This was the year,that I finally reached the point where I own over 90% of all of the classical Lps I want.The remaining 10% or less,being a select group that are either very rare,and high demand collector pieces,or are relatively obscure, undiscovered gems,mostly dating from the late 40s-middle 50s.And are just as rare or rarer than records selling in the high three low four figures.
I am considering going through and replacing some of my early Columbia 6-eye stereo with Philips pressings,but for the most part I am back to buying 50s/60s/70s rock,R&B,and Caribbean,as there is so much,that nobody could ever own it all in their own lifetime.Cab Records R&B/Calypso fusion from the 60s,and Asian Shadows style instro bands,are among some of my more recent purchases.
I do not buy CDs,and I would rather not start to do so.Not only out of my emotional attachment to vinyl,but,as this would also basically mean a lot of time,and money, that I do not really have,to put together a whole new system,that I like as well as my current one.This is all vintage audiophile gear,from the 50s/early 60s.
I do still have the desire though,to buy more classical vinyl.
Since the early 90s,there has been a massive number of golden age classical recordings made available to the general public,that were never intended to be sold.I am thinking especially of radio broadcast concerts,from the 1930s-70s that have been issued on small labels,such as Music and Arts,or even in house organs,like BBC Legends.
What I would like to see,either these labels,or some other enterprising other company do,is start to issue these recordings as limited edition audiophile vinyl remasterings,similar to Classic Records or Mobile Fidelity,if this would be at all possible.Yes,I am aware of Rococo,and all of those other "private " labels in he 60s,and 70s,who were basically putting out poor quality classical bootlegs,of this material.I have bought a few of these,by Beecham,Toscanini,and Walter,and was very disappointed by them.In short,they sound like crap,and are crummy pressings,too.They could have learned a lot from "Dub ",and "Ken ".None of them can touch what was coming out on TMOQ,CBM,and later TAKRL,at the same time.Those TMOQs don't sell for $200-$300 for nothing.
You don't have to put out many complete operas,as we can see what that would cost.The $759.99 Keilberth Wagner springs to mind,but you could easily sell out a pressing of say,3500 copies,at $50.00 for a single record,or $75.00 for a double, of some well mastered Lp of audiophile quality,from a good quality radio broadcast tape,of a Cantelli,or a Glenn Gould.
As with MoFI,if you did this well,you would be creating something people would cherish for generations.Somebody ought to consider doing something like this.
Roger
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