David Bowie RCA International pressings questions

So I was hoping to get some concise recommendations on which of these later Bowie pressings to collect. There is a lot of conflicting information on the forums about which is the best RCA International pressing to own. A album by album breakdown would be nice but will take any info you guys have. I have heard to collect the 1984 black pressings from West Germany. I have heard the green pressings with TAPE in the dead wax sound best. I have heard the green labels can be spotty. Please send me your expertise and no just get the U.K. Orange original pressings recommendations. I know they sound the best but I am looking for NM/NM copies of every album and my pockets aren't deep enough for NM Orange's.

 

The RCA era budget reissues on the International (UK & Europe) and Best Buy (North America & Australia) labels/designations are generally pressed to a high quality, but are almost all compromised in the packaging - commissions of content from the original packaging ( loss of lyric sheets, gatefolds). The UK/European are all remastered and sound different from original issues. My take is that they sound smoother with less dynamics. The US series use stampers made from the original lacquers and are more consistent sound wise with their first issue US counterparts. For albums post Diamond Dogs ( and for the RCA editions of Space Oddity & The Man Who Sold the World) this also means first cut from the master tape.

I find it difficult to recommend a compromised budget reissue, unless it's only the sound you're after. If it's just the sound - I'd find editions that haven't been remastered in the best possible condition or sealed. If it's the only copy you own of each, then likely you will be happy with what you have as you don't have anything else to compare to.

The current Parlophone series is cheap, well packaged and with the exception of the 1969 'David Bowie', Hunky Dory and Diamond Dogs albums, contain all the sound as first presented. These three have some very minor, but noticeable to those familiar with the music, edits. The series sounds different than the original editions, but then so do the RCA Internationals. At least with the Parlophones there will be no issues with the quality of the pressing and/or wear.

Another possibility is to slowly buy the editions you really wish to - and/or perhaps the US editions as they are undervalued due to the persistent (mostly) incorrect belief that the UK RCA era albums are the original issues.

 

I have OG American editions of quite a few and they sound fine but are all more in the VG+ range. I want analogue pressings and I imagine the new Parlophone pressings are not. The packaging is less important to me since I have originals of a lot of the Bowie albums. I also have a 6e/3e Ziggy. I guess what I'm asking are the RCA International pressings good ways to collect NM analogue versions of all the albums or not?

 

in principle, yes, although based on the few i have NM may not be as easy to find as you'd think. they also seem to originate from different plants so i don't think it's safe to assume they'll sound the same. one final point is that some records bearing RCA International on the sleeve do not contain RCA International labels and pressings, but are simply old stock.

 

I've found RCA Internationals an acceptable compromise but one thing to be wary of, in my experience, is off-centre pressings. I may have been especially unlucky but have found about half mine to be off centre.

 

So I was hoping to get some concise recommendations on which of these later Bowie pressings to collect. There is a lot of conflicting information on the forums about which is the best RCA International pressing to own. A album by album breakdown would be nice but will take any info you guys have. I have heard to collect the 1984 black pressings from West Germany. I have heard the green pressings with TAPE in the dead wax sound best. I have heard the green labels can bespotty. Please send me your expertise and no just get the U.K. Orange original pressings recommendations. I know theysound the best but I am looking for NM/NM copies of every album and my pockets aren't deep enough for NM Orange's.

I would say the RCA Internationals are really good, I have a Diamond Dogs and Pin Ups on the green labels and they are really good , what's bespotty ? And someone on this thread mentions off centre ,to be honest I haven't heard this at all.
This label and the must criticised Dynaflex are equal to 1st edition orange RCAs

 

I have this Dutch RCA International press of Hunky Dory and it sounds fantastic to me: David Bowie - Hunky Dory

 

I've just bought mint copies of Heroes (£18) and Lodger (£12). The packaging is of course compromised but these sound really superb. West German pressings it would seem. Hard to believe orange RCA ones would be better.

 

Update,
TMWSTW Not as good as Orange
Hunky Dory ,Ditto
Ziggy , Ditto
Aladdin ,Ditto
Pin Ups Excellent
D Dogs , could be better ?
Low Excellent
Heroes , Excellent.
Lodger , always sounded bad ( until remix) .
These are all my opinions of the Green International pressings,

 

I'm scouring the Bowie Vinyl threads looking for info at the moment, thought I'd give back a little...

I have this green label Aladdin Sane with "TAPE ONE " and "BILBO" in the dead wax. I'm spinning it now and it's pretty impressive. Quiet, flat vinyl. TIGHT, PUNCHY and DYNAMIC sound. I'm diggin it!

 

Just going to play (today or if not tomorrow) An aladdin Sane ( green label ) , now playing the green label Diamond Dogs , it sounds fab!

 

Just got an Aladdin Sane a few weeks ago that was absolutely superb , the green labels to reiterate are TMWSTW , got (but scratched) , Hunky Dory , got ex , Ziggy still missing , Aladdin ex, Pin ups got , ex Diamond Dogs, got ex, , Low ex got,Heroes got ex, Lodger , got ex. The others are on the Black label which I believe are not pressed as well , Space Oddity, Young Americans, Station to Station ,
I believe Scary Monster wasn’t reissued on the International labels , nor David Live or Stage .
This is a follow up to my February 2018 review now that I have had more time to look/listen to albums again.

 

Bloody hell. I need to recheck everything I have...

 

Worth saying that the Green labels of the Idiot and Lust for Life are also mighty fine.

 

I have the orange label Japan pressing of Lodger which sounds amazing. It’s the one Bowie album I’ve played for decades and still find something new From time to time. Remixing it made no sense to me and I’m sure it was down to Eno pushing him to the side a bit originality. It was all exactly where it was meant to be and not how it was meant to be.

 

I have this , I will have to compare the two,
Thanks

 

Another update !
TMWSTW, Not as good
Hunky Ditto
Ziggy Ditto ( just got a better pressing ) 5 years doesn’t quite sound as good
Aladdin , 2nd opinion, Brilliant , just as good !
Pin Ups ditto
D Dogs , again there’s something different to original, is it better , compare !
Low , yep still ex
Heroes , ( 2nd opinion)not sure its quite as good
Lodger ,I will listen again ,
The real gems are Aladdin and Dogs , Low is up there too !