Background
It is perhaps no surprise that my music collection has grown at a much faster rate since joining the Naim club last summer. Thanks to the Forum, Radio Paradise and Radio 2, 3 & Scotland , all supported by You Tube, I have really expanded my listening experience which has developed considerably: sometimes into areas that I am still surprised about, but have found very enjoyable. The Forum has also introduced me to suppliers other than Amazon such as Burning Shed and Bandcamp.
The Challenge
Although my ears are far from the best (i.e. not the most discerning) I am aware that some days I am happy to listen to any music but on some (grumpy) days I get very choosey about the music I listen to and tend to listen to recordings that I perceive to be better quality and therefore more engaging. There have been many comments on the thread about the variety and value of getting a good quality LP pressing. Although this has been discussed with reference to CDs my feeling is that is not discussed as much
The Options
By way of an example I list the CD options recently (a few weeks ago now) available on Amazon for Gentle Giant’s Octopus:
Year Label Price
1990 Columbia £13.18 (Import)
1997 Polydor £7.55
2006 Repertoire £16.97 (Limited Edition)
2008 Repertoire £51.93 (Remastered – used)
2010 Universal Japan £71.20 (Import)
2011 Alucard Records £17.08 (import)
2012 Eastwold £12
The Decision process
Pre-Naim this would have been quite easy – the cheapest and (often) remastered as a bonus as an obvious choice as new must be best! Post-Naim Forum - oh dear remastered is not always (ok, very rarely) the best. However how do I decide which version to buy? The list above illustrates the choices that we buyers face, but how am I to decide? Are their some labels that are recognised as being consistently good at producing high quality recordings, and conversely are their some that are very bad?
Help!
How can I spend my money to get the best recordings (at a reasonable price) and therefore maximise the music I want to listen to on my grumpy days? What do I look for? Are there obvious clues to aid the decision making process?
Posted on: 09 March 2013 by Jay Coleman
Unfortunately, there are no general rules that cover each recording (other than stick with the original if possible, a good rule of thumb, but then one has to which is the original). Try the Steve Hoffman forum. There are endless threads on what is the best version of this or that album.
Posted on: 10 March 2013 by KRM
The DR Database is a useful way to weed out the compressed reissues.
A remaster credit for Steven Wilson is also a good sign if your choice of Gentle Giant is an indication that you're after prog (ELP, King Crimson, Jethro Tull)?
Keith
Posted on: 10 March 2013 by Forester
Keith
Thanks for the heads up about the DR Database. It certainly gives me something to follow up although some elements of the associated links look a little technical.
I have very recently been alerted to Steve Wilson, both his own music and his input to the music of others, and have as a result already made purchases from Burning Shed.
Jay has suggested I study and as, an example if this and my eclectic tastes, I have looked at options for buying Cathryn Craig’s Porch Songs (another Forum inspired find) as it will be included in my next CD order. It does not appear in the DR Database and I have only found one version (Goldrush label) so I assume that I can safely buy it in the absence of any alternatives?
However when there are different versions and the DR Database does not include them are there other clues/guides to selecting the best version? All tips welcome.
Posted on: 10 March 2013 by Jack
Originally Posted by Jay Coleman:
Unfortunately, there are no general rules that cover each recording (other than stick with the original if possible, a good rule of thumb, but then one has to which is the original). Try the Steve Hoffman forum. There are endless threads on what is the best version of this or that album.
+1 for the Steve Hoffman forum. A much more limited set of artists but I've generally been impressed with the material I have bought from the likes of Audio Fidelity plus others. Discogs can also be helpful to some degree in finding out more about the different number of releases etc
Posted on: 10 March 2013 by Wugged Woy
+3 Steve Hoffman site. And Discogs for the info. needed when searching for a particular disc. Oh, and dare I say, sometimes Amazon reviews can help.
