Used copies of The Cure “Bloodflowers” on vinyl @ $300+?


I really like the Cure and a few of their recordings are just great such as Disintegration or Live in Paris. I have Bloodflowers on CD and the songs are good. Unfortunately the recording is dark, bloated, as if heavy equalization has been preapplied. Is this what excessive compression amounts to? 

I downloaded another Cure album “4:13 Dream” from iTunes and the bad EQ/excessive compression is even worse. Sad really because both albums have pretty good songs. I can’t tell if the Cure have gone “heavy metal” or what the issue is. I just know that the newer digital releases from The Cure that I have run across have been borderline unlistenable. I really like the way that Robert Smith has remained true to himself as he has aged and the band continues to be great, I just wish that their older fans really need a non-EQ’D recording of some of their newer songs. 

So I thought, well maybe I can just pick up the vinyl version of Bloodflowers and I see that used copies start at $300 and go up from there? What’s up with that? Is it a proper recording of this material, not like the terrible sounding CD? 

If if there are any avid Cure fans out there who are also audiophiles - please drop me a few suggestions. To me, their entire discography would benefit from re-mastering and to be re-issued on audiophile vinyl. This is my wish anyway.
masi61

Update on some Cure LP's on Vinyl.

1) Seventeen Seconds picture disc remastered and came out this last Record Store Day - really quite good! Or at least I am happy. The picture disc vinyl seems to make a "swoosh" sound between tracks which is a bit annoying but overall I think the album is musical and engaging.

2) Bloodflowers has also been reissued on picture disc. I purchased this one at the same time. It is a double album. I so far have auditioned the first of the two. Maybe not quite as impactful as 17 Seconds. I'm getting the same swishing sound and a mix of great detail that I don't remember hearing with the CD version but then I did think I heard just a hint of the same digital compression during the loudest/rowdiest passages.

I'm going to pick up the current re-issue of Disintegration and audition it as well. I can post back here my impressions (if anybody is interested).

Past impressions of ANY picture disc has not been good.
Just about the worst sonics I have heard when I compared to standard black vinyl copy.
So those picture disc reissue maybe as good as can be expected.
Good luck!
I did manage to get 2 copies of Bloodflowers Vinyl Picture discs on Record Day. Haven't played one copy yet.