I haven't heard an original orange RCA UK of Hunky Dory with a 1983 RCA International, so I don’t really know. Like you, many say that the green label RCA Internationals are a good, cheaper alternative. But I do know that for Heroes the 1981 RCA International is good, but is easily beaten by the an original pressing (3E/5E) “Heroes” David Bowie LP (vinyl) shoot-out!
Well, I've just heard a 1981 green label Aladdin Sane (BILBO) and you're absolutely right: seriously impressive. I'm going to have to track down a green label Hunky Dory (BILBO) now.....
I confirm. Alladin Sane Remastered by Denis Blackam (Bilbo in Deadwax) sounds very powerful and scintillating! A great laundry. I own the original UK which sounds different. I like both. Avoid Italian pressing cut by Piero Mannuci. Dark with a bass too heavy. Curious because his remastering of Hunky Dory is superb. IMHO.
I did but it’s not in great condition and I picked up the EMI 100 at about the same time, and that is superb.
IMHO the EMI100 is the one to have, the problem is that these are rare and often very expensive these days. I also have a green RCA label pressing and I like that one too, it sounds good but the EMI100 sounds better.
Wow, that much now? A couple years ago I found a sealed copy I forgot I had, that I bought when it was released in the late 90's. I debated selling it, but when Bowie died I said screw it, and opened it up and played it. No regrets, it does sound incredible.
Not sure if I posted in this thread but I have an extremely early US orange label Dynaflex RCA. Richmond pressing with A1B/A1A stampers. Sound to die for. The guitars on Queen Bitch = "tubey goodness"
The two green label ones that I have do not match the presence nor realness of a orange label. The ping and air of the snare resonance (you can hear the wood of the sticks) and chime of the piano, the realness/woodiness/ringing of the guitar and the nuances/layers of character in Bowies voice is simply uncovered in the original orange label. Everything in the instrumentation is simply duller and less lifelike in the green label international copies. Do the greenies suck? No. They sound nice and also are for those who cannot tolerate the noisier original UK pressings or the brighter sound of the original cd (I didnt say horribly bright mind you). But the green labels are not "every bit as good" no matter how much I wish it were true. There is a reason folks covet those 3T/3T's. The best ones cant be beat imo.
Were all the RCA International green label pressings cut by Bilbo even if his signature isn't found in the deadwax? It seems every green label INTS 5064 listing on Discogs states "Mastered by" or lacquer cut by" Bilbo no matter the matrices variant or obvious etchings present.
Can someone post a pic of the label from an "80's Best Buy" US pressing please. Or describe it. I just trawled through every US pressing on discogs and found no listings with Best buy stickers or any mention. The only US pressing listed within that decade was a 1980 version - had a black label with RCA logo and Nipper the dog listening to his gramaphone. Is that the "Best Buy"?
Thanks Blackie! You're a champion. Nice to see the "Best Buy" logo is just a sticker, and not actually printed on the cover. These seem to be the cheapest HD pressings on discogs at around $20 for NM. What's your opinion of the sonics?
be aware that by this time tape damage is apparent on Changes. in addition the US master sounds rolled off compared to the UK, so it depends how lively you like your sound. for a low cost alternative to a UK you could do a lot worse than find a Canadian Best Buy edition (same cat no as the US - AYL1-3844 - BB logo unfortunately printed on the cover). it's a very lively cut and without the tape damage.
Agree. After a few months, I can’t quite get to love the EMI100. Too clinical, too clean, almost digital (IMO). The original U.K. orange has the warmth and space I expect from Hunky Dory. The 1981 Bilbo is good but not as good (as is usually the case with the RCA Internationals, with the exception of Aladdin Sane).
I recently found an original UK orange RCA 5E/3E in excellent shape. I believe it's an early 1972 pressing and I'm listening to it right now. It sounds very transparent and airy to these ears, it's really a great pressing and the vinyl itself is nearly flawless- really amazing since it's a 46 year old record. But still...my favourite is the EMI100 which I don't find clinical or digital at all- it only sounds fuller IMHO. Maybe this is system dependent? I also have a green RCA International pressing in NM shape and I think it sounds great as well but maybe not as good as the other two. What about the most recent reissues- do they sound any good?
Interesting. I have that same 5E/3E pressing and I much prefer it to the EMI100. You can almost warm your hands on the amber glow during Changes! In fact it was Changes that I had the main problem with regarding the EMI100. When I heard the song on ChangesOneBowie (original pressing), I thought “THAT’S what it should sound like”, (which then lead me to the 5E/3E). But hey, we’re extremely lucky people to have the choice! The recent reissue did nothing for me at all, I’m afraid.
Yes we're extremely lucky- it's a real privilege to have three different and good sounding pressings of this fantastic album. The 5E/3E sounds great but to these ears the EMI100 sounds a tad better- as I mentioned above it may be system dependent in this case. I usually prefer original pressings but the EMI100 is really amazing and can't be disregarded.