Unfortunately wow and flutter again. Cascade should really stop pressing records.

I heard the same from others, so you'd say it's borked as well?

This release simply came unannounced. If not for the wonderful vinyl community from Reddit and Discord, I wouldn't have the chance to purchase it during the few hours it was available on Amazon.com, which is the only place to acquire the record unless you're able to attend the concerts where they sell the copies in the merch shop. Although unlike the first "Distant Worlds" release, this is an inverse situation where "Distant Worlds II" is released online first before selling the copies within their concert tours. Keep an eye out on Distant Worlds' Amazon storefront for future restocks:https://www.amazon.com/shops/A1D4X4KSS33IZXThey do replenish their supplies once in a while, so anyone who wants these records will have a chance. Keep in mind that you're gambling with Amazon's questionable shipping service. My copy arrived in a large box stuffed with only paper padding, and the album has a dent present on the top of the jacket, affecting the front and the back. Not the worst shipping disaster I had (that goes to my Eraserhead LP), and the blemish is forgivable in my eyes since the records themselves aren't damaged, but know what you're in for when buying directly from Amazon.You should also know that you may not get a clean pressing if you're able to purchase this album. Both discs exhibit a good amount of clicks on both sides: infrequent clicks, sequenced clicks, and these are after I wet cleaned the records. Doesn't help that the records are stored in paper sleeves. I've heard some disturbing tales about bad presses coming from the first "Distant Worlds" release, but for my copy of the second album, I can't exactly call these discs poorly pressed. They're a tad noisy, but not to severe levels where they call too much attention away from the symphony. I was able to draw in to some of my favorite pieces, and as far as I'm concerned, these discs meet my measure of tolerance.This is the soundtrack I've been wanting the most from this orchestrated series. A couple of Final Fantasy X tracks are represented here, which is my favorite game soundtrack from the franchise, and it has an astounding selection of compositions from other Final Fantasy titles. When hearing "Dancing Mad" beautifully orchestrated, with Nobuo Uematsu and his band rocking out to the song's climax, that arrangement alone is what made me put my money on "Distant Worlds II" over its predecessor. Giving its less-than-perfect pressing quality, and live symphonies on wax tend to require quieter backgrounds, I'm not sure if the leap to vinyl over CD is completely justified given its sporadically limited supply pattern. Nevertheless, this is an album I don't regret purchasing.

I was aware about Final Symphony, and it had wonderful arrangements. I wish I was able to get it on wax, but at least it's available on other media.

The Final Symphony release from Laced Records has incredibly perfect renditions of FFX tunes if you're interested.