Hendrix Japanese mini LP sleeve editions question

I was wondering what everyone's opinion is on the Japanese mini LP sleeve CD editions of the Hendrix catalogue.

I remeber reading here a while ago that they were essentially the same as the US/Europe editions (notwithstanding the differences due to different pressing plants).

Is this the general opinion on the forum?

Also, do the Japanese editions come with the booklets in English?

 

I was hard pressed to find too much of a difference in the sound of these discs. Maybe the Japanese version was a little brighter. The packaging was better in theJapanese version. I think the booklet was in Japanese.

 

The Universal Japanese Mini-LP sleeves are the same things as we have here over in the states. Yup-Yup.

Actually, I thought the paper to make the sleeves were very thin and delicate. Not sure if that was on purpose (the UK sleeves were the same, but I think the original pressings had a glossy plastic covering on em).

They're cute, but the art job isn't worth the money they're asking, even concideiring a few collectability points of sale. Buy the $13 ones, and enjoy the elaborate art and stories they put in there.

 

I haven't heard the Japanese versions but I can say that the family authorized Hendrix albums are quite a bit better than the non-family Hendrix.

 

This raises the other question on my mind:

Are the Eddie Kramer masters (ie the "Experience Hendrix" authorised releases) the last word in terms of sound quality?

Dave seems convinced - how about the rest of you?

I have been very pleased with the BBC sessions (vast improvement over Castles "Radio One" collection).

But should I upgrade my "Axis" & "Electric Ladyland" (with the naked ladies on the cover ) Polydor CDs?

 

There is a difference!

I think that the Japan mini-LPs do sound a little better, but there is a more obvious difference - my domestic version of "First Rays" has the first couple seconds or so of Ezy Rider clipped off (quite noticeable), whereas the Japan mini-LP has the full song. That alone was worth the premium of the Japan version, as that is one of my favorite Hendrix tracks and the clipped beginning was really annoying!

 

Tom sold me some sort of Import of "Are you experienced" a few years ago, and I played it for the first time since I changed my system and "WOW" , It sounded real clean, clear in all registers. I gotta go to bed soon.... but maybe tommorrow............................( This was LP of course)

 

The Hendrix stuff has had lots of different versions over the years.
The Warners versions went through 2 iterations, then the Alan Douglas MCA versions with the ersatz CD booklets and now the Eddie Kramer supervised EH versions.
The history of these goes something like this:
Warners version 1 - apparently from non-flat multi-generational masters that were re-equalised. (Electric Ladyland 2 CDs. Polydor versions also on 2 CDs and track listing mixed up to run vinyl sides 1 & 4 on CD1 and vinyl sides 2 & 3 on CD2 - so rainy Day Dream Away came after its sequel Still Raining, Still Dreaming. Grrrrr.)
Warners version 2 (RE-1 after catalogue number on inner clear part of CD) NoNoised versions of above, but running order of ELL corrected and fitted onto one CD.
Alan Douglas MCA versions - things get hazy here - less NoNoise (more hiss) and supposed use of the 2 track masters. Better sound than the Warners. Crappy modernised covers.
Experience Hendrix/Eddie Kramer versions - I think these sound the best, but the Alan Douglas versions weren't far behind. Not much (if any) NoNoise. Claimed by Eddie Kramer to be from the original 2 track flat masters (but see above)
I have sold the Douglas versions so can't do a direct comparison, but Band of Gypsys does sound better on Experience Hendrix/Capitol than the 25th Anniversary version on Capitol (I got the mini-vinyl Capitol on ebay - pretty cheap & still easily available.)
Haven't heard the Japanese versions.
Avoid Voodoo Soup.
PS Dob, what is the track length of the Japanese version of Ezy Rider?

 

Dob,

my UK edition if the Experience-Hendrix "First Rays..." seems to have the full "Ezy Rider" track (ie intro intact). In play mode, the track ends at 4' 08'' before the pre-gap for the next track begins (If you try to ascertain the track length in "program" mode you will get spurious results depending on which player you are using - for example I get 4' 09'' on one player and 4' 10'' on another. Therefore, play mode is the only accurate way other than loading the track onto the PC...).

Here's my pathetic attempt to describe the intro on my edition!:

The drum intro goes like this:

"Da...Da Da Da Da"

before the cowbell comes in.....

The first drum beat is clean and intact - as far as I remeber this is the same as the intro was on my "Cry Of Love" CD (I can't check beacause I sold it).


John,

agreed that "Voodoo Soup" is to be avoided at all costs - horrible re-mixes by Mark Linett (if you're used to the originals).

On the other hand I love the "Jimi Hendrix: Blues" collection which was also "re-mixed" by Mark Linett. But since almost everything on here is otherwise unavailable I suppose these are the only mixes that exist for most of the tracks. Either way, since I have no better mixes of the tracks (except "Red House" which sounds better on the Kramer AYE? UK CD) I would have no hesitation recommending this collection.

 

Is the Kramer UK AYE CD mix of Red House the original UK vinyl mix (mono) or the US Smash Hits mix (different performance I think, stereo)? The US Kramer CD has the stereo on AYE and the mono is on :Blues.
If you are interested in comparisons of the various live Hendrix releases compared with the same tracks on the 4 CD set, email me and I'll send a copy (let me know if you want a Word document or HTML) on [email protected]

 

I loaded the Japan mini-LP version of Ezy Rider onto Cool Edit and it shows a track length of 4:09:533. Based on this and the description Malc S gave, I would say the the UK version contains the full track as well. I can't locate my USA copy at the moment, but if memory serves, it lops off the drum and cowbell intro and starts with the guitar, which means it loses (almost exactly) the first 3 seconds.

John, your question of whether the mono version of "Red House" appears on the UK version reminded me that my Japan mini-LP of AYE does contain this mono mix vs the stereo on the USA. It would seem that there are two versions of the Kramer remasters - European and USA. The European (which includes the Japan mini-LPs) has the mono mix (not sure if the UK version does) of "Red House" on AYE as well as the full "Ezy Rider" on First Rays, whereas the USA versions have the stereo "Red House" and the incomplete "Ezy Rider". There may be other differences as well.

It's puzzling what happened to "Ezy Rider", since my Warner/Reprise USA CD of Cry of Love has the full version. Is the version on the USA First Rays an accident, or was it intentional?

 

My CD player gives the track timing as 4:09 and No Frames on the US CD and this appears to be all music. It has the cow bell and drums intro - maybe they redid it.
The numbers on my disc are C2 118706-04

 

John,

You may be right about EH redoing the CD - the 3 second loss does seem like a mistake, and I do remember buying the CD as soon as it was released. If I find my copy in a reasonable amount of time, I will post the CD number.

 

The UK Kramer/EH CD edition of AYE? contains the mono "Red House" that appeared on the original UK LP. What is odd is that it appears to be a needle-drop! With headphones you can clearly hear the surface noise in stereo so Kramer didn't just use one channel for the transfer!!

The strange thing is that the same mono "Red House" on "Jimi Hendrix: Blues" (mastered by Joe Gastwirt - Linett clearly didn't remix this track) sounds like it's from a tape source.

I assume that the Japanese mini-LP AYE? CD uses the same needle-drop of "Red House" - maybe those who have this can confirm my suspicions....

 

It sounds like we should be recommending the US version of AYE so that you can get the Smash Hits stereo version of Red House as well as the original mono on Blues. You would hope that the UK version of Blues would then have the stereo Red House to compensate - guess not.

 

John,

I'm just glad that E-H released AYE? in the UK with the original UK LP track line-up (with contemporaneous tracks tacked on the end). The Alan Douglas AYE? CD had the US "Red House" on the UK CD .

As far as the "Jimi Hendrix: Blues" CD goes, this collection has only ever been released with one track line up (with the UK "Red House") and as such should, in my opinion, remain as it was originally released (under the direction of Alan Douglas) - things are messy enough with the AYE? UK/US differences!

Anyway, as you say, I could always get the US AYE? if I get desperate for the US "Red House".

I actually much prefer the UK mono "Red House" anyway so I'm happy with the situation as it is .

 

Malc S
I guess it would have made more sense to have had standard track listings for the world, with the mono Red House on AYE and the stereo on :Blues. At any rate, I'm glad they're both available.

 

The thing is, when ":Blues" was first released, the version of "Red House" available on the standard AYE? CD (overseen by Alan Douglas) was the US Stereo version. Therefore, it was a welcome sight when ":Blues" included the UK mono version (otherwise unavailable at the time).

Now that the UK and US editions of AYE? have been restored to their respective original track line-ups (with bonus material tacked on the end), the ":Blues" CD no longer fulfills the role, as far as "Red House" is concerned, that it once did.

Has anyone checked out the Japanese or UK (Eddie Kramer/Experience-Hendrix) AYE? CD to see whether they think (as I do) that the mono "Red House" is a vinyl dub yet?.....

 

Malc,

I plan to listen to my Japan AYE CD this weekend for that vinyl surface noise you mentioned. Is there any specific part of Red House where the noise is particularly obvious?

 

Dob,

It's there all the way through. The surface noise is spread accross the stereo image but the mono track is bang in the middle! Listening with headohones should reveal all....

 

OK I found my USA copy of First Rays. The USA version of "Ezy Rider" has a Cool Edit track length of 4:08.999 and shows a track length of 4:09 on my CD player. It doesn't lose the first 3 seconds (as I posted before), it loses the first second, which consists of the drum intro (5 hits) and the first cowbell hit. The track starts right when the guitar begins, and since the guitar is slightly behind the cowbell, the first hit is lost. When I started the Japan version at the 1 second mark, it sounded exactly like the USA version. Based on John's post, I am thinking that his copy, along with (assuming) all of the USA copies, is missing the first second...did someone accidentally chop if off? My USA CD is also numbered C2 118706-04.

I listened to the mono Red House on the Japan mini-LP version. There is stereo noise on this track, exactly as Malc described. Sounds suspiciously like a needle drop. Why didn't EH/Kramer do a fold down to mono? Maybe that involved an extra step that was deemed unnecessary.

 

Dob,

thanks for comfirming my suspicions!

Doesn't the Kramer AYE? come with a sticker saying something like "from the original tapes" - while it's only one track (Red House) this is a little misleading isn't it!