Peter Gabriel – So

Ok, I have a copy of this and I’m so confused.
First, I am able to A/B between level matched, uncompressed, digital sources.
Compared to the 2022 digital remaster this 2024 sounds different. More deep bass, nothing muddy. Peter’s voice is mixed lower and it feels far less “open” than the digital.
But. . . The strangest thing about this vinyl is that there is a noticeable pitch slowdown on the first tracks on both sides of the album. It lasts for 15 seconds or so then seems to return back to speed. How can that even be? The vinyl is pressed? I own about 50 albums and none of them do this. Is this some sort of defect in the pressing master?

While this is not the most silent pressing in the world, the music will always stand out and it still sounds great. The blue is definitely a vibe but that’s pretty much the only reason to choose this pressing over any other. 4.5/5

Quality control appears to be an issue with this release. Both copies I purchased had visible and audible scratches on the vinyl out of the box. Pop and crackle completely ruined the high-hat opening of side 1, with noise in quiet spots throughout the album. Half of the CDs and DVDs had fallen out of their sleeves in the package and were sliding around in the box. I returned both and don't think I'll try again. If I'm paying over $100 primarily for a single audiophile pressing of an album, I expect much better than this. Too bad, the mix and mastering are very good.

This reissue isn't bad, but my 2016 EU 1 LP (half-speed, cut by Matt @ Alchemy) was the clear winner in an audio shoot-out (AT VM540ML). This one was a little noisy (mostly on Side A), and the soundstage seemed a tad confined in comparison... the 2016 had more presence and was more dynamic to my ears.

I am rating this 5/5 a masterpiece IMO. PG is at the top of his game here, which is saying something. I’m going to rate the sound quality of this pressing though a 3/5 with hearing what others have expressed concerning the sibilance being rough. Especially on side A. I may end up picking up a new reissue print asap.

This also came in a black shell variant with silver lettering, otherwise identical in shape and design with the white shell.

My copy had a good bit of paper residue. I cleaned it before I played it. Sounds great on my player.

I recently acquired a UK Townhouse test pressing with A-1U-1-1 / B-2U-1-1 matrix numbers, but with virtually no sibilance. It looks as though this pressing was never commercially released. Makes me wonder why it was rejected, because it sounds amazing.

Still available at barnesandnoble.com for $29.99 as of this posting.

Perfect record, both in of sonics and manufacturing.
My card looks different than the one in Discogs, all the rest is the same.