Search - Joe Walsh :: Smoker You Drink the Player You Get

HUH? SOUNDS GREAT TO ME!

BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 10/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not quite sure what reviewer "cool j" is on about, especially since he seems to contradict himself halfway thru his text. So, let me try to set the record straight regarding this Japan mini-sleeve remaster.



I've A/B'd this disc against all other available Walsh "Smoker" CD's & compilation CD's, and this is, by far, the best audio version available, including the faux "gold" CD that MCA put out in the early 90's.



Have fun trying to find one, though; all of the available copies have pretty been much been snatched up by JW fans and are gone for good... until another remaster shows up, that is.



Until someone does it better, this unfortunately out-of-print CD is the benchmark.



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."