Stones Hot Rocks A/B Japan vs. Germany

On one of my recent trips to the used CD store, I found the 1986 German pressing for Hot Rocks. This would be the second pressing with the "digitally re-mastered" banner printed diagonally over the upper left corner, and the MFSL reference on the insert card.

I compared it to the Japanese pressing I've had for years. I expected both to be the same, but I am surprised to see and hear differences in the mastering. I decided to do this after listening to the German discs a couple times. I kept hearing a slightly better bass sound from the German discs even though all the anomalies from the source tapes were identical.


Here's my waveform for "Under My Thumb" from the German disc, catalog #820 141-2:

 

Here's my waveform from the Japanese release. This is the 1989 series, catalog # P25L 25047:

 

The peak stats for the two discs are:


Japan:

Left Right
Min Sample Value: -25392 -17664
Max Sample Value: 21243 16541
Peak Amplitude: -2.16 dB -5.32 dB
Possibly Clipped: 0 0
DC Offset: -.501 -.303
Minimum RMS Power: -45.77 dB -48.96 dB
Maximum RMS Power: -11.21 dB -14.49 dB
Average RMS Power: -20.47 dB -22.43 dB
Total RMS Power: -19.78 dB -21.64 dB

Using RMS Window of 50 ms


Germany:

Left Right
Min Sample Value: -24817 -18112
Max Sample Value: 23632 16653
Peak Amplitude: -2.4 dB -5.13 dB
Possibly Clipped: 0 0
DC Offset: -.132 -.11
Minimum RMS Power: -55.01 dB -56.86 dB
Maximum RMS Power: -10.07 dB -13.58 dB
Average RMS Power: -18.24 dB -21.23 dB
Total RMS Power: -17.58 dB -20.48 dB

Using RMS Window of 50 ms





Sorry if that's not lined up quite right. I'm never quite sure that I'm interpreting those numbers correctly. To me, it looks like the Japanese pressing has the bigger dynamic range but the German discs seems to have a little more oomph to it.

At first I thought maybe the two discs were just pressed at slightly different volume levels. Now I've learned the maximum peak position on each disc is at a different point. The Japanese disc peaks near the beginning of the song but the German disc peaks at 1:31.




I hope I'm not starting a debate over which is pressing is better, or that there even is a difference. I've believed all along that the Japanese and German discs were identical because I had never read otherwise. Now I'm not so sure.

 

Possibly different mastering? EQ'ing?

 

The HR's that you have were pressed in 1989 as opposed to the P33L series which was done in 1987. The German pressings were done in 1985. Sort of doesn't surprise me that they sound different.

 

ascot said:

The "DIGITALLY RE-MASTERED" banner came up in a recent Stones thread I started. It was said in that thread that the version with the banner was a second pressing. Everything I had read to that point said that the first West German pressing has the banner, and it was removed on a subsequent West German pressing. Someone corrected the point in my thread. So, I think the first pressing has the banner.

Thanks for posting the data from your discs. Much appreciated.

 

Keith, let me clarify.

The second pressing "Rolling Stones London CD's" has the only red banner in the upper left hand corner. This is the first time Hot Rocks and Hot Rocks2 were pressed in Germany. All pressing after the second didn't have the banner. Confused yet?

The first Rolling Stones pressed in Germany only had 2 albums and Hot Rocks/Hot Rocks2 wasn't done until the second pressing. It was the first pressing of Hot Rocks and it was the second London Stones pressings as well. So essentially we're both right

 

Keith and Dave - thanks for the info!

I have posted scans of the disc and covers for these discs in the CD First Pressings thread.


Look at the bottom of page 8 and the top of page 9 for these.

 

Hmm, mine is on page 2. This is totally dependant on the amount of posts per page you allow in your own settings.

 

Dave, thanks for the information. At least I know I have the original versions of Hot Rocks 1 and Hot Rocks 2, as they have the banner.

Am I correct in assuming that The Rolling Stones was one of the first two Stones albums in the first pressing? My London copy of this one has no banner, and the artwork is rather plain. It just looks old? If I am right, then what was the other title in the first pressing?

 

Hi Keith,

the picture attached shows the very 1st pressing of the West German "Rolling Stones" London CD. The other title with the same CD label design was "Beggars Banquet". Here you can find detailed information: http://home.arcor.de/folon2/stones_london_cds.html

Joachim