The Strokes – Is This It

Flat, digitally sourced and unexciting sounding version. But package from VMP cool as usual.

These comments on Discogs are becoming increasingly useless as they're basically used by people to pad their investment by declaring their pressing is "better than every other pressing of this album" and with the dire FOMO warning of "get it before price skyrockets!" like its crypto or something, as though anyone cares about you getting a good deal (keep in mind it's these same folks who always vent spleen anytime VMP reissues something, leading to a chorus of "but they promised it'd be limited to x amount of copies, and now they are going back on their word?! SHAMEFUL! ILLEGAL!" so none of this is about helping you get something affordable but rather depleting supply and raising demand so that dreams of butterfly doors become reality since the NFT thing proved to be a bust.

At the end of the day, Is This It is a bonafide certified legendary rock album if ever there was one, BUT it is -not- an audiophile record by any stretch of the imagination so all this silliness about superior soundstage and 'dynamics' is grade A eyeroll gobbledygook. This is dirty, pure, potent garage rock... this is not an album for the thousand dollar styluses and gold plated wiring crowd.

The truth is this should've been a 2x 45rpm release, or at the very least a more balanced tracklisting of 6x per side not 7x vs 5x. Visually the clear vinyl w/ splatter design is probably my fav visual element of any Is This It record itself, but beyond that nothing about this pressing stands out as essential or must-have compared to other pressings.

Personally I still find the MOV pressing to be my favorite. Sounds best on my setup, uses the original (band) art not the generic label post 9/11 'cultural climate correction' art, NYC Cops, nice chunky flat wax, total silence in the deadwax, but again we're not talking an audiophile release here and every pressing will have good copies as well as warped, noisy or otherwise flawed copies.

It's not about finding THE best pressing. A quality and unblemished record from ANY Is This It pressing is gonna sound better than a lemon version from "insert your favorite pressing here", and no pressing is above farting out more than a handful of lemons.

The sleeve for this is great and I love the fact it's a gatefold. The embossed band name is a nice touch and the sound is really good on my copy. I'm surprised at how long it's taken them to do a pressing with both When It Started and New York City Cops but glad to finally own one. My only complaints are the package feels like it's missing a lyric sheet and I'm not too keen on the vinyl splatter, would've preferred a teal-ish colour to match the cover art. Otherwise this is a great pressing and should definitely be picked up before prices skyrocket.

Jacket is a major improvement with the VMP version.

I'm not really that impressed with the mastering on this. It sounds good, but not great. It's a bit thin and brittle to me. Slightly shrill at times. Might be associated with the limitations of a rather "lo-fi" original recording.

The pressing itself is flat and plays without surface noise, which is great.

Compared this to my EU Rough Trade repress with the hand cover. The VMP isn't as dynamic or clear, has less separation than the RT version. But Julian's vocals are so distorted already does clarity even matter? Lol

This RT also has better sub bass, which a gives weightier, fatter sound. Also, the RT version doesn't have "When It Started" like the VMP pressing, but that is the weakest song on the album IMO. Controversial take, I know.

I have not heard other pressings of this album on vinyl before, this is the first time I have heard the album on vinyl, but it sounds spectacular, little noise and very dynamic, highly recommended

Sounds a million times better than the other recent repressings of this album.

kinda disappointed, skips and has a good amount of surface noise

This is the greatest album of all time no question.

god i love this album so much and this mastering/pressing was done perfectly