Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love

One of my all-time favorite albums of all time, and now one of my all-time favorite pressings I own. GOD this sounds so fucking good. I don’t want to listen to it in any other format ever again.

The LP is overall GREAT, I got it in the boxset, as my old copy I bought a few weeks ago (the original dutch pressing) was full of clicks and pops.

I didn’t have that on this pressing except in “Hello Earth” that number is FULL of clicks and pops unfortunately.
I think this is a real shame as that song is so quiet that it is unlistenable

Everything else sounds almost perfect.

I have had this Pressing of the Album for a few years now and have always been quite happy with the sound. It sounds rich and the vinyl is quiet.

Last week i picked up a 1985 European copy for 5 Euros from a Fleamarket (its availble on discogs for around 20 Euros in a decent condition, so the hype pricing of Stranger Things seems to have died down). I just compared this 2018 Remastered Pressing to the European 1985 Pressing, and what can i say...

The difference was incredible and I was a bit shocked at first. The 1985 version sounded waaay more alive, it was a lot more detailed, the highs were a lot more present and the bass was very fast and controlled. In comparison, the 2018 Remaster sounded muffled (like you put up curtains over your speakers), rolled off on the highs and the bass was boomy and uncontrolled. Also the soundstage was way narrower and the music didnt really detach from the speakers and create depth in the way that the 1985 Version managed to do. There were many slight details I had never heard before on the 2018 Remaster, that I discovered on the 1985 Version.

Sooo.. while this 2018 Remaster is not a bad pressing per se, when comparing it to a 1985 Version, it is lacking... severly! Thus I cannot reccomend getting this Remaster if you really want to have a great sounding version of Hounds of Love.

This is a good reissue from 2018 and not expensive either in the u.k. mine was £20 a few years ago.
Great dynamics some slight sibilance in the vocals(to spoil the party), fairly quiet(ish) vinyl after a good spin on my RCM my copy is not warped.
Nice crisp shimmering highs throughout,clear mids with easy to follow vocals & the lows end is substantial without being bloated or woolly.
Recommended.
Thank you for reading.

Vinyl front-end used for this review:
Rega P3:RB880 tonearm,Denon DL301 mkii LOMC
Phono Stage:Whest Audio TWO.2 phono stage.

Music 5*
Sound quality 4.*
Mastering/pressing 3.5*

There’s certainly some bizarre stereo separation on certain songs, namely the intro. There is some pops on the back end and there is a noticeable volume drop on The Big Sky, but the rest of the album sounds rich and full. Feeling conflicted, but overall it’s noticeably better than streaming in an AB comparison.

3.5/5

By far and away one of the BEST sounding albums in my whole collection! James Guthrie works his magic, as always. Perfect mastering and a near dead silent pressing. Do NOT hesitate to pick this up if you don’t own the album yet. Highly recommended.

Great sounding but pops and clicks occasionally which is a shame.

This is a pretty good pressing but not perfect. I definitely notice a drop in volume towards the end of both sides. Some slight muffling of the sound as well, but overall a very enjoyable listen and highly recommended if you’re a fan of the album. You may walk away with some small complaints, but you won’t regret your purchase

Great sounding remaster and pressing! Don’t buy overpriced copies of this album. They are slowly but surely getting more copies out, especially to indie record stores.

Sounds so great! Love it. The quality of this remaster is great. So clear I really love the sound of it.