Finding The Best Sounding Genesis (Part 1), Album By Album...

Yay WEA team!

 

What is the code (serial number? what is the right terminology for it? pressing number? the thing on the inner hub and case spine) that I can ask sellers for? Sometimes they can't tell the old Alantics from the DEs and they need identifiers

 

Here's one for 3 bucks. Seller has it mismarked as the 1994 edition. If you want to double check just ask him if at the bottom of the disc it says "Made In USA by WEA Manufactuing." The pic is a little blurry to tell but this looks like the one.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Duke-Remaster-G...goryZ307QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

Yikes. $4.99 shipping price! I hate when sellers charge inflated shipping to make extra profit. That cd only costs $2 max to ship.

 

While I agree $4.99 is a bit much, it costs more than $2 to send one CD. If you factor in delivery confirmation (59 cents) and a bubble envelope (60-70 cents), it costs close to $2.50 to properly pack and send 1 CD.

I agree that the Duke CD looks like the right one.

 

I'm glad I found this thread ... albeit a bit late. I already had the WEA Duke CD and just bought the Japan-for-US early version. Well, I guess I get to listen for myself.

 

Don't know how I missed this thread....dropping 2 more cents into the bucket!

Like Jeff and Jamie I too have been comparing Genesis CD pressings for the better part of 18 months. Jeff, Phil, and others have been very helpful...thanks guys!!!

A couple of comments baased on my own findings:

Re: Nursery Cryme: If you can find the V/C with the picture disc (I think it was part of a boxed set...snap it up. Better than both the DE and the original Atlantic CD, IMO.

Re: Foxtrot: I had to keep one V/C (Nimbus) and one orig Atlantic, as the Atlantic is missing the first second of "Watcher.." and the V/C is missing the very tip of the beginning to "Time Table".....!

re: The Lamb: V/C all the way...even with the hum.

Re: Wind & Wuthering: Even with the lack of bass I prefer the original Atco CD...mine is made in Japan. Was tempted to track down a V/C but reading this thread is making me think twice.

Re: Seconds Out: Got an original V/C of this and it is beautiful. Probably identical to the orig Atlantic.

Other than that....I gotta say I'm in agreement with Jamie and Jeff. Nice work guys!!!!

 

Delivery confirmation? That's a specialty charge, like insurance, but not a necessity. A total waste of money if you ask me. I've sent tons of cd's out without one, and never had a problem. I would hate to be forced to pay for that if I didn't want it. Why should I pay for a seller's peace of mind.

Okay, off topic, sorry...now back to Genesis, my 2nd favorite band.

 

Hi, guys.

I haven't participated in these discussions in over a year, but just found this thread and had to weigh in. I agree with most of the general consensus on these CDs, but my experience with one in particular is so different from what's being shared here that I'm scratching my head. It relates to W&W. I have both the DE and a very early V/C pressing from Sanyo. While I don't currently own the original Atlantic, back in college my best friend had one and we did A/B comparisons--and the results were literally night and day. As most people report, the Atlantic was thin, crispy and lacking bottom end. The V/C, on the other hand was noticeably warmer to the point of muddiness. Now, with far better equipment and the DE for comparison, the V/C still sounds very warm--tonally, in fact, it is a winner, but is marred by what sounds to me like a tape tracking problem (though I'm not an engineer, so I don't really know what the source of the problem is). Basically, the treble seems muffled/distorted in just one channel (much like my early Blue Jays CD, which I need to replace one of these days).

In the end, I agree with Jeff that the DE is the best available version, but definitely NOT because the V/C shares the Atlantic's thin, trebly sound. It's actually quite frustrating, because the V/C could be great if not for the aforementioned distortion. I do suspect that different versions of the V/C may have different masterings. Jeff, have you ever heard the one with "manufactured by Sanyo Japan" on the inner ring?

The only other place that my opinion differs from many on this thread involves Trespass--I MUCH prefer the MCA to either the DE or the V/C. Now, my V/C of this is from the picture disc boxed set, and I agree with others that NC and Foxtrot sound great. But to my ears, the Trespass sounds almost exactly like the no-noised DE, even though there is a bit more hiss. I much prefer the nuances of the MCA, even if it is a bit bright and hissy.

Does anyone know if the boxed-set Trespass has a different mastering than earlier V/C editions?

 

Hi, guys.

I haven't participated in these discussions in over a year, but just found this thread and had to weigh in. I agree with most of the general consensus on these CDs, but my experience with one in particular is so different from what's being shared here that I'm scratching my head. It relates to W&W. I have both the DE and a very early V/C pressing from Sanyo. While I don't currently own the original Atlantic, back in college my best friend had one and we did A/B comparisons--and the results were literally night and day. As most people report, the Atlantic was thin, crispy and lacking bottom end. The V/C, on the other hand was noticeably warmer to the point of muddiness. Now, with far better equipment and the DE for comparison, the V/C still sounds very warm--tonally, in fact, it is a winner, but is marred by what sounds to me like a tape tracking problem (though I'm not an engineer, so I don't really know what the source of the problem is). Basically, the treble seems muffled/distorted in just one channel (much like my early Blue Jays CD, which I need to replace one of these days).

In the end, I agree with Jeff that the DE is the best available version, but definitely NOT because the V/C (at least, the one that I have) shares the Atlantic's thin, trebly sound. It's actually quite frustrating, because the V/C could be great if not for the aforementioned distortion. I do suspect that different versions of the V/C may have different masterings. Jeff, have you ever heard the one with "manufactured by Sanyo Japan" on the inner ring?

The only other place that my opinion differs from many on this thread involves Trespass--I MUCH prefer the MCA to either the DE or the V/C. Now, my V/C of this is from the picture disc boxed set, and I agree with others that NC and Foxtrot sound great. But to my ears, the Trespass sounds almost exactly like the no-noised DE, even though there is a bit more hiss. I much prefer the nuances of the MCA, even if it is a bit bright and hissy.

Does anyone know if the boxed-set Trespass has a different mastering than earlier V/C editions?

 

Sorry about the double post!

 

The pressed in Japan Atco? Yep. I'm pretty sure I heard it and it was no good.

DE or vinyl for Wind. Sorry, folks. If someone wants to send me a CDR of another pressing, I'll check it out, but the V/C I scored was lacking bottom end, just like the Atco. I didn't compare them directly but I suspect better tapes were found for this one when they did the DE.

My guess is that all versions of Wind prior to the DE were made from strangely EQd tapes, and I've heard no version that sounds anything like the vinyl in terms of the bass.

 

Actually, the Sanyo disc isn't the Atco. It's a butchered-cover V/C (CDSCD 4005). An earlier poster suggested that it may be the same disc as the Atco, but it sure didn't sound that way to me when I compared them years ago.

 

Well, I have heard the V/C CDSCD 4005 but I don't recall where it was pressed. I do recall that it was schitt. It might beat the original US Atco, I don't know, but there is nothing to be found there from what I heard.

DE all the way.

 

Thanks for the reply! I actually agree with you that the DE is the best I've heard--it's just strange that everyone seems to be describing a V/C version that sounds almost exactly opposite to what I hear on mine. It is good to know that if there are alternate V/C masterings to the one I have (which came out as an import long before the Atlantic domestic release), they are not improvements!

 

Is this cd divided into 8 tracks and not 9 as the regular V/C disc?

 

Yes--although both the label and CD list nine tracks, it is actually divided into only 8.

 

I've just realized my "Duke" CD is an Altlantic Japan for U.S. copy. I should have compared it with the Japan black triangle when I had the chance. . . Maybe next time. . .

 

Jeff, he was talking about a V/C Sanyo pressed in Japan, not an Atco.

 

Right, which he clarified.

There is one right here if anyone wants to try it. I can't remember where my V/C was pressed but I think it might have been this same pressing:


http://cgi.ebay.com/Wind-Wuthering-...goryZ307QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

Ok. This is a different mastering to at least the Nimbus version that I also have. But sadly it still lacks bottom end.

I think I have to find a vinyl copy of this one (Wind & Wuthering).

 

Yes, now that I listen to again, the bottom end is lacking as well. I think I may have found it to be "warm" in the past due to lack of top end--have you found this to be the case as well? In any event, there's a kind of "muffled" effect to the cymbals in places that I find unlistenable (but very different from the original Atco).

I take it that the upcoming SACDs feature hi-rez remixes only, but no remasterings of the original stereo mixes?

 

I think the inflated shipping is to escape Ebay seller charges So by putting the cost into the S&H, the seller pays less commission I think.

And also the total is $7.99 including S&H. That's a pretty good price in sum for a NM CD. I better get moving on this before it disappears

Jeff: this looks like the original Atlantic from the photo and the red ring. Could this CD be anything else? Would asking about "Made In USA by WEA Manufactuing." differentiate among different original atlantics?

 

I'm 99.9% sure that's the one but the pic is not totally clear. You could ask the guy about the "Made In USA by WEA Manufactuing" to be sure. And yes, that will differentiate. That's the one to have.

 

The only Genesis vinyl I have is Foxtrot by Buddha/Charisma 1058