Gary, sorry I missed you in San Francisco. I had planned to attend on that Saturday, but I was going to a concert that evening and time did not permit. The write-up sounded wonderful. Hopefully, I will catch up with you next time.
I agree with your initial premise to the extent the better mix/master is on the vinyl. I suspect you did not mean to post it is always on the vinyl; we know that is not the case and IIRC you even cited examples where you though the vinyl did not sound as good as its digital counterpart.
For some of us with limited resources, such as me, whose otherwise disposable income is paying for the kids' college tuitions, it sure would be nice if we could know which version to buy. I'm not referring to what my kids call "old people music", e.g., 50s and 60s jazz, where there is a wealth of information; instead, I'm referring to newly released music. Yes, we can wait for others to express opinions but sometimes a fellow (me) just can't wait for something hot off the press.