Cassette tapes revived in Japan

...and in 10 years, when the CD revival is happening much the same things will be said.

 

Yup, as I said in another cassette thread a while back, I'm all for the inevitable CD-R revival. During recent years I've been forced to get a cassette player just to digitize all the new cassette-only releases I've bought and it's such a drag...

 

Why do you say this? Minidisc didn't catch on, while cassette was crushing vinyl for years and years even before CD came out.

 

Look at the poor, unloved things!

 

Mine are all the late 80s/early 90s releases, including most of the Capitol compilations. I haven't listened to them in at least 15 years.

 

If only they were LP's - especially the Redd Cross!

 

If only!

 

Had no idea cassettes had any popularity in Japan, always heard they were much more into CD's. Personally I think cassettes are OK. Remember them fondly from early childhood. Own only 2 at the moment (one with Rush and another with Jackson Browne). Heard that Neil Young's new album came out on cassette too... Don't know if a fully fledged revival is on its way... But anyway, the more the merrier... Though I second the opinion on minidisc. I've never seen one or heard one, completely passed me by when I was a kid. Would love to see what that's all about.

 

Awesome, I used to have that Steve Stevens

 

It's essentially Mp3 digital audio on a tiny CD that's housed in a square plastic shell (or cassette). Like CD it runs at 74-80 minutes. Like DAT, there's a Long Play mode which allows double recording time in lower quality.

 

I finally got to see the video and it was very interesting! Thanks very much!

I have been in HMV in Shinjuku and bought some CDs there.

I get the cassette thing if you already have a Dragon, or nice Yamaha, Technics, Aiwa, Akai, Kenwood, etc. deck to record them on, but I don't get why people would want to get into after the fact. I have some really great cassettes and old decks, but starting from scratch requires getting a working deck with good belts and capstan rubber, and finding ever elusive old stock of new blanks.

Prerecorded cassettes, especially the ones made in the US until the mid 80s were just plain bad, when they were new. Tape stock, high speed duping, and really mediocre shells were the problem. No idea what the quality is in Europe, and would expect the Japan prerecorded tapes to be at least good, given the tape industry was primarily centered there.

Cassette to me = recording them on good tape (TDK, Maxell, Denon/3M Scotch, etc.) from LP or CD for portable/car use. Prerecorded, I bought less than 20 and gave up.

 

Amazingly enough, some artists are releasing cassette versions of their current albums. On Bon Ivers' website you can buy a cassette of his new album '22 A Million' for $10. I'm considering getting it, since the vinyl is crap; but who knows what the sound quality of a modern cassette could be.

 

Are they charging a lot for cassettes? Surely they daren't command the same inflated prices that they want for new vinyl.

 

Jazz and A Night At The Opera will never be unloved on any format for as long as I'm alive!

 

They were the once convenient, but never of any audio quality that one would wish their persistence in the marketplace.

 

I remember that crappy tan banner EMI stuck on their cassettes in the 70s... As if the artwork wasn't diminished enough!

 

I was buying Queen on tape well into the 80s and that banner was still there! Compared to the embossed gatefold sleeve with lyrics and picture inner on the ANATO vinyl it's a pitiful effort! But I still played that tape hundreds of times and only got it on vinyl years later. They changed the running order on the tapes too, so that the side lengths were near the same. Crap format, but not without charm.

 

Yes, Queen generally put out great looking LPs. Cassettes could never compete.

But let's not forget they started putting them in clear cases in the 80s. So it wasn't all bad.

 

I had The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle on cassette with the wrong running order for years before I got it on vinyl and realised how sublime side 2 was!

 

Power Station!

 

Not really.

Vinyl supports arguments about sound quality and artistic presentation.
CDs support arguments about convenience and possible excellent sound at a very low price.

Cassettes supports arguments about...nothing, unless you're buying them for 10 cents each. Then there's price.

 

The novelty of those went when the print started to come off them! I like the 70s paper label cassettes.

 

No, I meant they started using fully clear cases. Minus the black plastic base they used in the 70s. The paper/card insert was the same in the clear-cased ones.

 

I like Purple Rain in cassette more than any other format. The Queen cassette probably sounds good too, EMI did great 8 tracks, I'm sure the cassettes are well-made too.

 

Aah yes, that was an improvement.