Blur – The Magic Whip

Obvious ticks and crackles despite ultrasonic cleaning. Disappointing but bought it cheap for the visual aspect so 🤷‍♂️

the half speed remaster puts this ahead of original pressing and CD copy, ive got all 3 - for me, this is the one

Very very happy with this latest Optimal repress. My older copy was badly non filled and noisy with it but this one is nigh silent throughout and sounds really good to boot. Even my most basic VM95C cart sails through it with good sound and barely any distortion. Packaging is fine too. I have zero desire to try the newer and near twice as expensive gold vinyl which is almost certainly going to add a layer of distortion that no Half Speed Mastering can disguise.

Excellent packaging, nice chinese feel to the alternative artwork. It's worth owning, especially for us Blur devotees.
But....only negative is that my pressing has dark bumps moulded into the gold pressing, which are audible. Also, the overall gain is very low, so volume cranking is required on the amp.

Very pleased with the visuals of the zoetrope and picture disc, but what’s the trick to “see” the zoetrope animation?! First time hearing the album and hadn’t heard Blur since Song #2 was released when I was in high school! Pops and crackles, even after dusting and cleaning with felt brush, but expected with picture disc. Enjoyed!

Great cover work, nice vinyl. Adore this album, it proves blur can come into the 21st century stronger than ever.

Expectations were middling as it’s a picture disc, and sure, between songs there is a slight hiss, but even quiet semi-acoustics songs like “thought I was a spaceman” sound great. The hiss isn’t present to these ears (of course it is there, what I’m saying is that you don’t hear it during the songs).

Surprisingly good sounding pressing, especially considering this is a 2LP being forced onto a single disc AND it's a picture disc. These Blur zoetropes sound great, a few crackles here and there but I'm also yet to give it a deep clean.

If I could make two small complaints, it's a little lame that the zoetrope takes up only one side, and it would've been awesome to see a bonus 7" (maybe also as a zoetrope?) of Y'all Doomed packaged with this release.

This is a very cool pressing. Sounds great! Underrated Blur album.

Looks lovely and Zoetrope is cool using the strobe light app. Sound of course is awful like all picture discs. Some printed material on top of the groove is never going to sound as good as a version without. Acquired purely for novelty and to display front facing in one of my cubbies.