Pink Floyd - DSOTM and The Wall - The ULTIMATE Editions (1 Viewer)

[RicP]

Over the weekend I picked up Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall Japanese Imports. These discs, along with some other Floyd were released in June of this year over in Japan.
These are without a doubt the Ultimate CD editions of these two classic albums. They are exact replications of the original Vinyl albums, down to the gatefold packaging and the actual LP Center Stickers! All 4 of them in the case of "The Wall".
In addition you get 2 pull-out posters of the band, and lyric sheets in both English and Japanese. The disc itself is silk-screened and looks great. As far as packaging goes, these are the BEST Cd versions of these albums I've ever seen.
With regards to the sound..the DSOTM appears to be the exact same remaster as was used on the Capitol release, so you are losing nothing in terms of sound quality but gaining the incredible packaging.
"The Wall" is tougher to determine. It sounds very close to the latest remaster version, yet some tracks sound a little different. I would not go as far as to categorize this as a different mix or a new re-master, but it sounds at least as good as the existing U.S. release and could sound better.
However the presentation is what these discs are all about. If any of you are familiar with the previous "mini-LP" releases that have come from Japan (Doors, The Who, Elvis, etc.) then you know how incredibly cool these are.
I'll try to post pictures in this thread later on. I got these at a small retailer near me but I've seen them at HMV and online at CDNOW and HMV.com
Any true Floyd fans should scoop these up immediately. They are the true "Ultimate Edition" of these classic Albums.
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http://www.ricperrott.com
Ric Perrott

 

[Greg_Y]

Great. One more thing to put on my wanted list. Damn you HTF. DAMN YOU!
Well coming from RicP, this is not a recommendation to be taken lightly. I'll be on the lookout for these.

 

[RicP]

As promised...here are some shots of these incredible discs!

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http://www.ricperrott.com
Ric Perrott

 

[KeithH]

I saw these at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, New York, last weekend (downstairs in the Import section on an end-cap). They are pricey. If memory serves, Dark Side of the Moon was $40 and The Wall was $65. The artwork is very nice, but at those prices, it is disappointing to learn that the sound quality is the same or marginally better than remastered domestic CDs we can buy for much less. I have the latest Capitol remaster of Dark Side of the Moon and the recent Sony remaster of The Wall and will stick with those for now.
Thanks for the pictures, Ric. These discs look like nice collectibles.
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My:
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KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime
[Edited last by KeithH on July 26, 2001 at 06:30 AM]

 

[Andrew W]

Does the Sony remaster of The Wall use Super Bit Mapping (SBM)?
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Andrew in Austin
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[Philip Hamm]

I have the original LP of "Dark Side of the Moon". The cover is in good condition, the LP is mint. The posters have never been put up and are perfect. The original stickers are even still there!
I'll stick with that. If I want better sound quality I can always play my MFSL ORM LP.
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Philip Hamm
AIM: PhilBiker

 

[KeithH]

Andrew,
I don't recall the Sony remaster of The Wall saying anything about the SBM process being used, but I could certainly be wrong about this. I am not home now to look at it. By the way, I've heard that there is no difference between the Sony remastered version of a few years ago and Capitol's current version, which came out a year after Sony's version (i.e., when Capitol gained the rights to Pink Floyd's catalog). Has anyone compared the two versions?
Philip,
Is your Dark Side of the Moon LP is on the Harvest label, or was that only for release in the UK? Was the original US release on Capitol/EMI? I thought it was on Harvest. Anyway, you have a great collectible. I'd copy it to MD or burn it to a CD-R or live with any pre-recorded CDs you may have. I would use the LP sparingly.
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My:
HT Pics ; Equipment List ; DVD Collection ; LD Collection
KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime

 

[Philip Hamm]

I think Sony started using SBM on everything without using the (potentially confusing to joe public) logo and name a couple years ago.
The original LP, as well as my circa 1994 CD, is Harvest, not Capitol. It has the triangle center art. I wouldn't play the original LP since I have the MFSL LP which sounds unfucking believeable!!!!.
However, after hearing that album approximately 5,000 times since childhood it's kind of played out on me.
DSOTM is a perfect candidate for DVD-A, I'd love a 196kHz stereo track from the original analog master tapes, with a 96/24 4.0 track taken from the original Quadrophonic mix from the 70s. What a DREAM DVD-AUDIO disc that would be!!!!!
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Philip Hamm
AIM: PhilBiker
[Edited last by Philip Hamm on July 26, 2001 at 12:00 PM]

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

DSOTM was supposed to have been the inaugural DTS music CD, but for some reason it never came to be.
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--Wayne Bundrick

 

[TheLongshot]

I wonder if they put out a SACD or DVD-A of DSOTM if they will be using the quad mixes for multichannel. Should be interesting.
Japanese rereleases are pretty nice. I have ELP's Works Vol 2 (Believe it or not, on clearance at Tower for $13) and that is pretty nice.
It is starting to be a big thing. King Crimson has been doing a similar thing with their remasters, puting them in the original album sleeve design. I like them. (I still need to find a copy of Lizard someplace tho. I missed that one for some reason.)
Jason
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My DVD Collection

 

[RicP]

DSOTM is a perfect candidate for DVD-A, I'd love a 196kHz stereo track from the original analog master tapes, with a 96/24 4.0 track taken from the original Quadrophonic mix from the 70s. What a DREAM DVD-AUDIO disc that would be!!!!!

Heh hehe,
I have a Dolby Digital CD Yes I said...Dolby Digital CD that has the Quadrophonic mix on it. It was made from a Quad Open Reel tape and I was given a copy from a musician friend of mine.
It is wickedly cool and I've never seen it anywhere else. I'll be bringing it with me to the HTF California Trip if anyone wants to hear it.
KeithH,
I've A/B'ed the two "The Wall" CD's and there is no difference at all between the Sony and Capitol versions.
The best CD version of this album remains the rare MFSL double disc issue.
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http://www.ricperrott.com
Ric Perrott

 

[Jack Gilvey]

The best CD version of this album remains the rare MFSL double disc issue.

I was going to ask if the recent remaster was better than the MFSL, which is what I've got. Question answered.

 

[KeithH]

I would prefer to see Dark Side of the Moon on SACD over DVD-Audio, but I'll take either one. Unforutnately, I doubt we would see it in 24/192 stereo on a DVD-Audio release. 24/96 surround and stereo on one disc is more likely.
Ric,
Thanks for the comments regarding the recent versions of The Wall. In addition to the recent Sony remastered release, I have the MFSL version (and the original Sony release, but who cares about that?). The MFSL release is awesome. I paid $35 for a used copy in 1993. Neither the discs nor the slipcase are in mint condition, but the discs play flawlessly. I'll never part with those discs. In fact, I've been meaning to copy them to CD-Rs, so that I don't have to handle them. I can see dropping a disc.

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My:
HT Pics ; Equipment List ; DVD Collection ; LD Collection
KeithH: Saving the Home Theater World Before Bedtime
[Edited last by KeithH on July 26, 2001 at 05:32 PM]

 

[JimChan]

Ric
What are the catalogue numbers of DSOTM and The Wall?
I may asked my friend to buy these for me, when he next visit Japan.
Jim