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Best / Worst Reissue Labels

ZachDZachD 318 Posts
edited March 2007 in Strut Central
Interesting stuff in the thread on the art/science of reissues/remastered LPs..What do you think some of the best and worst reissue labels are (current, or past)It seems 4 Men With Beards is a pretty obvious choice for some quality reissues - I have Les McCann - Layers and a few others - they sound great. These are some of the only new vinyl presses that seem to have the heft and 'brittleness' of the older deep groove and similar presses from that era. But - the only one I have an OG copy of is layers and it's VG at best so I can't really do an A/B with it but I'm fairly sure the 4 Men would win.What about..Simply Vinyl (always seemed suspect to me for some reason despite their audiophile marketing speak)EarmarkSundazedGet BackScorpio!!!Light in the AtticRhinoTrafficBest? Worst?? Also - how could Scorpio issues all be bootlegs? How could they bootleg the entire Sun Ra catalog? You don't think any of these are licensed? AND any idea on where the various reissues and labels are pressing their vinyl (IE which factory). I've always wanted to figure out which factory or factories were putting out the good stuff and which were bad. There are not that many factories left right so you would think in theory you could identify a factory by the look, feel, sound, or matrix information.
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  Comments

  • jinx74jinx74 2,287 Posts
    i was going to start a thread today about the Numero group and how good their label reissues are.

    i have the capsoul, deep city, and big mack ones. great packaging (though i have dubs of the cap and dc one). informative, good pictures, great sound quality.

    i would buy whatever they sell due to just the quality theyve put into the three labels ive mentioned above.

    keep up the amazing work yall...
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    The Black Jazz's with the CD skips are pretty bad.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    WORST: Collectables.

    BEST: Sundazed; Norton; Numero Group; Charly (now defunct); Solid Smoke (if this label had lasted into the CD era, they would have compiled some smokin'-hot reissues, but the albums they did put out weren't bad for the late 70's-early '80s); Ace.

    GOOD, BUT A LITTLE SHYSTY: Radioactive.

    EXCELLENT, BUT JUST GOT BOUGHT OUT BY A LARGER CORPORATION SO LORD KNOWS HOW THEY'LL SURVIVE: the Fantasy/Prestige/Milestone combine (which also gives us Stax and Specialty).

    IN THE MIDDLE SOMEWHERE: Rhino (mostly digital versions of dollarbin shite I could care less about, but every now and then they knock that joker out of the park, as on their recent funk box).
  • HairyBelafonteHairyBelafonte 1,202 Posts





  • mandrewmandrew 2,720 Posts
    numero is on top of the game right now
    props to luv n haight too
  • m_dejeanm_dejean Quadratisch. Praktisch. Gut. 2,946 Posts
    I recently bought the Art Yard reish of Sun Ra "Sleeping Beauty". Good sound, nice package. I'll def check their other Sun Ra titles and the Salah Ragab album they put out.

    Were Simply Vinyl the ones behind those MPS reishas? If so, I rate them as well.

    I'm happy with the stuff I've got from Soul Jazz too. Maulawi etc.

    I try to stear clear of crappy reissues, so I wouldn't know about the worst labels.
  • dgriotdgriot 388 Posts
    IN THE MIDDLE SOMEWHERE: Rhino (mostly digital versions of dollarbin shite I could care less about, but every now and then they knock that joker out of the park, as on their recent funk box).

    Agreed, but they get bonus points for their Handmade division, which is excellent.
  • jinx74jinx74 2,287 Posts
    Solid Smoke (if this label had lasted into the CD era, they would have compiled some smokin'-hot reissues, but the albums they did put out weren't bad for the late 70's-early '80s);

    that was my mentors label he ran with a friend. i keep telling him he needs to do more. maybe after he builds his house. boola-boola comp anyone?

    he was working on a Mack Rice comp but i dont think he ever finished it.
  • GenePontecorvoGenePontecorvo 5,612 Posts
    Radioactive is now defunct and releasing under the name "Fallout". It's a boot label but their stuff doesn't sound too bad really.
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    I recently bought the Art Yard reish of Sun Ra "Sleeping Beauty". Good sound, nice package.

    Except the label looks like a rave flier.
  • kidinquisitivekidinquisitive 1,627 Posts
    Numero, Ubiquity, Rejoint, Jazzman, Light In The Attic, Now Again, Soul Jazz, Soundways, the company that does the Ethiopiques series. I'm sure I'll think of more later.
  • m_dejeanm_dejean Quadratisch. Praktisch. Gut. 2,946 Posts
    Soundway

    But goddamn, that Mulatu 10" is practically unplayable. I'm sure the source material doesn't allow a better outcome, but whoa that one just sounds like shieet. I'm kinda bummed I can't play it out, cause the tracks are killer.
  • Danno3000Danno3000 2,850 Posts
    Numero is really the last word, as far as I'm concerned. Their work is fantastic. Light in the Attic is also superb, as is Soundways. I'll be happy if Waxing Deep can be legitimately place in the same category as Numero in a year or two.
  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    IN THE MIDDLE SOMEWHERE: Rhino (mostly digital versions of dollarbin shite I could care less about, but every now and then they knock that joker out of the park, as on their recent funk box).

    Agreed, but they get bonus points for their Handmade division, which is excellent.

    Yeah, but I'd subtract them same points just for the fact that they aren't around for long and are only obtainable thru mail order.
  • pencilfacepencilface 674 Posts
    no one mentioned Andy Votel's Finders Keepers??? theyre pretty awesome...
  • novasolnovasol 204 Posts
    Numero, Ubiquity, Rejoint, Jazzman, Light In The Attic, Now Again, Soul Jazz, Soundways, the company that does the Ethiopiques series. I'm sure I'll think of more later.

    I've been very pleased with all the above to an extent.

    The most dissatsfied I've been recently has been with Finders Keepers Susan Christie "Paint A Lady". First listen, sheer disappointment. Couldn't believe I had to up the volume twice what I normally do, flat hollow sound and supposedly from the masters. My peers have express same dismay over the entire catalog, with some exceptions given to source material not from the masters.

    My perspective is, simply put, reissues could be better than originals in most cases, and should be. My lesson learned...don't buy until you hear it.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    Also - how could Scorpio issues all be bootlegs?

    They aren't.
  • novasolnovasol 204 Posts
    no one mentioned Andy Votel's Finders Keepers??? theyre pretty awesome...


    Awesome selection, and I highly commend them for that! Just my experience with sound is disappointing.
  • tonyphronetonyphrone 1,500 Posts
    Tuff City





  • SnagglepusSnagglepus 1,756 Posts
    Soundway

    But goddamn, that Mulatu 10" is practically unplayable.

    Yeah .. WTF? If the masters/originals were that bad, why not choose different recordings? I do appreciate the songs, but I don't see the point in pressing such poor recordings to vinyl ... just throw them on a CD for "collectors" or whatever but don't market them towards DJs.
  • HairyBelafonteHairyBelafonte 1,202 Posts
    Tuff City







    isnt the infamous aaron fuchs the one behind tuff city?

  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Tuff City

    Is this a joke?
  • HairyBelafonteHairyBelafonte 1,202 Posts
    Tuff City

    Is this a joke?


    eggzacly
  • tonyphronetonyphrone 1,500 Posts

    isnt the infamous aaron fuchs the one behind tuff city?


    yes he is. i understand he has a horrible reputation in terms of paying royalties and buisness ethics. So for that reason alone, the label should be (justifiably) dissed.

    But strictly music - the tuff city catalog is pretty deep - always has interesting stuff. It's never going to be "fashionable" (see; soul jazz, honest jons,light in the attic, etc) - but that's appeling to me too.
  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    whats your opinion on the strata east stuff

    i dont think my copy of lyman woodward sounds too hot
  • tonyphronetonyphrone 1,500 Posts
    For rock, country, folk and jazz - I dig the bear family catalog:

    http://www.bear-family.de/indexframes/index_english.htm

    For proto-punk and scuzzy gems- Norton and Crypt records:

    http://www.nortonrecords.com/

    http://cryptrecords.com/

  • HairyBelafonteHairyBelafonte 1,202 Posts

    isnt the infamous aaron fuchs the one behind tuff city?


    yes he is. i understand he has a horrible reputation in terms of paying royalties and buisness ethics. So for that reason alone, the label should be (justifiably) dissed.

    But strictly music - the tuff city catalog is pretty deep - always has interesting stuff. It's never going to be "fashionable" (see; soul jazz, honest jons,light in the attic, etc) - but that's appeling to me too.


    yeah, they got good music/horrible presentation, i know he's a very shrewd businessman though. he was brilliant to buy up that shit long ago, but really he should try to take care of the artists as well as the customer, neither of which i think he's doing very well.
  • SnagglepusSnagglepus 1,756 Posts
    Numero is really the last word, as far as I'm concerned.



    Just got the Lord Rhaburn - Disco Connection 12". Great pressing ... can't wait to air that one out.
  • Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
    Interesting stuff in the thread on the art/science of reissues/remastered LPs..

    What do you think some of the best and worst reissue labels are (current, or past)

    It seems 4 Men With Beards is a pretty obvious choice for some quality reissues - I have Les McCann - Layers and a few others - they sound great.
    Sorry if i'm getting off topic, but buying reissues such as "Layers" just seems so strange to me. I mean, what's the market value on that record, 10 bucks? Don't reissues sell for like 12-13 bucks? Even if you live in a country where it's not as common as it is in the U.S., the original still goes for like 5-10 bucks on the bay, no? Why not just get the original?

    Didn't mean to single you out, Zach, i'm just speaking generally here. Carry on...
  • luckluck 4,077 Posts

    isnt the infamous aaron fuchs the one behind tuff city?


    yes he is. i understand he has a horrible reputation in terms of paying royalties and buisness ethics. So for that reason alone, the label should be (justifiably) dissed.

    But strictly music - the tuff city catalog is pretty deep - always has interesting stuff. It's never going to be "fashionable" (see; soul jazz, honest jons,light in the attic, etc) - but that's appeling to me too.


    yeah, they got good music/horrible presentation, i know he's a very shrewd businessman though. he was brilliant to buy up that shit long ago, but really he should try to take care of the artists as well as the customer, neither of which i think he's doing very well.

    Understatement of the year, bordering on hilarity. Fuchs is a piece of shit that exploits artists so he can put out a low-overhead, shitty product and do other things like sue rap artists retroactively for using his newly-owned sample OGs (see the whole Impeach The President debacle). "Shrewd" is completely the wrong word - it's like calling Hitler "authoritarian."
    I'm not going to lie - I've bought 2 or 3 things from Fuchs's labels because sometimes there's nowhere else to go to reasonably acquire the music (like the Hermon Hitson comp, and including the Honeydrippers 12", before I even knew what Fuchs was all about). As far as I know, Fuchs has technically broken no laws with his filthy practices, but I'm fully OK with folks "sharing" Fuchs's shit so no one has to go through with the indignity of buying it. Who here wants the Hitson comp?

    And I refuse to buy any Radioactive/Fallout material, despite their solid discography. The label has has an international court ruling against its business practices and they persist to this day with their illegal bullshit.
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