John Coltrane

[poco a poco]

The label is Not Now Music, so I expect it's a pirate version.

For anyone interested in vinyl the DeAgostini reissue is still available for £9.99...

https://shop.deagostini.co.uk/jazz-at-33-rpm-issue-02.html

I have this Jazz 33, the Blue Note 75 mentioned earlier, an early Blue Note mono, but unfortunately not a first pressing, and the Not Now Music mono / stereo pairing. The early mono is the best IMHO, but my copy has a bit of surface noise. The jazz 33 is very good and in IMHO a bit better than the Blue Note 75 as well as cheaper and as usual with the Jazz 33's a very quite pressing. The Not Now Music while not great is not a disaster and only cost me £5 new.

Ho I think I may have 1 or 2 CD's of this somewhere as well.

 

[trick cyclist]

The label is Not Now Music, so I expect it's a pirate version.

For anyone interested in vinyl the DeAgostini reissue is still available for £9.99...

https://shop.deagostini.co.uk/jazz-at-33-rpm-issue-02.html

What is meant by 'pirate version'? Does that mean it is a non-legal copy, or is it where someone has taken a copy from another consumer LP/CD?

 

[Tony L]

What is meant by 'pirate version'? Does that mean it is a non-legal copy, or is it where someone has taken a copy from another consumer LP/CD?

For some incomprehensible reason copyright runs out on recorded music, this occured at 50 years in the EU (though may recently have been altered). The upshot of this is you, I, my pet cat, anyone can release a copy of Giant Steps, Blue Train, Kind Of Blue etc using any source we can find; a CD, a needledrop of a record, a cassette, a recording we found on YouTube etc. Obviously we can't use the actual master tapes as UMG or whoever own those, but anything else, no matter how shite, is fair game. We can't use thecorrect cover art as copyright on images and trademarks of record labels have a longer lifespan!

The result is the jazz and other markets are simply flooded with dreadful quality opportunistic crap. It is a minefield out there and as a record dealer it really annoys me as I have the basic integrity not to sell this junk, which puts me in a real minority. A quick visit to Fopp or wherever and you are bombarded with racks of crap vinyl, crap CDs etc, none of which have been anywhere near a master tape in their production. I think the law has recently changed as I'm not seeing bent Beatles albums etc, and the first few are certainly in range now.

 

[trick cyclist]

Thanks for that Tony. So which version of Blue Train on CD should I buy? There are loads on Amazon, and I couldn't work out which might be the best ones.

 

[Tony L]

For this I'd avoid Amazon as the descriptions are not clear and you are very likely to end up with either the RVG Edition (compressed and hyped sounding) or some dodgy pirate. I'd hunt down a second hand 1980s-early 90s edition, the Ron McMaster Blue Notes which are just flat transfers or very close of the master tape and sound fine to my ears. Here's a Discog's link, though sellers do sometimes get confused by what they have. A good number on eBay too, look for a black, not transparent case tray and the compact disc logo on the bottom left of the front artwork.

 

[poco a poco]

Thanks for that Tony. So which version of Blue Train on CD should I buy? There are loads on Amazon, and I couldn't work out which might be the best ones.

I don't have this version, but most over on Steve Hoffman consider 'The Ultimate Blue Train' as the best 'red book' CD version. Not current now so getting expensive. One new on Amazon by a market place seller at £24.63 + postage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_s...e+train&rh=n:229816,k:The+Ultimate+blue+train

 

[trick cyclist]

Thanks, got a 1987 version Blue Note/EMI from Music Magpie - cheap as chips!

 

[igor_xxxx]

Today I saw 2 box sets availible locally, so I wanted to get a feedback from you guys what is the general opinion of them... sound quality and performance wise.

They are Side Steps and Interplay 5 CD box sets on Prestige.

At the moment I am still on my early stages with Coltrane but I am a huge fan for now.

 

[Tony L]

They are legit, and judging by Amazon out of print and maybe expensive (Side Steps, Interplay), so worth landing if they are cheap locally.

 

[igor_xxxx]

They are legit, and judging by Amazon out of print and maybe expensive (Side Steps, Interplay), so worth landing if they are cheap locally.

They are 35£ each, maybe not the cheapest but I think I will take the chance and buy them if they are legit.It's so hard to resist purchasing new Coltrane albums, especially when availible locally

 

[darrenyeats]

Thanks for that Tony. So which version of Blue Train on CD should I buy? There are loads on Amazon, and I couldn't work out which might be the best ones.

I don't like everything from MFSL but I like my Blue Train, though it's a bit pricey now. Can't see it on Amazon UK but some on Discogs.

 

[paulfromcamden]

Today is the 55th anniversary of John Coltrane's death.

 

[Natara]

Tone Poet are bringing out a special edition vinyl version of Blue Train at some point which I'm very much looking forward to I suspect it might be pricey though.

I have a 2008 Japanese copy released to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Alfred Lion's birth manufactured by EMI Japan which I suspect is probably cut from a digital file but sounds very good. I also have the Blue Note 75th Anniversary from 2014 these are also cut from digital files but by Alan Yoshida and although they do get some decent revues are not nearly as good as the 2008 Japanese copy.

The third copy I own is the best value by far which is the the Jazz at 33rpm by DeAgostini 2016 quality wise it falls squarely between my other two copies and can still be had for very little money it states that it's remastered from the original analogue tapes by Ron McMaster and pressed at MPO and like many of the Jazz at 33rpm is very respectable for the price.