David Bowie – ★ (Blackstar)

Just bought a used copy at ameoba that they said had some wear. The sleeve has a little paper chip on the inner right side of the star. I always ask to look at all used copy’s so I can see for myself. It has some light scratches and scuffs so I decided if it was bad I’d return it for something else next week. Got home and played it and was saddened. Crackling like crazy and a couple other vinyls I bought a couple weeks earlier too. Well I had to find out if it was truly the scratches or dirt. I wetwashed it and put the needle on….silent! Oh my god I was so happy! I love this album so I was super bummed when it was playing with a fire in the background. If you had the same problem maybe washing it a couple times will help. Peace, love, and happy hunting!

I must have gotten one of the better copies, I pre-ordered and received it on his birthday (and mine :-)

Pressing quality is virtually perfect, with only a few very small but noticeable ticks. Sound quality is spectacular, there is some depth and dimensionality to these beautiful, haunting pieces. The drums/percussion are so full, up front, crispy and solid. The saxes/flutes move in and out, side to side, continually evolving in the sound stage. David's vocals are so clear and heartfelt, with lyrics that can be very deep and insightful. Production is flawless, mastering is flawless. I just wish it was a little longer.

Cleaning this record really helped this time. It sounds awesome now

First off, this album is phenomenal, and is a pure 10/10. However, my pressing is virtually unplayable now. I’m not sure if it’s the cleaning solution I used or if the inner sleeve is PVC and ate away the record over time, but it sounds terrible and skips nearly through the entire first side. This only has happened recently though, and I haven’t played it a ton or kept it in lousy conditions. When I first got it, the record sounded perfect. I’d advise everyone to check their copy, and maybe put it in a new inner sleeve.

One of my favourite albums, though sadly my copy seems to be very noisy, no amount of cleaning I do helps, just a really dusty sounding pressing

I own one from the first pressing, but I've never been able to play it, as the hole is too small to fit on the record player. Anyone else have the same problem or maybe know a solution to this?

One of the best albums of this century so far and it’s a must-have on vinyl. The separation and sound staging is second to none. It’s immersive and haunting all the way through

I found a used copy in excellent condition, but it skips in the middle of Lazarus. Visually looks fine. Anyone else have that issue? (U-Turn Orbit Custom)

One of Bowie's many masterpieces, this LP has gotten better over time and I think it will continue to do so. This guy was so diverse in his music that if you're not a fan of one style he did, you probably are a fan of another. Many times throughout his career he would release a new album and I would think: "Oh, this is OK" then months or years later I would think: "Wow! This is amazing!". It was because he was a trendsetter and it sometimes took me a while to catch up. Not so with this LP. I liked it right away. Happy listening everyone!

Blackstar, and specially Lazarus, are worth the price of entrance here ... So moving, more so considering he died two days after this album was released. The musical video that accompanies Lazarus is visually very compelling, and in the line of breakthrough artistry David had us accustomed to.