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From: rdg@hpcnoa.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: RCA "Paper Bag" records
Message-ID: <30200017@hpcnoa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Jan-84 23:48:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hpcnoa.30200017
Posted: Fri Jan 20 23:48:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jan-84 02:59:53 EST
References: <117@olivej.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 44
Nf-ID: #R:olivej:-11700:hpcnoa:30200017:000:1795
Nf-From: hpcnoa!rdg    Jan 24 20:48:00 1984


Of course the paper bag disks are inferior to the old
red seals, or even the new: they are still GOLD SEAL!
So they are automatically inferior to red seal. Do you
think that the paper bag records are inferior because
they are "digitally remastered?" I think the paper bags
are not remastered at all, but just say "digital" on
them in order to sell.

I quite agree with you about the old RCA's - they are
the most incredible recordings when heard on a good
system. Several used record stores around here have
a good flow of these, and in the last 6 months, I
have acquired about 20 or 30 of the old pressings,
"shaded dogs." People don't believe me when I tell them
I buy 30 year old records!

I was about ready to spend money on the expensive .5
remasterings, when I discovered that the old versions
could be bought locally; I do have one: the Reiner
Scheherezade. I also have the Red Seal pressing for
comparison. I think the .5 surfaces are excellent;
But the Red Seal sound is better: in terms of depth
and ambience, they lost something in the remaster.

The imports: yes, these are quite rare and hard to get,
but try the Serenade Record shop in Washington, DC.
On a recent trip east, I found they had a proverbial
"shitload" of imported RCA's. French, English and German,
and an outstanding collection of other imports, ie
EMI, Decca, etc. However: One of the records I got was the
Reiner '54 version of Also Sprach Zarathustra, VICS1265,German 
pressing, and compared it to an old american pressing I got used
locally; The import has better surfaces, but there is 
something about the domestic which makes the record
much more pleasant to listen to, it is 'clean.' So don't get 
too infauated with imports, they aren't ALWAYS better.


Rob Gardner
{hpfcla,hp-pcd,csu-cs}!hpcnoa!rdg


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