Nick Drake 200gm Japanese Vinyl Re-Issues

A thing of beauty indeed, John. Look forward to hearing it soon.

Blimey, I didn't pay that much for all 3 of the originals in the early 70s.

So you're the two people who bought his albums in the 70s! I caught up in the mid-80s, after Anne Nightingale played his stuff a lot. Also have a very nice original FLL, bought for a fiver in 1985.

The Fruit Tree box isn't out for a couple of weeks as far as I know. Nice Xmas present.

Thanks for that Munch - Very interesting.

I have the 1986 Hannibal/Rykodisc 'Fruit Tree' CD box set, of which the fourth disc is the 14 track 'Time of No Reply'.

The track listing on the fourth disc in the new 'Fruit Tree' set is totally different. The utterly chilling 'Black Eyed Dog' (and other gems) are absent.

I also doubt very much whether the manufacture or recording quality of this vinyl set will be up to the standard of the superb Japanese re-issues. That said, it looks like a good value set of Nick Drake's music.

See you next Friday.

John.

quote:

I also doubt very much whether the manufacture or recording quality of this vinyl set will be up to the standard of the superb Japanese re-issues.

And I can assure you none of them are up to the standard of the originals!

I have no trouble believing that Bob, as I've heard an original pressing of 'Time of no Reply' sounding superb. The 'originals' in good nick (ahem!) command serious money now.

Have you made a direct comparison with the 'Simply Vinyl' or Japanese re-issues?

John.

quote:

Originally posted by J.N.:
I also doubt very much whether the manufacture or recording quality of this vinyl set will be up to the standard of the superb Japanese re-issues.

I believe they are being pressed at Pallas - hence will be every bit as good. Also, the Fruit Tree set is being made with the full approval of Nick's management, hence will be made from 'approved' tapes - unlike, I believe, these Japanese re-issues.

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
Nick Drake's Fruit Tree box set is out on cd and LP for £38.00
Its a 4LP set with 108 page book and a dvd.
Munch

Ta munch. duly ordered!

I doubt very much if the 'Fruit Tree' set is going to be on very quiet 200 gm vinyl as the Japanese re-issues are. The provenance of the tapes used is of course very important to the end result.

I look forward to making a comparison when you get your set Tony.

John.

Absolutely John. 'Twill be very interesting!

quote:

Originally posted by J.N.:
I doubt very much if the 'Fruit Tree' set is going to be on very quiet 200 gm vinyl as the Japanese re-issues are. The provenance of the tapes used is of course very important to the end result.

John,

you are quite correct. I believe they are on 180g vinyl - although I'd be equally happy with 150 or 120g,long as the vinyl is quiet (which if they are being pressed at Pallas, I'm confident they will be).

PS Fruit Tree LP set is (perhaps was) being sold for £27.99 by Spin CDs.

I got mine on Monday, and very good they sound too!

Hopefully J.N., Michael & I will be doing a comparison with the Japanese pressings a week on Saturday.

According to the one reviewer on Amazon.co.uk the pressings are "low grade east European 135gram" and he's not at all pleased. Shame I was going to order a copy, bought the CD box set for £17.98 from Blah.

Chris

quote:

Originally posted by munch:
Hi Tony,
I have just changed the sleeves on mine and i now have my spot lights on and i have noticed markes on all three discs.Looks like there in the vinyl.Have you had yours under a light?
Munch

Hi Munch.

Yes, I've also noticed marks on every side. I've put them all through the Moth but it hasn't shifted them so I guess they're in the vinyl.
They're very superficial though and the discs themselves sound very good with no pronounced surface noise.

They're only "Standard" weight, not 180g but not that awful flimsy stuff either.

It's going to be interesting to do the comparison with J.N.'s Japanese pressings!

And - God willing, a fair wind and swift Crimbo shop - my 180g Simply Vinyl set as well

So, it's to be a Nick Drake day then!

Some things never change over the years then?
Isn't it amazing when they were selling millions or at least 100s of 1000s of albums in the '60s early 70s faulty albums seemed rare.
Just before they were "phased out" I seemed to have to return about 50% for replacement. Now even the so called Audiophile or low volume makers still don't seem to be able make a good product. Included in that is the ability for said product to be able to travel with out destruction or injury.

Not sure I'd label these as faulty. They play well with no surface noise and sound great!

The marks on them are quite weird - you have to hold the discs in a certain way to even see them.

Think I'll just hold on to my copies.

Total sales of Nick Drake's 3 original albums was about 5000.

http://www.curledup.com/nickdrak.htm

We played my Japanese "Pink Moon" last night at Chris Bell's (500 series system) and it sounded very good.

Chris has kindly offered to look after them for me while my LP12 gets built.


dn'l

Last Saturday some members of the West Norfolk Phonographic Society did a quick comparison between three different vinyl versions round at my place - my new "fruit Tree" box set, J.N.'s Japanese pressings and JWM's "Simply Vinyl" copies. Michael of this Forum also lent his ears to the occasion.

My view - there was little to choose between my FT and JWM's SV - perhaps the FT just edged it on detail. J.N's Jap version was rather different - crisper, more detailed, I suppose more CD-like would be a good description. The others were a bit warmer in comparison.

In the final analysis the differences were down to personal preference. Leaving aside the investment aspect, if you've got any one of these versions there's not much point in getting one of the others. They all sounded excellent, with low surface noise and excellent dynamics.

JWM might have a slightly different view. And J.N. wasn't at his scintillating best that day due to a cold...

Hi Munch, no John was with us...but he was recovering from a nasty cold!!

Yes a fair comment on the 3 sets Tony... I agree the Japanese sets.. sparkled a little more to the expense... maybe.... of a more "authentic" vinyl presentation of the other 2 sets.

I really do need to hear original copies from way back when though...now that would be fascinating.... just how did they sound?

Bloody marvellous - even when scratchy!

£23 makes it an absolute bargain Munch!

quote:

Originally posted by tonym:
Last Saturday some members of the West Norfolk Phonographic Society did a quick comparison between three different vinyl versions round at my place - my new "fruit Tree" box set, J.N.'s Japanese pressings and JWM's "Simply Vinyl" copies. Michael of this Forum also lent his ears to the occasion.

My view - there was little to choose between my FT and JWM's SV - perhaps the FT just edged it on detail. J.N's Jap version was rather different - crisper, more detailed, I suppose more CD-like would be a good description. The others were a bit warmer in comparison.

In the final analysis the differences were down to personal preference. Leaving aside the investment aspect, if you've got any one of these versions there's not much point in getting one of the others. They all sounded excellent, with low surface noise and excellent dynamics.

JWM might have a slightly different view. And J.N. wasn't at his scintillating best that day due to a cold...

Thank you to Tony and Mrs Tony for a lovely afternoon and evening last Saturday, with a fantastic Italian dinner included!!

I had to arrive a bit late, which meant that everyone else had already had a good go at things. But with all of us there we did the big comparison using Bryter Later and extrapellating (if that's how you spell it?!) across all three.

The Fruit Tree box set is itself a beautiful thing. And I enjoyed the sound. Sounded much closer to the kind of sound on my 2nd edn Five Leaves. The new Japanese was in many ways a revelation. We were amazed how different the same thing could sound!

The sound quality on all of them was very good.

If anything, the listening session made me want to get both the Fruit Tree box and the Japanese pressings! But in reality, they're all good records, if with slightly different emphases. There's nothing so jaw-dropping about any of them that if you've already got these albums on acceptable quality vinyl you have to rush out and buy something else. And I will be sticking to my Simply Vinyl - not because they're 'better', but because they're fine.

James