Down (3) – NOLA

I just picked up this copy and wanted to offer some additional thoughts. I find the sound quality somewhat middling. It sounds fine - perhaps an improvement over the past versions digitally and CD (don't have my CD anymore to compare it to) but I think what is lacking here is the mastering.

This recording seems pretty rough and "demo" sounding (which I love!) but I am really missing the high and low ends of it and there isn't much energy at all. At the hands of another mastering engineer perhaps we could have a better sounding version? Hard to know definitively but on my stereo everything sounds a little tame and sterile compared to other mid 90s analog recordings and mixes. As mentioned below, we know the flat master hi rez was used here but I just wonder if we could have a different and / or better mastering in the hands of someone outside of Capitol?

REGA P5 with external speed control
Dynavector 20x2L w/ DV preamp
Audio Research Vsi60
Vandersteen speakers

Sounds INCREDIBLE! Just got a copy from Amazon for Black Friday (2024) for $30, maybe they just keep pressing this ‘2016 version’? Regardless, if you love the album grab this version!

A-maz-ing !! Kick ass album on a literally damn-near perfect pressing! Couldn’t be more impressed with the reissue. Seriously nothing at all to complain about. Badass Album to crank!

Project Debut Carbon / AT740ML
Park Budgie / Genelex Golden Lion Tubes
Marantz 2265b
Klipche Forte IV

Great album and this issue sounds killer on my setup. Crisp and punchy with no surface noise.

Killer pressing! Needs to type more words la la la.

My copy sounds fantastic on my rig (Fisher MT650 turntable and Monoprice tube amp casting to a Sonos home theater setup). Super crisp and plenty loud. Dead quiet wax too. Really nice press.

The most compressed vinyl I've every heard. Sounds like a cassette being played over broadcast radio. No bass, completely flat sound. The pitch almost sounds just barely too high as well. I alternated playing the CD and vinyl tracks back to back just to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me, the CD is better in every way. Chunky guitars, muddy bass, perfect. The LP is empty sounding garbage. Did I get a bad copy or is this a lazy pressing?

I agree with the gatefold sentiment, it would have made the package even better but I also like the fact that they decided to simply do a replica of the original pressing only spreading out the tunes over 2 LP's this time.

There isn't much to not like about this pressing. It's dynamic as hell and sounds absolutely amazing. I emailed Rhino back in 2016 asking what source was used to press these and we got spoiled basically.

"Thank you for your email.

Our A&R department forwarded the following information:

Nola was cut from the 24/192 archive of the flat analog master
Down II was cut from the digital archive of the 24/44.1 flat DAT master.
I believe they were cut by Ian Selfchick at Capitol.

Dr. Rhino"

So these are cut from the original masters FLAT. Much in the same manner that Earache Records has been doing their FDR re-issues I expect.

Well worth anyones money!

Killer release, sounds awesome, looks great, just like the cd released back in 1995, Nola shines still today just like it did then. \m/

go D ammit! I say again: vinyl DOWN Nola Original "WAS NEVER GATEFOLD !" was exactly like this Rhino reissue.