Old Polydor CD "Strange Brew-The Very Best Of Cream" mastered by Dennis Drake. Best sound, cheap!

It is possible the CD may first have been released in 1987 and not in 1985/1986? I have the recollection of first getting mine as a kid in Nov 1987.

 

My cd is either a CH or BMG record club issue, can't find it at the moment.
But it is the Drake mastering, I do know that.
He also did a nice job with the Sing It Again Rod (Stewart) compilation cd, also a record club cd issue.
I found these for like $0.50 each at my local thrift store in mint condition, and they sound great!

 

Merry Christmas Steve, that's a good call. I picked up this CD for pennies a while back after a recommendation on this very site.
To be honest I've learned to take Dennis Drake's name as a trademark of quality when it comes to picking up back catalogue CDs, I don't think he's let me down yet.
I'm playing 'Badge' now, top stuff!
NP

 

I'm glad the compilation used the album versions of white room and Sunshine of Your Love, as I thought the single versions were not good edits the first place.
Still, 12 tracks is a nice amount considering they only had 4 official albums in the first place, live cream one and two do not count since they were released later.
Spoonful and Anyone for Tennis? were nice to have on this, since they were not on the original American Atco LP's.

 

Ordered as well. Thanks for the recommendation! This and the new Alien trailer made my Christmas!

 

When I first listened to this cd, it is the first time I noticed the jingle sounds on Sunshine of Your Love.
My guess is Ginger Baker had a tambourine bar attached to his hi-hat.

 

Does it have the aluminum all the way to the spindle hole without a clear plastic inner ring?

Like this release:

https://www.discogs.com/Cream-Strange-Brew-The-Very-Best-Of-Cream/release/2770479#images/11060884

 

Mine has.

 

By the way, this CD was not released in 1983, that is the release year of the original vinyl compilation. The CD version was released in 1987. That is also in line with the 811 catalog numbering.

 

So, which mastering of the three I have posted earlier does this version have? I am quite sure it is different from the US mastering, since this was often the case and Steve also has mentioned something along these lines (not to get the German version, for example). I am pretty sure that this version from France has the same mastering as the early (West) Germany CD release.

 

My Made In W. Germany By PDO "silver face" has these same EAC peak levels. Matrix # ends with -01. The booklet indicates Mastered FOR COMPACT DISC by Dennis M. Drake at Polygram Studios, Printed in West Germany. Wunnerful sound.

 

My copy is Polydor "Made in USA" but the number on it is P2-11639. Per Discogs, looks like it is the Columbia House version, year unknown.

 

https://www.discogs.com/Cream-Strange-Brew-The-Very-Best-Of-Cream/release/2174096

 

Yep- that's mine.

 

Mine is the same, still has that great Drake mastering, that's what matters the most.

Anyone know if Drake mastered the Bee Gees Polydor's?

 

Discogs likely does.

 

Sometimes, these silent CD remasters have enough of a difference in the total playing time to use that as a safe indication of the mastering. For example, some of these early Allman Brothers CD's have a timing difference of around 15 or 20 seconds. Even 5 seconds time difference would be enough. Not every CD player displays the playing time of a certain CD exactly the same, usually you get a 2 second difference from player to player.

Steve, maybe if you find time to post the total running time of your CD, that would be a good starting point, if you have the time.

If other masterings have enough of a timing difference, we might be able to sort this out. I would be interested in it.

 

At least they had the sense to leave Wrapping Paper off this compilation, horrid song, how it got released as a single A side is beyond me?

 

@CraigC - Haven't quite mastered the art of quoting, huh ?

All 55 copies have been sold.
.