummaging through a huge stack of albums in the “M” section of a off the beat store that had stacks of records everywhere and having no luck at all. Now this store is one of those cool off the beat hole in the wall places where nothing is really alphabetized (one of my pet peeves) and to find anything takes a lot of persistence.

After about twenty minutes of scrounging through beat up copies of “The Monkees”, seriously there was about ten copies and all of them looked like they were used as coasters, I was about to give up and move on.

As luck would have it I spotted an huge bin toward the front of new arrivals with another huge stash of randomly shelved vinyl. I almost decided to walk away as most of the vinyl albums in the store so far were very common and not in the best of shape but since I was on vacation I thought why not take a look.

Midway through the first bin I spotted a decent stereo copy of “More of the Monkees” so I thought oh that’s at least in nice condition so I decided it was worth plowing through the other three bins of new arrivals.

Much to my surprise and shock I was frantically flipping through the last bin when my eye caught the deep red color of the word “Monkees” and I instantly recognized it as the “Headquarters” cover even though I had only seen the upper left corner of the front cover.

(Note: I’ve grown used to flipping fast through stacks of vinyl and can spot a Monkees album from ten paces lol)

Need less to say my head almost exploded when I pulled it up and not only was the cover glossy and made of very firm cardboard (not the feel of the standard US Colgems album) when up popped the title “Cuartel General” and I was speechless.

Not only was this a mono copy from Argentina but it was marked $3.99 and was in really good condition. The vinyl in fact was a very solid VG++ and the cover was solid as well.

After perusing the cover for a few moments I hurriedly decided to finish the row and take my prize to the counter.

It’s a good thing I decided to look at all of the bin as near the very back I spotted a weirdly cartoonish yet colorful album cover that had a drawing of the Monkees on it.

I pulled the cover up and knew that this was the Mexican cover of the Monkees fourth album and turned it around to find the title “Piscis, Acuario, Capricornio Y Jones, S.A.”

The album cover was taped on the bottom and top with some old masking tape that was falling off (and luckily peeled off just fine) but the vinyl inside was again in VG++ condition and the price was definitely right at $4.99. Why this one was a dollar more and seemed more beat up than the other one is beyond me but I wasn’t going to argue.

Again I was truly amazed. Never in my life have I found such lovely imported Monkees albums and never with such lovely condition vinyl.

That was all I needed, I ran to the counter and paid for the albums and bopped home with a huge smile on my face.

I cleaned up both albums and played them that evening. Both of them sounded terrific and both contained the true mono mixes. I found the Mexican “Pisces” album was a bit bass shy but played very quietly and was well pressed.

The true highlight was the pressing of “Headquarters” from Argentina which sounded amazing! Nice bass and crisp treble and nice vocals – one of the best and quieter copies I own of this album, truly superb sounding.

I have no idea how these gems made their way into my corner of the world but I tell you what I’m keeping that store on my list for sure.

That’s all for now. Just a quick story of the first of some truly amazing finds this week.

I have to say that while I read people finding a lot of high priced used vinyl I have found some really rare records lately for amazing prices. I tend to go to more out of the way antique places then record stores so maybe that’s why but great nonetheless.

As usual you can glimpse photos of these albums above.

There are more finds from this week to follow.

Until next time be healthy and well and see you soon!