2. music
  3. 1208881774

Exotic Reissue Lps VS. Rare orig Which one? $$=$$

I put this Lp up for sale, when I noticed my asking price, wasn't so, "far-fetched" --from the unprecedented, $200+(!?) these new 45rpm Reissues are commonly priced at.
I got to thinking, "Since these Exotic Audiophile Reissues are
CREATING another NEW Genre for the Industry, with their Ground-Breaking prices..at what point WILL the Devoted Vinyl collector, jump ship from the 'Audiophile' fleet, and replace that habit with the unmistakable Joy --that awaits them, in
the tradition of 1st Issue LP collecting??
The monetary investment needed to fund either one, WILL BE similar enough-- IF it isn't all ready(but it is); That this HAS to be a viable, fiercely practical question upcoming. I say it IS ALL READY. If I'm wrong, I'll have a difficult time selling this Pristine, Original Stereo Issue, Gem from my collection.
A very reputable, online Rare Vinyl Dealer, I'm certain we're all acquainted with, here at Audiogon; had their recent Mint condition Bill Evans Trio LP Titles, sell quickly. 1st Stereo Issue offerings also, all gone. No problem at all, being purchased by a lucky few, of their enormous constituency.

With the Exotic Reissues now reaching an unprecedented $200+ per Title, why wouldn't the devoted LP Collector spend just one more,(approx.)'Ben Franklin' -- and add a Minty Fresh Original Issue Title to their Archives? Reissue Lps at their inception, were 1st about NEW access, due to rarity...for following generations. Were they not?
The "Remastering" or, "Re-engineering -for an alternate, similar, sonic quality, or, "attempting to imitate, that which only an 'Orig. Issue' affords,".....wasn't this 'quality' avenue pursued by the "Audiophile" the latter idea?
Though it IS complimentary to the Reissue, --as a courtesy offered to a new generation of music lovers. I believe the "alternate quality" of the Audiophile reissue logically follows...the former.

I'm interested in dissenting opinions.... it's the best way to learn something new.
And who wants to constantly-- "getup/sitdown" while changing a one-sided, 45rpm twelve-inch album 4 times per title anyway? Listening to music is about relaxing, not Aerobic exercise. My workday is too long as it is all ready.

Not to be controversial, for its own sake... but which really IS the best choice?? Do I want to support a for-profit industry with my limited music dollar?? Or would I prefer to be one that contributes to the preservation of history?? ....the nearly extinct Original LP??

The following is why I chose the route I did, with my music $$$ --
decades ago. For me, these 1,2,3's still make sense:




The distinct advantages of doing so:

1) Superior aesthetic NO reissue will ever compete with
--Enjoy.

2) Best Value=Reissue?? NOT... So why not passionately
enjoy, what the Audiophile industry will ALWAYS be
attempting to emulate anyway? Life's too short...

3) Superior Investment. Original Issue Lps appreciate more
than reissues do. And what influences the Audiophile
Reissue more/less to appreciate anyway?
The forever increasing value of an Original......

4) And who wants to constantly-- "getup/sitdown" while
changing a one-sided, 45rpm twelve-inch album 4 times
per title anyway? Listening to music is about relaxing,
not Aerobic exercise. My workday is too long as it is
all ready.

So I say again......Not to be controversial, for its own sake... but which really IS the best choice?? Do I want to support a for-profit industry with my limited music dollar?? Or would I prefer to be one that contributes to the preservation of history?? ....the nearly extinct Original LP?? I'm really interested in fellow member's REASONS for their opinions, not just the opinion, Thanks.
fuschia_swingsong_me
albertporter's avatar
albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Fred, that may be correct for Decca, I have not made the comparison with original versus reissues.

I assure you, the Blues reissues from Speaker Corner blow away the Chess originals and every other reissue I've ever heard. Howling Wolf, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters et all.

I also have a few Blue Note originals and I personally think the Music Matters Jazz (45 RPM stereo) versions are the best I've ever heard. I agree they don't sound the same, the old versions are darker, more distorted and (often) mono.

The RVG reissues that Steve Hoffman and Kevin remastered were taken from the ORIGINAL session tapes. The first pressing LP's are taken from a studio mono mix down via an Ampex. Nothing wrong with the first issue, but it is one more tape away from the master and why throw away the stereo when it was recorded that way in the first place?

I wonder how history might view these reissues if Alfred Lion had not pushed RVG to mix down to mono before sending off that copy to be pressed to LP?

And last, like the mix or not, the Beatles "Love" which was taken from the original session tapes destroy every other Beatles LP I've heard, (judging from sonics only, not creativity), only a few Euro LP's are close, including the German "Die Beatles" uncompressed release.
fcrowder
191 posts
 
I can only speak with any authority about RCA, Mercury and Decca reissues and perhaps with respect to a few 60's and 70's rock groups and folk groups which I collect, in particular Dire Straits and John Renbourn. Jazz is an area about which I know little other than I enjoy the music. In general, the closer you can get to the original pressing, the better the sound will be. I will say that I have been very impressed with the Music Matters 45 rpm jazz reissues to which I have subscribed. Again, the ability to properly adjust VTA is critical inorder to fully appreciate the sound of these reissues. I have not generally been impressed by the Classic re-issues nor for that matter by the Speaker's Corner reissues of the Mercury classical catelogue. note that I have still bought them and do enjoy listening to them so long as I do not compare them directly to to early pressings of the original. I suspect that part of this is the age of the master tapes and the deterioration that they have sufferred. Again, let me stress that reissues serve a useful purpose in that they provide a broader access to rare performances. I should also say that I have great respect for Steve Hoffman and what he is able to achieve.
qdrone
1,041 posts
 
Fcrowder,I don't mean to hijack this thread but you are so right on with the VTA adjusting. To many times people come on agon and say this recording is terrible no air,no bass,no seperation of instruments which is why I'm in the market for a new tonearm that is easier to adjust the vta. I hate having to break out an allen wrench and hope I don't screw up all the other settings on my ET2 or crack the tonearm retightning it. For what it's worth if you collect music as an investment either one of these recordings Original pressing vs. audiophile reissue is a choice. If you have 30 years to resale buy the reissue but beware sometimes they are not done well or can be warped or buy the original and flip it in five years for a moderate financial gain.
jdaniel13
129 posts
 
Fushia, it sounds like you already answered your question. I've found that some of the 45rpm re-issues sound better than originals. One in particular is the fabulous Mercury Prokofiev Scythian Suite and Love for Three Oranges. I have two FR originals, one with a huge localized defect BUT as such, unplayed. The 45 rpm reissue retains the "boogie-factor" of the originals, yet has much better focused bass and slashing dynamics.

As in vinyl as in life, generalized observations to re-assure one's self may cause one to miss out.
ricktpt
35 posts
 
Better's continually in the eye of the beholder. I have the Mercury Scythian Suite/3 Oranges in the original LP, the Classic Reissue, The CD reissues all in excellent shape (including the original). The best "presentation" resides in the reissue vinyl, but there's an "originality" that can't be denied on the original FR2/FR1 pressings that may (or may not) be related to the age of the master tapes. In any event, that performance is always "THE" one to beat, primarily because conductors used to let their resident Brass sections "off the chain" back then in order to help sell that (then) new catalog of music to high fidelity consumers. Now...not so much....
More to discover