Nevermind (Remastered)

Why 5 stars? Cos few read the 1 star reviews! Interested in quality vinyl? Please read the 1 stars!! Brilliant album, superb production and quality sound so why 1 star? When I took it very carefully out of its card inner sleeve it looked dull, not like my other hundreds of albums. Also many light scratches across its surface, I assume from its insertion into the sleeve. I played it (Rega Planar 3, Elyse 2) and while I could put up with the noise and clicks between tracks, and though they were inaudible during tracks, I could not put up with it sticking and jumping!!! Returned the next day. Why oh why do some continue to use hard scratchy card inner sleeves?

El grunge

As I write this review on April 22, 2024…I’m reminded that Kurt passed away on April 5, 1994. 17 days ago it was 30 years since his death-wow….seems like just yesterday. So sad. Okay I understand this is not the 2013 Bernie Grundman mastering and pressing. That cut is getting more rare and expensive to find. It's also been discontinued due to licensing agreement disputes and rebranding since around 2019. I want to speak specifically about this particular master cut from Levi Seitz (Black Belt Mastering/Furnace) as part of the 30th anniversary and 2022 re-release. No one knows if this was cut using the original master tapes but seeing that it was originally recorded in 1991 the record industry started to digitize recording by this time anyways. Likely the original master tapes were converted to high-fidelity digital files anyways given the popularity of CD's in the late 80's. I imagine it's AAA as this mastering is very rich, clean, and precise ... I find Kurt's voice and guitar have been moved more focal and crisp - stage centre. The drums have an excellent loud punch but have been moved slightly back behind Kurt...at least on this cut. The cymbals ring slightly less but still sharp and clean. Even in (i.e., Smells Like Teen Spirit) the crashing cymbals have been slightly tamed and plays on the left channel but not both speakers. The sound stage is quite open with very good separation between instruments and singers-more similar to a live performance. It's obvious to me that Levi intended to cut this lacquer wanting to keep the sound stage wide (similar to the highly acclaimed BG master) but I can tell that Levi also wanted to focus a little more on Kurt's voice and guitar. This mastering is extremely close to the BG master but just slightly tighter control over the percussion...and that's a good thing in my opinion. I was born in 1973 and remember hearing this Album in Grade 10 .... I know it very well. I really like this version that Levi has remastered. The bass tones on "Something in the Way" are incredible and Kurt's voice sounds like he's just beside you, whispering the lyrics into your ear. I played my original CD from 1991 that I bought as a young teenager when it was released. I can honestly say ... listening to "Something in the Way" on this vinyl album vrs my original cd is night and day different. This LP mastering sounds like a new song - almost like hearing it live for the first time. It literally sends shivers down my spine! I own a vintage 1978 Marantz 6300 turn table, playing a vintage N98e Shure cartridge elliptical nude stylus set at 1.2 grams, a vintage Marantz 2252B amp, and expensive custom 4 omi-directional speakers 20 hz - 27,000 hz at 8 ohms. If something doesn't sound good from a bad remaster or pressing I would hear it because my system is very good quality. The album arrived extremely clean, absolutely no-surface noise, complete dead wax, no warps. If you want a wonderfully, open, rich, full sound cut...get this 180 gram Levi Steitz. You will not be disappointed. He knew what he was doing in my opinion. He's left all the grunge, left all the potent, timed chaos of Dave Grohl's drumming...that we all love... but Levi has really brought Kurt's voice and guitar front and centre in this beautiful mastering! My favourite version hands down!

Sui Nirvana è stato scritto di tutto e di più, pertanto inutile dilungarsi sulla presentazione del disco in questione ma mi soffermo sui dettagli tecnici. Amazon ha il brutto vizio di essere poco chiara nelle descrizioni e soprattutto di raccogliere nello stesso canale di vendita recensioni fatte negli anni su articoli che di fatto nel tempo sono cambiati. Il disco acquistato a giugno 2025 è la ristampa 2023 in vinile nero 180gr con pressatura francese MPO e cut a cura di Bernie Grundman, ingegnere audio che firma dal '73 ad oggi il mastering dei più grandi artisti della scena musicale principalmente statunitense. Nelle varie recensioni ho rilevato che nel corso degli anni le ristampe vendute sullo stesso annuncio sono state molteplici e ben diverse. Questa non prevede un codice di download MP3 (non è le Back to Black) ma la qualità della pressatura e del master è molto buona, aggiornata ad un sound più corposo e bassi maggiormente presenti rispetto l'originale. Nel complesso il sound risulta bilanciato e molto piacevole con un sottofondo silenzioso. Sicuramente una delle migliori ristampe degli ultimi tempi. Quando recensite riportate sempre i dati tecnici del runout altrimenti non si capisce più nulla!

I love it i love it i love it.