What's Playing Now

[Fritz The Cat]

No, it's quite cold here, but it isn't snowing . It doesn't snow very often here, so they successfully grow wine in the neighbourhood.

HOTH has been one of my two very first LP's that I've bought as a pupil in 1973. The other one was LZ's »Symbols« . I own none of them anymore, as I had to replace them, LZ IV several times due to party wearing out. The one I showed replaces my 1973 item one by one, with it's runout groove markings WEA-50014-A² at side A and R/S Alsdorf 50014 B3 Strawberry at side B. I've bought it as part of a collection in NM condition in the beginning of 2016.
And yes, it's a really great album :

We've done four already
But now it's steady
And then they went
One - two - three - four...

Best regards!

Bravo! You are able to hear John Bonham getting the crazy beat in the intro of "The Ocean" on your German HOTH reissue? So it's a superb pressing! My LP reissue is the same Alsdorf pressing with a "RME" mark in the deadwax of side 1. Alsdorf pressings are famous for their superb quality. Deutsche Wertarbeit! John Bonham was stressed by Jimmy Page, because this was a very intricate rhythm pattern. He had to stick to a permanent change of a 4/4 to a 7/8 cadence. So let's listen one more time to this crazy rhythmic aide-memoire from the background:
"We've done 4 already
But now it's steady,
and then they went
1-2-3-4"
Oh, John Bonham was the heartbeat of Led Zeppelin and Robert Plant was the emergency hooter...
Try to imitate this cadence by handclapping! A little challenge...

[SEAWOLF97]

Mint? The cover sleeve of "Houses of the holy" seems not to be in mint condition, IMHO. But that doesn't matter at all, because this cover art is a magical icon, an eye catcher "par excellence".

Mine is an SD 7255 , which shows = Led Zeppelin ‎– Houses Of The Holy
Label:Atlantic ‎– SD 7255
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country:Canada
Released:1973

NOT a reissue, NOT expensive, so for a 46 y.o. copy from Canada, this is prolly as mint as they get. The slight cover mar is from stacking, NOT straight from a 2019 press to the customer.

By your logic (?) , a brand new, sealed copy could not be mint if ring wear ?

IF I pickup a Mint album directly from the presses, advertise it as Mint, ship it to a buyer and it sustains a little abrasion in transit, can the buyer claim that what he received was NOT Mint ?

I'll revise my original description for you down to "vinyl surface is VG++"

[Fritz The Cat]

Mine is an SD 7255 , which shows = Led Zeppelin ‎– Houses Of The Holy
Label:Atlantic ‎– SD 7255
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country:Canada
Released:1973

NOT a reissue, NOT expensive, so for a 46 y.o. copy from Canada, this is prolly as mint as they get. The slight cover mar is from stacking, NOT straight from a 2019 press to the customer.

By your logic (?) , a brand new, sealed copy could not be mint if ring wear ?

IF I pickup a Mint album directly from the presses, advertise it as Mint, ship it to a buyer and it sustains a little abrasion in transit, can the buyer claim that what he received was NOT Mint ?

I'll revise my original description for you down to "vinyl surface is VG++"

So, let's be prolly, forever. I like the simple and used things. My life is not in mint condition. Agree with you!!! Best wishes from the other side of the world, and you know: we have only this one world, which is not in mint condition...

[Kay Pirinha]

Alsdorf pressings are famous for their superb quality. Deutsche Wertarbeit!

Not to be taken generally! I've had two or three copies of Yes' eponymous 1st album form Record Service Alsdorf that all had a groove jump in track B1 - Harold Land. I've finally found a unsuspicious British pressing that I still own.
And my copy of The Song Remains The Same by LZ has a hang in track A2 - Celebration Day, but with just some of my cartridges and needles, not so for others. I don't know why ...

Best regards!

[Fritz The Cat]

Not to be taken generally! I've had two or three copies of Yes' eponymous 1st album form Record Service Alsdorf that all had a groove jump in track B1 - Harold Land. I've finally found a unsuspicious British pressing that I still own.
And my copy of The Song Remains The Same by LZ has a hang in track A2 - Celebration Day, but with just some of my cartridges and needles, not so for others. I don't know why ...

Best regards!

Nobody is perfect! Nothing is perfect!

[SEAWOLF97]

And my copy of The Song Remains The Same by LZ has a hang in track A2 - Celebration Day, but with just some of my cartridges and needles, not so for others. I don't know why ...

Best regards!

could it be that more TF is needed ? try the Q&D old trick of a coin on top of the headshell and see if it improves

I always try to use the lowest TF that will work ..usually 1 1/4g , and it does abt 99% of the time ... there are some LP's that are difficult. have some DVD's that are fine in one player and not in another. Tolerances ? Where to point the finger ?

So, let's be prolly, forever.

you must not do frequent communications with Ozzies ?

[Fritz The Cat]

Not to be taken generally! I've had two or three copies of Yes' eponymous 1st album form Record Service Alsdorf that all had a groove jump in track B1 - Harold Land. I've finally found a unsuspicious British pressing that I still own.
And my copy of The Song Remains The Same by LZ has a hang in track A2 - Celebration Day, but with just some of my cartridges and needles, not so for others. I don't know why ...

Best regards!

1.) Prüfe die Nadel unter dem Binocular: einseitige Abnutzung, klebrige Schmutzansammlung? Montiere einen Reserve-Tonabnehmer vom gleichen Typ. Problem noch nicht gelöst? dann->
2.) Prüfe die entsprechende Rillenstelle auf dem Vinyl zuerst von Auge im Sonnenlicht, dann unter dem Binocular: kleine Schmutzpünktchen mit dem Fingernagel oder Holzzahnstocher vorsichtig wegknipsen. Hänger aufgrund von Nadelkratzern sind kaum reparierbar.
3.) Falls die LP eine leichte Welle hat, kann je nach Form der Tonabnehmer-Unterseite eine Kontaktstelle entstehen, wodurch der Druck der Nadel zu klein wird und sie aus der Rille abgehoben wird.
(Siehe mein Foto mit dem Ortofon-Tonabnehmer, der mich deshalb auch schon genarrt hat, wenn sich ein wenig Staub darunter angehäuft hat). Wellen glätten lohnt sich nur bei wertvollen LPs.
4.) Hänger sind tatsächlich meist Fehlpressungen. Es gelang mir schon, unter dem Binocular mit einem Skalpell die schadhafte "Weiche" zu öffnen. Braucht eine ruhige Hand und ist meist zu hören nachher. Glücksache.
5.) Der Trick von Seawolf mit der Münze ist einfach und aussagekräftig, da Du dann weisst, ob die Tonarm-Gewichtseinstellung oder die Antiscatingstellung verändert werden muss. (->YouTube)
6.) Falls die LP in den 70er Jahren feucht abgespielt worden war (Lencoclean), muss sie gewaschen werden. Du erkennst dies an den getrockneten Tröpfchen auf dem Deadwax. Feuchtes Abspielen führte hie und da wegen der klebrigen Schmutzresten in den "leisen Passagen" der Rille zu Erhöhungen, die die Nadel herauswerfen können und ein permanentes Kratzgeräusch erzeugen. Diese LPs musst Du gründlich waschen, am besten mit einer "Hannl" (Deutsche Wertarbeit!).
7.) Spiele die LP an der Problemstelle einige Male auf 45 rpm ab. Du kannst so die Stelle schneller "durchpflügen" und die Nadel repariert die "Weiche" manchmal von selbst.
8.) Bei Alsdorf-Pressungen hatte ich noch nie derartige Pressfehler, möglicherweise weil diese jeweils kulant von den Plattenverkäufern ersetzt wurden. Du hast vielleicht das Pech, dass einer der Vorbesitzer die Platte gar nicht abgespielt hat? Dann musst Du Dich wohl oder übel auf die Suche nach Ersatz begeben. LP wegschmeissen. Die Hülle behalten und Einrahmen oder damit durch "Modifikation" eine fehlende Hülle ersetzen.
Du hast somit ein neues Hobby gefunden, falls Du noch viele solche Hänger und Hüpfer hast. Da ich mittlerweile über 20'000 LPs gesammelt habe, hat sich für mich der Kauf von Binocular und Hannl-Waschmaschine aufgedrängt. Auch Neupressungen gehen bei mir wegen Isolationschemikalienresten zuerst meist in die Wäsche. Wenn Du es geschafft hast, dass Deine LPs alle problemlos abgespielt werden können, kann ich Dir im nächsten Bastelkurs zeigen, wie Du fehlende Schallplattenhüllen generieren kannst. Frohes Schaffen wünscht Dir Fritz the Cat!

[Fritz The Cat]

Recorded at Pyramid Peak Studios, Denver, Colorado. A bunch of tasty songs. Ex-Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Listen to "Firelines" B5. A fine one. First American Records. America first...

[Kay Pirinha]

Hi Fritz - and thank you! I appreciate yout hints!

My records never were played wet, and I know the issues resulting from that. I don't own those Yes 1st album copies with that groove jumps any more (I've bought two of them some decades ago). For my The Song Remains The Same copy: The hangs appear with any of my M95's or lower Shure's and with my Ortofon SuperOM 20, but not with my AKG P8ES Super Nova or my ELAC 796 HSp, and they also also don't when I put any other member of my Ortofon stylus assortment into the SuperOM body. Not even with the needle 10, which has the same nominal dimensions as the 20, but a bonded tip instead of the 20's nude one. My solution is a rather pragmatic one: I'm going to sell that needle 20 in another OM body together with one of my TT's (most probably with my Dual CS 5000). For daily use I've inserted the rather cheap needle 10 into the Super OM body, and I only listen to critical music (classic, jazz, female vocals) with my needle 30 (FineLine) or 40 (Fritz Gyger 70).

The pic of your catridge shows a very similar needle?!?

Best regards!

[Fritz The Cat]

This one has passed the test of time, after more than 40 years. Underrated. Listen to the slow motion song "I would find you" A3 (in the style of Procol Harum's "Song for a dreamer") and the twin guitars on "Here we are" A5. Neal Schon didn't have an easy job playing the second guitar behind Carlos Santana.

[Fritz The Cat]

Some nice tunes. Easy listening jazz. Easy going. Everything is alright. Everybody is happy. The problem? There is no beach here...

[SpeakerLabFan]

Richard Thompson - Amnesia
(1988, Capitol)




Masterdisk etching in the wax, side 2. Great sound quality.

[SEAWOLF97]

.
didn't know the label, have never seen the cover. looks unplayed.
only discovered that it's German when I got home. I like CCR.

is that JF on second from right ?

Picked up the remastered 40th Anniversary CD of "Bayou Country" , sounds great. Was reading the enclosed propaganda booklet and they showed my 7 incher and an interesting quote of Dylan,

I think that last paragraph may be underestimating their first album ??

[Fritz The Cat]

2nd album by Mick Bolton, Pete Way, Andy Parker, Phil Mogg. One hour of space rock, boogie and wah-wah-thunderstorms. Very simple and impressive. Good German reissue pressing. Superb dynamics despite of the unusual running time. Listen to "Prince Kajuku" A3.

[Fritz The Cat]

Recorded at Delta Recording Studio, Wilster, Germany. What powerful voice. Very popular especially in Germany. He disgusted the music business in USA. Consequently he left it behind. Listen to "All the way" A4.
This album was inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche.