The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World

+1 for a noisy, over compressed mess of an LP. I really like the songs but like many Cure records it's over mixed. Drums sound and mix are unnatural and the keys are fighting with everything. I was hoping the half speed master would be less squashed than the digital but nope. Sides C and D and slightly better but there still audible surface noise throughout. Maybe I just got a bad press...

Mine sounds absolutely abysmal. Super distorted especially on the first two tracks. Sound like there is a huge chunk of debris stuck on the stylus.
As an album: it’s ok. Not their worst. Pretty forgettable actually. After several listenings nothing stood out at all.

Pretty good pressing to my ears. Decent instrument separation. A little bit of noise in parts but not hugely noticeable. Happy with it.

Having read the rave reviews below got me hyped, but after scoring the cassette and finally having the possibility to check it out, it turned out to be a letdown. The sound of the recording is very quiet. I don't have a super-duper setup, but it's still good enough to enjoy the tapes. And, sadly, this release hasn't left me impressed.

Reddit discussion suggested this was at 45RPM but small print on each label clearly shows 33 1/3.

I've tried and tried to get into this album
I'm sorry, but no remastering, pressing, or remixing can make these songs sound better. Droning, plodding, boring!

This is one of the more wonderful LPs I have ever owned. I am blown away by how clean it is, particularly for a picture disc. This is a very special album. And from The Cure in 2025? Easily one of their best and my favorite. Add to that, it is one of the more unique Blood editions.

Picked this up today and compared to the Vantiva Miles Showell marble stone edition, this sounds "worlds" better (I say that with tongue planted firmly in cheek). The Showell cut, at least on the marble stone edition cut by Vantiva has inner groove distortion baked into the last tracks which does not happen on the inner tracks of this cut. So I am confused if Showell cut this too hot or if it's a pressing issue at Vantiva. This pressing looks off center on side 2, but I say it's only a slight off center as I don't hear any major fluctuations in the pitch despite the somewhat large sway. I don't understand how we are still dealing with off center pressings as well as other poor QC issues in this day and age.

I'd be curious to see if the Showell mastering is better and without distortion on the Optimal or Pallas pressings.

Listening on an ATLP120XUSB with a VM95ML cartridge.

Not sure if Miles cut this too loud or if it's an issue at Vantiva but this definitely has inner groove distortion baked in on the later tracks. I got a copy of the Bernie Grundman cut today (also pressed at Vantiva) and while it doesn't help the mix issues of the album, it does not have the distortion found on this copy. One common thing with both this and the BG pressing is that one side is slightly off center (this pressing on side 1, BG on side 2). Seeing a lot more off center sloppiness lately with a lot of newer pressings and this one is definitely not one of Vantiva's finer efforts.

Listening on an Audio Technica ATLP120XUSB with a VM95ML cartridge.

I now have a comparison of 3 versions:
1. White - 2. The double - 3. Blood Red Moon (this version)
For me, the double has the best sound, space, and dynamics!
The red one plays the quietest!
The white one is okay, but also has some clicks.
All were professionally cleaned before comparing.