Tell me about Blue Note reissues (WITH UPDATED QUESTIONS).

brianlux

Man oh man, these things drive me crazy.  The various Blue Note re-issue reviews I've seen are all over the map.  For example, check out the reviews on Discogs for this one:

https://www.discogs.com/Art-Blakey-The-Jazz-Messengers-Moanin/release/18150907

One comment there says it all:  "It seems there are two stories with this one..." 

I've read other reviews on Discogs and the Hoffman site that run down the same rabbit hole.  Even some of the Analogue Production reissues have had marginal to negative reviews and those are way-ay-a-a-ay more pricey than many of us (me for sure) are will or able to pay for a record.

So where does that leave us?  Is it a came of craps? 

So frustrating!

jerparker20

I have 6 of the 8 Blue Note Classic releases. I have had zero issues, and all sound/play beautifully. If you dig through the reviews it appears the praise far out numbers the complaints.

I think some people leaving reviews on Discogs and Hoffman for these have extremely unreasonable expectations. Thinking that a $20 pressing is/should be flawless and on par with $100 AP or similar pressing is silly.

I will continue to by these releases.

brianlux

jerparker20 said:

I have 6 of the 8 Blue Note Classic releases. I have had zero issues, and all sound/play beautifully. If you dig through the reviews it appears the praise far out numbers the complaints.

I think some people leaving reviews on Discogs and Hoffman for these have extremely unreasonable expectations. Thinking that a $20 pressing is/should be flawless and on par with $100 AP or similar pressing is silly.

I will continue to by these releases.

I'm glad you are pleased with them, Jer.

I didn't mean to give the impression that anyone expects other reissues to be on par with Analogue Productions- I've never read that anywhere.  What I am hearing is a wide range of opinions about quality.

I would not expect to compare the reissues to original Blue Note pressings either.  Most of those are hard to beat (I have some).

By the way, where so you find Blue Notes for $20?  I have not seen any that low.  Almost nothing new is that low these days.

brianlux

Blue Note also produced some reissues in 2008.  Anyone have any of those?  If so, your impressions?

Loujoe

My friend got me one (not 2008). Spinning it now. Dang bud. Sounds clean, layered and whatever fancy word you wanna insert. My only complaint is I'm broke and now want more!

Hot man...dig it. 24.99 (free for me!)

pjpjpaul

I think a lot of the "issues" some people come across are that many of the people listening to these jazz reissues are coming from more of a rock listening background where the mistakes either in tracking, production, or mastering can sometimes hide behind the mix of a rock band blasting out at full force whereas many of these blue note recordings were more nuanced and also older than much of the rock and popular music we have listened to for so long. Many of these old master tapes have an issue of some kind that will still be present on many reissues as well and people will freak out about it because they are not aware that there is nothing wrong with their vinyl but the tape itself. Then you have people on discogs who will look for any reason to complain about an album as well. Elitists will always say their rare or expensive copy is the best of the bunch but its not always the case. I think these recent reissues have been on average a positive in that they have created a pathway for many people who have not really listened to much jazz before to start a decent collection of albums and get aquatinted with some of the genres great players in the analog domain. 

mickeyrat

do you consider yourself an audiophile? or a enjoyer of music with a pretty good stereo?

if its the former listen to those reviews.

I suspect its the latter , maybe slightly turned up, but still , listen then to the consensus or the average..

Tim Simmons

I have a bunch of the AP and Blue Note reissues from last year and I have found all of them to be exceptional. 

brianlux

Loujoe said:

My friend got me one (not 2008). Spinning it now. Dang bud. Sounds clean, layered and whatever fancy word you wanna insert. My only complaint is I'm broke and now want more!

Hot man...dig it. 24.99 (free for me!)

LOL, I can dig it!

BIGDaddyWil

I have about 20 or so mix and match titles from these series.  Not a bad one in the bunch!  Even the ones i purchased from Amazon.  Highly recommend for any jazz fan!  The Tone Poets are a little more due to the nicer gatefold and glossy jacket.  This is the time to explore the world of jazz.  All analog pressings that sound wonderful!  It's a great time to be vinyl collector!  The Acoustic Series is just as good!  Hank Mobley Moanin' is amazing! ........and this is just the beginning. So many more titles to come!  The Miles Davis Kind of Blue UHQR has set the jazz vinyl world on fire!  Be warned though, if you see a title you want.....buy it now!  The pressing plants are overwhelmed right now.  Some titles are still in print, but won't repressed for 6 to 12 months.  Chet Baker Sings is one of them.

brianlux

pjpjpaul said:

I think a lot of the "issues" some people come across are that many of the people listening to these jazz reissues are coming from more of a rock listening background where the mistakes either in tracking, production, or mastering can sometimes hide behind the mix of a rock band blasting out at full force whereas many of these blue note recordings were more nuanced and also older than much of the rock and popular music we have listened to for so long. Many of these old master tapes have an issue of some kind that will still be present on many reissues as well and people will freak out about it because they are not aware that there is nothing wrong with their vinyl but the tape itself. Then you have people on discogs who will look for any reason to complain about an album as well. Elitists will always say their rare or expensive copy is the best of the bunch but its not always the case. I think these recent reissues have been on average a positive in that they have created a pathway for many people who have not really listened to much jazz before to start a decent collection of albums and get aquatinted with some of the genres great players in the analog domain. 

Good points all around.

For my tastes, I'm just looking for something that sounds good with no major flaws.  I'm never really impressed with over-the-top audiophile habits that include tens of thousands  (or even hundreds of thousands) of dollars worth of gear.  I question the ability of most people to hear so specifically beyond a certain point. 

mickeyrat said:

do you consider yourself an audiophile? or a enjoyer of music with a pretty good stereo?

if its the former listen to those reviews.

I suspect its the latter , maybe slightly turned up, but still , listen then to the consensus or the average..

Yes, the latter  (see above)

Tim Simmons said:

I have a bunch of the AP and Blue Note reissues from last year and I have found all of them to be exceptional. 

Good to know, thanks!.

brianlux

BIGDaddyWil said:

I have about 20 or so mix and match titles from these series.  Not a bad one in the bunch!  Even the ones i purchased from Amazon.  Highly recommend for any jazz fan!  The Tone Poets are a little more due to the nicer gatefold and glossy jacket.  This is the time to explore the world of jazz.  All analog pressings that sound wonderful!  It's a great time to be vinyl collector!  The Acoustic Series is just as good!  Hank Mobley Moanin' is amazing! ........and this is just the beginning. So many more titles to come!  The Miles Davis Kind of Blue UHQR has set the jazz vinyl world on fire!  Be warned though, if you see a title you want.....buy it now!  The pressing plants are overwhelmed right now.  Some titles are still in print, but won't repressed for 6 to 12 months.  Chet Baker Sings is one of them.

Cool and well said, Big D!

I didn't know Blue Note put out a Kind of Blue.  I have the Columbia Legacy.  Sounds marvelous and the music... well, that speaks for itself!

Yes, regarding order now or cry later.  Been there, done that!

Tim Simmons

Blue note didn’t. Analogue Productions are working with Sony on that one. 

Tim Simmons

Also, to be clear, Colombia(Sony) have always put out KoB

brianlux

Tim Simmons said:

Blue note didn’t. Analogue Productions are working with Sony on that one. 

Kind of thought so.  AP should be killer (both the sound and on the pocket book, lol!)

brianlux

Tim Simmons said:

Also, to be clear, Colombia(Sony) have always put out KoB

Makes sense.

brianlux

Here's another question for you Blue Note fans.  I notice a number of you have been making regular purchases of the tone poet series.  I'm generally more interested in earlier pressings, but with jazz that's getting to be a rather elite rich man's game (and to think I've been around long enough to get most of these when they came out- egads!).  So anyway, I got on the Blue Note site to see what was out there.  I was rather discouraged to see that a lot of their titles were sold out (I have fumed about limited editions elsewhere, so will give that a pass here).  So I jumped on a couple titles that were still available-

Don Cherry, Complete Communion

and the incomparable Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Moanin’

Somehow I had gotten the idea that some of you are on a subscription list for these records as they come out but I don't see anything on the BN site about that.  Do you just keep an eye out on their stuff and order when they come out?  Are you on some kind of notification list and if so, can you tell me how that works?

Thanks!

BIGDaddyWil

There is no subscription service for any of the series.  You can pre-order in advance from multiple retailers.

Here's the Tone Poem release schedule.

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/blue-note-records-announces-new-2021-2022-tone-poet-reissue-series-schedule

BIGDaddyWil

Verve Acoustic sounds release.....

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/verveume-acoustic-sounds-series-launches-impulse-60th-anniversary-may-14th-two-essential

These are just as good as the Tone poet series!

BIGDaddyWil

Blue Note Classic Series.....

https://www.bluenote.com/classic-vinyl-reissue-series/

Tim Simmons

These will stay in print, it’s just tough to get into the production queue. Check out Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds and locals. Very few are real tough to get

brianlux

BIGDaddyWil said:

There is no subscription service for any of the series.  You can pre-order in advance from multiple retailers.

Here's the Tone Poem release schedule.

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/blue-note-records-announces-new-2021-2022-tone-poet-reissue-series-schedule

Cool...

BIGDaddyWil said:

Verve Acoustic sounds release.....

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/verveume-acoustic-sounds-series-launches-impulse-60th-anniversary-may-14th-two-essential

These are just as good as the Tone poet series!

...cool..

BIGDaddyWil said:

Blue Note Classic Series.....

https://www.bluenote.com/classic-vinyl-reissue-series/

...cool...

Tim Simmons said:

These will stay in print, it’s just tough to get into the production queue. Check out Music Direct, Acoustic Sounds and locals. Very few are real tough to get

...and more cool.

THANKS GUYS!

lexicondevil

pjpjpaul said:

Elitists will always say their rare or expensive copy is the best of the bunch but its not always the case.

I am far from an elitist. I have original pressings of Blue Train, Kind of Blue, and A Love Supreme, that I have tested against new, well regarded pressings. The expensive originals have won every time. That is not to say that these new pressings aren't good, but not as good as the original, which makes perfect sense. I'm looking forward to testing the new Ultra Clear KOB against the original.

brianlux

lexicondevil said:

pjpjpaul said:

Elitists will always say their rare or expensive copy is the best of the bunch but its not always the case.

I am far from an elitist. I have original pressings of Blue Train, Kind of Blue, and A Love Supreme, that I have tested against new, well regarded pressings. The expensive originals have won every time. That is not to say that these new pressings aren't good, but not as good as the original, which makes perfect sense. I'm looking forward to testing the new Ultra Clear KOB against the original.

Originals, if in decent shape, really do beat even the best re-issues much of the time.  Just a few hours ago I ran into a local thrift store and found a copy of the Beatles "A Hard Days Night" LP.  It looked really rough but for $1.39 I figured, what the heck.  I got it home gave it a thorough deep cleaning and it still looked pretty scratched up.  But when I gave it a spin all the way through, I was blown away by how well those old deep grooves held up.  Other than some clicks on three cuts, it sounds quite good despite the abuse!