DeAgostini Classic Jazz on 33 1/3 Collection
- Thread starter Algonquin
- Start date
Elephantears
Trunkated Aesthete
Oh dear, I didn't heed my own advice and blew a tenner on the magazine version of Blue Trane. I put it on and my first thought was 'it could be worse'. Not as disappointing as KoB. Then for an experiment I put on that cheap package from a couple of years ago that came with mono and stereo versions for a fiver. It was worse! So a result for the magazine cheapo. Then I put on the Music Matters Mono version. It is not just subtly better; it is in a totally different league in every way, as you'd expect (unless you're some kind of anti-audiophile nihilist troll). But here is the thing that is probably more relevant to people on this thread, who seem to be more about dipping their toes in the water with jazz rather than those with an existing collection. The thing is; the original cd is also in a totally different league to this magazine issue. So to sum up; just get whatever is close to those original tapes; never mind the format.
Moppit
pfm Member
Elephantears - I have to say I was very impressed with this Magazine version of KOB so if there is stuff out there that is significantly better for not silly money then I'm up for it! Please do share details! However the CD version I have does not sound as good (on my system).
I'm about to buy Blue Train but will hold off if there is something with extra wow factor that you can recommend. I don't have a mono cart though if that is needed for the mono version?
I'm about to buy Blue Train but will hold off if there is something with extra wow factor that you can recommend. I don't have a mono cart though if that is needed for the mono version?
Elephantears
Trunkated Aesthete
Moppit, the LP version of KoB I compared were the Classic Records, which you'd expect to be good but is more pricey, and then a Dutch 80s pressing, CBS 62066 1A-1/1B-1 (CS 8163/CL1355), which you should be able to find cheaply. As I've said, I supect there are plenty of 80s and earlier pressings available as good as this. My one piece evidence that it might be a fairly decent pressing is that when I took it in to the SoundOrg to demo LP12s in 1990 one of the guys there said it was a good one. I didn't really understand what good pressings were then, and it's a long time ago, so not reliable evidence!
Regarding the Blue Trane; I don't have a mono cart; it doesn't matter. The Music Matters is so much better it reminds me why I bother faffing about with all this hi-fi and fancy pressing stuff, and I don't think it's even one of the best MM cuts (compared to say, Maiden Voyage, which is fantastic). The CD I have is from the 80s and AAD.
Regarding the Blue Trane; I don't have a mono cart; it doesn't matter. The Music Matters is so much better it reminds me why I bother faffing about with all this hi-fi and fancy pressing stuff, and I don't think it's even one of the best MM cuts (compared to say, Maiden Voyage, which is fantastic). The CD I have is from the 80s and AAD.
irons1965
pfm Member
Thanks Jason....Just phoned WH Smith and they said they'll keep me a replacement.
Tony L
Administrator
Do you think the magazine issue is the RVG Edition mastering (i.e. compressed, somewhat harsh and with a really narrow and shut-in stereo image)?
I think the £10 ones at Fopp etc are the out of copyright ones using CD sources. These one s are licensed copies are so far appear to be pretty good quality. Just spinning Blue Train and sound very good and clean although I don't have another copy to compare against.
I think for many of us it will be a nice way to build up a decent collection of reasonably well mastered copies of classic LP's. I am going to hold off on a subscription just yet and see what the Billy Holliday release brings in two weeks time though.
I think for many of us it will be a nice way to build up a decent collection of reasonably well mastered copies of classic LP's. I am going to hold off on a subscription just yet and see what the Billy Holliday release brings in two weeks time though.
Tony L
Administrator
Sadly much if not the majority of Fopp's jazz vinyl section are EU loophole pirates and therefore worthless IMHO. I'd not list them in the pfm shop if I could get them for free! HMV are likely the same as IIRC they are now the same business as Fopp.
PS Fopp's bargains are in the CD racks, always worth a look there!
Jason P
pfm Member
Not sure about the version on Amazon, but the version they had in a local indie was one of the DOL releases - I've heard those before and was less than impressed with the quality. Likewise with the Not Now Music release, I've not heard BT, but other NNM releases I've heard have failed to impress. No point in getting vinyl if the pressing (or mastering) is lousy. I can't compare the mag version with any other pressing directly as Elephantears can, so can't give you a relative assessment as he can. Maybe my expectations are low because to my ears and on my kit (not high-end but not shabby either) it sounds good.
Tony L
Administrator
DOL, NNM etc are EU loophole pirates, i.e. have been no closer to a master tape of Blue Train or whatever than you or I. They are copies of CDs, needledrops or worse. Usually worse as they tend to have the EQ screwed around with to disguise the source. They don't have the right artwork either. File under 'C' for crap.
Tony L
Administrator
Very interested to know which mastering they have used. I suspect it will be one of three; the 1980s Ron McMaster, which is very good, the late '90s RVG Edition, which I don't like at all, or the recent 75th Anniversary Edition, which I've never heard so have no opinion on. LPJ doesn't ring any bells with me, e.g. I can't bring to mind a mastering engineer with those initials.
Rob998
Scimmia Nordoccidentale
I picked up Blue Train today.
I did an A/B against my Blue Note 75 version. I had the De Agostini on the Garrard and the Blue Note on my Systemdek and flicked between them.
Seriously, there was very little to differentiate between them, and what there was might have been due to the MM output from the Systemdek being louder.
It's another nice pressing. Maybe not as good as a MoFi or whatever, but I like it. The sleeve suggests it's a 2008 version.
I'm also coming around to the idea of subscribing, Tony and others seem to think that it's a good collection, the quality seems to be reasonable and the thought of searching them all out individually really doesn't appeal.
I did an A/B against my Blue Note 75 version. I had the De Agostini on the Garrard and the Blue Note on my Systemdek and flicked between them.
Seriously, there was very little to differentiate between them, and what there was might have been due to the MM output from the Systemdek being louder.
It's another nice pressing. Maybe not as good as a MoFi or whatever, but I like it. The sleeve suggests it's a 2008 version.
I'm also coming around to the idea of subscribing, Tony and others seem to think that it's a good collection, the quality seems to be reasonable and the thought of searching them all out individually really doesn't appeal.
Tony L
Administrator
It says on the sleeve "Mastered from the analog masters by Ron McMaster"
Master-full
Excellent news. I like McMaster's work; he tended to do very little and his Blue Notes were pretty much flat transfers of the master tapes using the technology of the day (late 80s). I have a lot both on vinyl and CD.
Interesting to see that DeAgostini in Italy are doing a vinyl blues collection now:
http://www.deagostini.com/it/collezioni/blues-vinile/
You can view a digital copy of the first magazine there too, not that I read or speak Italian but looks okay although slim like the Jazz magazine.
There's a list of the titles on this page, although it only lists 35 out of a proposed 60 releases. I guess that's possibly because they're piloting it over there and haven't decided or got clearance on all the releases:
http://www.deagostini.com/it/musica/blues-vinile
To me that also looks really rather good, any experts care to comment on the range of music in that collection?
I'd certainly be tempted by something like that too but couldn't do that one as well as the Jazz one if they overlapped. Hopefully they'll get the Jazz collection finished before they offer that over here as I guess they've done in Italy given the Jazz collection finished a while back over there.
I've read elsewhere they're doing a Classical collection too but I can't find any reference to that one.
Personally I'd find the Blues one far more tempting anyway, I have one of the old Marshall Cavendish classical collections on vinyl anyway (not that the MC vinyl was anything like the quality of these Jazz releases) including all the magazines and have to admit I'd rather listen to classical stuff on digital anyway, not that I listen to a great deal anyway.
http://www.deagostini.com/it/collezioni/blues-vinile/
You can view a digital copy of the first magazine there too, not that I read or speak Italian but looks okay although slim like the Jazz magazine.
There's a list of the titles on this page, although it only lists 35 out of a proposed 60 releases. I guess that's possibly because they're piloting it over there and haven't decided or got clearance on all the releases:
http://www.deagostini.com/it/musica/blues-vinile
To me that also looks really rather good, any experts care to comment on the range of music in that collection?
I'd certainly be tempted by something like that too but couldn't do that one as well as the Jazz one if they overlapped. Hopefully they'll get the Jazz collection finished before they offer that over here as I guess they've done in Italy given the Jazz collection finished a while back over there.
I've read elsewhere they're doing a Classical collection too but I can't find any reference to that one.
Personally I'd find the Blues one far more tempting anyway, I have one of the old Marshall Cavendish classical collections on vinyl anyway (not that the MC vinyl was anything like the quality of these Jazz releases) including all the magazines and have to admit I'd rather listen to classical stuff on digital anyway, not that I listen to a great deal anyway.
