Spiritualized Reissue Series - Pressing Update

[version sound]

Lazer Guided Melodies is up first. Limited version on white, regular on black. Up for pre-order.

https://store.fatpossum.com/products/lazer-guided-melodies

Can’t wait for Pure Phase

[scannest]

The only record of theirs I ever paid much attention to was "Ladies and Gentlemen..." Not sure why - I really like that record, even if it's kinda exhausting. While I won't buy these I guess I'll use this as an excuse to check out the rest of the catalog.

[version sound]

The first two are really where it’s at for me. I’m sure part of that has to do with the fact that they perfectly fit in with the other stuff I was listening to at the time, plus I was already a Spacemen 3 fan, so it was kind of part of that continuum. LAGWAFIS came out when I wasn’t listening to much guitar-based music anymore. I bought it anyway, since I loved the first two, but was disappointed in how “straight” it sounded. Pure Phase is a super druggy record, so compared to that LAGWAFIS sounds like stadium rock. I have grown to love it over the last 20+ years, but I’m still partial to the first two.

[JGJR]

I really hope that when they get to LAGWAFIS, they use the same mastering that was done for the VMP version that just came out a few months ago. I haven't acquired that one (though it's high on my want list), but by all accounts, it's the best-sounding vinyl version aside from a 2012 import version that's much harder to find.

Anyway, this is exciting news! I'm very excited about LAGWAFIS and Let It Come Down in particular since those are the records that got me into them (LAGWAFIS specifically) and when I was the most into them, but I like it all to one degree or another. The first 2 (and Spacemen 3's catalog) have grown on me a lot over the years, but it's sort of like what VS said about most partial to those 2 except with me it's the late '90s/early '00s stuff.

[patient_ot]

I'll wait for reviews. Unfortunately FP presses a lot of their records at that toilet pressing plant in Memphis. That plant cannot seem press a centered LP to save their lives, and their records often have other defects also. So all the money spent on mastering is potentially going down the crapper here.

[JGJR]

I'll wait for reviews. Unfortunately FP presses a lot of their records at that toilet pressing plant in Memphis. That plant cannot seem press a centered LP to save their lives, and their records often have other defects also. So all the money spent on mastering is potentially going down the crapper here.

It sounds like the VMP pressing is gonna be the way to go then. Let's see.

[xxxMidgexxx]

The only record of theirs I ever paid much attention to was "Ladies and Gentlemen..." Not sure why - I really like that record, even if it's kinda exhausting..

Its their best.

[version sound]

The VMP pressing is technically a FP pressing. VMP is selling a white vinyl pressing of LGM. Seems unlikely that it is a different white vinyl pressing than the one FP themselves are selling. So maybe FP is using a better plant or this “VMP” version is going to be just as crappy as the FP version that is $7 less (for non-members, only $3 less than the member price).

The VMP LAGWAFIS was mastered at Alchemy and pressed at GZ. The new LGM is also being advertised as mastered at Alchemy, so maybe also pressed at GZ?

[version sound]

And they are doing the first 4 LPs, so LAGWAFIS and LICD will both be part of the deal. I got a white vinyl version (which seems to be sold out already), so if it’s a shitty pressing, I’ll likely be able to get my money back on the flip.

EDIT: The SPZ store still has white vinyl, but I’d jump on it quick:

https://store-us.spiritualized.com/products/lazer-guided-melodies-white-vinyl-lp

Also, the SPZ UK store copy also says “Spiritualized and Fat Possum,” so it’s either FP worldwide or SPZ is putting out the euro version themselves.

[JGJR]

The VMP pressing is technically a FP pressing. VMP is selling a white vinyl pressing of LGM. Seems unlikely that it is a different white vinyl pressing than the one FP themselves are selling. So maybe FP is using a better plant or this “VMP” version is going to be just as crappy as the FP version that is $7 less (for non-members, only $3 less than the member price).

The VMP LAGWAFIS was mastered at Alchemy and pressed at GZ. The new LGM is also being advertised as mastered at Alchemy, so maybe also pressed at GZ?

Well here are the reviews.

https://www.discogs.com/Spiritualized-L ... e/15886061

The VMP version is dark blue, not white.

[version sound]

The VMP version is dark blue, not white.

I was talking about LGM:

https://www.vinylmeplease.com/collections/pre-orders/products/spiritualized-lazer-guided-melodies?variant=32974114193498

FWIW, the FP pressing of Teenage Snuff Film got mostly good reviews on Discogs.

[JGJR]

The VMP version is dark blue, not white.

I was talking about LGM:

https://www.vinylmeplease.com/collections/pre-orders/products/spiritualized-lazer-guided-melodies?variant=32974114193498

FWIW, the FP pressing of Teenage Snuff Film got mostly good reviews on Discogs.

Ah sorry about that. I didn't realize VMP was selling a version of LGM as well.

[patient_ot]

MRP, along with Precision in Canada, are both owned partially or fully by GZ IIRC. I don't think either plant has a plating facility so you could end up with records from either of those plants that are plated at GZ with GZ matrix numbers but pressed at MRP or Precision.

I know the former sucks but I know very little about the latter. Records that are pressed at GZ tend to be hit or miss, especially if they are cut in-house with their assembly line DMM process.

Re: Alchemy, that's a mastering studio in the UK and they do cut lacquers. I think AIR recently bought out Alchemy. Both studios did good work in the past. You could have a lacquer cut there but the actual record could be pressed anywhere.

[version sound]

I hope my copy will be decent. FP’s pressing of Teenage Snuff Film got generally good reviews. If it’s trash, I can probably sell the white vinyl at a profit. Someone already has it up on eBay UK for £79...

Edit: I have the US white vinyl of Sweet Heart, Sweet Light on FP. The scuttlebut on the SPZ board at the time was that the UK white vinyl was awful, but the US was good. I’ll give it a listen this weekend, if I get the chance.

[drew]

I love LAGWAFIS Saw them open for Radiohead at Radio City Music Hall and it's def a top-three all-time concert for me. All of their albums are great up to this one. Then it gets meh.

[JGJR]

I love LAGWAFIS Saw them open for Radiohead at Radio City Music Hall and it's def a top-three all-time concert for me. All of their albums are great up to this one. Then it gets meh.

I saw the 2nd night of that (the Saturday show); were we at the same one? Very memorable/great show for me as well.

[drew]

I love LAGWAFIS Saw them open for Radiohead at Radio City Music Hall and it's def a top-three all-time concert for me. All of their albums are great up to this one. Then it gets meh.

I saw the 2nd night of that (the Saturday show); were we at the same one? Very memorable/great show for me as well.

I saw the last night. Thom Yorke kept saying how happy they were that the tour was finally over. They played for a while though......we scalped 3rd row seats outside for $100. now its $300 just to get in the building when they play.

[JGJR]

I love LAGWAFIS Saw them open for Radiohead at Radio City Music Hall and it's def a top-three all-time concert for me. All of their albums are great up to this one. Then it gets meh.

I saw the 2nd night of that (the Saturday show); were we at the same one? Very memorable/great show for me as well.

I saw the last night. Thom Yorke kept saying how happy they were that the tour was finally over. They played for a while though......we scalped 3rd row seats outside for $100. now its $300 just to get in the building when they play.

I barely remember their set except that they were really good and they played "The Trickster," which was a very nice and unexpected surprise. I can't remember how much I paid, but I do remember that they were only supposed to do one show and it sold out so quickly that they added a 2nd one right away (likely the plan all along) and thankfully because I went to a real out of the way Ticketmaster outlet (remember those?) in a grocery store, I was able to get a bunch of tickets. They were nosebleeds, though; that must have been amazing in the 3rd row.

[version sound]

Got my white vinyl LGM this morning. I haven’t had a chance to listen to the whole thing, but I put each record on the TT and listened to the lead-in and a bit closer to the label. All 4 sides look clean - there have been complaints about these being dirty and/or having crap imbedded in the vinyl, but I saw none of that in mine. Side A has a pretty wicked warp, though I’ve seen worse, and it tracks fine. All 4 sides are very quiet. In my quick survey, I didn’t hear a single snap, crackle, or pop. The mastering sounds good. Overall, I’m satisfied enough to take the gamble on the next installment.

[patient_ot]

Seems like most people are praising the mastering but the pressing quality is mediocre to shit. Records should not be warped from the factory.

[version sound]

Seems like most people are praising the mastering but the pressing quality is mediocre to shit. Records should not be warped from the factory.

100% agree, but I feel like I got lucky overall. The only other option (on vinyl, I’ve had the CD since it came out) is a very pricey original. Sadly, this pressing is currently the best available option. I’ll buy Pure Phase. I’m not sure I’ll bother with LAGWAFIS. I already have a few different versions on CD, and it’s my least favorite of the original three, so I don’t know if I need a sketchy copy on vinyl.

[patient_ot]

Seems like most people are praising the mastering but the pressing quality is mediocre to shit. Records should not be warped from the factory.

100% agree, but I feel like I got lucky overall. The only other option (on vinyl, I’ve had the CD since it came out) is a very pricey original. Sadly, this pressing is currently the best available option. I’ll buy Pure Phase. I’m not sure I’ll bother with LAGWAFIS. I already have a few different versions on CD, and it’s my least favorite of the original three, so I don’t know if I need a sketchy copy on vinyl.

Yeah, I get it. I'll have to think it over if I'm gonna mess with it or not. I hate buying vinyl from Amazon, but if I do decide to try it I'll go that route. Having no questions asked returns on sketchy vinyl helps. Usually I'll try to 2 copies, and if both are jacked up, I give up on vinyl for that release.

[version sound]

Good plan. I might forgo the colored vinyl and just buy black from Amazon so I can return it if there’s an issue. I did read that someone complained to Fat Possum about the warped copy they received and got a refund (without having to send it back). My copy is fully playable and sounds good. I’m not jazzed about the warp on the A side, but it tracks and doesn’t affect the sound, so I can live with it. You’d think that FP would put some focus on pressing quality, since they own the damn pressing plant, but maybe it doesn’t affect them much overall.

[patient_ot]

Good plan. I might forgo the colored vinyl and just buy black from Amazon so I can return it if there’s an issue. I did read that someone complained to Fat Possum about the warped copy they received and got a refund (without having to send it back). My copy is fully playable and sounds good. I’m not jazzed about the warp on the A side, but it tracks and doesn’t affect the sound, so I can live with it. You’d think that FP would put some focus on pressing quality, since they own the damn pressing plant, but maybe it doesn’t affect them much overall.

I don't think FP cares about quality that much. Not sure how much interest in MRP they have at present since GZ owns a big share or the whole thing now. FP has a nice catalog, but a lot of their releases are very low quality. You can see that just by looking at the awful scans or blown up CD art they use for covers. The thing is a lot of people buying records today have no frame of reference for quality or very low standards in general. It's why stuff like 4MWB and horrible public domain pressings sell.

[version sound]

So, Pure Phase is up for pre-order now, and I ordered the glow in the dark vinyl, like a sucker. It’s my favorite Spiritualized record, and FP will definitely hear from me if there are any issues with this one. So much for doing the rational thing...

[patient_ot]

So, Pure Phase is up for pre-order now, and I ordered the glow in the dark vinyl, like a sucker. It’s my favorite Spiritualized record, and FP will definitely hear from me if there are any issues with this one. So much for doing the rational thing...

VS, here's the bad news about Glow In the Dark vinyl. It is not like regular colored vinyl, usually. A powder has to be added to the vinyl mix in order to give that effect. That powder will make the record noisier than a regular record. I never buy GITD LPs for that reason.

It's possible FP is doing something different here, but I would also doubt that. Usually labels, even normal ones, will give a warning about purchasing GITD records, and say that the record is basically a collectible and not meant for optimal sound quality.

[JGJR]

So, Pure Phase is up for pre-order now, and I ordered the glow in the dark vinyl, like a sucker. It’s my favorite Spiritualized record, and FP will definitely hear from me if there are any issues with this one. So much for doing the rational thing...

VS, here's the bad news about Glow In the Dark vinyl. It is not like regular colored vinyl, usually. A powder has to be added to the vinyl mix in order to give that effect. That powder will make the record noisier than a regular record. I never buy GITD LPs for that reason.

It's possible FP is doing something different here, but I would also doubt that. Usually labels, even normal ones, will give a warning about purchasing GITD records, and say that the record is basically a collectible and not meant for optimal sound quality.

Isn't the original Yes L.A. comp on Dangerhouse (and maybe the reissue) on glow in the dark? I'm sure there are others, but I always wanted that one.

[version sound]

The reissue Yes L.A. definitely isn’t glow in the dark, and I’ve never heard that the original is either. I believe it’s just clear vinyl with music on one side and screen printing on the other.

There was no warning about the GITD vinyl on the FP site or at VMP, who is also selling it. Maybe I’ll ask them about it. I want something that sounds good, not just something that looks good, so I’ll cancel that one if that is the case. The new sleeve looks like shit. I know it’s supposed to look like the GITD box the OG was packaged in, but it just looks like Gatorade.

[patient_ot]

The reissue Yes L.A. definitely isn’t glow in the dark, and I’ve never heard that the original is either. I believe it’s just clear vinyl with music on one side and screen printing on the other.

There was no warning about the GITD vinyl on the FP site or at VMP, who is also selling it. Maybe I’ll ask them about it. I want something that sounds good, not just something that looks good, so I’ll cancel that one if that is the case. The new sleeve looks like shit. I know it’s supposed to look like the GITD box the OG was packaged in, but it just looks like Gatorade.

I can't say I prefer the green cover either but it's not the worst I've seen. Funny that they charge $1 more for GITD vinyl. They should definitely have some kind of warning about it. Even Rev did when they did the GB LP on GITD vinyl.

[version sound]

I wrote to FP to ask about the GITD vinyl. Got no response. Cancelled my order. One of my local shops had LGM on white for less than I paid for it (with shipping), so I might just buy PP (on black) in-store.

[version sound]

I got a chance today to listen to all of LGM today, and I am very happy with it. I’m not stoked about the A-side warp, but it does not effect the sound at all. There were one or two minor crackles here and there, but not many at all, and none that distracted from the music. The mastering itself is fantastic. The bass is up front, exactly where it should be. As much as Spiritualized are a guitar band, it’s really the bass that leads the way on this record. If Pure Phase is as good as this one, I’ll be very happy.

[version sound]

I wrote to FP to ask about the GITD vinyl. Got no response. Cancelled my order. One of my local shops had LGM on white for less than I paid for it (with shipping), so I might just buy PP (on black) in-store.

Soooo, Got my GITD Pure Phase today (despite the fact that I cancelled my order). It has a “Made in the Czech Republic” sticker on the back, so I guess they used GZ for this one. The cover is heavier than LGM too. Hopefully, the QC will be better this time around. Here’s to hoping that the GITD vinyl formula doesn’t make it too noisy...

[version sound]

So, I’m listening to this thing right now, and as far as I can tell, it sounds pretty great. My goddamn amplifier is completely out in the right channel, so I’m basically just hearing the left channel mono mix. There is a light crackle between tracks, presumably from the stuff used to make it glow in the dark, but it’s very quiet, and you absolutely can’t hear any noise when the music is actually playing. No surface noise, tics, skips, or other issues so far. Hopefully LAGWAFIS will also be pressed at GZ, cuz I don’t really feel like dropping $43 on the VMP.

[patient_ot]

So, I’m listening to this thing right now, and as far as I can tell, it sounds pretty great. My goddamn amplifier is completely out in the right channel, so I’m basically just hearing the left channel mono mix. There is a light crackle between tracks, presumably from the stuff used to make it glow in the dark, but it’s very quiet, and you absolutely can’t hear any noise when the music is actually playing. No surface noise, tics, skips, or other issues so far. Hopefully LAGWAFIS will also be pressed at GZ, cuz I don’t really feel like dropping $43 on the VMP.

What's your copy say in the deadwax? Is it just GZ matrix numbers or is there a lacquer cutter sig.

I hope you get your amp issues fixed soon. That sounds extremely frustrating. The issues I was having went away and I haven't been able to reproduce them. So whatever was causing it is still a mystery.

[version sound]

According to Discogs, it was mastered by Chris Blair, if that’s what you’re looking for. If not, I can check the dead wax when I get home.

[patient_ot]

According to Discogs, it was mastered by Chris Blair, if that’s what you’re looking for. If not, I can check the dead wax when I get home.

Yeah, I was interested in the deadwax info. I don't trust Discogs credits 100% without deadwax confirmation. There is a lot of wrong info and incomplete info on there. Even with actual releases/credits/liner notes, there are many instances where the written credit doesn't match what's on the record.

[version sound]

Here’s what I can make out on the A side:

Handwritten

FP 1752-1 A BAZZA (?) ALCHEMY

Stamped

MRP2987/FP1752-1-A 883937 218763E1

[patient_ot]

Here’s what I can make out on the A side:

Handwritten

FP 1752-1 A BAZZA (?) ALCHEMY

Stamped

MRP2987/FP1752-1-A 883937 218763E1

Thanks.

[JGJR]

New song/video from the forthcoming album is out. I dig it.

[version sound]

New song/video from the forthcoming album is out. I dig it.

Yeah, I like it. Haven’t pre-ordered just yet, though. I never did buy the last album.