Nico (3) – The Velvet Underground & Nico

Sounds great, I got all 3 Abbey Road pressings all sweet

This is a great repress . I've had many years listening to more than a few copies of this album and this is simply the best. Very nicely done indeed. Not the best recording in the first place, but with this pressing, you get that purposeful crunch and distortion which is somehow absent in other pressings.

Why the hell would anyone base a purchasing decision on a You Tube review?? Seriously, all you have to do is look for a general consensus on Discogs and for the most part, the collective hive mind gets it right. Mastering is great, bass is more prominent, and the pressing is dead-quiet. Definitely not a particularly well-recorded album, so unless you want to pay a fortune for an original, this release will serve you well.

Finally playing it. I’m not comparing side-by-side but the first thing that struck me was the bass and bass drum being more prominent, i.e. I’m remarking them more than before.

Did a side by side play of my 1967 Stereo first pressing with this Abbey Road Half Speed Master. This half speed sounds great. The main thing I noticed is my first press is cut a bit more hot and louder than the half speed. The half speed is much clearer though, you can actually make out the piano in I’m Waiting For My Man and noticeably smoother bass and high’s. Especially on cuts like Femme Fatale where the original has a little bit of distortion in the peaks of the bass heavy tune but this half speed has smoother bass. They’re both a great listen of one of the best debut albums ever recorded. But if you want some more punch get an original, if you want a clearer cleaner sounding cut then this is the press to get. Me personally i’m gonna play this half speed a lot so I don’t wear out my original! It’s a solid buy for the price point. But keep in mind this album wasn’t recorded in the best studio with top engineers so don’t expect Blue Note sound quality.

I could frame this!!!

Its 2023 and ive just had two records pressed by Optimal in a row that are flat and non fill free! Its vinylly happened! The second coming of Optimal.

Joking aside, my 1st attempt at this is flat and silent and plays so well. The mastering allows what is a mediocre recording to come through with some degree of grace and its probably not likely to ever sound much better.

I keep seeing some rants about Youtuber/s ragging on this one. As if self serving Youtubers have ever been a leading authority on anything! Someone hates it on Youtube = their loss and whatever.

Gatefold is ok but its no stoughton. No certificate with my copy but nay bother. Decent enough poly liner.

The big deal here is Optimal actually pressed a record properly and at £25 for a great version of a seminal album, I at least am therefore very satisfied!

It’s really amusing how people keep taking advice from youtubers, i mean, probably they are listening to vinyl since a couple of years ago, on a Crosley, with a pair of cheap speakers, without any knowledge or reference on how this sounded originally, how it was recorded, etc. OR as in this case, they are petulant snobs who call themselves audiophiles and expect every new pressing to sound like a Giles Martin take on The Beatles. I bet that gives you a lot of video clicks that translate into cash and then into more new records! This pressing sounds really good, like a refined version of the original, i personally prefer the ultra analogue, full assault sound of the 2008 Vinyl Lovers Picture Disc but for people searching a quiet version this is it. If i want to know how a record sounds i listen to it, not to an old delusional dude.

I actually think this sounds really good- Considering this is a poor recording, as evident on Run Run Run and Femme Fatale. I watched M45’s video on this and i think he’s never heard this album before if he thinks this is complete dogshit. I own a 1985 Sterling pressing, a 1970’s mono reissue, and I’ve had a 1967 Stereo pressing before. All of them sound bad, except for this and the 1985 pressing. The 1985 trumps this by a smidge just because its more clear and alive sounding, plus Femme Fatale sounded fantastic on that record, which is usually not the case on every other record. This one also sounds good but not as good as the 1985 version. Also, Mo’s snare drum and Lou’s voice sounded more realistic on the ‘85 pressing.

This is not a bad sounding record at all. You can do much worse for sure. I recommend this to everyone who cant get their hands on the 85 or who wants a super dead quiet record. This was pressed by the wonderful Optimal plant, which I’ve had nothing but good pressings from them. This continues it, extremely quiet on both sides from start to end.

I won't argue it does sound good, just doesn't seem to have the balls my previous version had, maybe i'm just used to a way noisier album.

There are two different label variations for the Euro half speed master copy. The number under "Stereo" has two variations. 00602577439971 and 00602557549874. The 2017 Euro 50th anniversary black vinyl copy also has the 00602557549874 label.
Maybe the 00602557549874 copies were 2019 pressings with the wrong label, corrected to 00602577439971 on later pressings