Early Roxy Music CDs

For Your Pleasure - original UK EG edition... or the older EG Polydor is great and probably the same mastering....

Avalon - I really like the EG version from the UK...to me it is better than the Target and also the HDCD...

 

Did Siren even make it out on the WG Polydor label? I seem to recall that getting that one when it was first available, and it was a silver label....

 

Siren did make it out as a WG Polydor...I have it...

 

Cool. I'd never seen the red avalon either!

 

The redbook layer of Avalon's SACD (Robert Ludwig IIRC) sounded much more interesting to me than my original USA. Much more low-end.

I did not try it on my best system though.

 

Once in my hands was EG/Polydor Flesh+Blood & Japanese 2nd press (I forgot letters,but was something like VDJC-2xxxx).Japanese pressing was better for bottom frequencies.I actually have neutral,even cold feelings about most of Japanese cds,but this was the case,where japanese cd was better.

 

A couple of months ago at Reckless in Chicago, I picked up an EG/Virgin copy of Flesh and Blood with the Polydor numbers in the matrix - but listed as Made in U.K. The disk suffered from so much rot that it was unplayable in most of my players and the ones where it did track, there was so much static that it was unlistenable. I took it back.

I got a call from Reckless earlier this week: they had located another copy.

It was the same copy! I made them listen to it and they looked at me oddly as if to question what was the problem and why I did not want to buy it!

 

Just got Siren on WG Polygram. Like it much better than the remaster, despite missing the first second of Whirlwind.

Tim

 

It seems confusing for my poor brain as to which is which and/or which is better sounding...
Is it safe to say that the early WG pressings (red or silver label) are better sounding on all albums including Avalon whose target is preferred?

 

I don't think there is any consensus.

Tim

 

The Roxy Music USA Record Label Sequence:

"Roxy Music": Reprise (w/gatefold)

"For Your Pleasure": Warner Bros (w/gatefold)

"Stranded" thru "Flesh & Blood": ATCO

Around 1976-ish ATCO reissued the first 2 albums, without the gatefold sleeves.

"Avalon" : Warner Bros

Compact Discs (In order of release)

"Avalon": Warner Bros

Rest of catalog: Reprise

Remastered US cds: Virgin/EMI

My question to the experts: Is there a USA Warner Bros. Target version of Avalon?

 

I've always liked the remaster of Avalon but I would like to know how it compared with the original release. Also, did anyone get the SACD? I didn't realise this was released, and it's also unique for including a bonus track, Always Unknowing. (That's if you exclude the inclusion of Virginia Plain on Roxy Music).

 

Yes. I don't recall if it was a Japan for U.S. or not (I no longer have it but when it first came out on CD, I bought it and liked the label at the time (I didn't have many targets at the time I might add and didn't know it was a "Target")

 

It does sound good even with the flaw on "Whirlwind" but I like the earlier Reprise U.S. issue of the album which sounds similar BUT corrects the error (much the same as the drop out on "Country Life" was fixed for the U.S. first issue of "All I Want Is You" vs. the early E.G.).

 

I never picked up the SACD however I believe that "Always Unknowing" is only on the SACD layer if I recall correctly so if you don't have an SACD player it might be a bit of a problem.

 

I meant to say the "early" Reprise since it came out AFTER the E.G.