Vinyl pressings
by Neutral Milk Hotel · 1996
On Avery Island was first pressed on vinyl in 1996. Every vinyl pressing is listed below with its label, catalog number and runout codes, so you can tell an original from a reissue.
1 pressing came out in 1996, the album's first year. Compare the label and catalog number on your copy, then the codes etched or stamped in the runout groove (the dead wax around the label): they are the surest sign of an early pressing.
MRG-103-A RE-1 L-45845 SAE MASTERINGSide A, SAE MASTERING stamped
MRG-103-B RE-1 L-45845-X SAE MASTERINGSide B, SAE MASTERING stamped
Not sure how to read the runout? See matrix numbers, runout and dead wax and how to tell a first pressing.
By decade, oldest first. Open a pressing for its full label, barcode and runout details.
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | US | Merge Records MRG103LP / Merge Records MRG 103 LPFirst yearLP, Album | LP, Album |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | US | Merge Records MRG103LPLP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2009 | US | Merge Records MRG103LPLP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Unknown | Fire Records SFIRE036LPLP, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing, White Label · Test pressing | LP, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing, White Label · Test pressing |
| 2010 | US | Fire Records SFIRE036LPLP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2011 | UK | Fire Records FF053RLP, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited, Colored vinyl |
| 2011 | UK | Fire Records FF53YLP, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited, Colored vinyl | LP, Limited Edition, Reissue · Limited, Colored vinyl |
| 2015 | UK | Fire Records FIRELP53LP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2015 | US | Merge Records MRG-103LP, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing | LP, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing |
| Year | Country | Label and catalog number | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | US | Merge Records MRG103LPLP, Album, Reissue | LP, Album, Reissue |
| 2023 | Worldwide | Fire Records FIRELP53X12", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing | 12", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, Test Pressing · Test pressing |
| 2023 | Worldwide | Fire Records FIRELP53X12", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, Album, Reissue · Colored vinyl | 12", 45 RPM, Album, Reissue, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, Album, Reissue · Colored vinyl |
| 2023 | Worldwide | Merge Records MRG00103.112", 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited | 12", 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, 45 RPM, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo · Limited |
13 vinyl pressings of On Avery Island are listed here, from 3 countries, released between 1996 and 2023.
The earliest pressings are from 1996, in US. One of them is Merge Records MRG103LP, released March 26, 1996.
Check the catalog number on the label (first-year pressings use MRG103LP) and the codes etched in the runout groove, then compare them with the pressings listed above; for example, MRG-103-A RE-1 L-45845 SAE MASTERING and MRG-103-B RE-1 L-45845-X SAE MASTERING. Later reissues often keep the catalog number but change the label design or the runout codes.
It depends on which pressing you have and on the condition of the record and its sleeve. Early pressings from the album's home country in near mint condition are usually worth the most; common later reissues are worth far less. Scan your copy with VinylLens to see its value for every grade.
