I finally took a deep breath and played some of the "Follies" LP tonight... and got to enjoy a few moments of panic when I thought my trusty AR turntable suddenly needed a new belt (as well it should, btw, and that's no big deal) -- or worse, that its motor was dying. Because "Follies" was playing like a warped record.
But it's not warped. It's one of those pressings that's off center. Or the spindle hole is off center. As the stylus rides the groove, it moves right and left like a driver weaving back and forth between two lanes. It's horrendous in the Prologue, but evident throughout in sustained passages.
So right off the bat, this copy, at least, is unlistenable. (DR JRand61, is that how yours sounded?) But I was able to sit through a few tracks, so I can now say I've heard the original mix and pressing.
Ugh. And Oy.
Still had to know there wasn't a problem on my end, so I quickly sampled a couple more albums which played just fine. This turntable and tonearm have tolerated that kind of defect on a few other discs, but this was a severe case. How perfect. And I can't in good conscience lay this one on a total stranger, so off to the landfill it goes.
