original Queen EMI CDs question

Mad The Swine is also track 3 on the "Headlong" Cd-single. The sound is very good.

 

Both are fantastic I think. Really good stuff.

 

Fascinating thread

 

Talking of Queen I on CD. I've got EMI original CD made in UK. I've always wondered why the drum parts on this CD sound so def. I've never had the Hollywood CD or vinyl of this particular album. So i've got nothing to compare with. Is this the way the drums were recorded in the studio or something's wrong with the master-tape they used for this issue?
In all this CD sounds like a flat transfer to my ear.

 

The drums sound pretty ropey on vinyl too.

 

The drums were recorded like crap and they sound like pillows. There's not much you can do about that.

 

I actually though that on some tracks the drums sounded superior-almost as if they had been added and recorded seperately. Certainly there's a great sound on Liar, a very crisp neat snare.
I think some of the experts on here have always claimed these were a flat transfer (maybe even Steve was quoted as saying that-but don't quote me on that)

 

Thanks for this interesting read.

An, I guess, very silly question: how would you define "Sonopress matrix numbers"? I mean, how do I know if a disc has a Sonopress matrix?

As I understand from dbz "The tell tale sign is usually the broad inner mirrored band around the spindle hole which suggests its a sonopress cd and that info is also found in the matrix area." I googled this, but to no avail...

Thanks in advance!

 

Wallace-sorry that maybe my bad writing, some of the Queen CDs actually have Sonopress around the spindle hole then CDP7 XXXX, I'm not sure Queen II does (actually it Doesn't, I just checked-thats why it's totally anonymous as to where it came from)-but if you google the catalogue number then I'm certain you will find that it is a german Sonopress. Some of the others (SHA,ADATR Etc) actually say Sonopress Made in (W) Germany CDP7 XXXX. Sorry for the confusion.

Also-often you will find that the CD may be made in UK and the inserts have Made in West Germany on them on the back cover-I think this is just so they didn't have to do all the artwork again...this is how they were sold, so its not a switched CD/Artwork if you have one. EMI used the same art when moving from German pressing to UK SWindon.

 

The Matrix numbers from the Sonopress Queen CDs I have:

1. Greatest Hits: SONOPRESS C-6848/CDP7460332 A
2. Queen II: SONOPRESS B-5885/CDP7462052 A1
3. Queen I: B-5884/CDP 7462042 A

As long as it is written Sonopress in the matrix it's easy. For the others I guess the matrix numbers will follow the same pattern as number 3. At least when it comes to Queen releases.

Also I think the version without Sonopress in the matrix is an earlier edition. Most if not all the Sonopress discs I own have a letter as the last digit in the matrix number (A, B, C)

 

Excellent! Thank you. Much clearer now.

 

The Good Dr has it right-I checked mine and whilst it has no "Sonopress"...it does have the B-5885 number as shown above, together with the CDP7462052 A..obviously a very early one. More commonly it usually has Sonopress written in the matrix-but then it would also say Made in West Germany in a 4 Rectangle box..obviously Queen II first press pre-dated the usual EMI style on CD..hence just the 2 boxes as shown above in this thread.

 

Much obliged. My Queen II almost has the same matrix number: B-5885/CDP7462052 A (no mention of Sonopress)

My The works cd (Made in W. Germany, red face cd) has the following matrix:
Sonopress C-7871/CDP-7460162 A

As for my Jazz album, the matrix looks strange:
CDP-746210 2 AR 2-2-4 NL (EMI) Swindon. I have put "EMI" between brackets, because it is printed through (grammar??) "NL".

 

Wallace-sounds like the Queen II is the same as the one I have. No Country of Manufacture, no Sonopress clue other than the B-5885. Nice early version

 

Thanks Darren!

I guess have some more early pressings.

My Queen I: 2 rectangles (which has the CDP7 7462042 number + STEREO)and NO "made in XXX" or copyright box..Matrix: B-5884/CDP7462042 A.

For completists only: A day at the races: Sonopress B5890/CDP7462082 A

 

as our American friends say-"That's All Good"

Actually, just for completeness..many of the early CP32 Japanese pressing are the same as the EMI Germany/UK unremastered versions. ANATO is slightly different as it has a weird index anomaly for Bohemian Rhapsody, where it actually begins with that strange final chord of Good Company..but apart from that (and a little bit of a strange balance between left and right channels, it is very, very similar). In fact, I think Darcy (pigwhisperer) may have suggested that Sheer Heart Attack was also slightly different..possibly better on the Japan first press,,but I am hard pushed to hear any significant difference, but I wouldn't rule it out (Darcy is pretty good at this sort of thing!). I also think Roland has checked a lot of the Japan first presses out and confirmed that they are, indeed, the same.

So have fun with your early Queen Cds. I'm off to play Queen II myself

 

To me this looks like a Holland made disc using a Swindon "stamper". I quess NL stands for Netherlands. Does it have made in Holland on the Cd itsef?

 

Thats what I thought also- there were report earlier in the year of an Austrian CDP7 XXXXX Jazz having the "re-mastered" pressing..so it's always worth checking these things carefully. I think there was a cross over in 1993 when some versions had the old numbers, but the new Digital Remastered versions on the CD.

Pink Floyd releases also suffered from this-old artwork (i.e. Unremastered artwork)-but, they began pressing the remastered CDs and slipping them inside the old cases a few months before they were released..so you need to be wary. This only appears to have happened with pressing from Holland.

 

NL does indeed stand for The Netherlands. It does have Made in Holland on the cd. This one was made in the 80's. That is, it is not a Digital Remaster.

BTW: I have searched the forum but I cannot find posts by Roland in relation to Japanse Queen cds. Any change of pointing me in the right way?

PS I am a relatively new member, and I don't post that often, but this is a very interesting and friendly forum!

 

Darren, how do those kind of CDs look like: coloured like remastered ones or aluminium like the old EMI CDs?

 

The important part is the "CDP-746**" in the matrix. If this part is present you have a winner (early version).

 

It is very interesting. Nice to have you here Wallace

 

The Remastered versions do have some colours e.g. Queen II is a totally black CD face with silver writing -as well as the later catalogue numbers. The CDP7 number is the vital thing.

 

Andrey-it really depends-there are "Redface" Greatest Hits, Pinkface The Works, Blackface Kind of Magic which are all un-remastered. The early ones all tend to be plain old silver/aluminium, with black titles on them. (but as ever there always exceptions especially when looking at the earliest Japanese/ West german variations.) There are also some remastered ones which are (unfortunately) silver with black writing-the key is the catalogue number CDP7 XXXXXX

Queen II should be as the scan posted way back on page 2. Here's some I sold last year -it should give you an idea Andrey. Some were Parlophone-but still UK unremastered Cds-as the good Dr. says -its the CDP7 which is important. Hope this helps?

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=132365&highlight=queen+cds

 

Thank you Mike the Fish! This forum is really a gem!

Although I am a collector of Queen/solo items, I was not fully aware of this, say, finetuning in first pressings etc. I havelooked through my collection of cds and I "think" I have many first pressings. I bought my cds around the time they were released, and bought them again, and again, and again: digital remasters, Japanse pressings (25 years/24-bits), Hollywood Records etc.

Darren: the link you have provided leads me to page which I am not allowed to see? The message on that page reads:

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