DCC Archive There's some more new Kinks re-issues out there

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by jligon, Oct 25, 2001.

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  1. jligon

    jligon Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Peoria, IL
    Got a few Kinks CDs today (Something Else, Kinks Kontroversy & Face to Face) that include the Lp style sleeves and original artwork (although the artwork is from the Japanese, Italian & Greek releases, respectively) and I wasn't expecting much since they're from the infamous Castle/Sanctuary Group.
    I have to say, however, that my first impression is somewhat positive. First, they are all stereo releases. Without getting into the stereo v. mono debate, the fact is that these stereo versions are a lot more "listenable" than the current mono releases. I don't know if the Kinks stereo releases were done similar to The Beatles' during the middle 60's. Does anyone know? Would the Village Green stereo version be as bad as the mono/stereo Castle release currently available? Also, something peculiar on Situation Vacant: there is no "return" at the end of the song. Does anyone know if this was ever the case on any mixes of this song?
     
  2. Pat

    Pat Forum Detective

    Location:
    Tampa, FL
    Kinks Kontrovery in Stereo? Are you sure about that? Something Else and Face To Face are Stereo too? Did you listen through headphones? This would be major news to me if these were true stereo. Are they rechanneled? I'd rather have clean mono over that! :p
     
  3. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Kontroversy has never been released in stereo, so I doubt it is on these new discs. The "stereo" version of Face to Face is basically mono with the sound effects in stereo sometimes. Something Else has been released in stereo. Based on what someone else has said earlier, the mini-LP release does indeed have the stereo mix of Something Else, unlike the regular Castle disc.

    My question: do these mini-LPs have the bonus tracks of the regular Castle reissues?
     
  4. jligon

    jligon Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Peoria, IL
    Looks like Kinks Kont. is mono. I have never had this album (no point of reference) before and I guess I assumed that they were all stereo releases before listening more critically.
    Something Else & Face to Face are definitely stereo. Dave's voice on Death of a Clown is only on the right channel, etc... Face to Face is less obvious but still stereo nontheless.
    Whether these were done with some studio trickery or not, the soundstage is MUCH bigger than the Castle Monos (don't have mono Lps to compare) and they're more enjoyable to listen to on my system. I guess I am not considered a "purist" since I grew up in the 60s listening to the Beatles Capitol versions and I still like them. These Kinks versions sound cool to me as well. To each his own, I guess.
    Anyone know about the end of Situation Vacant?
     
  5. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    I've seen these re-issues in all the shops here in the UK and I assumed they were just the same as the last wave of re-issues but without the bonus tracks. Now I know otherwise my interest is re-kindled.

    I notice that the new Village Green re-issue is the original rare 12-track version. Is this a dub from the vinyl (as I think it was on the last re-issue) or have they used the tapes this time?

    As for Situation Vacant - all I can tell you is that the first Castle CD of Something Else (Stereo) did not feature the false ending. Whether this ending only appeared in the mono mix originally will have to be cleared up by someone lucky enough to have the original Stereo & Mono LPs.
     
  6. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Regarding Situations Vacant: For what it's worth, my early-80s pressing of the Pye LP(PYL 6006) and early-90s Japanese CD (Teichiku 28CP3) are both stereo and both lack a false ending. Having never heard a mono mix of the album, I wasn't aware there was another version of the song. I guess it seems likely the false ending is unique to the mono mix.
     
  7. jligon

    jligon Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Peoria, IL
    I guess I've only had mono issues then. I grew up listening to the false ending but when the mono Castle CDs came out, it sounded like they screwed up the false ending(like the edit was off a little). Also sounds like it's from a different source.
     
  8. Vivaldinization

    Vivaldinization Active Member

    Setting the record straight...the Japanese LP-sleeve reissues are nothing but re-EQed, re-jiggered with copies of whatever tapes Victor's had all these years (and, thus, the same ones that essentially appeared on those two-fers way back). They're also basically the same as the old Reprise/Castle reissues, so what's stereo there is what's stereo now.

    The re-EQ helps Village Green a bit, but otherwise, it's the Castle/Reprise master.

    -D
     
  9. jligon

    jligon Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Peoria, IL
    Sorry David, but the record is not set straight by your post. I've had the Japanese Lp style CDs before and those are not the ones I'm referring to. These are UK editions that came out a few weeks ago and they are VERY different than the Castles you refer to.
     
  10. Douglas

    Douglas New Member

    OK I'm thoroughly confused. What Kinks CDs are the best sounding? I have the UK Castle CDs that came out in 1998. How are the new Castles different from the old ones?
    :confused:

    [ October 26, 2001: Message edited by: Douglas Chay ]
     
  11. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    It doesn't make sense to say Castle/Reprise master, because they are not the same thing. The American Reprise CDs did not come from the same tape source as the various British Castle CDs. From the sound of them, the Reprise CDs were made from the same old EQed-for-LP production masters that were sent to the US in the 60s. Whereas I would guess the Castle CDs must come from earlier generation tapes, if not possibly the master tapes.

    Somebody clarify for me... it sounds like there are 2 sets of mini-LP Kinks discs... the Japanese ones from a couple years ago, and more recent British ones, under the Castle imprint. True?
     
  12. jligon

    jligon Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Peoria, IL
    Yes, just recently Castle/Sanctuary released all of the 60s CDs in mini Lps sleeves. I decided to purchase a few of them, expecting the same mixes from a few years ago, but was surprised to find stereo mixes of Something Else and Face to Face. Websites like CD Universe, etc...just started listing them a couple of days ago. They can be had for around $12 each. The "original" artwork is somewhat misleading because, as I mentioned earlier, the artwork is patterned after various releases throughout the world (Japan, Italy, Germany, etc...). The majority of them look nothing like the releases that we are used to. Arthur
    I'm not telling anyone that these are the answer to your Kinks dilemmas. I like the way they sound, the packaging and I prefer original Lps without bonus tracks (usually). These DO NOT contain any bonus tracks.
     
  13. xios

    xios Senior Member

    Location:
    Florida
    FWIW, my original 60's tri-color Reprise stereo copy of "Something Else" has the "false-ending" on "Situation Vacant". My 60's Pye UK mono copy has the same ending. I've never heard a Pye stereo. The first I heard the song without the ending was the PRT CD from 1986 or so. It also has a couple of different stereo mixes than the US CD.
     
  14. xios

    xios Senior Member

    Location:
    Florida
    FWIW, my original 60's tri-color Reprise stereo copy of "Something Else" has the "false-ending" on "Situation Vacant". My 60's Pye UK mono copy has the same ending. I've never heard a Pye stereo. The first I heard the song without the ending was the PRT CD from 1986 or so. It also has a couple of different stereo mixes than the US CD.
     
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