[rcag_ils]

I could have posted these on "the catch of the day", but I decided not to, due to the fact that I didn't just buy these today, they are the catch of over ten years ago. The Japanese pressing sound real nice, better than the U.S. first pressing in my opinion, so the myth is true, they sound better, with thick cardboard sleeve, lyric sheet in Japanese and all.











there's a feeling I get, when I look to the west.....












They had the best selection, they were poisoned with protection....

[jsaliga]

I guess whether or not they are better depends a great deal on what you are buying and your points of reference. 

I bought a lot of Japanese vinyl pressings of jazz titles that are starting to get a little scarce.  They sound good, to be sure.  But I still prefer original pressings of 50s and 60s US jazz releases.  I fell into about 20 original pressings on the Contemporary label from the late 1950s that were minty.  The original vinyl is heavier (I think they were using about 120 to 150g back then, and I think they also sound better.  But I'll give the Japanese  labels some credit, because a lot of those King 1970s jazz pressings and the Blue Note reissues from Toshiba/EMI Japan in the early 80s are really nice.

--Jerome

[rcag_ils]

I don't know about the Jazz in the 50's, I imagine back in the 50's, the Japanese didn't have the technology to press records yet. By the time they started making them, the original tape might have been worn a bit, just my guess.

But the Japanese definitely did something right on pressing these 70's rock albums, they were manufactured by Toshiba/EMI, and Sony. I do have the U.S. first pressings of every one of them to compare with. These Japanese pressings have much less surface noise, bigger sound stage, clearer individual instruments.

[jsaliga]

I don't know about the Jazz in the 50's, I imagine back in the 50's, the Japanese didn't have the technology to press records yet. By the time they started making them, the original tape might have been worn a bit, just my guess.

I don't agree.  Tape is a much more robust medium than a lot of audiophiles give it credit for, mostly because they don't have a lot of first hand experience with it.  Studio masters, unlike tapes that are commercially released to the public, don't get a lot of use.  Moreover, nearly all of the Japanese pressings from the 1970s I have suffer from the same problems that vinyl pressed in the US in 1970s had...namely that the records were wafer thin.  They still sound good for the most part, but they just aren't going to compare favorably to a record pressed in the 1950s on heavy vinyl.  During the 1980s Toshiba/EMI Japan reissued a lot of Blue Note jazz titles on heavy vinyl and I think they compare favorably.  Are they better?  I wouldn't go that far, but they sounded great and were more accessible than the real McCoy for much less money.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion.  As I said in my earlier post...I think it all depends on what it is you are buying.  That is the only point I am trying to make.  I'm not the only one who believes that the Japanese jazz pressings from the 1970s are good, but nothing to get excited about.  The Toshiba/EMI Japan Blue Notes are very nice and you can still buy them for about $50 per title...but now that the Blue Note catalog is being reissued on 180g vinyl cut at 45RPM by Analogue Productions and Music Matters, remastered by Steve Hoffman, I think those Japanese Blue Note pressings are moot and not as desirable as they once were.

--Jerome

[ricmon]

I don't know about the Jazz in the 50's, I imagine back in the 50's, the Japanese didn't have the technology to press records yet. By the time they started making them, the original tape might have been worn a bit, just my guess.

Even though I have no proof somehow I think the Japaeese were producing vinyl in the 50's.  After all they were building and selling every thing else mondern.  Why not vinyl?

Just a thought
Ric

[rcag_ils]

Actually the Japanese emperior had a copy of his surrender speech for radio broadcast on a record in the 40's, I think it was wax and not vinyl, however.

I think the Japanese were still making tin toys in the 50's, they might have made some vinyl record in the 50's, but they might not be their most popular product at the time. I think they were busy rebuilding their country more than listening to Jazz. If anyone has a Japanese record from the 50's, I'd like to see it.