Yesterday I stopped by Comeback Vinyl and picked up the newly remastered Meddle on vinyl. James Guthrie did the honors. There are several differences to mention outright. First of all, I've never thought the image for the cover looked quite right. It always seemed out of focus. That has been changed on this release. The outer cardboard also has a unique pebbled texture that is especially effective on the black and white pictures of the band in the gatefold. OH, the label is different. This album is on Pink Floyd Records, not EMI/Harvest.
How does it sound? Well, let's just say I have had three different CD copies (including the MFSL) and two other traditional vinyl pressings (US and UK), and it clearly beats them all. The bass effects in the "bridge section" of One of These Days is nothing short of astonishing. There are several places in the mixes where Richard's keyboards are more prominent and better defined, but I also noticed Some of David's leads are more subtle, not as up front. The most telling factor was my ability to distinguish the lyrics . While there seems to be greater definition overall, it is not at the usual expense of taking away the warmth of the recording. Bass and drums are very strong. The transients are smooth and natural sounding with much less of the blurring I normally hear on vinyl.
I had previously decided to bypass picking up the also new release of Atom Heart Mother, but the sound quality of this album has likely changed my mind.
Bottom line - highly recommended.
Bookmarks