PET SHOP BOYS, Introspective [in shrink + hype sticker] USA 1st pressing LP

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Pet Shop Boys ?– Introspective Label: EMI-Manhattan Records ?– E1-90868 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album  Country: US Released: 1988 Genre: Electronic Style: House, Synth-pop Tracklist Hide Credits A1 Left To My Own Devices Arranged By [Orchestra], Conductor [Orchestra] – Richard Niles Producer – Trevor Horn Producer, Engineer – Stephen Lipson Vocals [Additional] – Sally Bradshaw 8:16 A2 I Want A Dog Engineer – David Jacob, Mike Nielson* Engineer [Mix] – John Poppo Mixed By, Producer [Additional] – Frankie Knuckles Piano [Solo] – Josh Milian* 6:15 A3 Domino Dancing Backing Vocals – The Voice In Fashion Brass – Dana Tebor*, Ed Calle, Kenneth William Faulk* Brass, Trumpet [Solo] – Tony Conception* Engineer [Assistant] – Ceaser Sogbe* Engineer, Mixed By – Mike Couzzi Guitar – Nestor Gomez Keyboards [Additional] – Fro Sossa, Mike Bakst Mixed By – Rick "Billy Bob" Alonzo* Producer [Associate] – Pet Shop Boys Producer, Engineer, Mixed By, Arranged By [Brass] – Lewis A. Martinée* Score [Brass] – Mike Bakst 7:40 B1 I'm Not Scared Producer, Engineer – David Jacob Programmed By [Fairlight] – Blue Weaver 7:23 B2 Always On My Mind / In My House Producer [Produced With Thanks To] – David Jacob, Phil Harding & Ian Curnow Producer, Engineer – Julian Mendelsohn Programmed By [Fairlight] – Andy Richards, Gary Maugham* Written-By – Christopher*, James*, Thompson* 9:05 B3 It's Alright Producer – Trevor Horn Producer, Engineer – Stephen Lipson Vocals [Additional] – H. Robert Carr*, Dee Ricketts, Derek Green, Gee Morris, Herbie Joseph, Iris Sutherland, Judy Bennett*, Mario Friendo (2), Michael Hoyte, Paul Lee, Sharon Blackwell, Yvonne White Written-By – Sterling Void 9:24 Companies, etc. Manufactured By – Capitol Records, Inc. Manufactured For – EMI-Manhattan Records Published By – Cage Music Ltd. Published By – 10 Music Ltd. Published By – Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. Published By – Sebanine Music, Inc. Published By – EMI Music Ltd. Phonographic Copyright (p) – EMI Records Ltd. Copyright (c) – EMI Records Ltd. Credits Design [Cover Designed By] – Mark Farrow, Pet Shop Boys Management – Rob Holden, Tom Watkins Photography By – Eric Watson (3) Producer – Pet Shop Boys (tracks: A2, B1, B2)  Written-By – Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant* (tracks: A1 to A3, B1)  Notes Some copies issued with circular black/green title label on front of shrinkwrap with the text "Pet Shop Boys Introspective. 50 minutes of new music! Includes an extended version of the hit single DOMINO DANCING and a new re-mix of ALWAYS ON MY MIND plus four more soon to be world wide smash hits." A3 produced for Pantera Productions. The Voice In Fashion courtesy of EMI Manhattan records.  B1 Newsreel soundtrack (Paris, 1968) supplied by Independent Television News.  All songs published by Cage Music Ltd/10 Music Ltd except B2 published by Screen/Gems/EMI Music Ltd and B3 published by EMI Music Ltd.  Cover designed at Three Associates.  Management at Massive.  ? 1988 Original sound recordings made by EMI Records Ltd.  © 1988 EMI Records Ltd.  "Introspective" is a Digital recording, digitally mixed and mastered. Released with a custom inner-sleeve. Direct Metal Mastering.  

USA FIRST PRESSING VINYL ALBUM WITH ORIGINAL PRINTED INNER SLEEVE.

SLEEVE: EXCELLENT MINUS, STILL IN OPENED SHRINK WRAP WITH HYPE STICKER AND ORIGINALS TORE PRICE STICKER. EDGE CUT.  INNER SLEEVE VERY GOOD+ WITH NO SEAM SPLITS.

DISC: VERY GOOD+. NO SCRATCHES, BUT SOME PLAY SCUFFS AND FINGERPRINTS. CLEAN LABELS.

Why buy a first or early pressing and not a re-issue or a ‘re-mastered’ vinyl album?

First and early pressings are pressed from the first generation lacquers and stampers. They usually sound vastly superior to later issues/re-issues (which, in recent times, are often pressed from whatever 'best' tapes or digital sources are currently available) - many so-called 'audiophile' new 180g pressings are cut from hi-res digital sources…essentially an expensive CD pressed on vinyl.  Why  experience the worse elements of both formats?  These are just High Maintenance CDs, with mid-ranges so cloaked with a veil as to sound smeared.  They are nearly always compressed with murky transients and a general lifelessness in the overall sound.  There are exceptions where re-masters/re-presses outshine the original issues, but they are exceptions and not the norm.

First or early pressings nearly always have more immediacy, presence and dynamics. The sound staging is wider.  Subtle instrument nuances are better placed with more spacious textures. Balances are firmer in the bottom end with a far-tighter bass. Upper-mid ranges shine without harshness, and the overall depth is more immersive.  Inner details are  clearer.

On first and early pressings, the music tends to sound more ‘alive’ and vibrant.  The physics of sound energy is hard to clarify and write about from a listening perspective, but the best we can describe it is to say that you can 'hear' what the mixing and mastering engineers wanted you to hear when they first recorded the music.