“Don’t you already have that?” This is a question my wife frequently asks when I’m crate digging and start examining a record.
It's a fair one. She’s usually right and I do indeed already own a copy. And, for anyone not in the world of vinyl, understanding why I may want two of the same album can be confusing.
After all, there are entire swathes of the human race who don’t get physical media in general any more. Why bother with it when you can get it via a streaming service, usually with considerably less faff?
Article continues belowOur production editor, Chris Burke, for example, penned a magnificent piece explaining why “old is gold” for him when collecting vinyl last year.
Many of you, our discerning readers, have long espoused various audio benefits, arguing there’s a warmth and fidelity “you just can’t replicate” when listening to vinyl.
Yes, I do value the history of a record. Like the absurdly affluent Dark fan who paid £19,000 for a copy of the first pressing of the band’s Dark Round The Edges album, owning a piece of music history is appealing. It’s the same logic as first edition books, which I also love.
But neither is my main focus. Instead, I’d argue, the perfect vinyl is the one that gets me as close to the artist's intended vision as possible – and that doesn’t mean automatically going for an original pressing or a modern “remastered” one in every instance. It’s more nuanced.
I don’t care about any of them. My focus, especially for their body of work from 1963 to 1968, is on pressings containing the original mono mastering that the band themselves slaved over and released with their personal blessing at the time.
I don’t want a new version that none of them was involved with, even if it is technically better. That’s why I always search for the original mono pressings when visiting second-hand stores or boot sales.
Because of that, while I would like an OG pressing for my collection, for actual listening, I own a newer remaster that fixes the original version’s speed issues, so I can hear what each maestro actually played, as they intended.
Or, if you want an even more modern example. This Record Store Day, the album I’ve earmarked as a treat to myself is The Cure's Acoustic Hits (25th Anniversary Edition).
First, because I love The Cure. Second, because front man and main composer, Robert Smith, was involved in the remastering of the original acoustic sessions, which were recorded as a partner for the band’s 2001 Greatest Hits collection. So, in many ways, the modern, cleaned-up version is closer to his intended vision, hence why I want it.
It’s all down to context, and, as is often the case, the devil is in the details when it comes to my preference for which specific pressing of an album I want. The only connecting factor is that I want it to be as close to the artist's vision as possible. Outside of that, there are no sacred cows.
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