Sam's Town

I have had The Killers' "Sam's Town" on vinyl for several years now, and let me tell you, it was an absolute blast from start to finish. So, grab a seat, relax, and let's dive into this rockin' journey! First things first, let's talk about the band members' vocals and instrumentals. Brandon Flowers, oh my goodness, that man's voice is like honey poured over hot pancakes! It's smooth, emotive, and perfectly captures the essence of each song. Whether he's belting out anthemic choruses or crooning introspective verses, his voice never fails to give me goosebumps. But it's not just about Brandon—The Killers are a tight-knit group of talented musicians, and they know how to bring it! The guitar riffs by Dave Keuning are absolutely killer (pun intended). They're catchy, energetic, and have this way of getting under your skin, making you want to jump up and dance. And let's not forget Mark Stoermer's basslines and Ronnie Vannucci Jr.'s drumming, which provide the perfect foundation for the entire album. Together, these guys create an infectious sound that's impossible to resist. Now, let's talk about the vinyl itself. The "Sam's Town" picture disc is a visual treat. I mean, who wouldn't want to have that beautiful artwork spinning on their turntable? It adds an extra layer of charm to the whole listening experience. The vinyl is well-pressed, and the sound quality is top-notch. Each instrument and vocal is crystal clear, allowing you to fully appreciate the nuances of the music. One of the standout tracks on this album, in my opinion, is "When You Were Young." From the opening guitar riff, you just know you're in for a wild ride. It's a perfect blend of arena rock and heartfelt lyrics that will have you singing along at the top of your lungs. The vinyl format enhances the raw energy of this song, making it feel like The Killers are performing right in your living room. Another favorite of mine is "Read My Mind." It's a beautiful, introspective ballad that showcases the band's ability to craft deeply personal and relatable songs. As the needle glides across the vinyl, you can't help but get lost in the atmospheric production and Brandon's heartfelt vocals. It's a truly mesmerizing experience. But honestly, every track on "Sam's Town" has its own unique charm. From the infectious grooves of "Bones" to the anthemic sing-along chorus of "This River Is Wild," this album takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and musical brilliance. The vinyl format adds a level of intimacy that digital versions simply can't replicate. So, my friend, if you're a fan of The Killers or just a lover of good ol' rock 'n' roll, I highly recommend getting your hands on "Sam's Town" on vinyl. It's a musical journey that will have you hooked from the first note to the last. With killer vocals, groovy instrumentals, and a stunning picture disc, it's a must-have for any music collection. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to crank up the volume and lose myself in the magic of The Killers once again. Rock on!

Don't listen to the critics. Any Killers fan will tell you that this album is sold GOLD ("It ain't hard to hold, when it shines like gold, you'll remember me"). Every single one of these songs are on My List of all-time favorite Killers songs. Every track is important, every track relies on both vocals and instruments, and that is one of the reasons I love this band so much. Each and every member of the band is represented in each song, and one of my favorite things to do is listen to each track a couple time, each time listening to a single part (guitar, bass, drums) to see how it helps make each song amazing. These guys really know how to write great lyrics ("The stars are burning like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun") and equally amazing music to lift the lyrics into something beyond reality, it's just so good. Admittedly, it took me about a week to really fall in love with each song (I used to skip over My List and This River is Wild in favor of Read My Mind or For Reasons Unknown), but like I said, each one of these songs became my absolute favorites. This is such a great album, and you know what? It's my favorite over Hot Fuss. Hot Fuss has incredible tracks that rival most of the songs on this album, but Sam's Town is the definition of a great album because of it's ability to boast that each of its tracks are pieces of solid gold that come together in the most spectacular way. I hope that with their next album, The Killers will reuse a lot of the qualities found in Sam's Town.

First off I'd like to say that when reviewing vinyl LP's the review is about the actual LP and not the music on it. I never buy an LP just to see if I like the songs, that's what MP3 downloads are for. In this case the 5 star rating is for the pressing itself and not the music on it. With that said I'll get on with talking about the actual vinyl pressing. First I'll start off with the packaging. When shipped from Amazon it is shipped like every other album I've bought, that is sandwiched in a very nice sturdy flat cardboard container made for the job. Once opened the actual album and sleeve is exposed. Unlike most vinyl records that come in a cardboard sleeve this one comes in a clear plastic sleeve. Most vinyl is then also inside of a paper sleeve within the outer cardboard sleeve. This one is not. It is inside of the clear plastic sleeve alone. This is done of course to show of the fact that this pressing is a "picture disc." This is pretty unique among Vinyl LP's and is pretty neat looking. The LP itself contains the artwork that would normally be on the outer album jacket. There have been a few reviewers who have complained about the plastic jacket. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this araingment. The sleeve is plenty thick to protect the LP during normal handling. Cardboard jackets are not steel vaults either so I see nothing wrong with this one. Most LP's also come with an inner paper sleeve but the fact is, paper sleeves are not the best. The best inner sleeve is a paper sleeve that has an inner plastic lining. I guess the paper sleeves shed as they age where the plastic lined do not. This outer jacket therefore takes place of the outer and inner sleeve and is made from a material superior to paper. Inside with the LP is a trifold sheet of paper which contains some additional artwork for the LP. If a person were worried enough about sliding the LP into the plastic jacket they could fold this over the LP before returning it to the jacket. Either that or inner sleeves are available through Amazon. The reality is that this plastic see through jacket is not a problem at all and should have no bearing on whether or not you buy this LP. Another complaint I have seen is playability issues. I had none at all. The problem with Vinyl pressings is they are not all the same. Unlike, CD's and even cassettes of old, the equipment used to play back vinyl plays a very big part on any trouble you may have. One argument may be that record "A" plays fine, but this one skips. Just because record "A" plays fine and "B" skips doesn't mean record "B" is defective. There are so many varibles when it comes to vinyl. The first being the cartridge and stylus in your turntable. You could have a very high end turn table but with a stylus that has a difficult time tracking the grooves of an LP. There are several stylus shapes to follow the groove of an LP. They are all a compromise between, low LP wear, good tracking, more faithful sound reproductions, etc. Along with stylus tip shape is also proper setup. The tracking force should always be measured with a stylus tracking force scale. Then there is the anti skate setting that many people have a hard time understanding (myself included.) If you throw in the fact that some pressings are more difficult to track you end up with some people who have tracking issues (skipping) and others who do not. The problem is, there are far too many variables to claim these LPs are defective. I will say it is likely that these pressings are likely more difficult to track than some others but I believe with a well setup turn table and a stylus contour made to track well this is a non issue. The last issue people are having is sound quality. Poor tracking not only causes the needle to jump out of the track but can also cause bad sound playback. Again, one (or most) LP(s) may play and sound fine, but some others may track and not sound good because of poor setup. The equipment I have is not high end by any means but I have spent the time and effort to get them set up correctly and I have yet to have a problem with skipping or poor sound. This pressing is no different. If you like the music on this LP, have a turn table, and have a desire for this LP I highly recommend it.

Top album. Always better on vinyl.

A great album by the Killers. Got some of my favorite songs in here.

Battle Bornから流れ着いたこのＣＤ 前から欲しかったが買うタイミングが無く、中古の激安を見つけたので 即買いしました。 もっと早くから聴いていれば良かったと後悔しています。 いまごろですが、Battle Bornよりヘビーに聴いています。 とっても良いアルバムだと思います。

A very good follow up to The Killers surprising debut, Hot Fuss. Many young bands will fall into the second album trap of self-indulgence, but not so with Sam's Town. Fortunately, they were wide enough to enlist 2 of the best alt-rock producers of all time: Alan Moulder and Flood, who are responsible for some of the best albums by bands like U2 (The Joshua Tree), Depeche Mode (Violator), and Nine Inch Nails (Broken, and engineering on the Downward Spiral). Enlisting such accomplished producers gave pinpoint focus to the band's nacent vision. Sure, it's got a lot of pop elements, but you can tell the Killers aren't mailing it in. A very solid album!

Uno de los mejores disco de The Killers! Más guitarrero que "Day & Age" pero con verdaderas joyas como "When you were young", "Bling (Confession Of A King)" o "Read my mind".