Japanese Mini-LP CD's

I'm trying to get my head around a few things today. My first querey is to do with the recent deluge of Mini-LP CD's from Japan. Basically, are they (generally) any good? I know they're Japanese so the quality of the disc will be top notch, but what about the recordings?

I've seen many of them on eBay ranging from cheap to expensive (isn't everything?) so I'm just wondering if they're woth plonking down for

 

They can be fun to collect and kind of addictive...although pricey...and some are really well done. Exact replicas of the original vinyl covers, including all the goodies like posters, postcards, stickers, etc. All in miniature...

As for the sound...definitely do your homework before parting with your hard-earned cash. Some sound great...some sound horrible. Don't assume anything just because they're coming out of Japan. Buyer beware.

 

There are also a huge quantities of counterfeits emanating predominantly from Eastern Europe which offer both inferior packaging and inferior sound quality. Best only to buy from recognised sellers - if you use eBay, be especially cautious of anything from Russia or nearby (Finland, Latvia, etc). Not unlike regular CDs, many issues from the 1990s are considered to be the definitive editions.

 

If you buy them off ebay, definitely be careful. Be sure to watch out for sellers who list their location as USA, USA. Some of those people are really in other countries. If the price is too good to be true (especially with a buy it now option), it's probably fake.

I've got some Led Zeppelin and David Bowie mini LPs. Aside from mastering quality, they are really well-made and fun. Very neat to look at.

 

A great resource for information on these is http://www.minilps.net/. Although there may not be as much information as Forum members would like on the mastering and sound, they typically have much more detailed pictures on the packaging elements than you can typically find elsewhere.

 

And the inner sleeves too. I thought it very "cute" when I opened my first and found the CD in a liner bag just like the LP.

I bought a supposed mini LP recently from a UK (amazon) seller that came in a jewel case!

Thanks for the link!

 

That's probably the best site anywhere on the internet for mini LP information. Use it wisely.

 

what are some of your favourites.. ? they all look so cute!
i just got the two Three Degrees ones. and the Carpenters one are nice too.

 

I have a set of Duran Duran and The Smiths, and the packaging is great - but there are definitely better mastering jobs out there.

I have a few Kiss discs, which replicate all of the posters and inserts (miniature Love Gun, Double Platinum award, etc).

Some discs take an already existing master and boost it a little bit - so I've come to a conclusion that I'll only grab the ones that look nice.

 

One of my favorites is the release of Goblin's SUSPIRIA that Arcangelo put out. While the sound is certainly not bad, it's not my absolute favorite mastering. However, the packaging is killer. It replicates the original LP release exactly. The inner sleeve is removed from the outer sleeve from the top. When you open the inner sleeve like a gatefold, you are greeted with a D and an A (for Dario Argento) that pops up like a pop-up book. Even the paper stock feels similar to the LP version - some care was really put into this one.

 

I have all of the Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull offerings from EMI/Toshiba. I think they are pretty darn cool.

Cheers

 

I have David Bowie's Scary Monsters...Super Creeps. It's a pretty cool little package, fortunately got it used for 10 smackers. Though not Japanese, I have the Heart Dreamboat Annie mini-lp. It sounds pretty good to my ears. I do wish I had the DCC though.

 

Interesting that you say this - Duran Duran's Rio was in a textured sleeve and I couldn't figure out why that one was textured and the others weren't... then I found a copy of the UK vinyl. Yep, textured. Even the inner sleeves were heavy stock with rounded corners like the UK vinyl pressings.

 

I've got the Dan Fogelberg mini's. Very nice and I think they sound pretty good too. The covers replicate the albums - Souvenir's has a high gloss; Netherlands has the matte finish; Phoenix even has the cardboard type finish with the raised/recessed graphics.

I've also got Eltons Madman album complete with lyric book and textured cover. Awesome.

 

The original Genesis mini LP CDs were the same 'Definitive Edition' remasters as the U.S. and E.U. versions. So, no difference there. The second run of them were also the 'DE's. Obviously, the newest batch are the newly remixed and remastered versions done by Nick Davis. So, in the case of the Genesis ones, you aren't getting special remasters for going with the Japanese mini LPs. You're really just buying them for the packaging.

Dave

 

my favorite is still my first: Gentle Giant - Octopus.....I just got the Octopus Box of E-Bay from Japan which has the 1st 4 minis inside.....upon looking at my original 2000 Octopus mini-LP, the printing is ever so slightly different than this one...the obi is still the same saying 2000...I was told by the seller that Universal Japan did an "encore pressing" of Octopus and s/t exclusively for Disk Union for inclusion in the 2006 release of the Octopus Box...has anyone here heard of an "encore pressing" ?

 

the newer Spooky Two-Spooky Tooth Mini LP CD is fabulous!

 

Collection Mini-Lps...

I collected these quite a bit the past few years, before coming here and reading VERY mixed reviews on the sound quality of the many different ones...
(Had I know of this place then, I might have invested that couple of grand in some slightly different sounding Cd selections... )

Mostly collected: Complete Led Zep, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull sets, but LOTS of Fairport Convention, off shoots of them, and some prog and folk-rock stuff, Bowie, etc...

Here's some pictures of some (not all) of the stuff...

Great packaging always, and some sound really sweet, some not so much...

They tend to be fairly collectible and hold their value, except in tough times like these...

 

Yes, they usually do some each year around Christmas.

 

One of the better ones in terms of packaging is Bruce Springsteen - Live 75-85
The amount of detail including the outside sticker is amazing.

 

that's a BIG relief !!!! I thought it may be a Russian boot, but he (E-Bay seller sushi-sashimi, the one who uses that red and white tablecoth) said it came out in X-Mas 2006 for inclusion in the Box...the differences are hardly noticable, like a little more detail on mine in the Octopus' legs and slight difference in the red shading of the skin....he said that's because Universal Japan changed their printing co. since 2000...I'm keeping my original, I'm assuming the re-press is less valuble, no? And when I sell it I should state re-press on there.....

 

I just picked up a used copy of Bad Company's Straight Shooter in mini LP packaging. I figure if Steve masters this one I'll burn a backup copy and house it in the mini jacket.

I did something similar with my Led Zep II and Aqualung mini sets except I used burned copies of my Mofi vinyl. So I got great packaging and nice recordings with full dynamic range intact.

 

Mix and Match...

INteresting adaptation... so what did you do with your DCC Aqualung case and the Japanese min-lp cd inside it? And what Led Zep II did you sub?

Oh nevermind, just saw the word vinyl...

Nice one...

 

I have Blondie's Autoamerican on one of those mini-LP CDs. Great packaging replicating the LP perfectly including the inner sleeve - song tracking, credits and all. And they replicated the Chrysalis label look too, including the orginal album catalog number under the Toshiba/EMI catalog number. It has an extra insert with Japanese and English writing on it that includes the lyrics, which is a first for this album.

Although, the insert says that the rap part of Rapture starts off with "Firefly Freddy". I thought it was "Fab 5 Freddy". There are other places where it seems that someone just tried to make out the lyrics just by listening.

The music itself on the CD is basically the last remastering job from 2001 by Capitol and includes the same bonus tracks - the credits on the extra insert even says that it's a 2001 compilation.

 

man, that's a load of coin spent...