While shopping around yesterday, with a coupon that I needed to use, I found a copy of the Carpenters' GOLD SOUND + VISION CD/DVD set.
I needed this like I needed a hole my head, but the coupon was expiring, and the money was burning a hole in my pocket, so I splurged. I fully realized that I was spending money on stuff I already had, just in different packaging. And attractive packaging at that, I might add.
For anyone who hasn't looked through stores recently, the package for the standard GOLD CD has been changed. We covered this in other threads, but it now has been standardized by Universal to look like part of their GOLD series by many other artists, ABBA and Olivia Newton-John among them.
So the old original black cover with gold printing version has all but disappeared from American shelves, and this DVD/CD SOUND + VISION package stood out with its stark black cover and shiny gold Carpenters logo on it. And I figured it would be one of those packages that'l' be disappearing one of these days, so I grabbed it.
The discs are housed inside a slipcase in a tri-fold holder. one page houses a booklet, one page holds the two CDs, and the third holds the DVD. The bad thing about this is that the two CDs are in one of those overlapping holders, where disc one on top is buried underneath half of disc two, which fits over top of it. A lot of DVD packaging of TV season sets have come out this way, to the consternation of fans everywhere.
The CD discs have somewhat different labels on them from the original CD counterparts. Colorwise, both of them match the packaging and the styling of the old Disc One - gold printing on a black background, with a gold ring around the circumference. Differences are that each disc has a SOUND + VISION logo on it with the A&M logo moved to the 9 O'clock position. Also, instead of having "35TH ANNIVERSARY" printed on them, they simply say "GREATEST HITS". The ones in this dual set also do not have the track titles listed on the disc.
The DVD follows the same coloring style with the gold printing on the black disc, with the word DVD on it instead of DISC ONE and DISC TWO on the CDs.
The booklet is in a taller format than the CD version. It features a gold+black picture of Richard leaning on Karen's shoulder, Karen with her arms folded, wearing a hat. The same picture appears inside the GOLD CD booklet, but its in color. The color version is also included in the CD/DVD booklet, but as I said, its also used as the booklet's cover in a black + gold version. The liner notes are the same as the CDs, written by Richard in December 2003, and the track by track notes are also identical to the CD.
The DVD listings follow, but do not include John Tobler's notes, as can be found in the plain DVD version of GOLD. And here's where I noticed things getting a bit strange.
In comparing the DVD listings, I noticed a difference in the publishing notes for most songs. More puzzling is the fact that the US version of GOLD DVD that I purchased back on May 1, 2002, has publishing credits that appear to come from the UK. For example, the first track, "We've Only Just Begun" is listed on the plain DVD version as being published by "Rondor Music (London), Ltd." The CD/DVD publishing credits for the same song list "Irving Music, Inc. (BMI)"
Looking through the list, almost all of the tracks feature "(something), Ltd." a tell-tale sign of UK origination, yet on the CD/DVD version, the tracks all have familiar American publishing credits with lots of "Inc."
Curious.
Looking briefly at the DVD, and sampling some of the CDs, I detect no difference at all in the masterings. This was strictly a packaging of two different titles/formats. It's good for someone who has neither, or for obsessive collectors like myself.
Harry
...going for the GOLD as we head into the Olympics, online...
I needed this like I needed a hole my head, but the coupon was expiring, and the money was burning a hole in my pocket, so I splurged. I fully realized that I was spending money on stuff I already had, just in different packaging. And attractive packaging at that, I might add.
For anyone who hasn't looked through stores recently, the package for the standard GOLD CD has been changed. We covered this in other threads, but it now has been standardized by Universal to look like part of their GOLD series by many other artists, ABBA and Olivia Newton-John among them.
So the old original black cover with gold printing version has all but disappeared from American shelves, and this DVD/CD SOUND + VISION package stood out with its stark black cover and shiny gold Carpenters logo on it. And I figured it would be one of those packages that'l' be disappearing one of these days, so I grabbed it.
The discs are housed inside a slipcase in a tri-fold holder. one page houses a booklet, one page holds the two CDs, and the third holds the DVD. The bad thing about this is that the two CDs are in one of those overlapping holders, where disc one on top is buried underneath half of disc two, which fits over top of it. A lot of DVD packaging of TV season sets have come out this way, to the consternation of fans everywhere.
The CD discs have somewhat different labels on them from the original CD counterparts. Colorwise, both of them match the packaging and the styling of the old Disc One - gold printing on a black background, with a gold ring around the circumference. Differences are that each disc has a SOUND + VISION logo on it with the A&M logo moved to the 9 O'clock position. Also, instead of having "35TH ANNIVERSARY" printed on them, they simply say "GREATEST HITS". The ones in this dual set also do not have the track titles listed on the disc.
The DVD follows the same coloring style with the gold printing on the black disc, with the word DVD on it instead of DISC ONE and DISC TWO on the CDs.
The booklet is in a taller format than the CD version. It features a gold+black picture of Richard leaning on Karen's shoulder, Karen with her arms folded, wearing a hat. The same picture appears inside the GOLD CD booklet, but its in color. The color version is also included in the CD/DVD booklet, but as I said, its also used as the booklet's cover in a black + gold version. The liner notes are the same as the CDs, written by Richard in December 2003, and the track by track notes are also identical to the CD.
The DVD listings follow, but do not include John Tobler's notes, as can be found in the plain DVD version of GOLD. And here's where I noticed things getting a bit strange.
In comparing the DVD listings, I noticed a difference in the publishing notes for most songs. More puzzling is the fact that the US version of GOLD DVD that I purchased back on May 1, 2002, has publishing credits that appear to come from the UK. For example, the first track, "We've Only Just Begun" is listed on the plain DVD version as being published by "Rondor Music (London), Ltd." The CD/DVD publishing credits for the same song list "Irving Music, Inc. (BMI)"
Looking through the list, almost all of the tracks feature "(something), Ltd." a tell-tale sign of UK origination, yet on the CD/DVD version, the tracks all have familiar American publishing credits with lots of "Inc."
Curious.
Looking briefly at the DVD, and sampling some of the CDs, I detect no difference at all in the masterings. This was strictly a packaging of two different titles/formats. It's good for someone who has neither, or for obsessive collectors like myself.
Harry
...going for the GOLD as we head into the Olympics, online...
