Rhino Entertainment and Warner are aiming to Start Your Ear Off Right in 2025 with 26 limited edition LP reissues and releases. The current group of albums in the series includes a varied mix of 180 gram, clear vinyl 140 gram, and cool colored-vinyl 140 gram LPs. Start Your Ear Off Right encompasses a diverse spectrum of genres and artists, ranging from rock (Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, The Grateful Dead, ZZ Top); Eighties punk and new wave (The English Beat, Ramones, The Cult); funk, soul, and R&B (Allen Toussaint, Eddie Hazel); prog-rock (Dream Theater, Rush, Yes); and compilations (The Complete Stax/Volt Singles, Vols. 1 and 2). The LPs are encased in substantial outer jackets, all with crisp cover artwork that's been sourced from the Warner/Rhino vaults. Some feature new jackets that have been created especially for these limited edition releases, like Yes' Fragile (Steven Wilson Remix), Fleetwood Mac's Live At The Record Plant, and The Complete Stax/Volt Singles, Vols. 1 and 2. And the pair of releases from Allen Toussaint and Eddie Hazel are part of the new Rhino Reserve series, and are encased in heavy tip-on-style jackets printed at Stoughton.
I received ten of the 26 Start Your Ear Off Right LPs for evaluation. I'd previously reviewed some of the other titles that were issued in box sets and are now being released individually (ZZ Top, Dream Theater), so I avoided double-dipping with those. The LPs in the series were pressed at plants all over the place, including Memphis Record Pressing, Optimal in Germany, GZ in the Czech Republic, Precision Record Pressing in Canada, and the pair of Rhino Reserve titles were pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California. The surfaces of the LPs were, for the most part, flawless and glossy, and many arrived in rice paper-lined white or black paper inner sleeves. Certain titles featured printed facsimiles of the original paper inner sleeves; I inserted rice paper liners into those to minimize static and paper dust issues. Looking at the deadwax area provided information regarding who mastered many of the LPs; as is typical for Rhino, the pressings were superb, and offered exceptionally quiet playback. With the exception of the two Rhino Reserve titles, the LPs aren't available at Rhino's web store, but can be found at a variety of online and brick and mortar locations, including your local independent record store. The actual selling price of each LP may vary slightly across online and in-store locations.
Ramones, Too Tough To Die. 140 Gram LP, $24.98 MSRP
Ramones, Halfway To Sanity. 140 Gram LP, $24.98 MSRP
Ramones, Brain Drain. 140 Gram LP, $24.98 MSRP
The trio of Ramones LPs in this group of releases represent absolutely essential listening, and despite coming from the band's later period, each album plays like a greatest hits collection. With big hits and great songs scattered across all three records, like "Mama's Boy," "Wart Hog," "Howling At The Moon," "I Wanna Live," "Bop Til You Drop," "Pet Sematary," and even the campy holiday tune "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)." And Halfway To Sanity's "Go Lil' Camaro Go" features none other than Debbie Harry of Blondie on guest vocals! I've heard most of this music on the original CDs, but this is the first time I've actually heard the LPs, which have all been out of print domestically since their original release. The sound quality was astonishingly great, and the pressings from GZ were sheer perfection—gone are the days when I'd cringe if I saw a "Made in the Czech Republic" sticker. All three LPs were remastered at Sterling Sound in Nashville by Joe Nino-Hernes; he's currently one of the hottest young mastering engineers on the scene, and these new LPs easily bested the sound quality of my old original CDs by a mile. Ramones' fans, rejoice, grab your plastic, and get thee to your nearest independent record store—each of these LPs are must-haves for any fan's collection. All three come very highly recommended, and as the back cover of Halfway To Sanity clearly proclaims "PLAY LOUD!"
Yes, Fragile (Steven Wilson Remix). 140 Gram Emerald Green LP, $24.98 MSRP
Fragile was the album where Yes really broke through, especially in the US, when the band's classic lineup with Rick Wakeman on keyboards stabilized for this groundbreaking album. Fragile is easily near the top of my list of all-time great prog-rock albums, and musically, this is the point when the band really gelled. That said, the album has suffered from substandard sound, especially in the compact disc era, and recent LP reissues haven't been particularly great either. Well, Steven Wilson to the rescue—I have all the SW Yes Blu-rays and DVD Audio discs, and his remix of Fragile from about a decade ago breathed new life into the digital files. His remixes that have been released as LPs are very nearly miraculous! I've been looking forward to this new Fragile LP; it was mastered by Chris Bellman, and was pressed onto really cool emerald green vinyl at Optimal in Germany. The LP jacket features alternate but graphically striking new artwork; it's an exceptionally good looking package. And while the Wilson remixes are slightly different when compared to the originals, they're also very faithful to the band's original intent. This new LP is not only the coolest version of Fragile I have, it's also the best sounding, and this is the only way to get the Steven Wilson remixed LP that isn't part of a box set. Grab one now, it comes very highly recommended!
Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses). (2) 140 Gram Translucent Lemonade LPs, $35.98 MSRP
1971's Grateful Dead marked the second time the band released a double-live LP in two years, at a point when the Dead's focus began to shift away from their studio recordings and more towards incessant touring and the content of their live shows. Known by Deadheads as Skull & Roses, the album's classic cover art was designed by Alton Kelly and Stanley Mouse, and their iconic cover art has become one of the images most closely associated with the band over the decades. Grateful Dead was a departure for the band, in that unlike the previous live album, Live Dead, it didn't include any performances of songs from recent studio albums like Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. There are three new songs, "Bertha," "Playing In The Band," and "Wharf Rat"; "Playing In The Band" went on to become a fan favorite and concert staple. This new reissue marks the first time the LP has been available domestically since the mid-seventies, and the translucent lemonade yellow vinyl LPs were beautiful! Chris Bellman remastered the LP from the original analog tapes, and the pressings from Memphis Record Pressing were absolutely perfect. This new reissue easily trounces my mid-Seventies catalog LP, with impressive clarity, improved dynamics, and deeper, more controlled bass. I can't recommend Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) highly enough!
Rush, Presto. 180 Gram LP, $24.98 MSRP
Rush, Roll The Bones. 180 Gram LP, $24.98 MSRP
Rush, Test For Echo. (2) 180 Gram LPs, $34.98 MSRP
I only ended up getting three of the four Rush reissues released in this series for review, but as a group, the four albums offered represent the point in Rush's career where they started falling off of my personal radar. A pair of songs from 1991's Roll The Bones got frequent airplay, including the title track "Roll The Bones" and "Ghost Of A Chance," but not much else. While I liked what I was hearing, and rushed (pun intended) to get the compact disc, the recording sounded pretty harsh to my ears, and it didn't really end up in regular rotation. Consequently, I only had the vaguest familiarity with the other three of these albums that bookend it. Listening now to 1989's Presto, 1991's Roll The Bones, and 1996's Test For Echo (1993's Counterparts didn't find its way here), they definitely sound like Rush at the height of their powers, and in my book are stone classics. And the remastered LPs from Precision Record Pressing in Canada (rather appropriate, don't you think?) sound pretty magnificent! Roll The Bones has none of the harshness that my old CD displayed (I still have it!), and playback of all three LPs sounds astonishingly good on the big system. Both Presto and Roll The Bones are single LPs, while Test For Echo required three sides of 2 LPs to capture the contents of the original CD release. Side four of the LP has a pretty cool laser-etched compass graphic decorating the vinyl.
All three of these excellent Rush albums have been in regular rotation since they arrived, and I can't honestly believe I actually missed this period of the band's music—I definitely need to rush out (there we go again!) and grab a copy of Counterparts to round out my collection. Rhino released the now sold-out box set containing these four albums late last year, but otherwise, only Presto was ever originally released on LP. And outside a very limited edition reissue of the other three albums in 2015, none has ever been available domestically on LP. Rush fans, don't hesitate, get out and grab these outstanding LPs now!
Allen Toussaint, Southern Nights. 180 Gram Rhino Reserve LP, $31.98 MSRP
New Orleans funk, soul, and R&B artist Allen Toussaint's 1975 album Southern Nights was a showcase for his ability to transition effortlessly between musical styles, and is perhaps the pinnacle of his long career. The album features his classic tunes "Last Train," "Worldwide," and the title track "Southern Nights," which eventually became a huge hit for country singer Glen Campbell, and it was soon after named the Louisiana state song. The first release from the new Rhino Reserve series, Southern Nights was pressed by the new Fidelity Record Pressing plant in Oxnard, California, and was overseen by Rick Hasimoto (formerly of RTI). The lacquers for the 180 gram LP were cut by Chris Bellman; the LP and its packaging was perfect in every detail, with gorgeous, heavy tip-on outer jackets printed at Stoughton. And the sound quality of the LP is simply phenomenal. Southern Nights is sold out on Rhino's web store, but can still be found at online and brick and mortar locations. Highly recommended!
Eddie Hazel, Games, Dames, and Guitar Thangs. 180 Gram Rhino Reserve LP, $31.98 MSRP
Eddie Hazel's blazing guitar work played a huge part in the success of funk, soul, and R&B icons Parliament and Funkadelic; his 1977 release Games, Dames, and Guitar Thangs was his first solo album outside the Parliament/Funkadelic family. The record maintains a steady but edgy groove, with covers of The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas, and "Physical Love," from Bootsy's Rubber Band. Hazel's astonishing guitar work is constantly in evidence throughout the album's nearly irresistible mix of funk, soul, and rock-tinged R&B. The second release from the Rhino Reserve series, Games, Dames, and Guitar Thangs was pressed by the new Fidelity Record Pressing plant in Oxnard, California, where Rick Hasimoto oversaw every aspect of its production. The lacquers for the 180 gram LP were cut by Chris Bellman; the LP and its packaging set the standard for high-end releases, and the sound quality of this new series is outstanding. Games, Dames, and Guitar Thangs also shows as being sold out at Rhino's web store, but it can still be found at online and brick and mortar locations. Quite a fun listen, and highly recommended!
Rhino's Start Your Ear Off Right series Is bigger and better in 2025
Clicking on my name in the header above will show the full complement of components that occupy my dual audio setups. For playback and evaluation of all LPs in the Start Your Ear Off Right series, I used the all-analog system that features a pair of XSA Labs Vanguard compact monitor loudspeakers. They're an updated homage to classic British monitor designs like the LS3/5A, run in tandem with a pair of Caldera 10 subwoofers, and are powered by all tubed electronics. Playback of these new LPs over this system was dynamic and often quite fun—I cranked the Ramones' albums like there was no tomorrow! The Start Your Ears Off Right series LPs come very highly recommended!
Rhino Entertainment
All images courtesy of Rhino Entertainment
