You highlighted two of the main reasons I subscribe to VMP. 1. The variety and 2. The free shipping (I'm in the UK). The fact that the pressings can be so good (although not always), is a bonus to me as I have quite a modest set up. If I may, I would thoroughly recommend getting hold of the following VMP editions which are still available in their store: Jorge Ben/Africa, Jim Sullivan/UFO and Gabor Sazbo/Dreams.
Their Classics selections have been great for the most part. It seems to be hard to get now but if you can get their recent edition Gabor Szabo - Dreams, it’s phenomenal
That Celia & Johnny album is an absolute classic. I am happy to see FANIA label recordings getting the audiophile treatment. FANIA is the “Blue Note” for Salsa/Bogaloo/Latin Jazz.
I am not a subscriber but I buy the ones I want. Of particular note is the first Whitney Houston album (35th anniversary) from VMP. It is one of the most beautiful boxes I have ever purchased form anyone. It comes in a box with the original album and a bonus album of remixes Mastered by Ryan K Smith at Sterling pressed at QRP on a creamy colored 180 gram vinyl from the master tapes. The cover is a gatefold Stoughton glossy cover and also includes a hard cover 12x12 book with an essay and tons of new pics. Absolutely beautiful and it sounds every bit as good. They definitely get my thumbs up!!
Michael, I’m so glad you covered Vinyl Me Please. I’ve been a member for about a year and a half now and have always thought their product was top notch. So thank you for confirming my opinion. The only issue that I’ve had with them is their shipping and completing orders in a timely manner. I hope they continue to improve. I’m hoping the Covid situation was only hiccup for them. Time will tell! Great video as always and keep them coming!
Hi Michael. Glad to see you subscribed to Vinyl Me Please. I have been with them since 2016. They've had some growing pains but overall I've been pretty happy. They can be a little slow at getting product out especially when you buy extra albums but they've gotten better. Some pressings aren't always AAA but are always pressed well and sound good in my experience. I have only had 2 instances where I got warped / defective records and they sent out replacements with no problems. You don't even have to return the defective record. If you sign up for a year as well the price drops quite a bit per record. Thanks again for posting this video I'm looking forward to your future VMP videos.
I just ordered my first Vinyl Me Please record as a non member yesterday. The Donna Summer Bad Girls Double Album which is being reissued in April. It's one that I have not been able to find used. Hopefully, it will sound great since it's being made from the analog source. Nice video.
Michael, I've been a VMP subscriber for about a year now. I've been happy with every single release I've gotten. I just received the Bethlehem collection. I hope you ordered that one too. The Grateful Dead box is stellar! Can't wait to hear your review of it.
VMP is pretty good imo, although most of their Essentials and R&HH are pressed at GZ, sometimes they get pressed at Pallas and RTI. I would reccomend Gabor Szabo - Dreams from the Classics track. It is absolutely phenomenal, and has been my favorite from Classics. I've been a member off and on, and switched between all three tracks for about 2 years now and do enjoy their issues.
I have been in this club for three years. I lost a ton of these albums. Some pressings are not as good but the ones that they give you each month are incredible and I think the price is worth it. That Salsa one was fantastic. I had pretty much bought their catalog but now have to start again. That’s life. I do like their pressings.
VMP. I’ve been very curious, very recently so, good timing sir 👌🏼 Like Maz said above, I just don’t think I can go for a subscription. But if a desired title pops up, I can have faith in it’s quality thanks to your timely summation. Appreciated
Hello my friend! My name is Andy in the Chicago area. Just wanted to let you know that I love your channel!, I wanted to know if you could do a video on your record sleeves? Or make a comment on them. Your outer and inner sleeves are awesome!, thanks again for everything!!
Great Video as always. Im on your side regarding the custom problems! I also live in germany, its so annoying. It would be great if there was an onlineshop who is spezialized in US audiophile imports in Germany at least in Europe.
Thank you for the review Michael. I’ve never purchased anything from them although I may give them another look although I’m not a big fan of the concept of subscriptions.
I loved your review!! VMP, is top notch quality I personally don’t have problem with their prices since it’s the best of the best in quality!! Greetings from a fellow vinyl enthusiast in Mexico City!!! ✨✨✨
Interesting video Michael thank you. I have a few VMP titles and the one I recommend the most is the Stax Box - that one is a treasure to own and listen to. I also have the Blossom Dearie and Willie Bobo titles and they are great too. I am not a subscriber the Stax box was open to all and the others I picked up from Discogs. I am happy with what I have and if they release a title I am interested in I will indulge myself.
Nice....I have the original of Celia and Johnny on Vaya records....got to pick that one up....I have many Salsa records from the 70s and 60s all mint that I bought back in late 80s and 90s.....so great to say all this music reissues done correctly.....like always I enjoy your videos.....happy listening.....😎🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Here’s my two cents (or whatever cents is in German) The packaging they send records in is inferior to Acoustic Sounds and other audiophile labels. All three of my latest records had significant corner damage (including the one you are holding) The pressings from VMP are great and worthy of their price, but I’m noticing over the years that color is becoming more of a selling point than the exclusivity of the album itself. John Prine’s first album is next month - an audiophile version of that album has been available for some time and cheaper. VMP does have exclusives through out the month but they are generally just color variants. The prices of these can be significantly higher than a black version (9 and 10 dollars higher) Again, I’ve been very happy with the pressings that are part of their core monthly pressings (Essentials, Classics, etc) I will not be renewing my subscription. Many of the albums from members are available on eBay or Discogs at a good price. Shipping times and packaging are worthy of better at their new prices. It’s a club and membership does have its rewards, but I’m ready to step away for a few.
Nice review however not sure if they changed they FAQ but they do not take any responsability in customs for a awhile now, there was a time that if you asked nicely they would give you back the taxs you paid in credits if that was the case but that was long ago, now its on you, if you didn't pay nothing extra yet its because you were lucky, I had some packages stuck, had to clear them myself and pay the tax. However theres a route/shipping method they are using again where things never get stuck in customs, at least for me but I've seen people complaining.
Another wonderful video, Michael. VMP has a few Fiona Apple titles I was looking at, but just kind of assumed the quality wouldn’t be there. Thanks for giving me the confidence to spend more money! lol. I hope they were also pressed at QRP. Thanks for the vid. Your channel is quickly becoming one of my definite favorites.
Tidal is a fantastic pressing. The Idler Wheel is also great. Fetch the Boltcutters is just a coloured variant, so nothing special (but still a great record). When the Pawn is the only one to avoid, in my opinion. Poor revised cover art, and the sound is not special.
Glad to see you picked up several of the Classic series. Did you get the Billie Holiday on the Essential run this month? That one was plated by QRP but pressed at GZ or one of their North American affiliates. The Jazz Dispensary titles are a must by the way.
Ive heard they are adding a Country track in 2021! Good video Michael. I have The Stooges John Cale Mix from VMP. It’s the only one I kept when I was subbed for three months. Sold the other two records for decent prices.
Excellent video.VMP has been doing an excellent job for the past year, they've really upped their game. The recent reissues of Coleman Hawkins "The Hawk Flies High"and Sonny Rollins "Freedom Suite" are outstanding.
Ive been w VMP for 2 years. I have about 60 records from them. I love them. Sometimes the presses aren’t the best, but K still love em. They’ve been real good to me. And the Zamrock box set is a beast. They have a new track coming this year, Country. And word on the street is that they have a Jazz track coming.
vielen dank für das video, sehr interessant! ich habe mal eine andere Frage an Dich. Ich mache gerade eine Großbestellung bei acousticsounds. Würdest Du eher TonePoets oder acousticsounds kaufen wenn Du die Wahl hast? ein paar Stanley Turrentine und anderen gibt es von Beiden und ich bin unshclüssig welche ich nehmen soll (ignorieren wir mal Gatefolds etc und gehen nur von Audioualität aus). Danke Dir und einen guten Rutsch wünsche ich Dir!
I have the Donny Hathaway Speakers corner pressing and an original pressing, the Speakers sounds very good but I still favor the original. It has more clarity, nicer highs and midrange. I’m sure your vinyl me please sounds very good.
From my experience 180g vinyl is just for marketing. It does not mean better pressing. The normal vinyl can sound just as good (and because many originals are not 180g) or better.I am not saying that the vinyl quality does not make a difference but the weight does not. Many 180g vinyls out there that are just horrible....
Hallo Michael, interessantes Video. Ich hatte auch schon mehrfach VMP genutzt. Qualitativ kann man nichts sagen, war immer in Ordnung. Was mir nicht so gut gefällt, ist dieses Hipster-Image was einem mitverkauft wird. Zu jeder Platte einen Cocktail-Vorschlag, (selbstgefällige) Kaffee-Bücher mit Plattentipps, zusätzliche Kunstdrucke... Das ganze Image von VMP ist aus meiner Sicht doch recht oberflächlich, selbstgefällig und elitär... auch wenn die Qualität der Platten gut ist, stört mich so etwas. ist dir das auch aufgefallen oder geht das nur mir so?
Hmmm... du sagst es ja richtig die Qualität der Pressung stimmt. Das ist der wichtigste Punk. Des ganze zusätzliche ist halt auch, wie du richtig anmerkst, ein gewisses Marketing. Der eine mag es, der andere empfindet es als unnützen Tant, wie man es macht macht man es falsch :-)
45 RPM Audiophile ist halt immer die Frage, ob man für diesen Schnickschnack mitbezahlen will. Evtl. kann der Speakers Corner Reissue von Donny Hathaway locker mithalten. Wie du schreibst, ist halt ne große Marketingkampagne dahinter... Für mich ist der Mehrwert nicht (immer) klar. Evtl. Kannst du das in einem Video mal kritisch gegenüber stellen... Viele Grüße aus Augsburg, Dominik
I put VMP as a priority over MoFi. MoFi releases have all kinds of unpredictable bad pressings while VMP seems to be consistently good. So whenever one shows up used in my local shops, I grab it, even if it's a blind buy (unless it's thrashed, but I've never seen one in that shape). My prized copies are Beck's _Odelay_ and Lapsley's _Long Way Home_ . Unfortunately no booklets in my copies though. And if you like Country music from 1955-1958, VMP won't be for you, but Light In The Attic or Numero Group probably has you covered.
My personal experience is that Vinyl Me, Please is an awful company that employs a few good human beings. I was a subscriber for 3-4 years in the United States so my experience is not a one off - they have consistently been an awful company to work with. They historically have put out records pressed at one of the many GZ Media-contracted plants that have no quality control. Large numbers of customers have had many many records replaced many times before they got a defect-free record. Quality control became so bad that it became common practice among long-time subscribers to open up and play any limited-number release as soon as it arrived, because you wanted to be sure to request a replacement copy before they ran out of replacement copies. Of course, many people do not get replacement copies before they run out. In that case, VMP hand out store credits like candy because they can afford to do so - they are so wildly overpriced because they save money in other (reprehensible) ways. They save money by not paying for quality control for most of their pressings. The company is based in Denver, Colorado which is an expensive place to live and hire employees and provide benefits, so they made the decision many years ago to farm out their distribution to a logistics company in North Carolina that primarily uses temporary workers who get paid nearly the lowest minimum wage in the nation and receive no benefits. When you treat human beings this badly, and charge the prices you do, you can give out store credits like candy, because you make a ton of profit. At the expense of real human beings. This results in the human beings who are poorly treated shipping records badly, so most (domestic) packages arrive with sleeves with corner dings, and quite often the records are warped because they are stored in a hot North Carolina warehouse with other products like shampoo and car parts because the warehouse is a logistics company that ships whatever many companies hire them to ship; they are not a vinyl-specific climate-controlled warehouse. Seriously, warped records have historically been a regular thing with this company. I even took a chance on them when they put out the Blue Note anthology box set because they were using Colorado employees (not temps) to do they shipping, but quality control again was awful. One album cover was poorly printed AND featured the wrong artwork; VMP claimed the original artwork was not available but it turned out they lied - which is what they often do - then they magically found the original artwork when pressed for it by enough unhappy customers. Another record IN THE SAME BOX SET had incorrect labels and again customers had to wait many many months until replacements were issued. The company started out with solid ideals about building a community of record lovers. The original founder - Matt - is a good human being. But over the years things changed. The community they built largely centered around an online message forum that the company built, but because that forum became a public place where anybody could read the overwhelming history of continual bad pressings, warped records, damaged sleeves and poor service, Vinyl Me, Please took the community they built... and yanked it. They could no longer afford to have years-long customers create a record of awful service if they wanted the new hired gun they brought in to run the company - someone with a history of finance and selling companies rather than of loving music - to accomplish their financial (not musical) goals. I know this seems like a long comment, but it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to VMP. Many of their customers are people who are more concerned about vinyl that comes in interesting colors, and they are not concerned with or even notice issues with pressing quality. And to be clear, those customers are doing things for reasons that represent fun and value for them, and there's nothing wrong with their reasons for liking things. To each their own. We all find fun, value and entertainment in different ways, and that's okay. But in this person's opinion, Vinyl Me, Please is an awful company based on years and years of behavior that they historically refused to change, not just due to one-off incidents. I don't recommend them to anybody. Your mileage may vary. Regards, Tom
I had some pressing issues with older titles done at GZ media, but VMP sent out a replacement with zero hassle. For the last 18 months i've been on and off the Classic track, buying just the ones i'm interested in month to month. The QRP/RKS/Tip on formula is great, zero complaints.
![ทุกครั้งที่หลับตา (Lucid Dream) - AYLA's [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i1OBAQyv58/mqdefault.jpg)
You have an exceptional channel I watch it with my 13 year old son we are both impressed with your collection and knowledge
How great is that. Please give my greetings to your son, i am happy he likes my channel!!
Can you please be so kind and tell me the name of your son?
@@Michael45RPM carter is his name
You highlighted two of the main reasons I subscribe to VMP. 1. The variety and 2. The free shipping (I'm in the UK). The fact that the pressings can be so good (although not always), is a bonus to me as I have quite a modest set up. If I may, I would thoroughly recommend getting hold of the following VMP editions which are still available in their store: Jorge Ben/Africa, Jim Sullivan/UFO and Gabor Sazbo/Dreams.
Thx Glen but i am afraid that the Gabor is OOP
Their Classics selections have been great for the most part. It seems to be hard to get now but if you can get their recent edition Gabor Szabo - Dreams, it’s phenomenal
That Celia & Johnny album is an absolute classic. I am happy to see FANIA label recordings getting the audiophile treatment. FANIA is the “Blue Note” for Salsa/Bogaloo/Latin Jazz.
It's fantastic to see the reaction of a person who is rightfully skeptical yet has an open mind, be confronted with quality like this.
I am not a subscriber but I buy the ones I want. Of particular note is the first Whitney Houston album (35th anniversary) from VMP. It is one of the most beautiful boxes I have ever purchased form anyone. It comes in a box with the original album and a bonus album of remixes Mastered by Ryan K Smith at Sterling pressed at QRP on a creamy colored 180 gram vinyl from the master tapes. The cover is a gatefold Stoughton glossy cover and also includes a hard cover 12x12 book with an essay and tons of new pics. Absolutely beautiful and it sounds every bit as good. They definitely get my thumbs up!!
Michael, I’m so glad you covered Vinyl Me Please. I’ve been a member for about a year and a half now and have always thought their product was top notch. So thank you for confirming my opinion. The only issue that I’ve had with them is their shipping and completing orders in a timely manner. I hope they continue to improve. I’m hoping the Covid situation was only hiccup for them. Time will tell! Great video as always and keep them coming!
Excellent video. I Was wondering about this service. The Errol Garner and Donny Hathaway look fantastic. Thanks for doing this.
Hi Michael. Glad to see you subscribed to Vinyl Me Please. I have been with them since 2016. They've had some growing pains but overall I've been pretty happy. They can be a little slow at getting product out especially when you buy extra albums but they've gotten better. Some pressings aren't always AAA but are always pressed well and sound good in my experience. I have only had 2 instances where I got warped / defective records and they sent out replacements with no problems. You don't even have to return the defective record. If you sign up for a year as well the price drops quite a bit per record. Thanks again for posting this video I'm looking forward to your future VMP videos.
I just ordered my first Vinyl Me Please record as a non member yesterday. The Donna Summer Bad Girls Double Album which is being reissued in April. It's one that I have not been able to find used. Hopefully, it will sound great since it's being made from the analog source. Nice video.
Yes the Donna Summer will be great i hope
Michael, I've been a VMP subscriber for about a year now. I've been happy with every single release I've gotten. I just received the Bethlehem collection. I hope you ordered that one too. The Grateful Dead box is stellar! Can't wait to hear your review of it.
VMP is pretty good imo, although most of their Essentials and R&HH are pressed at GZ, sometimes they get pressed at Pallas and RTI. I would reccomend Gabor Szabo - Dreams from the Classics track. It is absolutely phenomenal, and has been my favorite from Classics. I've been a member off and on, and switched between all three tracks for about 2 years now and do enjoy their issues.
Thanks Michael, as usual very informative
Appreciate your videos, very helpful
That Dead box was very good. My favorite though was the Zamrock one I bought earlier in the year. Outstanding.
I have been in this club for three years. I lost a ton of these albums. Some pressings are not as good but the ones that they give you each month are incredible and I think the price is worth it. That Salsa one was fantastic. I had pretty much bought their catalog but now have to start again. That’s life. I do like their pressings.
VMP. I’ve been very curious, very recently so, good timing sir 👌🏼
Like Maz said above, I just don’t think I can go for a subscription. But if a desired title pops up, I can have faith in it’s quality thanks to your timely summation.
Appreciated
Hello my friend! My name is Andy in the Chicago area. Just wanted to let you know that I love your channel!, I wanted to know if you could do a video on your record sleeves? Or make a comment on them. Your outer and inner sleeves are awesome!, thanks again for everything!!
Great Video as always. Im on your side regarding the custom problems! I also live in germany, its so annoying. It would be great if there was an onlineshop who is spezialized in US audiophile imports in Germany at least in Europe.
Love that you are covering VMP!!! Such a great label!!!
:-)
Thank you for the review Michael. I’ve never purchased anything from them although I may give them another look although I’m not a big fan of the concept of subscriptions.
Outstanding video!!!
Really enjoying your content🎉
I loved your review!! VMP, is top notch quality I personally don’t have problem with their prices since it’s the best of the best in quality!! Greetings from a fellow vinyl enthusiast in Mexico City!!! ✨✨✨
Interesting video Michael thank you. I have a few VMP titles and the one I recommend the most is the Stax Box - that one is a treasure to own and listen to. I also have the Blossom Dearie and Willie Bobo titles and they are great too. I am not a subscriber the Stax box was open to all and the others I picked up from Discogs. I am happy with what I have and if they release a title I am interested in I will indulge myself.
Nice....I have the original of Celia and Johnny on Vaya records....got to pick that one up....I have many Salsa records from the 70s and 60s all mint that I bought back in late 80s and 90s.....so great to say all this music reissues done correctly.....like always I enjoy your videos.....happy listening.....😎🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Here’s my two cents (or whatever cents is in German) The packaging they send records in is inferior to Acoustic Sounds and other audiophile labels. All three of my latest records had significant corner damage (including the one you are holding) The pressings from VMP are great and worthy of their price, but I’m noticing over the years that color is becoming more of a selling point than the exclusivity of the album itself. John Prine’s first album is next month - an audiophile version of that album has been available for some time and cheaper. VMP does have exclusives through out the month but they are generally just color variants. The prices of these can be significantly higher than a black version (9 and 10 dollars higher)
Again, I’ve been very happy with the pressings that are part of their core monthly pressings (Essentials, Classics, etc) I will not be renewing my subscription. Many of the albums from members are available on eBay or Discogs at a good price. Shipping times and packaging are worthy of better at their new prices. It’s a club and membership does have its rewards, but I’m ready to step away for a few.
Nice review however not sure if they changed they FAQ but they do not take any responsability in customs for a awhile now, there was a time that if you asked nicely they would give you back the taxs you paid in credits if that was the case but that was long ago, now its on you, if you didn't pay nothing extra yet its because you were lucky, I had some packages stuck, had to clear them myself and pay the tax. However theres a route/shipping method they are using again where things never get stuck in customs, at least for me but I've seen people complaining.
Another wonderful video, Michael. VMP has a few Fiona Apple titles I was looking at, but just kind of assumed the quality wouldn’t be there. Thanks for giving me the confidence to spend more money! lol. I hope they were also pressed at QRP. Thanks for the vid. Your channel is quickly becoming one of my definite favorites.
Tidal is a fantastic pressing. The Idler Wheel is also great. Fetch the Boltcutters is just a coloured variant, so nothing special (but still a great record). When the Pawn is the only one to avoid, in my opinion. Poor revised cover art, and the sound is not special.
Glad to see you picked up several of the Classic series. Did you get the Billie Holiday on the Essential run this month? That one was plated by QRP but pressed at GZ or one of their North American affiliates. The Jazz Dispensary titles are a must by the way.
Hello Paul, yes i get the Billie Holiday
Great video my friend
Ive heard they are adding a Country track in 2021! Good video Michael. I have The Stooges John Cale Mix from VMP. It’s the only one I kept when I was subbed for three months. Sold the other two records for decent prices.
Excellent video.VMP has been doing an excellent job for the past year, they've really upped their game. The recent reissues of Coleman Hawkins "The Hawk Flies High"and Sonny Rollins "Freedom Suite" are outstanding.
You mean 'The Hawk Files High'?
@@jamierichbell2756 Ha! I wish I had ordered two copies might be some value in their mistake.
The Albert King album sounds so good.
Sonny Rollins' Freedom Suite is as good as well.
Interesting video, thank you. I will have to check them out further though subscription makes me pause a bit.
Ive been w VMP for 2 years. I have about 60 records from them. I love them. Sometimes the presses aren’t the best, but K still love em. They’ve been real good to me. And the Zamrock box set is a beast. They have a new track coming this year, Country. And word on the street is that they have a Jazz track coming.
I'm thinking about purchasing from VMP... The Store of Herbie Hancock .
vielen dank für das video, sehr interessant! ich habe mal eine andere Frage an Dich. Ich mache gerade eine Großbestellung bei acousticsounds. Würdest Du eher TonePoets oder acousticsounds kaufen wenn Du die Wahl hast? ein paar Stanley Turrentine und anderen gibt es von Beiden und ich bin unshclüssig welche ich nehmen soll (ignorieren wir mal Gatefolds etc und gehen nur von Audioualität aus). Danke Dir und einen guten Rutsch wünsche ich Dir!
Welche AcousticSounds meinst du? die UME z.B. A Love Supreme?
@@Michael45RPM die hier zb: store.acousticsounds.com/d/152607/Stanley_Turrentine-Thats_Where_Its_At-180_Gram_Vinyl_Record vs die tone Poet Variante
the speakers corner one i have and its great
I have the Donny Hathaway Speakers corner pressing and an original pressing, the Speakers sounds very good but I still favor the original. It has more clarity, nicer highs and midrange. I’m sure your vinyl me please sounds very good.
Not related to the video, but what kind of record brush do you use? Thanks for the great videos as always!
Kudos on the "Celia & Johnny"!
Reminds me of this whole "Vinyls for pennies" thing.
:-)
I hope they add a Techno & Trance section as well. Because there are a lot of legendary tracks you can't get on Vinyl at all or just not anymore.
I totally agree that would be great if they do that
Hope we're not dealing with another MOFI transparency issue because I'm interested. I want that Merle Haggard repress. Haggard is the King in my book
From my experience 180g vinyl is just for marketing. It does not mean better pressing. The normal vinyl can sound just as good (and because many originals are not 180g) or better.I am not saying that the vinyl quality does not make a difference but the weight does not. Many 180g vinyls out there that are just horrible....
Agree, i just like the feel when i have them in my hands :-)
I only have 1 VMP LP more i have on the way I only buy their Hip hop Lps which are exceptional.
Have you ever done their subscription service for hip hop records? I want to know how the swaps work 😣
Hallo Michael, interessantes Video. Ich hatte auch schon mehrfach VMP genutzt. Qualitativ kann man nichts sagen, war immer in Ordnung. Was mir nicht so gut gefällt, ist dieses Hipster-Image was einem mitverkauft wird. Zu jeder Platte einen Cocktail-Vorschlag, (selbstgefällige) Kaffee-Bücher mit Plattentipps, zusätzliche Kunstdrucke... Das ganze Image von VMP ist aus meiner Sicht doch recht oberflächlich, selbstgefällig und elitär... auch wenn die Qualität der Platten gut ist, stört mich so etwas. ist dir das auch aufgefallen oder geht das nur mir so?
Hmmm... du sagst es ja richtig die Qualität der Pressung stimmt. Das ist der wichtigste Punk. Des ganze zusätzliche ist halt auch, wie du richtig anmerkst, ein gewisses Marketing. Der eine mag es, der andere empfindet es als unnützen Tant, wie man es macht macht man es falsch :-)
45 RPM Audiophile ist halt immer die Frage, ob man für diesen Schnickschnack mitbezahlen will. Evtl. kann der Speakers Corner Reissue von Donny Hathaway locker mithalten. Wie du schreibst, ist halt ne große Marketingkampagne dahinter... Für mich ist der Mehrwert nicht (immer) klar. Evtl. Kannst du das in einem Video mal kritisch gegenüber stellen... Viele Grüße aus Augsburg, Dominik
The VMP albums pressed at QRP are great. The problem comes from the GZ pressed albums, they are awful, about 1/3 of mine have had pressing issues.
I had a look at their website. They actually use the SPARS code for their records!
I put VMP as a priority over MoFi. MoFi releases have all kinds of unpredictable bad pressings while VMP seems to be consistently good. So whenever one shows up used in my local shops, I grab it, even if it's a blind buy (unless it's thrashed, but I've never seen one in that shape). My prized copies are Beck's _Odelay_ and Lapsley's _Long Way Home_ .
Unfortunately no booklets in my copies though.
And if you like Country music from 1955-1958, VMP won't be for you, but Light In The Attic or Numero Group probably has you covered.
Is it possible to buy records one-off?
Yes just look at their website
Didn't they rise the price forthe subscription recently and caused an outrage among fans?
Yes they did
@@Michael45RPM and still worth it?
My personal experience is that Vinyl Me, Please is an awful company that employs a few good human beings. I was a subscriber for 3-4 years in the United States so my experience is not a one off - they have consistently been an awful company to work with.
They historically have put out records pressed at one of the many GZ Media-contracted plants that have no quality control. Large numbers of customers have had many many records replaced many times before they got a defect-free record. Quality control became so bad that it became common practice among long-time subscribers to open up and play any limited-number release as soon as it arrived, because you wanted to be sure to request a replacement copy before they ran out of replacement copies. Of course, many people do not get replacement copies before they run out. In that case, VMP hand out store credits like candy because they can afford to do so - they are so wildly overpriced because they save money in other (reprehensible) ways.
They save money by not paying for quality control for most of their pressings. The company is based in Denver, Colorado which is an expensive place to live and hire employees and provide benefits, so they made the decision many years ago to farm out their distribution to a logistics company in North Carolina that primarily uses temporary workers who get paid nearly the lowest minimum wage in the nation and receive no benefits. When you treat human beings this badly, and charge the prices you do, you can give out store credits like candy, because you make a ton of profit. At the expense of real human beings. This results in the human beings who are poorly treated shipping records badly, so most (domestic) packages arrive with sleeves with corner dings, and quite often the records are warped because they are stored in a hot North Carolina warehouse with other products like shampoo and car parts because the warehouse is a logistics company that ships whatever many companies hire them to ship; they are not a vinyl-specific climate-controlled warehouse. Seriously, warped records have historically been a regular thing with this company.
I even took a chance on them when they put out the Blue Note anthology box set because they were using Colorado employees (not temps) to do they shipping, but quality control again was awful. One album cover was poorly printed AND featured the wrong artwork; VMP claimed the original artwork was not available but it turned out they lied - which is what they often do - then they magically found the original artwork when pressed for it by enough unhappy customers. Another record IN THE SAME BOX SET had incorrect labels and again customers had to wait many many months until replacements were issued.
The company started out with solid ideals about building a community of record lovers. The original founder - Matt - is a good human being. But over the years things changed. The community they built largely centered around an online message forum that the company built, but because that forum became a public place where anybody could read the overwhelming history of continual bad pressings, warped records, damaged sleeves and poor service, Vinyl Me, Please took the community they built... and yanked it. They could no longer afford to have years-long customers create a record of awful service if they wanted the new hired gun they brought in to run the company - someone with a history of finance and selling companies rather than of loving music - to accomplish their financial (not musical) goals.
I know this seems like a long comment, but it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to VMP. Many of their customers are people who are more concerned about vinyl that comes in interesting colors, and they are not concerned with or even notice issues with pressing quality. And to be clear, those customers are doing things for reasons that represent fun and value for them, and there's nothing wrong with their reasons for liking things. To each their own. We all find fun, value and entertainment in different ways, and that's okay.
But in this person's opinion, Vinyl Me, Please is an awful company based on years and years of behavior that they historically refused to change, not just due to one-off incidents. I don't recommend them to anybody. Your mileage may vary.
Regards, Tom
I had some pressing issues with older titles done at GZ media, but VMP sent out a replacement with zero hassle. For the last 18 months i've been on and off the Classic track, buying just the ones i'm interested in month to month. The QRP/RKS/Tip on formula is great, zero complaints.