THE BEST-SOUNDING VERSION TO OWN
BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 01/05/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"(NOTE: Before I get to reviewing the disc, I have no idea why the cat above loaded his artwork, because it is NOT the artwork for this 2007 Japan 'sleeve. I have scanned and loaded the correct artwork.)
I've been thru multiple MR&TV CD compilations thru the years. The existing disc in my collection is the "Ultimate" CD, which sounded better than previous discs, but still wasn't much to shout about.
When this 2007 Japan mini-sleeve was announced for pre-order, I jumped on it, as the Japanese usually get things right in the audio department: This disc, happily, is no exception.
The audio throughout the disc has excellent dynamic range (a quality which is rapidly disappearing in these unfortunate, every-channel-cranked-for-iPod faux-"remastering" days).
The thing that blew me away, however, was "Wild One": The clarity of this mastering reveals great snare work that I've NEVER EVER heard on any other MR&TV CD! And it isn't trivial, either.
This disc is just so much more enjoyable, start to finish, than anything else out there, I just can't recommend it more highly.
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."
