Devo – Freedom Of Choice

Good God, this album punches. I wasn't even a fan of Devo before I discovered this KPG cut.

I think my hype was too high for this one. It sounds excellent but I'm not in awe as I typically am with a KPG cut. I think I was expecting the same top-tier audio fidelity that we received with The Cars for instance. Again, this one sounds great but it's just a bit bass-heavy for my taste.
Received #495 from Rhino in November 2024. No inner groove distortion as some have reported. I use a VM540ML which excels in many ways; mitigating IGD for one.

I have an issue on side A where the last track skips. I don't see any visible physical problem, but I do notice the runout groove is very small/narrow. My anti-skate seems fine, but I lack a blank vinyl to .
I'm planning on getting an ML stylus anyway. Hopefully that will fix the issue.

I own an LA Promo of are we not men, so I have a similar era pressing of the same band to compare. The bass and definition are so much better on the rhino. The promo sounds nice, but everything is just tightened up a bit better. It's sorta like having -2/-2 eyes and putting on glasses for the first time. It's not going to be crazy different but you just notice everything is a bit sharper, better, and more well defined. Mine is in the 2300s

Whip it is a standout for improvement. This track fucking bangs on this pressing.

IGD is present. A bit odd, considering I have a stylus that combats it. If I had to knock one thing on this pressing it would be that.

Still available through Rhino. I received mine last week. #2870 of 5000. Oh yeah, and it sounds great ! I only hope that Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! And Duty Now for the Future gets the Rhino High Fidelity treatment.

Sounds great, but I have no other pressing to compare it to. Kevin Gray always does it right though, and I doubt if this album has ever sounded better. Doesn't hurt that Margouleff engineered/produced it.

Another recommendation from Mike at
In Groove and again confirms we have similar ears.
So far he's never steered me wrong in finding something truly special to listen to.
Mike is currently 8/8 for recommendations.
Also quite nostalgic for me since this was the first record I bought when I was 8 years old. Alongside Weird Al's "IN 3D" though I could never imagine that album getting an audiophile release.

Wow!

I was very happy with my pressing of Television's 'Marquee Moon' from this collection, so I treated myself to this baby.
It does not disappoint.
Get this while it's still available!

As usual, my copy has a damaged corner. It is beyond comprehension why, as a record label, you would invest so much in the sound quality, pressing and artwork, to then use crappy record mailers which are easily damaged in transit. Rhino - get your shit together. Leaving that issue aside, this is an epic-sounding release, courtesy of Kevin Gray. Pressing is dead-quiet, and the artwork looks spectacular. If you get a ding-free copy, it’s a winner. Note - no IGD, if people are reporting this then it is a cartridge set-up issue, not a pressing flaw.

Back to back after ultrasonic cleaning, I found this pressing to be superior to the 1980 Jacksonville press. Noiseless aside from slight IGD, especially apparent on the into/outro of Freedom of Choice, this press has much better separation, clarity and soundstage. 1980 vinyl was perceived to have slightly more immediately and impact (whip/drums) but I would take this release if chasing ultimate holistic fidelity.