Album Reviews

In September 1997, Buena Vista Social Club, an album of inspired Cuban music was released by Nonesuch to near universal acclaim, inspiring music fans and musicians around the world. In many ways, it can be argued that Buena Vista Social Club injected a much-needed dose of global awareness to Western music-making beyond Paul Simon’s August 1986 Warner Bros. LP Graceland more than 10 years prior. Produced by legendary guitarist and world-music champion Ry Cooder, Buena Vista Social Club was a smash hit in the CD era, winning the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album. It also won the 1998 Billboard Latin Music Awards for Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year by a Group. In 2022, it was entered into the Library of Congress’ esteemed National Recording Registry, and it has also reportedly achieved a Guinness World Record as the best-selling world music album.

Fast-forward to the here and now, where we have Analogue Productions’ new, super-deluxe 180g 45rpm 4LP vinyl reissue of Buena Vista Social Club that’s certain to excite most every audiophile out there, just as it has with those of us here at AP.

Per official materials, let’s first explore the underlying DNA for this fine Buena Vista Social Club release, which came out officially on February 14, 2025: “Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog master tapes and plated and pressed at the acclaimed Quality Record Pressings [AP notes: Grundman also mastered the initial 1997 edition], this reissue marks the self-titled album’s first 45rpm U.S. vinyl release since 2001, and delivers an unparalleled listening experience. Highlighting the heart of Cuban music in stunning fidelity, the luxurious packaging features tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination, crafted by Stoughton Printing for a timeless aesthetic. Additionally, a 12-page booklet, includes lyrics and rare studio images from the vibrant sessions at Havana’s EGREM Studios in 1996.”

AP editor Mike Mettler previewed this new reissue when it was announced back in January 2025 (and you can read his report on it right here). In that post, Mettler noted that “the SRP for the 180g 4LP 45rpm edition is $120, while the SRP for the reel-to-reel edition is a hefty $450. The 4LP set can be ordered from Acoustic Sounds here, and/or from Music Direct here, and/or via the MD link graphic below ahead of the tracklisting section. The reel-to-reel version [. . .] can be ordered from Acoustic Sounds here.” [Note that, as of this posting, the reel-to-reel edition is currently on backorder — but you can sign up to be notified directly once it again becomes available.]

Now, some of you may wonder if the notion of spreading an album like this one across four discs — that’s eight sides, folks — might represent some sort of audiophile overkill, especially when a couple of the sides just have one song on them. I’ve heard this argument made many times, especially when it has come to the repurposing of albums that, for the most part, came to into the public eye/ear during the peak CD era.

Personally, I’ve enjoyed certain formerly single-disc LPs being broken out into 2LP formats. Some of them that come to mind include XTC’s October 1986 classic Virgin release Skylarking, which benefited greatly sonically from the superior, remastered 2LP 2016 pressing from Ape House spinning at 45rpm (a sentiment AP editor Mettler concurs). But it also resulted in an improvement to the core listening experience. I personally have found that, for certain recordings, spreading out the music across multiple album sides — demanding a moment of mental pause while flipping each disc over — gives the brain an important break in order to take in and better appreciate all that is going on with the music.

I know I was feeling that while working on my portion of our recent three-man review of the 200g 45rpm 2LP UHQR edition of Steely Dan’s March 1975 ABC classic Katy Lied (click here in case you missed our team review), the core album’s 2LP expansion in the 2023 3LP edition of Los Lobos’ May 1992 masterpiece on Slash, Kiko (click here for that review), and the aforementioned Skylarking 2LPs-at-45rpm set. Another classic album — Elvis Costello and The Attractions’ February 1980 Columbia LP Get Happy!! — benefits greatly from the multidisc treatment, breaking its original 20-song single LP into five songs per side across a 2015 2LP set from UMe (as was also done on its previous 2011 2LP offering from Mobile Fidelity).

Believe it or not, in 2001, Classic Records issued an 8-disc, single-sided version of Buena Vista Social Club (which currently goes for between $500 and $1,000 on the collector’s market). Classic’s equally elaborate, crated box set for Led Zeppelin’s catalog might be the arguable “jump the shark” moment for this concept, featuring just one song per side of each of Zep’s albums. However, I’ve heard from some of the collectors who own and love that collection that those pressings do sound pretty stunning. Ultimately, this kind of expanded presentation of an album is a personal choice — but it’s the right choice for Buena Vista Social Club.

All that said this new 4LP treatment of Buena Vista Social Club from Analogue Productions works just fine for me. It feels like they have achieved a happy medium between audiophile excellence and logistical convenience. As I allowed myself to just immerse in BVSC and listen, instantly realizing just how very, very grand it sounds, I became lost in the lushness of the recording of these outstanding performances. And I didn’t mind the frequent disc changing because, in effect, my ears were brought into extreme focus on the individual performances captured on each track. Honestly, it became somewhat exciting to anticipate what joys might await me on each following side!

Consider it this way — listening to Analogue Productions’ new 180g 45rpm 4LP edition of Buena Vista Social Club is like enjoying a huge slice of your most favoritest birthday cake, during which you can — and will — want to savor each and every bite, guilt free.

Overall, I’ve been very impressed with this new edition of Buena Vista Social Club. The vinyl is dead-quiet, dark, and well-centered. The discs did prove to be a little tight on the spindle of my turntable, however, so sometimes it was a challenge getting them on and off — but that is my only little nit to pick. (Mettler tells me he experienced similar snugness with three of his four LPs, but playback was clear and unimpeded on all eight sides, regardless.)

While I don’t have the original 1998 Buena Vista 2LP set in hand to compare this one to, I did go back to my original 1997 CD, which still sounds remarkably good, all things considered. The new-to-2025 4LP version, however, offers much more presence, studio air, and overall definition. The differences are palpable. The soundstage on this new vinyl release is quite stunning. If you close your eyes, you can really feel it almost welcome you into the studio where the musicians are performing.

Among my favorite tracks are “Chan Chan” (LP1, Side A, Track 1), with its gorgeously recorded acoustic guitars. “Pueblo Nuevo” (LP2, Side C, Track 1) beautifully captures the rustic feel of the piano — and the pianist, Rubén González — in that studio, especially at the start as the soft percussion and bass kick in. As the acoustic guitars and percussion build up, I was able to close my eyes and envision myself sitting there in the studio with the musicians. I get a chill down my spine each time I hear the trumpet player, Manuel “Guajiro” Miraba, launch into “Stormy Weather” for his solo intro during this tune. Just haunting!

Listen for the raw (but just right) buzzing of the guitar strings on the opening of “¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho?” (LP2, Side D, Track 1), which leads into some of the most natural, rich, and woody-sounding acoustic guitar I’ve heard captured on tape.

“El Carretero” (LP3, Side E, Track 1) features a haunting, repetitive acoustic bass signature that forms a rich platform for the other instruments, particularly a deeply reverb-soak slide-type instrument that flies in at points during breaks in the vocals. This track could easily have been slipped onto Los Lobos’ aforementioned Kiko — it has that sort of surreal feel to it.

I could go on and on and continue gushing about this outstanding new 4LP edition of Buena Vista Social Club, but I think that by now, you’ve hopefully gotten the sense that this Analogue Productions collection will be an instant-classic demo disc for many audiophiles, and an absolute favorite spin for any fan of great music. As for our ratings, the Music ranks an easy 11 — heck, I’d give this a 12 if I could; Spinal Tap be damned! The Sound gets an easy 10, for its perfection. I mean, how can woody, richly textured music like this not make for compelling listening with this 45rpm presentation?

There’s so much beauty to behold here with Buena Vista Social Club, so it’s no wonder the music has blossomed into an international favorite. The 4LP set’s $120 SRP is also quite reasonable, when you consider that the premium packaging, presentation, and mastering here is sublime. I especially appreciate how the collection’s designers employed a book-style approach for the cover that you can see a few grafs below, just ahead of the tracklisting section — it allows for easy access to each record, versus a more typical and ultimately cumbersome trifold type design. This cover is sturdy and handy, and it’s a beautiful presentation with expanded glossy photography well beyond the original CD’s flat-matte-designed packaging.

All around, Analogue Productions’ new 180g 45rpm 4LP edition of Buena Vista Social Club is an all-out a winner. Get it while you can.

Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for AudiophileReview.com, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB
180g 4LP (World Circuit/BMG/Analogue Productions)

LP1, Side A
1. Chan Chan
2. De Camino a La Vereda

LP1, Side B
1. El Cuarto de Tula

LP2, Side C
1. Pueblo Nuevo
2. Dos Gardenias

LP2, Side D
1. ¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho?
2. Veinte Años

LP3, Side E
1. El Carretero

LP3, Side F
1. Candela
2. Amor de Loca Juventud

LP 4, Side G
1. Orgullecida
2. Murmullo

LP4, Side H
1. Buena Vista Social Club
2. La Bayamesa