R.E.M. Automatic for the People - Bad Pressing?

Sorry, I found that thread after my initial post.

Still bummed tho...wasn't expecting miracles, but Automatic was such an important album to me growing up and was really psyched to find an (affordable) vinyl copy, even if it wasn't anything special.

 

Why would a DMM cut make a record sound thin?

 

Digging up this old thread...

Not sure if this was created by a forum member, but I've just chanced upon a youtube clip which demonstrates the problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIldbGYhkyg

Ouch.

 

I didn't create that video, but that's exactly the phenomenon I started this thread about. Buyer beware!

 

Yup. I have one of those, what a disappointment. Has this never been explained by anyone involved in the mastering/pressing process?

 

I don't think Warner gives enough of a crap to address this, honestly, especially given that this thread was started in 2007 and I bought a new (defective) copy last year, which means they've been pressing this same version for a few years and never bothered to fix it. It's a shame...I only paid $10 for it, but still, it's just taking up space on my rack, and I'd feel guilty trying to sell it to someone.

 

So there's no way to be sure to find a copy without this fault? I see a new/sealed 160g pressing on eBay (Germany) but I fear this has the same flaw? This is one album I really would like to have on LP too..

 

No, the German pressing is wonderful and does not have the same flaw:
http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/896995

 

I'm not sure if it's actually a german pressing though - just from eBay.de

This one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....5621789&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_922

So I should be looking for an original german pressing then?

 

You should look for the pressing I linked to above. You can check the sellers at discogs. There is a mint copy available for 15 Euros from Italy.

I do not know if the more recent pressing is good, because I have never heard it. I also do not know anything about the UK pressing that is also available.

 

OK, thanks for the help. I will look it up. R.E.M. is one of my fave bands & this is their best album IMO.

 

So avoid the US pressing and go for the German. That error just sounds stupid!
What about the 180gram German release from a few years ago?
Here's the only info I could find:
http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=267259

 

Got myself an original German pressing. No issues.

 

Wow, that's truly horrible. Thanks captainsolo for bumping this thread. I was not aware of this!

 

Just discovered this thread...I bought that same bad pressing of Automatic in December 2009 from Tower.com. They gave me a refund and told me to keep it. I figured I'd wait a while to look for this one again, but if these have been sold for several years now, I guess maybe I'll go for a German pressing and avoid the US pressing altogether.

 

I have this, and it's only on Nightswimming, and it's only the piano. An intentional choice, it seems.

 

Not to dig up old topics, but I am curious -- since it seems as though this continued to be in production, is there such a thing as a 1st pressing of this? If so, is there any way to really determine it?

 

Definitely not intentional. It starts during "Man On The Moon" and continues through the rest of side 2. (of course, the best part of the album, IMO)

 

I have a german (the european) pressing: WMME Alsdorf 936 245055 -1-A and WMME Alsdorf 936 245055 -1-B and I don't recommend it. I don't know which went wrong but it is not a pitch issue, it's that the record sounds thin, without body: no weight. It reminds me AM radio (exaggerating a bit).

Is there any good pressing?

Miguel

 

Posted this in another thread as well and am posting it here as well.

Matrix info for a U.S. copy without the flaw. Not sure how old this copy is.

Side 1: 1 - 45055-A-SR1-DMM-SP2-1 T.D. Precision (The "2"in SP2 is written over a "1", and there's something crossed out between the 1 and 45055)

Side 2: 1 - 45055-B-SR1-DMM-SP1-1 T.D. Precision (Like side 1, there's something crossed out between the 1 and 45055)

 

They're only two albums away from Automatic in the 25th anniversary reissue series, and I would assume that it will receive a new vinyl issue in conjunction with the 25th anniversary edition, and the vinyl reissues in that series have been very good, so maybe in a few years this problem will be solved.

 

arggg! this thread is a little confusing because nobody share detailed info about the affected pressings: deadwax info, catalogue number, details, please!

by example if the US pressing have issues, exist 2:
http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/375110 (1st US?)
http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/5067249 (marked like Reissue)

and the German pressings, exist 3:
1992 http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/736266
2003 REISSUE: http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/4699115
DELUXE 180G http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/3866356

to resume:
@Aftermath share matrix info and it seems is the 1st US press http://www.discogs.com/REM-Automatic-For-The-People/release/375110 so maybe the bad press is the US reissue? or some have issues and some don't?
AND
Miguel report that 1992 German sounds close to AM radio
so what's the best sounding german press?

 

Among German pressings 1992 Alsdorf original is the highest quality one. Dead quiet vinyl and great dynamics.
All later reissues have surface noise and hum.

regarding comparison with AM radio : you must seriously re-arrange your setup when classic REM original LP sounds like that. another hint is using different cartridges.
I have a big I.R.S.-era ( known for its outstanding sonics) collection of US, German and Dutch versions and can prove that most of those records are best performed on different carts.
No doubt I would change the cart used for Reckoning to play Automatic next.

 

Love this album. And to your point, if anyone has heard a high resolution digital rip of a well-mastered LP, or for that matter, a quality SACD rendered on a dCS system with top flight tube amplification, you'll know this is true.

 

How's the two channel mix on the DVD-Audio?