FLEETWOOD MAC Rumours RARE 2 180g 45 RPM TEST PRESSING

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FLEETWOOD MAC Rumours (Test Press, 180g 45 RPM) NEW & SEALED 2 Record Set Vinyl LPs
Record label/brand: Reprise Records BSK 73010-45 upc/mpn: None year: 2006
Two records packaged in separate generic white sleeves. The only information on the jacket is what's been stamped on the top right portion of the album (see scan). One stamp is A/B for the first record, second is C/B. Records are new and STILL SEALED.
2 LP Test Pressings marked A/B, C/D of a planned, but but not released until 2011, 2 disc, 180 gram 45 RPM issue of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours". Mastered at AcousTech by Steve Hoffman & Kevin Gray. These highly collectible test pressings are from the first stamper and sometimes less than 20 exist. Test pressings reflect the closest you can get to the lacquers and hence have a special collectible value.
Stereo Net (Australia): "We've had and heard the test pressing of this Rumours reissue, as it was mastered at AcousTech way back in July 2006! We've been dying for this sucker to come out! We can say, unequivocally, that it is UN-FREAKIN'-BELIEVABLE! This will be one of the most exciting releases of the year, and the sound matches the hype. Buy this baby!"
Review of the 2011 release: After years of delay, Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 blockbuster Rumours finally made its way to the pressing plant—the Pallas plant in Germany, to be exact. True to its past performances, Pallas has done an exquisite job on these four vinyl surfaces. Though the cover printing has picked up a bit of contrast from the original, it’s printed on heavy stock, and there’s evidence of spot varnish having been applied. Very nice touch. Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray are rumored (pun intended) to have performed the remastering duties, yet there are no mastering credits on the jacket and the copyright date is listed as 2009. Fittingly, then, the record retains some of its original relationship-related controversy.
Those who have been waiting for this reissue since 2006, the year a few test pressings slipped onto the market, will be rewarded the second they drop the tonearm on the opening track. It sounds scrumptious. Thanks to the almost CD-quiet backgrounds, you hear much more of Mick Fleetwood’s percussion. On “Dreams,” Lindsey Buckingham’s backing vocals have considerably more space than they do on early pressings. A smidge of tape hiss creeps into “Songbird” at the end of the second side, but that’s not a bad thing. It actually reinforces the material’s analog greatness. Moreover, Christine McVie’s voice never sounded better and, thanks to the extra grooves made possible by the 45RPM extension, possesses more delicacy than the original pressings. “Songbird” is the best example of low-level detail; the following track, and beginning of the third side, “The Chain,” offers up the best example of dynamic punch. “I Don’t Want To Know” comes a close second.
The best news? Warner Bros.’ pressing is flawless from beginning to end. This is definitely the super-sized version of Rumours: It goes beyond big sound. You can just feel this record breathe, in and out, while listening to tracks that you thought you knew like the back of your hand. Wait until you experience the new information that’s available. And the soundstage is massive. If the music doesn’t float well past your speakers’ boundaries, it’s time to go shopping for a new stereo.