Old Polydor CD "Strange Brew-The Very Best Of Cream" mastered by Dennis Drake. Best sound, cheap!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Dec 25, 2016.

  1. I agree Steve, CD Banzi was the best CD store for imports. I can still picture the inside of the store like it was yesterday.

    I know the store you are talking about that was on Pico near the mall. I can also picture the store in my mind, but I can't remember the name of it either. I don't think it lasted as long as CD Banzi did.
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I wish I could remember the name of that great CD store on Pico. First time I went in there (on a tip) I found an import of something I was looking for, might have been a Roxy Music. I handed the clerk my credit card, he looked at it for a longer than usual time and then called out the manager from the back. Showed him my card and the manager asked me if I was THE Steve Hoffman. Wow, I was shocked. Until that time I had no idea that I had any kind of following in the collector community. So I remember that place fondly. Just can't remember the name of it.
     
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  3. SonicZone

    SonicZone Senior Member

    Location:
    Upland, CA
    Well, I took close looks at what I've got for Strange Brew: The Very Best Of Cream. I actually have 2 CDs of this; one was a gift from across the country I never bothered to return for some reason. Probably had these since early '88 by best guess.

    Artwork on both matches what's been said here already, won't repeat any of that.

    Copy 1 has MADE IN USA BY PDO in the center, matrix is 811 639-2 04! (The exclamation is part of the code.)

    Copy 2 just says MADE IN USA (I'm sure it's still a PDO disc; has that distinct aluminum-to-center). This one has the matrix 811 639-2 04! IK, and the IK is stamped a little ways into the matrix ring etching like Steve described in this post.

    Otherwise, except for the CD label's track list being in a regular/non-bold font, they are both visually the same as what's shown here. Both have the same (presumed correct) EAC peak levels:
    97.5 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 96.7 / 92.7 / 100.0 / 100.0 / 88.1

    Hope this helps some of you out . . .
     
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  4. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    Just listened to mine; sounds great, 'balanced' being the word that comes to mind.

    On the disc itself, it says 'MADE IN USA'; opposite that, '811 639-2 07% □ LS' ... nothing about PDO, seemingly. Clear plastic at the hub. On the disc, "TALES OF BRAVE ULYSSES" (correctly); in the booklet and back jewel-box insert, "TALES OF BRAVE ULYSEES" (typo). Dennis M. Drake credited for mastering at PolyGram Studios.

    Any thoughts ...?
     
  5. I have these as well and think I'm pretty well covered. I have the Those Were The Days set only for the bonus tracks.
     
    goodboyfred likes this.
  6. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    I also don't own the Best of.... no need looking for copy. I'm covered.
     
  7. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Was the name of the Pico Blvd store "Disc-Connection", Steve?
     
  8. jeffgt14

    jeffgt14 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Juliet, TN
    Canadian CD has these peak levels. This has to be the same mastering just level shifted right?

    94.5 / 96.9 / 96.9 / 96.9 / 96.9 / 96.9 / 96.9 / 93.7 / 89.8 / 96.9 / 96.9 / 85.4
     
  9. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    Technically a level shift constitutes a different [or variant] mastering but the transfer would of course remain the same.

    Good work.

    Those numbers matches my WG for US with 01 matrix. Seems as that is the mastering to get. Level's shift versions might also be OK but depending on method employeed to do that sound can vary - that is if I recall correctly.

    The variation to those numbers seems to be on the Australian and Canadian original CD's. With all the original US's and WG for US's everyone who wants one with patience should be able to get it for only a few dollars - NICE!
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2016
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  10. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Yeah, I think so.
     
  11. ronm

    ronm audiofreak

    Location:
    southern colo.
    They should have put The Coffee Song on this and I'm So Glad.Then...it would been much better.I have this CD and am going to revisit it soon.The Savage Seven theme is the main reason I have this.Can't really listen to Sunshine of Your Love anymore.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2016
  12. jamesmaya

    jamesmaya Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    My two digitally identical copies (described upthread) time out at 43:52 on EAC, but both read 43:54 on a different player.
     
  13. signothetimes53

    signothetimes53 Senior Member

    I've been listening a lot lately to music on headphones, and older recordings (of which I have many) can sometimes be a very difficult sonic experience, especially with cans. This thread prompted me to put this Columbia House version on for a listen today, and it is everything folks here have said it is. Very nice, thank you for the heads up, I've had this disc for 20 years, and haven't played it in at least 10...
     
  14. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    I just finished listening to the BMG pressing, and that also sounds wonderful.
     
  15. telepicker97

    telepicker97 Got Any Gum?

    Location:
    Midwest
    Just pulled the trigger from amazon; I had this disc in the early 90s but ditched it when I got TWTD.

    Rectified, can't wait to crank it.
     
  16. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    Just bought one for $8 at a shop. NM condition.
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Just remember, the sound on this disk is untouched, in other words, each song has a different sonic signature. Compare Politician with Born Under A Bad Sign or White Room. They sound nothing like each other, same mixer same album, studio, etc. This disk clearly shows the differences, that's a great thing for me. I want to hear what is on the tapes, not some modern mastering engineer's idea of what it should sound like.

    Yes, I'm in the minority on this stuff. A purist, so to speak. I like the sound of this old stuff, especially after years of tearing my hair out trying to get it to sound better. There is no better, there is just what it is!

    Crank it up as loud as you can and enjoy.
     
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  18. Jason Pumphrey

    Jason Pumphrey Forum Resident

    It's a spelling typo, it's on my copy as well.
     
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  19. SonicZone

    SonicZone Senior Member

    Location:
    Upland, CA
    +2

    Hard to believe those typos never caught my eye, all these years of having/spinning it. Interesting thing is that even Discogs.com contains the misspelling. :sigh:
     
  20. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    We users are the ones that enter the information. Not so interesting, once you know that. Same as Wikipedia.
    .
     
  21. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    I just got mine from Amazon and this Columbia House one is it. I assume I received a correct Dennis Drake version?
     
  22. ServingTheMusic

    ServingTheMusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    SoCal
    The Japanese flat transferred SHM SACDs and the 24/192 remasters destroy any of the tracks on this compilation, by a country mile.
     
  23. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    Correct!
     
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  24. supermd

    supermd Senior Member

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Thank you. Have a great new year. :)
     
  25. kelhard

    kelhard Forum Resident

    Nice sounding disc but still has the static crackle during the bridge of Badge and the intro of Crossroads. You need the Drake mastered "Goodbye" for a clean version of Badge
     

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