DCC Archive Does the pressing from Japan make a difference ?

Silly but I am planning to order Bee Gees The Records. As an experiment I plan to order a Japanese CD to see if it is better. I am from Hong Kong. I know for sure the USA version is better than the version made locally. How about Japan ?

 

A lot of the Japan CDs have better sound. The biggest difference I have heard, so far, is the Japan "Cool Price" version of Grand Funk "Close To Home" vs the Capitol USA - the difference is HUGE. All of the Japan Grand Funk CDs, both the "Cool Price" versions and the "Pastmasters" versions, sound very good, even better than the Rhino anthology. BTW Sckott, thanks for your praise of the Japan Grand Funk S/T - had to get it after reading your post. What a fantastic sounding CD!

The Japan "Pastmasters" Beach Boys also sound better than the latest HDCD twofers, which are way too bright.

My copies of the Japan "mini-LP" CDs of The Who and Hendrix sound a tad smoother than the USA "jewel case" versions. Even my Japan "jewel case" version of the "Tommy" remaster is a cut above the USA remaster.

Not all of the Japan CDs sound better, but many of them do, and they NEVER sound worse!
It's puzzling, especially when some of them seem to be, and should be, identical to the USA versions. I haven't compared them to European versions, which also have a reputation of being better than USA CDs.

 

Where is a good place to order Japanese CDs? Griffco has some listed, but does not indicate the label.

 

Redtrumpet.com for the most part. Rick over there is very knowledgeable and carries anything that's even "lukewarm" that comes out of Japan, and his Jazz titles alone are what make repeat customers. He carries DCC and MFSLs, Japanese CDs, some rare. Good prices, and shipping is very expedient. He's actually one of the on-line music retailers that are actually kicking some ass out there.

If you're looking for something that you can't find misted, email attn: Rick and he'll tell you straight-out if something's available. He works with many buyers, so chances are, it's either OOP or he CAN get it.

Kenny, in Hong Kong, your basic CD stock should be coming out of the UK, Germany and Japan as well. Is there any CD plants in Hong Kong that licence "western" music? (Western meaning, USA and UK music from their perspective labels)

[ November 18, 2001: Message edited by: Sckott ]

 

Gary,

The Grand Funk CDs, as well as as the Beach Boys, are made by Toshiba-EMI.

I think the reason that they sound better/different is that they preceded the USA CDs by a number of years. Apparently, when Capitol got around to releasing the Grand Funk catalog for the USA, they decided to remaster them, with inferior results. They should have just cloned the Japan CDs - why they didn't, who knows.

Some Japan releases do sound identical to the USA ones, and some don't - for example, the "Tommy" CD I mentioned in my previous post. I wish that there was an easier way to tell, other than to buy them! I also search the fan web sites - that is where I found a lot of valuable Who info, posted by "White Fang".

I try to buy Japan CDs for '70s rock - the USA versions are often subjected to noise reduction and/or an unpleasant treble boost. Ebay is a good place to look. If the Japan CD has no bonus "Japan only" tracks (in other words, if it has little collector value), the prices are very reasonable for the used copies - often under $10. The word is out on the Grand Funk CDs, though, they usually go for a little more.

 

King of the imports is Redtrumpet.com
They have really good customer service, and if you sign up for their weekly email you can get preorder discounts. I get lots of Japanese jazz cds from them, and they always come through at decent prices. www.redtrumpet.com
You want to be sure to get their latest catalog. And if you use CAAT9 you can get free shipping with your first order.

 

The Grand Funk Railroad issues will be redone very soon from Capitol. Read some info here on their website.

I'll "believe it when I hear it".

But no, with the exceptions of the US "Survivial" and "E. Pluburus Funk (sp) The Masters edition" and the German/Holland EMI "Live Album", only get the JPN Cds.

Whoever did "On Time" for Capitol for the US issue must have been medicated and partially deaf.

If Capitol does as good a' mastering for the Red Album that Toshiba did in Japan, we're in for a mind-blower. David Tedds is doing the remastering, just as the 2CD set did, from my recolection.

To my ears, On Time, Grand Funk and We're An American Band sound like the "Master tape" sound, from the PastMasters JPN CDs. They may be the rare earful we may not hear from the new remasters.

[ November 18, 2001: Message edited by: Sckott ]

 

You got that right, Sckott.

Pardon me for being disgusted with the news of the latest Grand Funk remasters. The implication is that "now that we have 24-bit technology, we can do the job right - and sorry about that early POS version of 'Closer To Home', but we did the best we could at the time." It's an insult. That JPN version of the red album isn't HDCD, SACD, super bit, or 24 bit, and it smokes!

Our local paper had an article about the new CCR box, and the reviewer concluded that it is the best sounding CCR yet, because "technology never sleeps". Unfortunately, that is the prevalent attitude.

I'll stick with my low tech 16 bit DCC versions of CCR, thanks.

 

Technology never sleeps, it naps. Ask a NOS tube.

To add insult to injury, the Grand Funk Railroad catalog was NOT done justice in Canada either. "Pipeline" CEMA's were gag-me sounding.

The JPN version of "Closer To Home" is very, very good...still better than any US issue so far. The 1st issue was better in the US than the last one, and that's enough to make me say what I already said about "Believe it when I see it". Yes.....Phoenix, Choser to Home, On time, All The Girls Beware, E. Pluburus... all shine on the JPN Capitols. Closer, Red Album and WAAB all highly sock blowing. The rest have problems, but not very bad or untrue to the Lps.

I'm afraid I have very high confidence that there's enough hiss evident on the mixdown masters to "E. Pluburus" and "Closer To Home", and I hope it's not going to make someone turn up the "suck" knob at mastering.

You all know what I mean.

Re: 24Bit mastering, you need to be very careful. You can't take Ketchup, add water, blow in the bottle and call it Sherry.


[ November 19, 2001: Message edited by: Sckott ]