D'Angelo – Brown Sugar

Seems like folks are divided on how this pressing sounds. I personally love it - obviously, I wish it were pressed a little hotter to reduce surface noise, but given how much music is squeezed onto one slab, I find this to be (as ATCQ once said) precise, bass-heavy, and just right.

This is a great record. But this pressing is, sadly, a little lacking. Low audio levels and very little sonic brilliance. I mean, it’s still good. But the CD is actually better, still.

What are the runout-etchings on this one? Does anyone know if there has been a single LP bootleg?

If I spent a on buying an original copy I'd want it to sound good, even if it didn't lol...... There were plenty of complaints from vinyl junkies back in 95' about the scratchy, low audio original vinyl pressings when it was released by EMI. At least Sony got it right with 'Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'. Anyone who ever played the original vinyl release of 'Urban Hang Suite' alongside 'Brown Sugar' will know what I'm talking about, unlike the previous reviewers with their 'recent' purchases of this album.

In addition, the gimmicky vinyl reissues are just overkill and a clear sign that the record industry is out of ideas. So I'm not exactly over the moon about the sound quality of the double vinyl reissues. Like I said the audio is clearly sourced from the cd and now 'Brown Sugar' has just been reissued as an expanded cd, with some of the extra tracks sourced from vinyl..... Go figure!!!!!!

In the meantime, my advice for people looking for an original remains the same. Try to source a clean, no scuff /minimal hairlines copy. Though there's little you can do about the low audio except turn the volume louder, at least the background noise won't be too intrusive.

I'm by no means an audiophile, but I bought this album yesterday, and it sounds pretty freaking solid for everything being on one disc in regards to the total running time of the album running over 50+ minutes.

C'mon, let's not kid ourselves. The pressing and sound quality was always poor on the original cheaply pressed, thin, (easily scratched) UK vinyl LP.... and definitely not pressed with audiophiles in mind (was there even such a word back in 1995? lol). During the late 90's, vinyl pressings were supplementing mainly Cd releases, therefore quality wasn't a top priority (cd's sales were). Thats why only the UK label released the vinyl by squeezing all 10 tracks on just one wax, instead of releasing the dam thing exactly as pressed on the american double vinyl promo. But hey at least the label gave it a go..... Hindsight can be a bitch at times. Who would have known back then, that original vinyl pressings would be exchanging hands for so much money two decades later..... Ok enough of that, READ CAREFULLY! You should only source MINT original copies (I don't mean 'mint' in small caps.....it's got to be MINT!!!). Otherwise you will be disappointed when your expensive normally unflappable stylus, starts breakdancing on the vinyl for no apparent reason and don't blame the 'snap', 'crackle' and 'pop' on the bowl of 'Rice Pops' you're eating while you're playing the record. The 1995 USA promo (and surprisingly the unofficial 200?) 2LP copies are probably best audio wise. The recent white and black vinyl reissues sound like remastered cd's (except with additional background noise). However if you buy vinyl because of the colour you won't care about that......

I haven't heard the other pressings, but this original 1995 UK Cooltempo vinyl pressing sounds pretty freaking amazing. It's really surprising considering all the music is on a single LP and it was pressed in the 1990s. Awesome record!