Originally released December 15, 1992
Reissued April 21, 2023
Interscope Records
2xLP
Perhaps an unintended — though by no means unintentional — legacy of The Chronic is that of perfect test of audio fidelity. It's seismic impact and influence in terms of production and the formation of G Funk have been discussed ad nauseam, yet it's often overlooked just how well it was mastered. Along with follow-up 2001, The Chronic remains one of the most pristinely mastered and cut albums of all time, an album that (maybe reductively) sounds damn good on vinyl. Rarely have an LP's high's sounded so crisp, while the lows bellow with such full-bodied warmth. In the past Dr. Dre has come under fire because the volume at which these records were recorded at set an unhealthy precedent, that inumerable artists have attempted and failed to replicate. To that we say 'Don't hate the player, hate the game.'