Dark Side Of The Moon - Holy Grail

That's cool if you don't like it but it's not even close to horrid. Jon Astley's All Things Must Pass is horrid, the 20th Anniversary DSOTM a'int horrid. It was done by Doug Sax with tube gear. The EQ is nice, it's not maximized and no NR was used. I'm not saying it's the absolute best version but "horrid" is a big exaggeration.

just my .02.

 

I recommend "needledropping" the SACD stereo layer, not the Redbook. It doesn't have the clipping problems as I recall.

Derek

 

I believe there is-German Blackfaces seem to exist for most of the major Floyd Titles on Harvest. There is a collector on this very forum who not only collects Blackfaces but all variations. There may even be Dutch and Austrian variations-but I would like someone to confirm this.

Darcy, that certainly looks like a Harvest Black face-it has no barcode and is printed Made in Japan. If you are lucky, it will also be in a smooth sided jewel case which will also have Patent Pending etched in the plastic right through the Harvest Logo on the botton righthand side of the case

 

How much do you all think the black-faced Harvest "Made in Japan" DSOTM CD sells for these days?

 

I would certainly agree that one would think that there is a West German Harvest pressing of DSOTM, but I have never seen one and it is not listed on www.pinkfloydcd.com, which does have the other available West German pressings listed. I have seen a ton of DSOTM Japan pressings for Europe so it may just be that DSOTM was only pressed in Japan on the Harvest label before the UK and Holland Harvest pressings were issued later.

Not all of the West German pressings have the blackface design either.

 

I have never seen a West German or German pressing of DSOTM. The commonly available CD is German stores were pressed in Japan, UK or Holland.

 

That makes sense. I would be willing to bet that they pressed all of the early versions in Japan before the UK and Holland pressings became available.

 

well, I just dug out my copy & it is a japan blackfaced disc with

CDP 7 46001 2,
CP35-3017 31A3


in the center. says harvest at the top...I can't find any triangles on it though?

also how do I know if this is TO or not, and what'e the beatles reference all about? ( ticket to ride??)

thx!

 

If it is a TO disc, you would have "TO" in the matrix in addition to the rest of the code in the inner ring. Sounds like you have a non-TO disc. Here is the Blackface:
http://pinkfloydcdscanz.bizland.com/DARKside/JapanCDP7460012.html

And here is the Black Triangle:
http://pinkfloydcdscanz.bizland.com/DARKside/JapanCP353017.html


Typically, the instrumental "Ticket To Ride" is not heard on the non-TO disc, becuause it folds down to mono (I forget if it's the left or right channel), right after Jerry's famous last line.

The TTR instrumental can be heard on every other stereo version of Dark Side, I believe, appearing on only one channel very faintly at the end.

 

I found one (non TO, 22A5) in CD Warehouse on El Camino Real, Sunnyvale some time ago for $6. Sadly, that fine used CD haunt has closed.

This was before all the info was published here, so you would have to be lucky to find one at that price. But keep your eyes peeled. I always check the PF section of any used record stores.

 

Thanks Geoff, My older brother already own one since the late 80's. It is made in Japan, black-faced non-TO Harvest. I can borrow it anytime.
His son almost sell this one for $5 but good thing is that I read this thread first and told my nephew not to sell it.
He let me keep it.

 

WOW!!

it's a blackface non-TO disc



will have to back it up & save the wear/tear on the original

thx for the info!!

ps this album is very special to me, it's what got me into music...I was about 7 and inherited DSOTM and "selling england by the pound" from my older bros record collection. first 2 albums I ever owned....I read thru "lord of the rings/hobbit", as a wee lad, with these records as the soundtrack, haha

 

But it's not. The test compared the DSD layer (obtained through an analog copy) to the PCM layer (digitally ripped... no extra analog steps). He needed to obtain both DSD and PCM layers through the same analog signal path for it to be a fair comparison. A lot changes in the D/A process.

BTW, I heard back from Doug Sax. He said he took his modified 1/4" tape machine with his modified Dolby unit and EAR EQ (the same stuff used for the 30th Anniversary vinyl version) to James Guthrie's studio to do the transfers. The PCM and DSD transfers were done at the same time and both are absolutely identical except for resolution differences and converters.

 

Did Doug say anything regarding the use of the limiter?

 

Thanks for posting that. Doug Sax is one of the best in the business IMO.

 

No mention of a compressor or any limiting. He just mentioned the tape machine, Dolby units and the EAR EQ and that the DSD and PCM layers are the same despite what Stereophile says.

 

I have. The original Capitol JAX pressing sounded like it was mastered off of a cassette tape--or, most probably, a cassette duplicating dub. I seem to remember that a few months later there was a "secret" remaster and if you sent your original CD back to Capitol, they'd replace it with the remaster. I never did that and held on to the original CD.

I like the 30th Anniversary SACD, but I can't stand the re-done artwork.

 

I like that. Good one, Darcy!

 

I haven't heard that one. I agree about the new artwork. I like the new art for what it is but for a huge album like DSOTM I think they should use the original art. I guess they wanted the new edition to stand out.

 

1. MoFi gold & 1. SACD (stereo hi-rez layer)



& 5.1

 

$5.99 for the copy I found at Amoeba in Los Angeles yesterday.

 

You know a very strange thing-Kissmydisc/1stpress heaven know what Dave is saying-look at the prices for these japan discs and look at the price for the one without UK matrix numbers. Granted they have one for $99 but the other with an obi is $300 and the others are TOs, but still quite a difference.
Now this guy must be a member here

http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/sea...=compare&copagenum=1&coentrypage=search&fgtp=

 

Or you get asked the same question 200 times and start to figure it out by your sales of different matrix numbers over the years. He could be a browser like you say though too.

 

FWIW, I did the DSD layer transfer to PCM through analog and the waveform of "Money" looks (and more or less sounds) identical to the redbook layer ripped straight from the CD (level differences aside). Redbook on top, SACD on bottom:

 

$295 for a disc in the following condition:

Condition:
Disc: M-
Inserts: M
OBI: M-

Sounds like a real bargain.