David Bowie on CD: Ahhhggggg!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark f., Aug 7, 2006.

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  1. mark f.

    mark f. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Can someone point me to a thread (I'm sure it's there somewhere) that discusses the best versions of David Bowie CDs. I've never bothered to pursue Bowie on CD and now I'm TOTALLY confused. I'm not looking for expensive collectable versions, just some decent versions of the albums from Honky Dory to Scary Monsters.

    One other criteria is that I'd like to make sure I get some of the singles like John, I'm Only Dancing and other essentials that didn't make albums.

    Any hints would be well appreciated.
     
    CrazyCatz and Ted Garry like this.
  2. BIG ED

    BIG ED Forum Resident

    What are your price points?
     
  3. LaserKen

    LaserKen Senior Member

    Location:
    Avon, Indiana
    You'll find (at least I have from past posts) that the Rykos are probably the best bet overall. The original RCAs, while least futzed with, have dropouts and are hard to find/expensive. Some complain that Bowie's voice doesn't sound right on the Rykos, which include bonus tracks and can be had at a decent price if you're patient and prudent. The EMIs, most believe, are to be avoided.

    Again, that's one person's Cliff's Notes synopsis of previous threads. YMM definitely vary!
     
    pobbard likes this.
  4. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    I gave up looking.
     
  5. mark f.

    mark f. Senior Member Thread Starter

    I don't mind spending $20 - $25 on a decent version of CD if it's really worth it. However, if its anything like trying to get McCartney DCC releases then I'm not interested. Most everything is available for download and I'll settle for that if I have to wait for the next best reissues. I'd just prefer to have the plastic if there are fair versions out there.
     
  6. mark f.

    mark f. Senior Member Thread Starter

    Just to clarify, are you distinquishing between Virgin and EMI?
     
  7. LaserKen

    LaserKen Senior Member

    Location:
    Avon, Indiana
    My bad. I was referring to the Virgins. Sorry...
     
  8. mark f.

    mark f. Senior Member Thread Starter

    No problem. I just appreciate the information.I noticed a couple of reviews on Amazon that confirm what you are saying, especially on Ziggy Stardust.
     
  9. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest
    I'm going through my Bowie collection right now. The Rykos, while having the best bonus tracks...all sound a little thin to me. I have a few of the Virgins as well. They seem a little better tonally, but what minor improvements you get in the EQ, are more than negated by heavy use of Sonic Solutions No-noise. I'm telling ya, I really, really hate that thing. The best description I can give you is that it makes music sound, vaccum-sealed.... freeze-dried....microwaveable. It literally sounds like they sucked the air from between each piano key and each guitar string. It just doesn't sound natural. I wish I knew who to write to and complain...because it's just terrible that this is considered the current state of the art (sonically) by certain major labels...and I can't believe that an experienced mastering engineer would say that "this sounds right to me". Anyway...I'm still kicking myself for replacing all my RCA's years and years ago, but I think I've learned my lesson. :rant:
     
  10. 93curr

    93curr Senior Member

    You're never gonna get a definitive answer around here unless you give us some clues as to how you define "decent versions."

    Some here swear by the RCAs (the UK and the US are different, though) due to their lack of futzing during mastering, but the tapes they used were questionable, at best.

    Others prefer the Rykos because of the tapes used, but the mastering leaves a bit to be desired. That problem was fixed (for some titles, anyway) with the Au20 series, but those are hard to come by and pretty expensive, now.

    The current Virgin series is appreciated by very few.

    In a nutshell; the RCAs are good mastering of bad tapes, the (non-Au20) Rykos are poor mastering from good tapes and the Virgins are worse mastering from good tapes. If the source tape isn't something that particularly bothers you (it bothers me to no end, but many (possibly you?) don't have that hangup) then the RCAs are the way to go.

    It's unfortunate that Bowie is one of those artists who's classic period material is NOT being presented in its best form with the discs currently in-print.
     
  11. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    I like the RCA discs best. The Rykos are worth having for the bonus tracks, but I find them fatiguing.
     
  12. Just get the Rykos. You'll have the bonus tracks, and be done with it.
     
  13. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    The RCA's are the only way to go if you're into a natural-sounding, vinyl-esque, non-fatiguing listening experience :angel: I just wrapped up my hunt for HUNKY DORY to finish replacing all the RCA's I sold years ago when I suffered from remaster-upgrade fever. :sigh:

    On a barely related note, I've been listening to the hybrid REALITY in my car since yesterday. Gawda-mighty he's still got it! Bowie's as vital and creatively interesting as he was 30 years ago. Only Shakey and Zimmy can claim the same at this point in rock history, sad to say.
     
  14. factor

    factor Active Member

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    The moment when I decided to replace my Virgin Bowie discs was basically the moment where I stopped being interested in Bowie. The Virgins sound like bad MP3's due to all the processing, the Rykos have been tonally sanded to a razor edge and are very hard to listen to, and the RCA's (which I have never heard) are too hard and costly to seek out, especially considering the dropouts. There's simply no way to listen to Bowie on CD without it sounding like pure *****.

    Buy some Roxy Music and early Eno instead. Better music anyway.
     
    Uncle Meat likes this.
  15. Dave G.

    Dave G. Forum Resident

    Location:
    NJ
    Yesterday, I found an RCA Made In Japan "Heroes" for $7.99 & mint! This is the first RCA Bowie I have ever heard and I really enjoyed listening to it. Based on this, I will keep looking for other RCA Bowies...
     
  16. John Carsell

    John Carsell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northwest Illinois
    The SACD of Ziggy Stardust is my favorite digital version.

    The SACD layer only and NOT the CD layer.
     
  17. Another Side

    Another Side Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco
    Really? I have not heard the SACD, but the RCA CD is one of the best sounding CD's I've heard.
     
  18. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    As a casual fan, I like the Ryko discs. The Sound and Vision box set on Ryko can be bought on the cheap, but you'll need Space Odessey from another place because its a demo on there.
     
  19. John Carsell

    John Carsell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northwest Illinois
    I've heard both and like the SACD better.
     
  20. poweragemk

    poweragemk Old Member

    Location:
    CH
    This is one catalog where it would behoove you to spend a little bread and get the RCA CDs, or live with *cough* of them, at least. Only with the London Rolling Stones discs and possibly (arguably) the Kinks PRT discs are there equivalently important artists with as much peak period catalog sounding really nice. In other words, pony up.
     
  21. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident


    :righton: I totally agree, as long as you're talking about the stereo layer on the SACD. The multichannel mix is one of the thinnest sounding of its kind, unfortunately (sorry Ken).:shake:

    I also have the RCA CD, which has quite a bit of noise between tracks and doesn't come close to my MoFi LP of Ziggy that came out in the 80s.

    Robert
     
  22. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialistâ„¢

    Location:
    B.C.
    Another vote for the RCA's here. :wave: The Ryko and Virgin CD's are just too fatiguing at high volumes for me.
     
  23. JWB

    JWB New Member

    Here's a quick rundown on Bowie CD's:

    - RCA: nice warm sound, but not always taken from the best tapes
    - Ryko: not as warm and analog sounding but taken from better tapes, and with the extra tracks you're seeking
    - Virgin: lousy Abbey Road remastering job

    Many of the Rykos were released as standard CD's and Gold CD's (Au20). The Au20's are better than the standard Rykos, but they are also collectable and a bit more expensive.

    The RCA's are also preferred by many but they're also collectable and cost a bit more....and they don't have bonus tracks.

    So for you, I reccommend the gold Rykos and the standard Rykos for the rest.
     
  24. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    My take on the CDs of the 70s Bowie albums, having listened to them all - from best to worst:

    1. RCA
    2. Ryko Au20
    3. Ryko (EMI in Europe)
    4. EMI/Virgin ("24-bit") - if it's really "Honky Dory" you are after then this is the honkiest version out there ;)

    The one exception is that, as already noted, the SACD stereo layer of "...Ziggy..." beats the RCA.

    As for the complaints about dropouts on the RCA discs - they are pretty few and far between and not on most of the discs at all. "Lodger" has major problems on certain Japanese pressings but there are corrected Japanese pressings and the German pressing is fine.
     
    Tim Bucknall likes this.
  25. Andreas

    Andreas Senior Member

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    Station To Station also varies greatly between the German RCA and the Japanese RCA CD; in this case, the German one is preferrable.
     
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