I'm thinking of getting this japanese master sound Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here = 炎 (あなたがここにいてほしい) these are like the japanese equivalent of the CBS master sound LPs. They basically released all the same titles. after comparing 4 CBS master sounds with the japanese master sounds i have found the japanese ones sound more lifelike than the CBS ones.
yea, obi isnt too important. does look good though. I have the doug sax 2011 issue which i enjoy a lot. it kind of sounds like the SACD but better because its vinyl . i had an original usa press which was too noisy and a uk quad which was also a tad noisy. usually the japanese vinyl is super quiet. im very happy with the doug sax but just curious what if im missing something. never got the bernie grundman. i had a uk 3rd press as well that didnt wow me. dont feel like paying the money for a uk 1st. i suspect its not as good as people say.
Bought a quite pricey first UK WYWH. Has the rather stretched black outer with sticker affixed, like new inner and while looking unplayed closer inspection revealed a decent amount of surface scratches. Thoroughly cleaned it and virtually no surface noise what so ever.... The final copy. A quiet A-1/B-3 does exist. Also bought a like new first UK Wall with the very neat removable sticker! Have never seen one before. Also a second UK Ummagumma, fifth UK Saucerful. Along with a bunch of other amazing stuff. All priced decently below market rate. Quite a day.
Glad it's quiet but what about the sound? And is it that much better than anything else you've heard (and which ones were they)?
I did post my thoughts on this pressing a few pages back. I have too many copies, recent reissue, HTM second press, three UK firsts and a Canadian Quad! One of the UK firsts is in poor condition and the other I paid $30 for. The one I mentioned above was $180. A true first with black shrink and sticker in as perfect condition as you could hope. Judging by the going rate that seems to be a good price, albeit still a lot to pay for this. I'm really not a huge fan of the way this record sounds, the tones/sounds music and production are of course superlative, but the record has always sounded rather dull and flat to me. It never erupts from the speakers. The first UK definitely is the best pressing I've heard. It has more of Rick's synths, more bass, air, separation and the rest. Don't really care for the recent repress and the HTM sounds a little lifeless. How much better is it than my second press? 30% perhaps. Hearing a nearly noise free copy is a thing of beauty though. In that collection I also bought very nice copies of VU's 2nd and fourth records. Even though not a fan I couldn't resist, priced very well and in amazing condition. As a contrast I played those after WYWH and they sounded amazing. Just blasted out of the speakers. The Quad is a really fun listen with quite different things featured in the mix. I never see the quad.
This evening I’m comparing my favourite Wish You Were Here pressings on my headphone rig: UK 1st A1/B3 US 1981 ‘Barry’ Japan 1980 Master Sound (just bought) The first thing to say is that the differences are not night and day. The US 1981 Barry is warmer than the other two which suits Wish You Were Here quite nicely (it’s quite a chilly sounding record). The ‘Barry’ also has more clarity than the UK and the transfer sounds ‘newer’ and cleaner. It’s a superb mastering job and it’s very, very easy to love. The UK A1/B3 1st is the more ‘neutral’ of the three. It also doesn’t quite have the clarity of the ‘Barry’ but is very similar in terms of mastering/EQ choices, just without the amber glow. There’s bags of power here and you get the feeling that this is the way it should sound, the neutral tone reflecting the English ‘reserve’. The Japan 1980 Master Sound is the more glacial/analytical of the three. There’s tons of clarity and lots of depth here which really suits the opening aural cathedral of SOYCD. There’s also tons of power, which delivers the deep rumble of Welcome To The Machine brilliantly. However, like many Japanese pressings, it’s easier to respect then it is to love. If forced to choose I would probably go with the US 1981 ‘Barry’ for side one, and the UK A1/B3 for side 2. Wonderful masterings both.
Thanks for the input. I am yet to directly A/B the Barry cut with my German A3/B3, but my gut preference was the German. For what ever that is worth. One of these days I will properly compare them head to head.
The German 064 A3/B3 sounds great but for me it also sounds a little ‘over-dramatic’, perhaps ‘goosed’ in the EQ? It’s almost as if they were trying to compensate for the more reserved 1st German 062 pressing which is not particularly exciting (from what I remember).
Checked my UK copy and it turned out to be an A-1/B-3. So, a 1st then? Fantastic, didn't realize that! I have a similar experience with the record: looking like new, but having some light marks and playing quiet. Cover VG I'd guess. No black outer and sticker, sadly, but at least the postcard is still there!
Ugh. You've pushed me over the edge, Solace! ;-) Got a good deal and a supposedly NM '81 Barry is headed my way. None on Discogs at the moment, but a handful of green labels for sale in VG+ to NM shape on FleaBay. I just started sending messages asking sellers to check for "Barry" in cursive in the deadwax, and the third seller said yes and accepted my offer. I have the silent 2011 UK Sax to pair with my VG+ UK A1/B3, but sounds like I will prefer the Barry. And I would probably play the SACD over the twin mastering that is the Sax LP anyways. Can't wait to hear the Barry. Thanks all!
I’ve just ordered a Wish You Were Here US ‘Chet’ pressing, which I’m assuming will send identical to the ‘Barry’ (mine isn’t in top condition). If his FB message above is correct, which I see no reason to doubt, it was ‘Chet’ who mastered and ‘Barry’ who cut.
You're about as bad as me with Duran's Rio I love the old Barry so I'm counting myself lucky having found a beautiful one locally for a few bucks a couple years ago. I'm not going to push it...
A digression: For "Rio" I have the first UK press in the textured cover and the regarded Japanese pressing. Both are so spectacular I can't imagine better versions tho it's astounding MoFi haven't taken on "Rio" -- it would be a big seller.
Think it would as well. Unfortunately this title is on the 'black list'. I haven't been able to find a clean UK, but do have the German Electrola/Japan/First US before the mixes and a ton of k-mix variants
WYWH being one of my favourite albums in my collection, many years ago I went ott and bought several sealed copies to find out which was the best. I ended up with a few CBS 1/2 speed Mastersounds and these were the best by far. Ever since then, I’ve bought the new releases, but nothing matches the CBS. Strange really, as from memory all my other CBS 1/2 speeds of other artists went in the ‘spares’ pile. Something happened with the WYWH pressing that CBS made very special. There was a subtle difference in the different CBS stampers I have and 2 stood out amongst the 5 or 6 I have. I’ll have to have a look again and write them down.
Aah that’s interesting. I had a couple of copies of the CBS mastersound but didn’t like them and sold them. I have no idea what their stamper info was though.
I recently purchased a German second print of WYWH (with the circle on the back). Almost mint not even a scratch on the outer sleeve, still got the postcard and everything. A-2, B-2 matrix. Sounds incredible. Can't really seem to find that much info about it online. I saw a few people in this forum mentioning that copy some years back. got it for 20 bucks. You guy's got any opinion on this pressing and how it compares to the UK first pressing?
I have a German A2/B2 of Dark Side and it is absolutely stunning. I recently got an original Japanese pressing of WYWH and overall it sounds pretty good but not amazing. I thought it would blow my 2011 Sax reissue out of the water but it doesn't... Maybe I should check out this German pressing.
