My UK 1980 black label repress of Young Americans sounds immensely good. Jack Adams at Tape One mastered. Dense production on this album so hard to compare it to something like Hunky Dory.
Thanks for mentioning the Tan RCA Station To Station was so good. Went into my local shop yesterday and they had a mint tan label with AZ in the deadwax. It was marked for $20 and they gave it to me for $10. Awesome sound. Cheers Mooseman!
I have been looking to fill in my Bowie collection where I am missing releases and its not been the best for my credit card tally. Just wanted to share with others that I have most of Bowies albums and have to say my 1st press of Aladdin Sane (US black RCA label) has to be a "Hot Stamper" as it is by far one of the best sounding vinyl albums in my over 1,000 records collection. It makes my sound system come alive like no other album.
I have a U.S. tan label STERLING "Diamond Dogs." I would have thought it came between the orange and black RCA label Lp's. I wonder how much better the orange label sounds. My tan label is near mint and dead quiet; it sounds nice and warm but not much oomph to it. If it's STERLING does that mean it will sound the same as an orange or black label STERLING?
It should as it was likely made from the same stampers (although age of the stampers could be a factor). I have Young Americans on the tan RCA label which I have assumed is the first pressing, but now that I think about I'm not sure if it could have first appeared with an orange label. Better consult discogs
Original Young Americans USA copies had the orange label but quickly replaced by the tan one, followed by black
Just putting a word in for the Japan 1st Diamond Dogs (RVP-6130, with the pink obi) which sounds excellent. Don't have anything to compare it to, but it's pretty satisfying.
I sold off a lot of my Bowie variations / duplicates a few years ago, but still have some knocking around and have been checking a few. Not saying it's a "best" but as a bargain heads-up, just played a Netherlands Scary Monsters PL-13624 RCA International and it was good, looked it up to see if it was 1980 or later (it's 1980) and the copies are surprisingly only around £2 on discogs. Thought it was worth a mention as Bowie bargains are gonna be a rare thing for newer buyers forever now I guess. It has a nice thick glossy sleeve too (my UK original is matt, and rather flimsy).
I have some RCA Internationals ( Diamond Dogs , Young Americans, Pinups) from the 80's. They are outstanding sound wise, especially Pinups, and yes probably a bargin compared to others. I read in Uncut, in their Bowie special in the compilation section, that they did these repressings's around the the time they put out the original RCA compact disc's that many people covet. Probably/possibly the same source.
Yeah, Ive had (mostly) good experiences with Internationals, but this one seems to be the first Dutch pressing rather than the early 1981-2 International reissues of the earlier RCA catalogue, and at £2 on discogs seemed ridiculously cheap for a good sounding Bowie LP. Even when his RCA album reissues were still cheap here in England until a couple of years ago, they were usually about £5, £2 is absurd, unless they're beat copies of course..
These 2 are great. And for those who missed out on the 40th Ziggy, my understanding is the Ziggy from the 5 years box is the same so look for it as a stand alone. (please correct me if i'm wrong on this) Also, that UK EMI Millenium Aladdin Sane is ferocious. A/B'd with a US and a CDN early/first recently and I used the track Time as a reference. Piano punches deep and clear, guitar is lush and thick and Bowie's voice sounds like he's in your face. Both domestic copies did not even come close.
If one were to demo your system, which of the early Bowie records do you reach for? All things being equal in other words you have the ultimate pressing of all the LPs. Is there a consensus on the closest 'audiophile' Bowie release?
I go for the generous Ryko reissues of "Space Oddity", "The Man Who Sold the World" and "Hunky Dory" in the early 90s. I was so disappionted when it was handled over to EMI to continue from "Ziggy Stardust" and it was all done cheaply to save money. I stopped collecting more after "Pinups".
Question: On the Bowie vinyl issues, did the Canadian plants use the plates from the US or did they cut their own versions? I am listening to a tan copy of Young Americans (non textured cover) that is definitely a reissue and sounds good. Also, maybe we could begin to make a list of the best sounding versions? That would be helpful
I don't know but I used to have a Canadian Aladdin Sane, original 1st I think, that sounded quite different to a UK 1st original, and more like my old US Pin-Ups that I still have somewhere. It was kind of like the distance / difference between the first orange label UK 1970s albums and some of the later pressings with different matrices, or between early pressings and early 80s reissues. Not much use but thought I'd mention it.
A Discogs check reveals that they used unique masterings, All I found used the TX or TD code, with TMWSTW (RCA) using TG code. So.....
Any thoughts on this reissue from the 80s I believe? David Bowie - Space Oddity / The Man Who Sold The World: buy LP, Album + LP, Album + Comp at Discogs
My first thought is .....why? Of the few I have been exposed to, Italian issues are not on my "got to have' list.
