Building my Iron Maiden's vinyl collection

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by DoF, Aug 27, 2017.

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  1. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
  2. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Discography
    Iron Maiden discography - Wikipedia

    here's three I didn't see on your list

    Iron Maiden - LIVE + One EP - released in Japan

    [​IMG]

    Iron Maiden - Maiden Japan - get the CDN version, has an extra track

    [​IMG]


    Iron Maiden - Aces High - UK 12"

    [​IMG]

    get as many of the 12" - 45 rpm UK singles as you can.
     
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  3. GyroSE

    GyroSE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    As an owner of multiple pressings of the Maiden studio album's from the 80's I'll give you my point of view album by album from their golden era.

    Iron Maiden

    My favourite Íron Maiden album- I've eight different pressings of their debut. My personal favourite is the Japanese original pressing but I love the original UK pressing as well, they're similar soundwise but JPN wins because of the super quiet vinyl and the 'extra everything' package. The original Canadian Harvest and the original Dutch pressings are worth mentioning as these two also sound very good. If you want this album to be more audiophile than the all analogue EMI100 reissue from 1997 is the one to get but it lacks a little of that drive and punch that the original pressings have. I would describe it as a little restrained and maybe more 'correct' from an audiophile point of view but it still sounds very, very good. I rank the original JPN as my first choice, the UK original pressing as the runner up and the EMI100 comes in third place. The Canadian and Dutch pressings are both very close and they're not far behind the top trio soundwise.

    Killers

    I've four different pressings of this album and the original 1 st JPN pressing is clearly the winner, I've also heard the the 2nd JPN pressing and there is actually no difference between them soundwise. In second place we've the original UK pressing. I don't like the Dutch and Swedish pressings as they sound muffled and muddy.

    The Number of the Beast

    Probably their most famous album as this made them really big. To be honest this is not their best sounding album, it's a step back soundwise compared to the two predecessors IMHO. My favourites are the original JPN and UK pressings but I also like the EMI100 though it's digitally remastered- the EMI100 sounds better than the 2014 reissue IMHO.

    Piece of Mind

    My three absolute favourites are the original JPN, UK and CAN Harvest pressings- the first two sound very similar but the JPN has that typical deadquiet Japanese vinyl compound. The Canadian Harvest pressing has a sound character I also like, it's a bit different from the other two as it has a bit more punch and drive soundwise.

    Powerslave

    The original JPN pressing is the winner to these but there other pressings that sound good as well. IMHO Powerslave is the most great sounding of their 80's albums so any original pressing probably sound very good.

    Somewhere in Time

    I repeat myself as I think the original JPN pressing sounds the best. This album is also very good sounding no matter what pressing we're talking about so there are other pressings that also sound almost as good as the Japanese pressing, IMHO you can't go wrong with this album soundwise if you find any original pressing in good shape.

    Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

    In this case the JPN original 1st pressing isn't my favourite as it sounds a bit thin and anemic to these ears. I don't know why as all the other Japanese pressings of their 80's albums sound fantastic, maybe the reason was that CD was the stronger format in Japan in 1988 and that the sound engineers prioritised this. My go to version is the original 1st UK pressing. I haven't heard any of the DMM pressings from the 80's but I imagine that these sound good as well.

    Worth mentioning is that I haven't noticed any differences between the Japanese first and second pressings soundwise- no matter what version you go for you'll be very happy. I'm not one of those who loves the 2014 reissues, they lack the life, drive and punch that the original pressings have. IMHO they could have been done much better.

    I also have a bunch of the original 12" singles as well and they all sound fantastic.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2017
  4. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Thank you very much for your instructive reply. If I'm not mistaken there's some good pressings on my list. Please have a look and confirm if possible. Had problems to match runouts of copies I have with those on discogs.

    Killers

    It seems I have a first UK pressing, this Iron Maiden - Killers , but not sure:

    Runouts:

    Side A: EMC 3357 A-3
    Side B: EMC 3357 B-2

    This was the very first album I ever bought (in late 80's as a kid). I love it!

    Piece of Mind

    This time my best guess I have a reissue of the original UK pressing, again, need some confirmation.

    Runouts are different than those at discogs:

    Side A: EMA 800 A - 1U - 1 - 3 -
    Side B: EMA 800 B - 1U - 1 - 4 - 1 ᵿtopia (etched)

    Somewhere in Time

    The one I have seems to be one of variations of the first UK original, no?

    Runouts:

    Side A: EMC - 3512 - A - DMM 4 - A - 1 - 4 - x1 It Were So Loud Sterling Sound D
    Side B: EMC - 3512 - B - DMM 4 - 1 - 1 - Even Quiet Bits Were Loud Sterling

    Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

    Do I have this first UK pressing Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son ?

    Runouts:

    Side A: EMD-1006-A-3U-1- "VERY DIRECT METAL" Sterling D
    Side B: EMD-1006-B-3U-1-1- "IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT BOLLOCKS" Sterling DD
     
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  5. GyroSE

    GyroSE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    You've some nice pressings there.

    Killers

    Your pressing is probably a second or third pressing, I believe these are as good as the first pressings.

    Piece of Mind

    You might have a second pressing or a reissue. Is it a gatefold?

    Somewhere in Time

    Yes I think it's a first or maybe a second pressing.

    Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

    I'm not sure about this one either. One of my UK pressings has the same matrix numbers and it sounds just great.

    I find it a bit difficult in general to find out if it's a first or second pressing when the matrix numbers doesn't end with A-1/B-1 or similar when it comes to the UK pressings. I'm not sure about EMI's matrix number system but I believe that there are first pressing runs that end with both 2 and 3 as well. Maybe someone else in here knows more about this?
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2017
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  6. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Great news to start my collection with.

    Killers

    Actually, listening to it right now, nothing offensive here, like it was the case with that 2014 abomination. Copy I have is almost dead quiet, some few random clicks and pops here and there.

    Man, this album is meant to be analog, warm!

    Piece of Mind

    Yes, it is a gatefold.

    Somewhere in Time

    This is prog :) Need to check, if there's no rice, I remember there was some...

    Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

    You mean first UK pressings?

    It's a black magic for me, but I'm learning.

    Generally, what bothers me the most is that I don't have other good pressings for comparison.
     
  7. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Dutch 12 Inch Single, found at a thrift of all places :laugh:
    [​IMG]
     
  8. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I'm afraid to ask, how much $$?
     
  9. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    $1.00
    I don't have any second hand music stores around here that deal in records primarily. So stuff that I've found over the years has been dirt cheap.
     
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  10. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Cheaper than dirt!
     
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  11. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    LOL!!! that's awesome.
     
  12. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Super sound version indeed?
     
  13. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    :laugh:
    Yeah no kidding. I never see Maiden on wax, actually let alone old compact discs...
     
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  14. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    This is as far as my collection got. I just got the new Fear of the Dark reissue. I need a couple more 80's 12 inch singles to truly be at peace.


    [​IMG]
     
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  15. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Congrats! I wonder what's your opinion on those 2014, 2017 reissues compared to original pressings?
     
  16. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    The only one I bought was "Fear of the Dark" because I didnt have an original. I'm content with my originals.
     
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  17. GyroSE

    GyroSE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Yeah, those Super Sound Maxi Single's sound really fantastic. :righton:
     
  18. GyroSE

    GyroSE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Killers: yes the original UK pressing I've also sound very warm and analogue and so does the Japanese pressing which is my go to version.

    Piece of Mind: probably a second or third pressing you've there.

    Somewhere in Time: an amazing prog album.

    7th Son: this migth be an UK first pressing.

    If possible try to find an original UK or JPN pressing of the S/T- I can assure that you'll be very happy with one of these as they're great soundwise. You love the sound on Killers then you'll love the sound in the same way on one of these pressings as well.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2017
    DoF likes this.
  19. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    I've got all the Iron Maiden albums up to Seventh Son, entirely all Canadian pressings. Unfortunately, I don't have any Japanese or UK originals for comparisons but the Canadian pressings do sound very nice and would recommend them as alternatives.
     
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  20. DoF

    DoF Less is more... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Poland
    Spinning Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls .

    Sounds way better than CD counterpart.

    I think to myself that I lost my intrest in late IM output partly because of brickwalled CD's of theirs. I sounds much better on black vinyl.
     
  21. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Thanks for putting this list together! I recently picked up my first Japanese pressing of Killers and was pretty much blown away by the sound quality. Now I have begun to search out various Japanese and German pressings of these albums. I don't have any German ones yet (they are in the mail) for comparison sake. My questions is, and forgive me if it has already been touched on, how does the Live After Death Japanese version sound? Is it a large improvement over a minty U.S. version?
     
  22. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I do agree. I have one Canadian pressing, have to check to see which one, and I do remember it sounding great. The Japanese ones do apparently sound great as well, I only own Killers, and it is fantastic.
     
  23. GyroSE

    GyroSE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    The Japanese pressing of the Killers album is the best soundwise to these ears.

    I've a few German pressings- they're very good but not as good as the UK or JPN pressings IMHO.
     
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  24. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    I have a question about the line of Iron Maiden double singles releases on vinyl in 1990. Does anyone have any of these that can comment on sound quality versus the original singles released in the early-mid 80's? Specifically I was looking at the one that had Flight of Icarus and The Trooper on it. These are a bit cheaper than picking them up individually but I do not want to sacrifice sound quality. The fact that they were released in 1990 has me slightly concerned.
     
  25. Jam757

    Jam757 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle
    Also, just to add in case anyone is interested, I got a gatefold Holland press EMI of Piece of Mind that sounds utterly incredible. In fact, it sounded so amazingly fantastic it is really hard to believe that even a U.K. or Japanese version could beat it. I am now considering calling it good and not pursuing a Japanese version of that one. I also have to slightly disagree that Powerslave is their best sounding album, I think it is Piece of Mind. Powerslave sounds incredible but possibly a bit bright to my ears. Piece of Mind is perfection, fat and nasty bass sound and drums like cannons. Incredible!
     
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