Terrific remaster--but don't pay $74.00 for it as it has bee
Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 02/28/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There's a great British remaster of this album put out by Repertoire that's half the cost of this Japanese import. The sound quality of the Repertoire remaster is terrific and the company has done restorage to the original mastertape. The sleeve is a miniature version of the original LP jacket with the Vertigo label and insert in it. This is a limited edition release.
The reissue has all the original album tracks but no bonus tracks. It's a pity that no one has dug around in the archive (outside of the GG rarities sets put out by the band themselves). "Acquiring the Taste" has also been reissued/remastered by Repertoire in a terrific edition as well. Again, there are no bonus tracks but the sound quality is exceptionally good. That album also is in a replica of the original vinyl release with a gatefold sleeve, lyrics on a poster along with an essay about the making of the album (on the poster as well). Again, for purists it is presented with a replica of the original Vertigo label. This is also a limited edition of 3000 copies. "Three Friends" has also been remastered/reissued but at this time (2/06) hasn't been announced for release in the UK. It sounds terrific as well and features the original album art.
More information on this release (which is limited to a certain amount of copies) can be obtained by visting Repertoire's website. They have a listing of all their releases and you can see what the replicas look like."
OLDER SOUND, YES; BETTER SLEEVE, ABSOLUTELY!
BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 03/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Repertoire version has better sound, but interestingly, they blew it on the LP-mini-sleeve reproduction.
See the images I loaded above, neither of which has been color manipulated.
The Japanese MS has beautiful, vibrant colors; the Repertoire version is pale & washed out by comparison.
I'm hanging on to mine!
WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?
Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.
Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.
Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.
Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.
All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs."
Track Listings (7) - Disc #1