David Bowie: Five Years 1969-1973 - 2015, 13 Vinyl Box Set

Tell us everything about the vinyl box set, especially the sound quality.

and how the vinyl compares to previous pressings like UK originals, emi 100th

Are all copies pressed at Optimal globally or ??

 

Can't wait for reviews!

 

Over here

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...69-1973-2015-12cd-or-13-vinyl-box-set.444060/

 

Frankly I don't want to read past all the endless dribble of how the cd's sounds.

Hence this vinyl only thread

 

I have been through half the set and, so far, so good. Very clean pressings and excellent SQ. No complaints. And yes, Ziggy seems to be the same remaster as the 2012 40th Anniversary edition.

 

Thank you!

 

Anybody have pics of this???

 

That is good to know re the two Ziggy's being the same.

 

Just to be clear, my assessment is based only on my unscientific comparison of the two pressings. I have seen no official confirmation that the mix is in fact the same, but I can't detect any obvious sonic differences.

 

The main discussion thread confirmed the 40th anniversary and the new box set Ziggy Stardust
have the same matrix codes in the dead wax, so the mother appears to have been
used again for these new pressings.

 

That's cool. This is the most reliable method, using our ears.

If they were different, it would be pretty easy to tell. The 40th anni is in a different ball park to the early nineties crappy digital I have.

I am sure I read on the other thread that they were different, but hard to tell from reading if that was the cd or vinyl.

I am sure a few more will give their thoughts and that will give a consensus.

 

Yeah, I was part of that discussion. The codes have been confirmed similar, though not identical.

 

Just listened to Recall disc 2 and everything sounds sweet there. The 40th Ann. Ziggy and this 2015 do indeed have the same exact matrix etchings except for the addition of two light characters etched on either side -the person who inscribed it uses a fairly cryptic mark where it looks like either one way with a backward character or upside down to the existing etched matrix characters. I compared enough of it to feel confident that it is the same etchings , oh heck here is my post from the other thread:
2015 Ziggy vinyl deadwax all hand etched:
side1: (0) 2077348719 BC71696 - 01 A1 DBZSLP40 then there is either a capital T+1 or an upside down v+T( The way this person does their numeral ones looks like an italic 2 line triangle -7 look the same only with a line thru it).

side2: (0) 2077348719 BC71696 - 01 B3 DBZSLP40 then there is a T with a backwards G or an upside down lower case e with an upside down cap. T -so e _l_ or T backwards G.

deadwax info ripe for Klingon interpretation...

the 40th looks to be etched by the same person -the B3 on side 2 of both look identical and yet that disc has no T+1 or T w/ backwards G or any other markings other than what is above up to the A1 / B3.

 

I still haven't heard any feedback on the Santa Monica and Ziggy motion picture records! Do these use a less compressed source than the CD's?

 

Now I'm listening to side one of Recall which is great so far (mono Space Odyssey) but mainly because I have to..I found a scratchy patch over trk 3! aarrgghh. It's a feeler too! It doesn't look so bad but I can feel it...we'll see.. OK not a peep, whew..

 

found a copy at Waterloo here in Austin. 219+tax. Not too shabby.

 

I haven't followed these Bowie box set threads too closely but has anyone compared these reissues with original UK orange RCA pressings? I have UK for most of all them except for Aladdin Sane and TMWSTW. I still might spring for this anyway as I don't have the Santa Monica album or the Ziggy soundtrack.

 

FWIW:
The only UK orange I have had was Hunky Dory but it was a dud pressing that was very noisy. TMWSTW sounds amazing in this set, Santa Monica sounds great as well (so far I'm at the end of disc one), this one has the only skimp in the packaging so far which is that there is no poster in the Santa Monica set. I listened to Hunky, Aladdin and Ziggy 2003 mix yesterday and really liked them all a lot, Ziggy Stardust I listened to today and it sounded amazingly good.

 

Could you send a pic? Germans write their 1s differently than we Americans. The top part often comes down (diagonally right to left) and almost reaches the bottom. Sounds like that's what you're describing but not sure. And given that these were pressed at Optimal in Germany ...

 

Yes, exactly as I thought those are definitely ones. Maybe the upside down capital T is a vertical line over an underscore -the vertical line on either seems to not connect with the flat line -so side one has that symbol + 1 (with the plus etched between).
and side 2 has something like e plus whatever that symbol is (the upside down capital T as described above) with no plus sign.

I call it a symbol because the horizontal bottom can't make it a lazy cap. L as it shoots more to the left -if it's a T then it's upside down.
Getting dark here and I gotta go walk some dogs now but if not an attempt tonight then at least in the morning with good light I will shoot a pic or draw it at least (they are pretty faint) then scan and post.

 

The more I read the more it seems that they have done a good job with the vinyl mastering.

What is the packaging and the book like?

 

This article claims that the label has confirmed that all vinyl is remastered (for this box or otherwise) from analogue, except for a couple of tracks on the Re-Call disc for which an analogue source was unavailable.

 

The book is great. Rare photos and lots of notes about the recording process. The jackets are solid, but nothing like the heavy duty die cut and laminated jackets that Music Matters puts out, for example. Still, no complaints. Space Oddity, Santa Monica, Ziggy Stardust MP Soundtrack and Aladdin Sane are gatefold.

 

Very impressed by the set so far. Ziggy sounds the same as 40th as others have said. My only first run is a US Copy of AS that was recently cleaned and really got opened up. I'd say this copy is better just by the virtue of it being unplayed, but it also is a little less hot and sibilant.

Really all the Bowie pressings of late have been pretty wonderful. The copy of Station to Station from its anniversary box is likely the single best sounding album I have. Its a pity that it wasn't released in a more available run and hopefully will be revisited. I just hope the next box extends all the way through Scary Monsters. Hell, throw in Let's Dance (its a great pop album, what can I say). And put all the other 80s-early 90s stuff in the "I'm so sorry" box.