My sealed Sony MasterSound gold CD finds!

So I stumble into a CD shop today when I see a bunch of sealed Sony MasterSound gold CDs in a display case. These were original pressings in longboxes. They were all standing on the right edge, so I could see the spine of the longbox, but I could not see prices. I asked a lady for the prices, and she took them out of the case. All of them were priced $40 except for a sealed copy of Chicago Transit Authority. It had a big sticker on the front that said "ARCHIVAL COPY! DO NOT SELL!". Despite this warning, it was marked $150. The lady immediately said, "It shouldn't be that expensive. It's only a 20-bit remaster." So she asked the owner about it, and he said that the price was a computer error and that it too was $40. He also said that if I bought more than one disc, I could have them for $35 each.

They must have had a dozen different titles, but many of them were not the better-sounding discs (going by popular opinion here). I'm talking about Toto IV, Silk Degrees, and Boston, for example. In the end, I walked out with sealed copies of Chicago Transit Authority and Bridge Over Troubled Water for $70 total. I picked these two because I know they are well-regarded soundwise (I have an open copy of Bridge Over Troubled Water and like it). I will leave them sealed.

Are there other good-sounding MasterSound discs I should look for at this store? I only have a handful of the MasterSound discs, and I don't like the sound of many of them. I am well aware that many people like the MasterSound version of Wish You Were Here, but the store did not have that one.

What do sealed copies of Chicago Transit Authority and Bridge Over Troubled Water typically go for? Someone was trying to get $175 for a sealed Chicago Transit Authority on eBay a couple of months ago, but it didn't sell.

Thanks!

 

Hopefully Dave will chime in on this one, he knows which are the best ones to get. I seem to have cornered the market on the crappy sounding ones. For the record, I had purchased them all before I joined the forum though!

 

The sealed longbox of CTA is worth maybe $125 to $150 on eBay. You done real good

Peace-
Norm

 

Roger Waters and Van Morrison are 2 good titles IMO.

 

Thanks, guys. I think they had the Roger Waters disc.

 

I know of a local store that has sealed Mastersound longbox copies of James Taylor - JT and Billy Joel - 52nd Street. About $35CDN.

Maybe I should grab 'em

That's a great score on CTA. I'm jealous

 

Thanks. The store I was in also had the James Taylor and Billy Joel discs sealed.

 

Grab this one Keith, it's a keeper!

 

on these 2.

 

I plan to!

 

Do a search!

 

Willie Nelson "Stardust" and the Santana S/T Mastersounds also sound darn good.

 

is the sly stone stand! worth picking up?

i've heard the title track is not sourced from the master?

 

As I recall, the store I was in did not have these two.

 

Dave, what is your opinion of the gold Chicago Transit Authority disc? Just curious. I seem to recall you saying recently that you preferred the original Columbia release.

 

I went back to the CD shop today and picked up a sealed Roger Water Amused to Death MasterSound disc for the original sticker price of $28.99 (the sticker was on the front of the longbox). It will stay sealed.

They did not have the Willie Nelson, Santana, or Van Morrison discs. Going from memory, they had sealed copies of 52nd Street, Bat Out of Hell, Toto IV, Stand!, Boston, and JT. I believe they also had the Wendy Carlos disc.

 

The Wendy Carlos disc is good - well worth getting. Mine came in a great big square cardboard package, carefully preserved somewhere in this house, but where I cannot remember!

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind. I never see any comments on this disc. It seems like an obscure disc in the MasterSound series.

By the way, this store also had a sealed copy of the MasterSound Earth, Wind & Fire All 'n All disc. How does it rate soundwise?

 

While the original Japanese CTA 2 CD set is ok, it's far from perfect. The Mastersound is waaaaay too bright and just sounds horrible because of this. Honestly, I have yet to hear a perfect mastering, or even a good one for that matter of any Chicago album I've listened to. The Portrait box set is the best so far, but even on that one there is definitely NR being used.

 

Grab that Wendy Carlos! It scores some pretty heavy cash on eBay.

 

according to wendy carlos in the notes for "the switched on boxed set", the gold mastersound disc was sourced from a fourth generation master tape.

if you're looking for improved sound quality, pick up the remaster on east side digital.

if, however, you're keeping it sealed for a rainy day...

later, chris

 

So the Wendy Carlos disc sounds lousy but is worth something? O.K.


Dave,

Thanks for your comments on the Chicago Transit Authority MasterSound disc. It would seem that you are in the minority on that one.

 

I guess I'd rather be in the minority with Steve than in pain with the others.

I haven't heard the Wendy Carlos CD. Everytime I've tried to buy it the price jumps up over $40.00.

 

I have the East Side remaster, and sure, it does sound better than the Mastersound. However, the Mastersound doesn't sound lousy! I was delighted with it when I got it.

 

If you don't want it, I'll gladly pay you for this copy and for your trouble in picking it up. You can e-mail me here.