UK Psychedelia Discussion Forum
Regal Zonophone 2
Hi Paul,
Yes, I know what you mean. I think it's a case of taking each case on its own merits. I agree with you about the Love ' Forever Changes' deluxe edition. I have that as well and like you, I still prefer just to listen to the album proper than all the studio banter and false starts, demo run throghs etc that come as extras. Though I would still like to get the hybrid SACD edition if I can ever find it in the UK for a sane price as it is likely to be the best sounding version.
I think with the two upcoming Creation sets I am certainy interested in the stereo re-mastering. The packages as a whole are better looking than the Demon CD, and so I would hope offer an overall upgrade to a relatively meagre body of work that has become so iconic. On the other hand I have Bob Dylan's 1966 live tour box set and a box of all his studio albums on CD that came out a couple of years back, oh and the 'in mono' CD box of early albums. These are all I will ever need of him. No multiple basement tapes sets or bootleg series etc for me thanks. There again, I've lost count of the number of editions of Small Faces albums I have on CD and vinyl. The Japanese SHM CD re-masters of a couple of years ago are the best ones sonically, but I still bought the recent 'Decca Years' box anyway (admittedly at half price, I wasn't going full price on something I already mostly have).
I think like many, I'm attracted to bright shiny baubles so any re-presentation of an artist I really like has an attraction, though not unreservedly. So, as to weather anyone 'needs' the Creation sets if you already have the Demon issue, might just depend on something aesthetically bannal like how averse you are to jewel cases if there's another packaging format available, or it might just be if you want a sonic upgrade. Many later CD reissues of course (I'm thinking of Bowie here especially) fans disown in favour of earlier ones, or like the Doors, issue a box set that features all their albums in both original and re-mixed versions.
All this multi edition / formatting is half the reason I don't have any more storage space, so Ill no doubt have to extensively prune the collection soon enough.
PM
Hi Paul, Yes, I will report back on the Numero Creation set in a couple of weeks.
As for Chinese box sets, that's tricky. I know the Chinese were issuing fake Led Zepplin mini LP CD box sets when those came out and they were also issuing fake Beatles in mono sets. The Zepplin set was overtly so though, e.g. the thumb wheel on led Zep 3 cover was just printed on rather than actually working wheel. So you do have to be careful.
On the other hand China is a big dumping ground for overstocks from Japanese distributors of mini LP CDs etc. They buy them up in bulk so they can re-sell cheap I have bought a lot of individual mini LP CDs from China and they are always the Japanese originals. I also just recently bought a sealed copy of the original album series 5 x cd box set of Be-Bop Deluxe albums from a Chinese seller on Discogs and it's great, it only cost £5 and I couldn't find that anywhere else below about £20+ in Europe or USA if anywhere.
It may be the box sets are perfectly legit and just cheap end of overstock copies, Ali Baba is the Amazon of China isn't it? So you'd expect that kind of deal sometimes, like the Amazon Italy offers which are always cheaper than on UK Amazon even taking into account the sinking pound against the Euro / dollar issue.
I think if I wanted the Beatles / Floyd sets enough, at the prices they are offering them for I'd take a punt on at least one of them.
PM