My Bloody Valentine – Isn't Anything

Important info on My Bloody Valentine pressings:

If ever there was a band where it truly mattered how the music is transmitted to your ears and on your body e.g. [the source - which vinyl pressing, what kind of digital stream, tape vs cd vs vinyl-, equipment (record player, cd player - mediocre or great digital to analog conversion - ], that band is My Bloody Valentine. You will have such a different experience if you get an original CD vs. a remastered CD or the original vinyl pressing vs the Fully Analog pressing.

This album can seem harsh and ear fatiguing unless you get the fully analog pressings starting in 2018. It is a different animal. Or get the digital remaster in 2012. They did all kinds of things Shields didn't understand when Creation put this out in 1988. And it wasn't corrected until he remastered it for CD and especially vinyl.

Here's what Shields said in 2004 about the orignal mastering in 1988: "I never liked how mastering engineers would add treble and compression and totally fuck up the sound. It would bring out the cymbals and make the guitars sit way back where they shouldn’t be. “Isn’t Anything” was originally mastered very quickly. I think it was done in a couple of hours. Way faster than a normal album. For some reason we put a De-Esser on the whole thing. Apparently there was some fundamental spike occurring on the vocals and stuff. So because the whole album went through that circuit, I’ve often wondered what it would sound like if it hadn’t."

Well we now know what a huge difference it made. I think the fully analog vinyl from 2018 and 2021 sounds so amazing and is not harsh or ear fatiguing. And then my next choice would be the remastered CD from 2012.

He puts so much thought and time into the recording. If you really want to hear what was intended then get the remastered vinyl. (I haven't given a good listen to the digital vinyl remaster from 2021 so I can't compare that.) But my copy on vinyl from 2018 sounds amazing, revelatory on vinyl. And I've been listening to this abum since 1988.

It all just flows betters and the harshness is gone. I really feel the fully analog vinyl versions from 2018 and 2021 will give you a different experience than the previous pressings. And the same should be said for Loveless. He put so much time and effort into these remastered fully-analog vinyl. These reflect his original intention on record. And they are both a revelation. Now if he would just tackle the four Creation EPs and make fully-analog vinyl remasters the world can be at peace.

Actually, he's actually too busy for that working on the other new albums he promised He went so far as to say in one interview there would be a double album, a regular length album and several EPs. I think he's going to shock the world with all the music he'll release and then there will be a world tour. In the next 1-3 years I'm willing to bet IT WILL HAPPEN. He's not going to wait until he's 70.

I really think he will surprise everyone with a lot music.

well, some user reports on 2021 reissue (non-fill noise especially on side A), I guess that the value of this 2018 reissue will be still valid. :(

I’m always a bit sceptical of these ‘audiophile quality ‘ pressings, they are for people who stroke their chins and talk about different types of cartridge.
But wow , this pressing!
Ok, it’s my favourite album of all time, so I know it inside out, and I bought this mainly because It has a gatefold sleeve.
But it truly is amazing - I can’t pinpoint what it is, but I think the vocals are slightly higher than the original. It’s just perfect. Well worth buying.

Got my first ever noise complaint because of this record. 10/10 sounds great

This record is brilliant and this pressing is beautiful. No noise on mine, other than then intended noises ;)

I can't believe this edition is going to end up being the rarest one since is it's not only the first pressing of the reissue, but it's the only edition that will ever have the "original reissue cut", since apparently the new issues of the reissue come with the Sean Magee cut. I'm glad I got this one right off the bat.

just listened this after ordering direct from mbv records.. shocked at amount of surface noise. same with loveless. tried cleaning but noise persisted. have contacted them and awaiting response.

OK, who bought this for USD 242.63?? Does it sound better when you pay 10x the actual price? smh...

Great album but it was filthy, as others have said if you don't give it a thorough clean then you will get pops and crackles galore.

I'm also going to chime in and say my copy is really great. I clean every record I get (new or used) with a Squeaky Clean RCM using The Disc Doctor's Quick Wash Record Cleaner. A dirty record is always going to sound noisy.

Overall very clean and sounds great. Getting a bit of noise near the beginning of "Nothing Much to Lose," but nothing that would turn me off from the pressing. Aside from the record itself, the album jacket is top notch. I always appreciate a good tip-on jacket, and glossy is always nice to see!

Haven't listened to the bonus record yet, but I'm excited to compare the two.