Peter Gabriel / Half-speed mastered 45RPM double vinyl on the way

Just don’t forget that 0 and 1 take you one more step away from the master. And in between the 0 and 1 is an uncompressed needle hitting vinyl. Slow it down to hit as many cavities as it can….

Just saw some of them in 3 different shops. Just realised that there were some small differences in the packaging between the US & UK releases.
Does anyone know if they sound the same or not?
Pricing is also different. The US ones are cheaper.

I bought the 6 albums in 2 bundles via Real World, and so far have played the English albums once each. The vinyl is the ebst I have heard from modern reissues. I’ve yet to detect even the slightest defect on all four of the ones I’ve played. The sleeves are all in tact too. The packaging wasn’t that good to be honest, so perhaps I was ‘lucky’ they arrrived in good shape?
My only comment would be the design of the gatefold sleeve for the German version of Melt (PG3) could have featured the card insert that the album came with in 1980 which featured an explanation of how the album came to be and the lyrics in German, rather than a copy of the UK inner sleeve with lyrics in English. Other than that, an absolute top job has been done with these. If we are to get “So Us Up” in this format then I’ll have no hesitancy in getting them. Hopefully we’ll get these and the rest of his catalogue on vinyl, including the titles that never made it to the format in the first place (Long Walk Home, Ovo and Secret World Live (unlikely to be pressed at 45rpm I admit).

Hi,
As of 14:23 EST, Amoeba.com
All Four-Add code NOV1515 price is $29.73 each #118.92 Free shipping , no tax in USA.

I just purchased PG 1 (Car) and PG3 (Melt) from HMV. I figured I may as well pick them up until they are no more. I am an incredibly huge fan of Peter Gabriel’s music. He has taken his prog rock credentials and added a greater depth and emotion… as well as theatrical rock shows.
Along with David Bowie he is a pioneer. One of the first to wear make-up.
I am tickled pink with these reissues and cannot wait to delve into them.
I will eventually get 2 and 4… hopefully Santa Claus will remember me this year.
I have been good…. promise.

Paul you have a great site and are doing a wonderful job…. dedicating a site on people’s love of music and the physical media.

Peace and love and great music to all readers

My copies arrived on the 15th despite having an email on the 12th from pg.com/UPS saying they were on there way and would be delivered on the 13th. Two days later they arrived and the excitement quickly turned to horror – all the edges of each and every cover (all 4 sets) was damaged – not a little, this is damage with a capital D. Even though the packaging wasn’t damaged at all? Whats more, every inner sleeve had split where the record had moved around in transit. I’m currently waiting for a replacement set to turn up. The email from UPS say’s it’s supposed to be today. But so far we have a ‘no show’. UPS deliver to my area around about 2pm so I’m not hopeful. Happy bunny? Nope. Especially now I’ve also read about duplicate sides and quality issues.

No lyric sheet insert for PG1? Is that OK or it is missing from my vinyl album?

Anyone else get two copies of Sides 1 & 2 for their PG4? ie. No Sides 3 & 4.
There may well be a bunch of customers with two copies of Sides 3 & 4 in their packages.
Swap shop, anyone ?

I posted on the Out This Week page, but will repeat her. My copy of PG2/Scratch sounds terrible on side 3, though just for the first song. Otherwise the audio I’ve so far heard is fantastic. Not sure if I’ll be able to get the dodgy LP replaced though. Now wishing I’d bought the agerman albums when the bundle was available.

I dowloaded the 96/24 wav files for home listening then bounced them down to CD quality for the car. I hadn’t realised I could download both!

My download codes were for EITHER 44/16 AIFF or 96/24 WAV – not FLAC or MP3 as mentioned above.

So, my albums started arriving yesterday, with the German editions arriving first, and the regular versions following today. I’m currently two thirds of the way through them and I am fast running out of superlatives to describe how good these are.

The biggest thing, as you’d expect, is the audio quality. I’ve never heard vinyl this good before. It is staggeringly dynamic and full of depth and presence. I am incredibly familiar with these albums and yet they sound so fresh and new. Tony Cousins and Matt Colton have done a fantastic job.

The quality of the packaging is superb. None of your dodgy Björk-style scans here. The Hipgnosis artwork looks as if it was created yesterday.

Everything about this release oozes care and quality and they are indeed worth every penny, even if, like me, you already own these albums in whatever format. Yes, these will be of the greatest interest to vinyl fans, but these are some of the finest sounding versions of these albums ever made, regardless of format.

When you consider the cost, particularly the packages that Real World offered, these are even more mind blowing. I’ve seen and heard utter crap for twice the money. Whether you buy them individually at £21.99 or you get them for £17.50 each in the box sets, for this degree of quality, it’s a bloody steal! How much was that ‘Rumours’ 45rpm pressing going for? I seem to remember it being £35-£40? The bottom line is, you don’t have to buy them. If you’re happy with the CD or digital versions, or even the original vinyl, that’s fantastic. That’s the beauty of choice. But as a devout fan of this man and his work, I can categorically state that these are the finest versions of these albums I’ve ever heard. I prefer them over the SACD’s, for sure.

My only quibble? PG4 came with an incorrect download code but that’s in the process of being fixed. Oh, and you can only download one version of the downloads. FLAC or MP3, not both. Not quite sure why that is as it will hardly deter file sharers who can easily convert down to MP3. Odd.

And now for the rest of his albums. Peter’s FB page posted a short video of the ‘So’ 45rpm half speed lacquer playing yesterday, so I expect that’ll be coming up soon. Will it be followed by ‘Us’ and “Up’? I think it will. Will they do all the soundtracks (Birdy, Passion, OVO, Long Walk Home)? I do hope so. I’d happily give the Scratch my Back stuff a swerve but I’d kill for ‘Plays Live’ ;-) And let’s not forget the new album which is in the works!

This update just in via email from petergabriel.com…

“If you have ordered the albums from the Real World Store, then your package has already been picked up and is now winging its way to you via UPS. We hope, that in pretty much all cases, your album(s) will arrive with you on Friday. If not, it will be very soon after.

Unfortunately, we have discovered that Peter Gabriel 2 (aka Scratch) is missing the intended lyric sheet insert. If you ordered the album from the Real World Store then we are pleased to say that we have been able to include the lyric sheet in with your order. However, if you have pre-ordered Peter Gabriel 2 from another retailer or if you buy the album over the coming weeks, then the insert will be missing. We were very disappointed to discover this news, so we have agreed with our distributor Caroline International, that anyone who has bought the album but finds that the lyric sheet for Peter Gabriel 2 is missing can have the insert sent to them. We will send you full details on what to do to claim your insert in the next day or two.

We’re also sorry to confirm that the release date for the albums in the USA has had to move back to 30 October. This is the result of a manufacturing delay. We have done everything possible to try and keep the US release date in line with the rest of the world but, unfortunately, it has not been possible. If you are based in America and ordered the LPs from the Real World Store, then you will still receive your albums this week. The change of release date only relates to US based retailers (including Amazon.com).

All the albums have been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 45RPM, across two heavyweight 180g LPs to deliver maximum dynamic sound range. They come in gatefold sleeves, utilising imagery from the initial first LP pressings, sourced and re-scanned from original artwork.

Here’s what the reviews have been saying about the 2LP re-issues so far:

“… scrupulously repurposed as sonically superior 180g double-vinyl 45rpm sets” – Record Collector

“We are told that they have never sounded so good, and Prog are delighted to say that on listening, they truly never have” – Prog Magazine

“It sounds like Gabriel is there, stood right next to you, singing, whispering and imploring. It’s hard to fault Gabriel’s unwavering commitment to his craft” – Q Magazine

“These are significant records. Gabriel’s personal and professional re-birth” – Uncut Magazine

“In just five years [Gabriel] had built a solo canon to rival Bowie himself” – Classic Rock

We very much hope that you enjoy these re-issues.

Happy listening.

All the best from petergabriel.com”

Can I address the comment: “SDE recommends the great-value bundle which gets you all four for just £70”.

You rally do have to hand it to the record industry, whenever they find themselves in real trouble, they find a way out of it. I’d applause if it weren’t so pitiful.

So four albums of material – which at the time of writing can be had on CD for around about £4 a piece – for £70 now constitutes “great value” does it? Wow.

Yes I know they’re Vinyl, yes I know they’re mastered at 45 RPM. But man, Vinyl lovers sure d0n’t mind paying way over the odds. It’s absolute madness that these recordings are going for this much. People were up in arms about the So Deluxe a year or so ago – but it contained a whole lot more than this. We really are being fleeced, but this time we’re doing it with a big smile on our faces.

The music here is excellent, no doubt. From the cover shot – since they’ve gone with double-albums (that should be fun, changing sides every two songs) – the original cover art is bastardized too.

I consider myself an audiophile (others might disagree), but the world has gone mad. I’m sorry.

Thanks to the folk who took the time to answer my questions. Appreciated it!

I recall that 45 RPM 12″ Singles were louder and had more base than standard 33 RPM versions because the grooves were wider spaced and deeper and you were getting more information. They will probably sound better. However, they will never sound better than the master tapes or high resolution audio at 24Bit 96kHz or 192kHz. The listening experience will suffer because you will be up and down every 12 minutes. But hey, you can always needle drop it to your computer at 24Bit 192kHz.

BEWARE SPOILER ALERT . lets not forget as great as these hi res reissues are hyped up to be ? after that needle rips into that virgin vinyl for that first time . its never going to sound the same there after . ? cd always .

I’ll say what I always say when newly re/mastered albums are re-released… it doesn’t matter how much budget has gone into the fancy sonic repackaging if the vinyl is badly pressed.
Any intel on which pressing plant is handling these would be greatly appreciated.

Two tracks per side – bet most people who buy this play them once/never and then go back to their CD/MP3/FLAC files!

Wonder if it really worth it. Double LPs on 45RPM speed. Didn’t bother checking or reading all the comments, but with most or all the albums at 46 minutes or less, even if the 4th LP side was blank, that would mean at most about 15 minutes a side or if actually on all 4 sides, at most 12 minutes a side, that is a lot of LP flipping.

I appreciate that these are finally available in good sounding vinyl releases but how about gathering up all of those stray singles, b-sides, extended CD releases, remixes, son dreck contributions and finally putting them out in a good sounding CD, Blu-Ray, DVD and vinyl release instead of reissuing older stuff again and again?

I’m getting burned out these deluxe reissues where I have to rebuy an album I already have just to get the stuff I don’t. The industry needs to listen to the consumer or this will crash again just like it did when digital downloads first became available.

Elusive Disc has them for $37.99 each. They aren’t listing the German versions though.

I have the SACD’s of all PG albums. That’ll do me thanks.

The claims made in the promo film are ridiculous, at the end of the day it all depends on how good your hifi is. I especially had to laugh at “it sounds better than the master tape”. That just sounded like desperation. What this film tells me is not too buy any other 33rpm reissues because they don’t sound any good.

Far cheaper not to bother.

far cheaper for americans to order from amazon.de

They are about £ 30 each on Amazon Uk, so bundle is almost half price compared to that ! (4 for price of 2…).

Hi. I have just ordered the 4 LP bundle on the Peter Gabriel website (having been unable to yesterday) for the £ 69.99. So if you are interested, it seems to be back in stock.

Albums now also available (individually) on Amazon UK. At a ridiculous price.

Getting a bit fed up now of expensive new vinyl reissues – I have lots of old vinyl, and it does me just fine. If there were some Peter Gabriel CD/Blu-Ray reissues with some rare/unreleased tracks included I would be in like a shot. But I’m going off the idea of buying the same tracks over and over again just because they are remastered.

Yep just ordered, no problem at all.

Is there any hope that the digital 24/96 downloads will be available separately, without having to buy the big bits of plastic?

Bundles and singles back in stock and no problems ordering on Real World

They will be back in stock at Real World sometime today I am reliably informed and Amazon UK will be listing them too at some point.

In the end I placed my order through Amazon.de for the four British albums. Works out about a tenner more than the (out of stock) vinyl, but should they become available (more cheaply) on AmazonUK then I’ll switch my order.

Not really too concerned about paying a little extra to go through Amazon – the last couple of times I purchased vinyl through RealWorld the packaging was, frankly, rubbish.

Out of stock now. Damn.

This on the Real World website answers my first question….

“DUE TO HIGH DEMAND WE ARE CURRENTLY UNABLE TO TAKE ANY FURTHER PREORDERS OF BUNDLE 1-4 or INDIVIDUAL 1,2,3,or 4.”

Pre order from Amazon de for the four English language titles works out with postage €112 /£81 so not too bad

Now showing as ‘out of stock’ in red writing for the bundle and the individual english language PG 1-4. Anyone know if that’s it for the official store quantities? Are the ones Amazon.de selling identical to the official sit? ie numbered and come with download cards?

The German version of PG4 has a number if differences compared to the English version – Kiss of Life and Wallower are the most notable differences in the actual tracks used. There are differences in the mix across most of the album.
BTW Realworld are aware of the glitch with the orders and will address the issue. Keep trying though.

Hear that glorious low-res Fairlight 8bit/16kHz sound in splendid hi-res 24bit/96hHz :-)

Can I also say how pleased I am that he has treated his first four albums this way – physical and hi res digital copies, and all four available as a bundle for less than the cost of the So box set.

Also getting the “not enough stock” message for the four album bundle.

The two album German bundle is also good value (£35), but I have the German 3 album already. It has a much longer version of Biko than the English version. Anyone know of any significant differences on the German 4 album.

I had not issues ordering yesterday. I hope he does this with all his LP’s, including soundtracks, etc.

Being a life long fan, I have great affinity for every era of his solo career. I purchased the (very expensive) Classic Records Clarity Vinyl 45RPM boxed sets and I look forward to hearing how these new LP’s stand up against them.

Good excercise… getting up after each 2 or 3 songs ;-(
Please let there be a 331/3 rpm version?

One piece of information which is conspicuous by its absence in the press release – are these albums cut using a completely analogue chain from the original master tape, or are they sourced from hi-res digital files? Kinda defeats the purpose of an analogue playback system if it should be the latter…

Anyone else think the US is being overcharged? £58.33 = $91.32, €87.49 = $96.70 and USD = $139.99. Maybe I can order in British pounds sterling.

Amazon Germany is selling them all for 26.99 euros each. The German editions are cheaper than on PG’s site. Also why are the German editions more expensive?

Price for the 4 album bundle is $139.99 USD after VAT is removed, $74.99 for the German language set. But couldn’t get an order in either, looks like I might have to wait 2880 minutes. They could have just said 48 hours.

I had issues yesterday, all day, trying to order the PG1-4 set. It was showing as in stock, but when I proceeded to the check out I got the error message about being unable to fulfill the order. It was only when the PG FB page posted an advert, that the process worked and I was able to order and pay.

I’d also like to commend PG for the pricing on this. Double 45rpm, half speed masters often command a price premium. I’ve seen Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” 45rpm version in stores for £45. For PG to sell his at £21.99 (although first thing yesterday, they were showing at £20.99) and the bundle of all 4 for £69.99 is incredibly welcome.

Hi Vince,

Regarding the speed, a groove cut at 45 rpm has more room to capture the finer details of the audio. The natural downside of this is fewer tracks per side. If you listen to a 12″ single on vinyl, cut at 45rpm, you will notice the wider and more dynamic frequency range. This worked brilliantly for the type of music that 12″ singles were created for, i.e. dance music (disco etc.)

Half speed mastering entails the master tape and the cutting lathe running at half the normal speed, giving the cutter more time to cut a more precise and detailed groove. Combined with the 45rpm playback, this formula has been shown to produce the finest quality playback on vinyl.

As some have said, it involves fewer tracks per side, and therefore more manual handling, but for me, vinyl is all about that interaction :-)

It is worth pointing out, however, that the actual mastering engineer has to produce a quality master, specifically for the destination carrier format, otherwise you’ll just be cutting rubbish, but in a high quality way! ;-)