Fun House (High Fidelity Edition) - Rhino Records (Rhino Records)
Loaded (High Fidelity Edition) - The Velvet Underground (Rhino Records)
Theoretically, an album pressed in 2026 should sound a lot better than an album pressed in the 1970s. I mean, haven't there been vast technological advances in the sound world? Or for that matter, just about anything and everything since the 1970s?
Judging by the majority of LP reissues these days it seems not. Quite often those pre-digital era 1960s/1970s pressings sound a whole lot better than today's "$95 at JBHiFi 180 gram remastered by some genius" reissues.
Sure, there are “Audiophile” labels like UHQR who for $AU250 will sell you a Jimi Hendrix or Steely Dan or John Coltrane album packaged in a oversized cardboard box and pressed on clear vinyl. Which I believe sound rather excellent. There is also Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (or Mofi if you wish) who will sell you a 2xLP 45RPM version of Television's "Marquee Moon" for $US125! I could go on.
I have no doubt that a lot of expense and skill goes into producing these reportedly high quality pressings but that’s still a shitload of cash to spend for a bloody record.
Well thank Jesus there for the Rhino High Fidelity Series. Every reissue I have bought from that series sounds spectacular. These include three Doors LPs, Alice Cooper’s "Love It To Death", and the first two Black Sabbath LPs. In technical audio engineer terms these albums Fuckin’ ROCK!
They sound bigger, brighter, more dynamic, and have higher fidelity than the originals. You can hear more stuff in the grooves...and yes the geek that I am played the old pressings (US and UK pressings) against the new pressings back to back.
The prices for Rhino High Fidelity pressings are lower than the above mentioned UHQR or Mobile Fidelity pressings and if you shop around you can score the Rhinos delivered to your door for less than $AU80 (I bought mine from their site in the US).
This leads us to two just-released reissues:
1) The Stooges - "Fun House"
2) Velvet Underground - "Loaded"
You know the story of "Fun House" so crapping on about the album’s artistic merits is pointless.
I’m going to compare the sound of this to (A) the French pressing I bought in the 70s and (B) The 2 X LP version from 2005 (which included a LP of alternate takes on the second disc).
The new Rhino pressing cut from the original analogue master tapes rocks a bit more. More high energy. The snare drum “snaps” a bit more. Iggy’s vocals have more room to breath amongst the other instruments. The separation of the instruments and vocals really makes Iggy sound marvellous.
Ron Asheton’s guitar has more churn (sorry if I’m just making up terms here that don't actually exist but the guitar really does churn).
The album was recorded mostly live and, of course, Ron had to have his amp on 10 so it would have been a tough job for the original producer and engineer to get ANY separation at all, but they did a brilliant job.
This pressing is very quiet in the gaps between songs which is a plus. You also get Iggy liner notes and tape box graphics on the inner sleeve. The difference between the new and old pressing isn’t too massive but this is "Fun House" we are talking about here.
Do you really need ANOTHER pressing of "Fun House"? You know the answer. I personally have the three editions mentioned plus a one LP unofficial release of alternate takes, and the two songs which didn't make the album ("Lost In The Future" and "Slidin’ The Blues"). An official two LP album of more alternate versions. A seven CD box set of every take of every song and a two CD version with the original album, plus a disc of some of the outtakes/alternate versions.
If anyone is able to compare this Rhino version with the 2 x 45rpm 12” version that Elektra released in 2020 I would be very interested to hear.
I give The Stooges "Fun House" (Rhino Records High Fidelity Edition) a score of 1970 beers out of 5
And now onto the new Rhino edition of The Velvet Underground: "Loaded".
I will be comparing this to a 1981 German pressing on Atlantic Records.
The Rhino pressing was once again cut from the original analogue master tapes and compared to the above mentioned 1981 pressing it sounds a lot clearer. Kind of like a cloud of fog was lifted from the grooves.
The 1981 pressing has a lo-fi charm which gives it a '60s garage band vibe which I kind of like but the new one sounds more '70s era Rolling Stones. All of the instruments come through loud and clear and the lead vocals have more emotion (Lou Reed? Emotion? Surely not!) it's a groovy album.
This edition includes liner notes by David Fricke and with a gatefold sleeve which I don't think any pressings had before.
It was an album "Loaded” with hits but no doubt Lou leaving the band before its release, and maybe record company/radio station politics, put a stop to that. If only a few bribes had of been forthcoming to the right people the album's (and band's) history may have worked out differently.
But that may have meant that "Metal Machine Music" would never have existed.
