[taoster]

are there any fans of overpriced japanese imports for a track or two? why are they all japanese releases? its weird.

 

[gloco]

It sucks that they and Europe get all the cool releases and what are we stuck with? Crap.

 

[coolvij]

It's not just better releases.

If you're into cool jazz, then it really bites that an awesome album, like, say, "A Tribue To Jack Johnson" by Miles Davis has been redone like Sketches of Spain or Kind of Blue - in the U.S. if I pay 30-50 bucks, though, I can get a japanese import, which HAS been remastered and sounds terrific.

GRRR......

And, of course, I can't afford a 30+ dollar CD....not unless it's REALLY special....at least the late 80s Columbia remaster I have sounds *ok*.

 

[wab]

I have a few of those Japanese Sony Mastersound CD's by Miles Davis and Weather Report. I must say they sound very good. I'm also lucky I know a shop that has a big collection of them at only $10!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

It is my understanding that they add the extra tracks to make it worthwhile to the Japanese market. Otherwise they would buy the import versions (I.E. ours) for less. They don't have the tariffs that we do. (Someone who knows want to confirm or deny this? I'm not sure about my facts.)

But be warned -- sometimes those extra tracks are useless -- for example, the Japanese version of the latest Garbage album has the track from the soundtrack they did (that Bond film). So you can get the domestic album + the single for less than the Japanese version of the album.

But sometimes it's better in entirely different ways -- for example, there's a Britney Spears single for which the cover is sideways, therefore giving maybe a square inch or two more coverage of Britney. Also -- the covers of the last Kylie Minogue and Vitamin C albums have entirely different covers.

But sometimes they're worth it just for the music. I have the Japanese versions of some Trans Am and Tortoise albums, the bonus tracks alone are worth the price of admission. Lots of material on Futureworld, for example.

But you definitely need to check. I forget which album (I think it's the MDFMK one) the bonus track is available on a soundtrack (Spawn, I think).

One last point: on my Japanese copy of Darkest Days by Stabbing Westward, the bonus track is not HDCD, but what's weird is, the CD becomes non-HDCD a couple of seconds early -- at the end of "Waking Up Beside You" -- very annoying! I need to get another copy of the domestic version of that...

 

[gloco]

Haha, poor Dusty! As you pointed out sometimes they have different artwork (read: way cooler!) and at times way neater packaging. However it seems that they're prices (buying a cd in Japan) go from $20 and up, right?

 

[Driftwood]

yeah, I tell you, I have noticed (and have been upset by) the fact that a lot of the cds I own have japanese versions that include extra tracks. Being obsessive like I am, I really want to get the japanese version also.

So far, I think I have held out, but I tell you, it bugs me!

Driftwood

 

[taoster]

i didnt realise that japanese releases are remastered recordings too? is that a general thing or limited to some special releases.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

gloco - yes, they are very expensive. Fortunately I have a friend at Tower who gives me his friends-and-family discount. Still expensive, but significantly less so. I have both Japanese versions of Garbage's first album (they both have "Crush #1", but one of them is the remix). Am I a nut or what? Don't answer that (that's one of them "rhetorical questions"). Quote:

Originally posted by taoster i didnt realise that japanese releases are remastered recordings too? is that a general thing or limited to some special releases.

Only sometimes. I have one of those DSD mastered recordings (Passion, Grace, and Fire), and yes, they are quite nice.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dusty Chalk gloco - yes, they are very expensive. Fortunately I have a friend at Tower who gives me his friends-and-family discount. Still expensive, but significantly less so. I have both Japanese versions of Garbage's first album (they both have "Crush #1", but one of them is the remix). Am I a nut or what? Don't answer that (that's one of them "rhetorical questions")

Well, that's one of the reasons i took up trading, i always see some boots compilations of all their b sides, "trip my wire" is a fav of mine, ever hear it?

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco Well, that's one of the reasons i took up trading, i always see some boots compilations of all their b sides, "trip my wire" is a fav of mine, ever hear it?

Yah. It's one of my fave B-sides, right up there with "Girl Don't Come" -- in the high- energy vein. I also like their slower ones like "Sleep" and the original version of "Crush #1" and "Subhuman", for that matter...aw, L, it seems I like pretty much all Garbage B-sides from the era of the first album...

What's really messed up (to get back on topic of Japanese releases) is that I already had the tracks. That was definitely one of those cases of look elsewhere. The singles for "Vow" (not the US one, though) and "Subhuman" both had "Subhuman" and "Crush #1", which were the bonus tracks on the Japanese disc.

taoster - in addition to sometimes being remastered, there's also sometimes special attention paid to the actual disc itself, fewer errors, so they play better. But I have yet to be able to hear a difference myself, and I don't have the software to actually check some of my discs. Just rumour...