Best sounding David Bowie albums on the RCA CDs (only)?

Yes, but I think you got this backwards.

Japan for USA = Dark Red, Medium Red, Orange and Yellow
W Germany pressings = Dark Blue, Medium Blue, Light Medium Blue and Light Blue

 

Stripes, bands - nitpicky much?

And you have it backwards. I've been staring at those orangey BANDS for decades, so I know those are the JforUS ones, dagnabbit!

 

Just trying some new speakers that are more towards full-range than my usual pair. It is amazing how good the WG Low sounds on these, and amazing how bad the Ryko Low sounds!

Tim

 

Wait until I start talkin' about the Japan 4 Japan pressings.

Yeah you're right, I did get it bass ackwards. Thank goodness I got the colors correct.

 

I have the WG cd as well. That's a great disc. It compares favorably to my US RCA lp.

 

I've been having a big Bowie sort-out the last few weeks, so just adding a bit to this thread as having read through it, there's a bit of uncertainty about the WG RCA CDs of Low and Diamond Dogs in particular. I don't have an amazing system, ProJect Genie, currently just an old but good Panasonic DVDR for CDs, and listen mostly on Grado SR80 headphones due to where I live, but in the UK it's pretty easy to pick up good condition original UK Bowie vinyl, and I have to say the WG CDs of those two albums compare very, very well to my original, beautiful vinyls. But my point is about CDs as the OP asked - It can be confusing with those two albums, because of the rattly, distant sound of Low as it was originally, and the veiled, inward Diamond Dogs original sound. These qualities are missing from the EMI/Virgin monstrosities as everyone knows or can guess, but they're there on the RCAs, don't mistake the rattle of WG RCA Low CD or the mud of WG RCA Diamond Dogs CD for bad quality as I did years ago! Just wanted to mention it as there was a few posts along those lines.

 

The more I listen to the WG RCA Bowie CD of Diamond Dogs, the more I like it. At first it sounded muddy, but it doesn't sound that way to me anymore. Now it sounds rich and full. Someone on this forum described its sound as like a horror show ... I love that. I got the US LP of Diamond Dogs after I got the RCA WG CD and my impression upon hearing the album was that it sounds like the cd (I know that sounds backwards).

I've never minded how the Ryko of Diamond Dogs sounds, but it definately doesn't sound like the WG RCA CD or the US LP.

I'm a big fan of both Low RCA CDs -- the WG has better bass to my ears, but the Japanese version is no slouch.

 

I sold my Japan RCA Diamond Dogs here after a shoot-out with the WG RCA. I understand why people like the JPN RCA, but the WG sound just suited that album better. It presented it so smooth and dark. Very nice.

 

Seems like your US LP sounds like my UK first press in that case, which us is good news I guess! Like you say, the Ryko, or even Virgin, might be fine as its own thing, but they don't sound like either of our LPs like the WG RCA CD does.

 

+1 for the WG RCA Diamond Dogs.

 

I would give my right nut for a definitive nicely remastered boxset!

 

I would love one as well (the box set, not the nut)

 

I agree, although the new Jpn mini lp is phenomenal, with the SHQ, or whatever it's called.

 

Really been digging the WG RCA Aladdin Sane of late. Haven't been able to compare it to a Japan for USA, as the only track I have of the latter is the title track on ChangesTwoBowie...those sound quite similar.

 

I've had and listened to both the Japan for EU (catalog no. PD84653) and the USA DADC (catalog no. PCD1-0291) CDs of Pin Ups and they sound like different masterings to me. I see from CardinalFang's post above that there is a Japan for U.S. version. Is there also a West Germany RCA version of this CD? If so, can anyone post the peaks for those? Here are the peaks for the ones I have:


ARTIST:_David_Bowie
TITLE:_Pin_Ups, Japan for EU cat. no. PD84653
NO___TIME______PEAK___NAME
01___2:23.05___93.6___Rosalyn
02___3:09.07___77.4___Here Comes The Night
03___2:48.30___66.5___I Wish You Would
04___4:12.58___73.5___See Emily Play
05___2:28.37___76.4___Everythings Alright
06___2:11.55___67.4___I Can't Explain
07___2:56.58___69.7___Friday On My Mind
08___2:53.37___68.1___Sorrow
09___2:06.10___68.4___Don't Bring Me Down
10___2:53.30___68.0___Shapes of Things
11___3:11.48___70.3___Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
12___2:43.17___72.8___Where Have All The Good Times Gone
PEAK_AVE:_72.7
PEAK_MIN:_66.5
PEAK_MAX:_93.6
TOTAL_TIME:_00:33:56



ARTIST:_David_Bowie
TITLE:_Pin_Ups, made in USA DADC cat. no. PCD1-0291
NO___TIME______PEAK____NAME
01___2:21.55____96.0___Rosalyn
02___3:09.27___100.0___Here Comes The Night
03___2:48.28___100.0___I Wish You Would
04___4:13.17___100.0___See Emily Play
05___2:28.63___100.0___Everythings Alright
06___2:10.37____89.3___I Can't Explain
07___2:56.60____95.1___Friday On My Mind
08___2:53.50___100.0___Sorrow
09___2:06.28___100.0___Don't Bring Me Down
10___2:54.00____93.7___Shapes of Things
11___3:11.12___100.0___Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
12___2:43.35___100.0___Where Have All The Good Times Gone
PEAK_AVE:_97.8
PEAK_MIN:_89.3
PEAK_MAX:_100.0
TOTAL_TIME:_00:33:56


It would be interesting to see if there are more than two different masterings for this one!

-s1m0n-

 

Finally got both... and I think I like WG more than Japan-for-US... the later a bit muddy in comparison... pretty muddy, I think...

 

My Japan for (US? EU?) Aladdin is anything but muddy. Is there more than one version of the Japan pressing?

 

good grief, i didn't see this thread before I started my own with similar topic....

so far, i've been most surprised at how much better the WG Station is than the original US issue...

and also, the original US TMWSTW has pretty darn good sound quality....

 

Diamond Dogs waveforms

Apologies if this has been mentioned before:

http://www.levipeckham.com/weblog/2009/05/

waveforms for the various pressings: JP, WG, Ryko and Virgin remaster.

Was there also an EMI pressing around the time of the Ryko?

Btw, I'm guessing the guy who made that blog is a member here.

I'm also guessing there is an early Japan for Japan version with different mastering (as there is for Ziggy.)

 

I have the WG and think it sounds wonderful - it's very rich and full. I've never heard the Japan-for-US, though I gather it's considered to be superior. I'm completely satisfied with the WG, but I'm curious to know if anyone who's compared both can describe the differences?

 

Could someone make a table like this that we can fill out and view properly? I think u can get the idea. Boxes will have "grail", 'na', "bad", etc.....this would be an easy way to view our findings....


...............................................Issued (mfd)

....................................US (Jpn)____ Eur (WG)____ Eur (Jpn)___ Jpn (RPCD)____ Jpn (R32P)

Space Oddity
The Man Who Sold the World
Hunky Dory '71
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Aladdin Sane
Pin Ups '73
Diamond Dogs
Young Americans
Station to Station '76
Low
Heroes
Lodger
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) '80

Stage (live)

Comps

ChangeOneBowie
ChangesTwoBowie
Fame & Fashion
Golden Years

 

This is a good guess!

 

A/B (and C, D, E, etc.) comparisons of multiple dB albums:

Low -> http://bit.ly/cTNGah
Diamond Dogs -> http://bit.ly/a6ZTlS
Aladdin Sane -> http://bit.ly/ciXTQ2
Scary Monsters -> http://bit.ly/dBdwIo

I may do StS sometime soon - a lot of work!

 

Sorry for confusion; the European version is not pressed in WG - I kinda followed previous poster; it's Japan-for-Europe, of course.
So the US and EU RCAs are both pressed in Japan, but have different mastering.