Japanese/OBI Vinyl - good or bad?

Yes, I do read thank you.

I'm not about to read the Daily Hate Mail though, but thanks for the link, which refers to publishing rights, nothing to do with the catalogue as far as releases are concerned.

The 'brand' has changed hands technically ONCE. Meaning, EMI technically no longer exist but that the catalogue is now under Universal music.

Beatles stuff very poorly done? First I've heard that, I'm sure the consensus would disagree? UK Parlophone Beatles pressings pre-digital are considered excellent by pretty much everyone.

Lots of bad Rolling Stones pressings? I can't speak for US London pressings, but UK Decca pressings were consistently the best pressings out there, right up until the 1980s, and are highly sought after.

It was a simple comment as your posting made little or no sense, and was also highly innacurate, hence my original comment and cheeky emoticon, there's no need to get shirty if someone happens to challenge you on the odd post or two...

Moving on...

 

That may be the case with the Beatles. I've found the Japanese Blue Note reissues to be pretty good sounding.

 

No doubt there are good masterings/pressings in with the ear bleeders. I've heard some nice mono reissues of 50s material reissued in Japan in the 70s...some of The Rolling Stones reissues on the King label from the mid-70s sounded pretty good...and when you get back to new records recorded and released in around 1973/4 and before, it seems like that was before the heavy handed EQing started...

 

This is really a case-by-case basis. It's like saying "UK vinyl sounds good" or "Warner Brothers records sound good"... So many other factors.

I did some research and discovered that the Iron Maiden JPNs are highly regarded... Especially Number Of The Beast, which contains an extra track only on the Japanese pressing. So when I found an eBay seller selling both NOTB and Powerslave for $80 total (including shipping), I grabbed them. Both were immaculate and dead quiet vinyl, even after all these years... I could've *possibly* found an original UK that was just as quiet, but it would've been a crapshoot. (For comparison, I later picked up a UK of Seventh Son for $20 listed as "EX," which still has some surface noise that the JPNs do not.)

If the JPN of the particular album you want is highly regarded, and you prefer your vinyl as quiet as possible, I'd say Japanese presses are worth the money. I didn't find either album overly bright. But again, I would take each album as an individual case.

 

I was collecting them in the late 70's. Great vinyl, mastering tends to have the treble jacked up.

 

I have a Japanese Pink Floyd - Meddle which I like very, very much. Payed top euros for an excellent copy and I am now on the look out for an Animals in same shape. So yeah, I like it!

 

I wanted to follow up my previous post on Japanese pressings of U.S. 1970s R&B LPs ... I don't know why this genre of music would be mastered differently, but the typical complaints heard about Japanese mastering (i.e., excessive top end and less low end) have proved to be wrong. I compared U.S. LPs (some white label promos) against Japanese pressings of the same titles and their masterings sound extremely similar. Some of the LPs compared: The O'Jays Survival and Back Stabbers; Tower of Power Back to Oakland; The Commodores Machine Gun, Caught in the Act, s/t; Average White Band Cut the Cake and the Whispers s/t).

My system can be unforgiving in the treble with bright source material, so I'd hear it if there was an extreme difference. Perhaps, they are slightly brighter, but it's not offensive. The bass is what I was worried about the most and these have bass that is at least equal to the original U.S. mastering. Maybe it's because of the quieter surfaces allowing me to hear the nuances, but the bass seems much improved.

 

I would say half of the Japanese vinyl I've heard lacks good mid range and takes a back seat to US and UK pressings. But good or bad, they almost always have a nice clean sound.

 

It's very hit and miss - The Beatles 'EAS' series Lps from the mid 70s are quite bass-light and shrill/bright in the top end, not all of them though - the Japanese EAS Red and Blue LPs are very nice and not too different sounding from their earlier incarnation - the 'EAP' series.

Beatles 'AP' series pressings (circa 1970 - have the 'Beatles Forever' OBI) are overall better sounding than the later EAS series, which certainly favour the top end. I have a warm and quite laid back sounding Amp, so it is a little more forgiving of these than most, so they can make for an enjoyable listen, but I don't have any tone controls, and this is the one time where a more bass and less treble would help enormously! It's a shame as apart from that, the EAS series are really well done. The Japanese version of the Beatles Box (8LP set) is also excellent, although a mint UK version will slightly better it on overall sound quality.

The later Red vinyl Beatles EAS pressings from 82 and '86 of the monos were really excellent, until the latest Beatles monos superseded them, and the Odeon Red and Blue vinyl re-issues again, really good - how they would compare to the latest Red and Blue releases, I don't know (I'm waiting for the AP pressings of those!)

The other odd Japanese pressings I own vary, my B52s debut sounds terrific, but then I don't have anything to compare it to. Also Peter Gabriel's So is almost there, just a little sibilance here and there.

My XTC and Led Zep pressings are also very good, but don't quite have the 'life' that their UK equivalents do.

If you can get Japanese vinyl fairly cheaply, I say it's worth the risk as provided they've been looked after, they are always super-silent as far as surface noise is concerned - it's clear to see why MOFI used them for pressing.

 

aww, but you always remove the good stuff you refer to! ;-)

 

wanted to add a question to this older thread...

is there a rule of thumb when it comes to the color of the obi sash...? I see same albums with different colors...

Thanks

 

I don't buy your "Outer Band Insert". The letters may match, but the words are an oxymoron (how can it be "outer" and an "insert" at the same time?).

 

it signifies a different issue. thankfully most sleeves and/or obi (and usually labels too) will include the date of that particular issue.

 

Something I've noticed too, is that they're a safe bet when buying second hand, as the ones I've picked up have been without exception NM. They definitely take care of their records.

 

I may be wrong, but I believe they were designed to be used together with the (much rarer) Wankenobi inserts, which are even harder to come by in mint condition these days.

 

Its a case by case basis. Unfortunately, a lot of times you dont know until you buy, play and then compare. That can add up $$$$. Id agree about the Beatles APs. Much better than the EAS. Id take the stereo APs over the newer remastered stereo lps any day of the week.

 

俺は日本語を話せる、 and I can assure you all that obi means "sash," not "Outer Band Insert."

 

I bought a lot of Japanese pressings in the 70's and the majority of them sound great. Elton John - Caribou and the three early Genesis albums are terrific. Who's Next is way too bright. I have a couple Beatles albums, but I prefer the German pressings I have.

About six months ago, I found a used Japanese copy of Pictures At Eleven by Robert Plant. It's so bright, it could light up a room.

At least you can count on the vinyl being flat and quiet. And all the extra inserts you usually find in them are fun to have.

 

I just recently bought the japanese mpf 1106 polydor japanese pressing of the the Who's "who's next"....it sounds terrible....i also got "who's are you" which sounds like youd expect a japanese pressing to sound....quiet, clear, and detailed. I tried to see if thier was a thread anywhere discussing the who japanese pressings but found nothing really....does anyone have an opinion or know of a thread anywhere?

 

An example is baba o'reilly....the record is dead flat, not off center, looks clean, but in the song, it almost sounds like a warbling warpish sound in the instrumental parts...i figure if this was a commonly known issue, there would be info....

 

As the time passes the OBI changes. Sometimes there is no change but the price is always printed and is use it as a quick reference guide to know which records are the earlier press. That is what I go for unless I really like the look of the newer OBI or the record is in much better shape.

 

Japanese pressings feature very high quality vinyl.

 

I have 2 Japanese pressings-
Stones- Tattoo You
Zeppelin- PG
Both excellent