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3.7
Average of 7 reviews
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Since getting a Spin-Clean, I've been revisiting some of my vintage 70s and 80s records, and this one turned out great. It's almost flat with just a tiny warp, but it's super clean and quiet, with a solid, well-balanced mix. In my view, it's a well-pressed original that sounds fantastic.
This reissue really skimped on the artwork quality. You can sorta see it in the cover pic, the paper's so flimsy you can read the other side. And the sound... noise reduction totally sucked the life outta it. Might be worth it for the bonus tracks (they've got great clarity, guess they skipped the no-noise tech on those), but for the main album, I'd suggest grabbing an earlier version instead.
Following a couple of misses, Elton reunites with his classic 70's band and collaborates with Bernie Taupin for all the lyrics on this album, aiming to recapture some of that earlier enchantment. The outcome? Elton manages to revive *some* of that spark. Sure, this album doesn't quite match the brilliance of the nine studio albums they released between 1970-75, but for 1983, it's as close as it gets, and it's a solid record. Tracks like "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues", "I'm Still Standing", and the title track do indeed bring back some of that 70's charm. However, there are a few duds. "Crystal", "Kiss the Bride", and "Whipping Boy" are just plain bad. I don't expect Elton at 36 to sound exactly like Elton at 26, but at times, it feels like he was trying too hard to be his younger self, and it didn't quite work. Songs like "...Call it the Blues" and "Too Low..." hit the right note for where he was at that point. Great tunes that appealed to both longtime fans and new listeners. Definitely an album worth having for any Elton John fan.
The packaging and sound quality are top-notch. When you put this up against a German original, Bob Ludwig's remaster doesn't bring anything extraordinary to the table - the vocals are a tad more prominent, but the original recording was pretty mediocre at best. That's odd for Elton, since most of his albums were usually well-recorded and produced.
I haven't got an original pressing, but fancied giving this new version a spin before investing in a VG+ copy of the original. The packaging is really rather nice. The sound quality is excellent, although I'm not entirely convinced the remaster is significantly better than the original. My copy has a slight warp on the outer edge, causing some popping during the first few rotations of "Crystal". All in all, it's a good deal for the price, but I'd recommend checking for warps. I'm not sure if mine is a one-off or a manufacturing issue. Equipment used to test: ATLPW30TK Turntable VMN95ML Stylus Dayton Audio HTA100 Tube Amplifier Klipsch R-50M Speakers
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| Date | Lowest price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2025 | $29.97 | โฌ29.97 |
| Apr 29, 2025 | $34.98 | โฌ34.98 |
| May 6, 2025 | $34.98 | โฌ34.98 |
| Jun 28, 2025 | $34.98 | โฌ34.98 |
| Jul 31, 2025 | $29.98 | โฌ32.48 |
| Aug 29, 2025 | $29.98 | โฌ29.98 |
| Sep 30, 2025 | $29.98 | โฌ32.48 |
| Oct 31, 2025 | $29.98 | โฌ32.48 |
| Nov 30, 2025 | $29.98 | โฌ29.98 |
| Dec 31, 2025 | $29.98 | โฌ29.98 |
| Jan 21, 2026 | $29.98 | โฌ32.48 |