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BLUE NOTE 75TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL REISSUES

For the sake of clarification, the plant pressing the US versions (United) does not have the greatest reputation. The EU pressings are better and more expensive. Most of the online complaints regarding the 75th Anniversary pressings relate to US pressings, not EU pressings.

Amazon list the 75th Anniversary EU pressings as being distributed by Decca UMO, and tend to be between £18 and £21 inc postage. The release date also tallies with the Blue Note release date schedule: http://www.bluenote.com/vinylreissues.html

I now have about 6 EU 75th Anniversaries and all are flat, quiet, concentric and sound excellent. I'm avoiding the US versions.

Joe Henderson's Mode For Joe arrived yesterday and sounds great. Brass and woodwind on CD versions I've heard of this session can sound a bit bleached out, lacking (that old fashioned but apt term) tone. Not so with this remaster.
 
johnfromnorwich said:
I'm in London at the moment so I'm off to Honest Jon's on Monday, since they have a load of the 75ths listed. They look to be cheaper than amazon. If they are EU versions, I'll grab a few for sure.
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Probably too late to post this, but it's worth checking with Honest Jons as the store is often missing the stock that is listed on the website. Still, it's a good shop and worth the trip.
 
johnfromnorwich said:
I've been dipping in a bit. Free For All, Unity, Our Man in Paris, Go, The Real McCoy. All good to my ears and (where I have a direct comparison) a big improvement on the RVG/Scorpios. The Ornette / Stockholm LP is one of the few that has been really messed with, albeit for sound technical reasons (apparently the channels on the original were out of phase, but fixing it made the cymbals sound 'wrong' by making them technically 'correct', so they artificially futzed the cymbal sound). There's definitely a thread to be had on bad recordings being good recordings!

Next on my list is Mode For Joe, once the price drops.
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I saw that you got some of these from Juno and that they were American pressings. I had read on Hoffman that the US pressings were inferior and assumed that Juno was providing EU pressings. However having now got the Larry Young and Ornette Coleman from Juno, I see that they are the US versions. I wanted to check because it seems that Juno are just selling the American versions and if this is correct I won't buy any more from them (although the Larry Young should have a download). The Larry Young is not too bad but the pressing could be better - I haven't opened the Coleman.
 
Cdb3 said:
I saw that you got some of these from Juno and that they were American pressings. I had read on Hoffman that the US pressings were inferior and assumed that Juno was providing EU pressings. However having now got the Larry Young and Ornette Coleman from Juno, I see that they are the US versions. I wanted to check because it seems that Juno are just selling the American versions and if this is correct I won't buy any more from them (although the Larry Young should have a download). The Larry Young is not too bad but the pressing could be better - I haven't opened the Coleman.
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Yes. They gave me some flannel about their distributor but whatever the reason was, the first batch I had were EU and the second batch were US (i.e. 140g, no download code). The only 100% reliable supplier of EU versions I've found so far is Amazon. I was in Honest Jon's in Ladbroke Grove this morning and most of theirs seemed to be US too, but at EU prices. I'd prefer to use a different supplier, but needs must for now.
 
johnfromnorwich said:
Yes. They gave me some flannel about their distributor but whatever the reason was, the first batch I had were EU and the second batch were US (i.e. 140g, no download code). The only 100% reliable supplier of EU versions I've found so far is Amazon. I was in Honest Jon's in Ladbroke Grove this morning and most of theirs seemed to be US too, but at EU prices. I'd prefer to use a different supplier, but needs must for now.
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Thanks, John - that's really helpful - I was considering Honest Jon's as an alternative. I've looked at my receipt and Unity should certainly be the EU version so I'm going to ask for a replacement.

Like you I prefer to avoid Amazon but, as you say, sometimes there's no choice.
Clive
 
I've no problem ordering from Amazon, their service is frankly outstanding and my daughter, who uses Amazon a lot, works constant shifts but Amazon creates work for other people and sometime people forget that.

I've got to know the local DPD driver fairly well and he mainly works delivering Amazon orders so no Amazon then he would have to work somewhere else or for someone else then there's the local shops where you can drop off your Amazon returns or sales and then there are all of the other suppliers who work for Amazon or their affiliates.

Like it or not but Amazon have changed the way people shop big time especially people like me who refuses point blank to go shopping or my daughter who can't.

Tony
 
Elephantears said:
Probably too late to post this, but it's worth checking with Honest Jons as the store is often missing the stock that is listed on the website. Still, it's a good shop and worth the trip.
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You were right! I did get a copy of 'Afro Cuban' though. A lot of their 'Blue Notes' seemed to be decidedly grey area. Lots of stuff on DOL and Doxy where I just have no idea what it was mastered from. Plus a whole load of 180g BNs with a sticky label indicating a series I've never seen before*.

*Edit: I've just discovered a new series pressed by a French outfit called Heavenly Sweetness. I can't check but I wonder if these were those. I've started a new thread on the HS series in case anyone has any new info.
 
I've had delivery of the Coltrane record-BN 1577and it's defo a 75 anni release with a blue & white 'blue note' sticker and a large Blue label saying '75 Blue Note' info about the download voucher and 180g vinyl and also the website www.backtobluevinyl.com

I've not looked at the record yet as it's sealed and won't be able to play it until tomorrow (my birthday) but I'll report back when I do.

Tony
 
Just to reiterate similar experiences as above; Honest Jons (as much as I like them as a retailer) appear to be mainly US pressings, and I've found Amazon to be the only reliable source for EU pressings.
 
twotone said:
BTW, Amazon have dropped the price of Blue Train.

I've just ordered a copy which is a birthday present to me from my son:cool:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...duct_details?ie=UTF8&me=&tag=pinkfishmedia-21
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A few others coming down in price - Ornette's Golden Circle Vol 1 currently at £13.99


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ornette-Col...m_m_h__13?ie=UTF8&refRID=1AZPGSZ2TXFN8K2SHM3V

I've got an old late 70s French Pathe Marconi edition which sounds good to me - not sure if I need 2....

Kevin
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Well I've now got Blue Train on the TT and my goodness what a difference between the 75th anni re-issue and the cheap mono/stereo re-issue I bought last year, absolute night and day it's like listening to a completely different record, absolutely fantastic, fast, dynamic, great rythm, bass everything just superb.

The record is dead quiet and really flat, plays perfectly.

Really delighted with it.

Certainly going to buy some more of these re-issues.

Tony.

Psst, anyone want to buy a really poor sounding mono/stereo re-issue?:D
 
twotone said:
Well I've now got Blue Train on the TT and my goodness what a difference between the 75th anni re-issue and the cheap mono/stereo re-issue I bought last year, absolute night and day it's like listening to a completely different record, absolutely fantastic, fast, dynamic, great rythm, bass everything just superb.

The record is dead quiet and really flat, plays perfectly.

Really delighted with it.

Certainly going to buy some more of these re-issues.

Tony.

Psst, anyone want to buy a really poor sounding mono/stereo re-issue?:D
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I believe that the Blue Train stereo/mono is an EU loophole pirated disc. I just wish people will stop buying these bootlegs. What is the point?
 
Slightly OT, but if anybody is based near Cheltenham, there is a session about the BN 75th anniversary as part of the literature festival on Saturday 11th October, 7:30-10pm. Looks like it is an illustrated talk with live band.
 
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