Multiple Copies of One Album

[JOv2]

Name the artist and album of which you have the most multiple copies across all formats (tally is optional).

…as with all these "music collector" posts, feel free to provide a backstory…

 

[Rudy]

Knowingly? Mine may be Uniquely Mancini, as the purchases were done out of frustration trying to find a clean playable copy. Turns out a slight bit of the distortion I was hearing was part of the Dynagroove process, although a couple weren't too clean. I think I have five copies of this one. My last one, sealed, certainly was clean, but it was a later pressing and is a bit dark overall. (That's when RCA changed from the silver "RCA Victor" text to white, with the new font, in the Dynagroove era. Both repressings on this label variation are darker, for whatever reason.)

Same with Something Festive, the A&M holiday compilation. I may have four of those, again, out of frustration trying to find a clean copy.

I'm not a "collector" in that I need to own every single release of an item, or of every release and reissue an artist ever had. I collect the music. So once I reach a point where I acquire all of the artist's music (albums and in some cases, B-sides), I'm done. If a better sounding version comes along, and the album is a favorite, I will certainly upgrade. Which means the lesser version goes onto the pile that ends up being sold or traded.

The digital era confuses things, only because certain box set collections will include an album I already own. So there could be other cases where I might have something as two different downloads in addition to a CD version I have already.

 

[Moritat]

Knowingly? Mine may be Uniquely Mancini, as the purchases were done out of frustration trying to find a clean playable copy. Turns out a slight bit of the distortion I was hearing was part of the Dynagroove process, although a couple weren't too clean. I think I have five copies of this one. My last one, sealed, certainly was clean, but it was a later pressing and is a bit dark overall. (That's when RCA changed from the silver "RCA Victor" text to white, with the new font, in the Dynagroove era. Both repressings on this label variation are darker, for whatever reason.)

Most of the old RCA pressings sounded good except for certain albums where RCA would accentuate the treble for a sweeter sound. Could this be what happened on the Dynagroove recodings? Also, have you noticed any improvement in sound on RCA albums with a stamper of 1S? I have noticed with stampers over 15S, the bass gets a bit muddled. As far as multiple copies, I have multiples of all the early TJB albums. When I see them for .25 to 1.00 at estate sales, it's too hard to pass them up.

 

[Harry]

I have quite a few multiples of Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass albums in my collection. Original purchases, replacement purchases, garage sale finds, CDs from A&M, Shout, Herb Alpert Presents, box sets, picture discs. I'd guess WHIPPED CREAM is probably among the highest.

Carpenters albums I have at least three, four, five of each from various sets, individual purchases, international titles, etc.

 

[Cuyler]

Oh no. This is where my hoarding problem comes in.

I have multiple copies of all of the Carpenters' albums. I need to let some go. Generally speaking, I have two CDs for each Carpenters' album release. The only exception at this exact moment is "Ticket to Ride," because the AM+ copy is coming in the mail.

• Close to You - I have the AM+ CD (CD 3184), Karen in My Memories (POCM-1810), and Remastered Classics (a couple of copies, but only one is open)
• Carpenters - I have the AM+ CD (CD 3502), Remastered Classics, and somewhere I have (had?) the EU Spectrum/Karussell CD
• A Song for You - MFSL-ized AM+ CD (CD 3511), Remastered Classics, and somewhere I have the MFSL Gold CD...
• Now & Then - AM+ CD (CD 3519) and Remastered Classics
• Horizon - AM+ CD (CD 4530) and Remastered Classics. Soon, I will be getting a smooth-edged AM+ CD. The one I currently have is from the 1990s since it has an IFPI marking in the matrix/mould.
• A Kind of Hush - Karen in My Memories (POCM-1815) and "W Pack Series" (A Kind of Hush/Passage - Carpenters | User Reviews | AllMusic)
• Passage - Karen in My Memories (POCM-1816) and "W Pack Series" (A Kind of Hush/Passage - Carpenters | User Reviews | AllMusic)
• Made in America - AM+ CD (CD 3723) (all scratched up, need to sell it to Book-Off since they can re-surface scratched up CDs), Karen in My Memories (POCM-1817) and two "Carpenters 40" CDs (not sure why I have two, but I do)
• Voice of the Heart - AM+ CD (CD 4954) and Remastered Classics

I also have two copies of Stevie Wonder's "Talking Book" on CD. Both have smooth edges, so both are early pressings. But one is Japanese (VDP-1067) and the other is American (TCD06151TD).

On vinyl, I believe I have two or three copies of certain Carpenters albums (i.e. one or two American copies, one or two West German copies here and there) and I also have the full vinyl collection box set that was released a few years ago. So... many many copies of Carpenters albums.

Similarly, I'm a fan of Wings (Paul McCartney), so I have quite a few different pressings of various Macca/Wings albums. I have the Capitol CD of "Tug of War" (which has the original mixes of the album) as well as the "Paul McCartney Archive Collection" (which has the 2015 remixes of that album) and I have it on vinyl as well. I've also accumulated a few copies of "Venus and Mars" (1975). I have one from the radio station, one recently purchased, one colored vinyl from a few years ago, and one or two more copies from 1975.

At one point, I bought a whole bunch of copies of "The Singles: 1969-1973." Across vinyl and CD, I probably had ten or eleven copies altogether, maybe 3 regular vinyl, 2 quad, and about five or six CD. Now, I have three quad, maybe three vinyl, but only one CD (the SHM-CD)--I sold off all of my copies of those horrid AM+ CDs with the sped up "Superstar/Rainy Days and Mondays/Goodbye to Love" and the 1985 remix of "Yesterday Once More." So that still leaves me with around seven copies of "The Singles: 1969-1973." I guess that's the most copies I have of any one album!

 

[rockdoctor]

This is going to be fun. When Brasil'66 records were being discontinued, I would find copies in used record stores and occasionally a thrift store and pick them up. Now some of the cd's are going by the wayside as well.
Herb Alpert Presents-4 LP-(1 Mono)-3 CD-1 Japan issue
Equinox-3 LP, 3 CD.
Look Around-5 LP 4 CD-1 Japan issue
Fool On The Hill- 6 LP 3 CD-1 Japan issue
Crystal Illusions-4 LP 4 CD-2 Japan issue
YeMeLe-2 LP(1 German pressing)- 3 CD-1 Japan issue
Greatest Hits-2 LP(Both cover colors)-1 CD
Stillness, Pais Tropical and Primal Roots- Have 1 of each in both LP and CD. All three cd's are Japan Issues.
I never see these three in used record stores or thrift stores.

Also Herb Alpert & TJB Warm-3 LP and 1 CD.
Also have extras of other TJB in stereo and mono when I can find them.

Carole King Tapestry- multiple copies for Ode70 and Ode/Epic and Capitol plus the CD releases with bonus songs.

 

[rockdoctor]

Thanks Cuyler. I have been a Brasil' 66 JUNKIE for over 50 years!
I also have multiple copies of 5th Dimension LP's and CD's as well.

 

[Cuyler]

Carole King Tapestry- multiple copies for Ode70 and Ode/Epic and Capitol plus the CD releases with bonus songs.

Hello! Which CD of "Tapestry" sounds best to you? (Excluding the bonus songs.) I have one CD with catalog number EK 34946, and a later one that has an all-around clear jewel case (as opposed to the jewel cases with the opaque black CD cradle), with the bonus tracks. I think there's little to no peak limiting on the EK 34946 disc. Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Rudy]

Most of the old RCA pressings sounded good except for certain albums where RCA would accentuate the treble for a sweeter sound. Could this be what happened on the Dynagroove recodings? Also, have you noticed any improvement in sound on RCA albums with a stamper of 1S? I have noticed with stampers over 15S, the bass gets a bit muddled.

Dynagroove was a process that among other things, added a slight pre-distortion to the LP mastering, to make it sound better on the typical playback equipment of the day (which would have been stereo consoles and portable record players). To me, it sounds like they also added a little dynamic compression along with tweaking the frequency extremes.

The Living Stereo era was a bit purer in that aspect, as they didn't rely on any proprietary process to cut their records.

I haven't directly compared stampers, but I do have at least one album with 1S stampers on both sides (Mancini's soundtrack from Experiment in Terror). I've had some RCA albums with later stampers that sounded perfectly good. But even there, each stamper will wear down as its used, so a pressing off of a fresh 15S stamper still might sound better than a 2S stamper that has worn out, in other words. In both cases though, the transients get worn off, so what you lose is definition in the higher frequencies (such as percussion). And I would suspect, as you noted, that the overall sound may be a bit muted and not quite as well defined. In a direct comparison we might hear it, but to randomly pick up an RCA LP, I don't think we'd notice.

 

[rockdoctor]

Hello! Which CD of "Tapestry" sounds best to you? (Excluding the bonus songs.) I have one CD with catalog number EK 34946, and a later one that has an all-around clear jewel case (as opposed to the jewel cases with the opaque black CD cradle), with the bonus tracks. I think there's little to no peak limiting on the EK 34946 disc. Would love to hear your thoughts!

They all sound the same to me. I do not notice anything different on the cd's.

 

[JOv2]

I'm not a "collector" in that I need to own every single release of an item, or of every release and reissue an artist ever had. I collect the music.

I hit the crossroad back in high school in '81: What was I collecting...records or music? I made the decision that it gonna be music, which has limited my holdings considerably. That said, the only multiples of note I have are some of those '50s/'60s Atlantic jazz CDs (e.g. Mingus, Trane)...the ones that Rhino butchered in the '90s. For a tally, Astrud Gilberto at 3 is tops for two releases: the s/t debut -- I'm convinced all CDs exhibit distortion; so I now have a VAN GELDER VG++ LP that is stellar (well, as "stellar" as any VAN GELDER can be ); and Look To The Rainbow -- I'm not happy with any of these three; nevertherless, while the US and German CDs were bothersome the Japan version was an improvement.

I have multiples of all the early TJB albums. When I see them for .25 to 1.00 at estate sales, it's too hard to pass them up.

Good man! (You're giving me a pseudo wall-paper idea here...)

Fool On The Hill- 6 LP 3 CD-1 Japan issue

That's dedication!

I've also accumulated a few copies of "Venus and Mars" (1975). I have one from the radio station, one recently purchased, one colored vinyl from a few years ago, and one or two more copies from 1975.

Do you have the Columbia pressing from the '80s when McCartney left Capitol?

 

[Cuyler]

Do you have the Columbia pressing from the '80s when McCartney left Capitol?

I don't think so! I only have Capitol records for Wings material, I think. Even my Tug of War CD is a Capitol CD I think.

 

[AM Matt]

Yes, Capitol reissued "Tug Of War" on that label in the late 80's!!!

 

[Cuyler]

Yes, Capitol reissued "Tug Of War" on that label in the late 80's!!!

I like that CD! I snagged it well before Sir McCartney remixed it in 2015. I love hearing those old 1980s CDs (when they're not too excessive in the treble/high end).

 

[Rudy]

Good man! (You're giving me a pseudo wall-paper idea here...)

Maybe you need to recreate the Whipped Cream art car. Or open a record store that specializes in one title.

I had planned on a collage of parts of the longboxes I used to have. But I unfortunately moved on from that house, and the longboxes are long gone. The only thing I've got going for me now are about nine of the IKEA GLADSAX LP frames that are on the rear wall of the listening room. (I use duplicate LPs for that purpose.) Naturally, IKEA discontinued it. Should have bought several more when they were available. They have a similar LOMVIKEN frame now but it has a silver frame and may not be thick enough for an LP cover (although the matte is removable). Not sure if I trust the knockoffs.

 

[Harry]

I just did an official count of some albums I know there are a lot of copies of.


Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass GOING PLACES (10 copies for sure)
- A&M CD
- Japanese CD
- Shout CD
- HAP CD
- 5 copies of the LP (some mono, the rest stereo)
- another Shout CD in the 3-album tin.


Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass WHAT NOW MY LOVE (10 copies for sure)
- A&M CD
- Shout CD
- HAP CD
- 6 copies of the LP (some mono, some stereo, one hybrid)
- another Shout CD in the 3-album tin.

It's possible that there's another not-so-great copy or two in a box of beater albums buried away in a closet.

WHIPPED CREAM comes close, but I have fewer LP copies.

 

[Harry]

Hello! Which CD of "Tapestry" sounds best to you? (Excluding the bonus songs.) I have one CD with catalog number EK 34946, and a later one that has an all-around clear jewel case (as opposed to the jewel cases with the opaque black CD cradle), with the bonus tracks. I think there's little to no peak limiting on the EK 34946 disc. Would love to hear your thoughts!

I have two CD copies of TAPESTRY - well actually one is a compilation, A NATURAL WOMAN: THE ODE COLLECTION, that contains all of TAPESTRY on Disc One. The other is the same EK 34946 that you mentioned. The NATURAL WOMAN version sounds just a little bit louder, but both sound really good to me.

 

[JOv2]

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass WHAT NOW MY LOVE (10 copies for sure)
- A&M CD
- Shout CD
- HAP CD
- 6 copies of the LP (some mono, some stereo, one hybrid)
- another Shout CD in the 3-album tin.

Of course! The "wet" and "dry" versions! (Harry, I'm sure this was discussed at length elsewhere but did these notable differences extend to the monaurals?)

Maybe you need to recreate the Whipped Cream art car. Or open a record store that specializes in one title.

I was actually thinking of ...Sounds Like...: Imagine 40 Herbs looking at you with that '67 look...the Warhol effect.

 

[Cuyler]

I just looked at the spectrogram of "Tapestry" (EK 34946), and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the gaps between songs don't fade to "digital zero" (which I'm using to refer to the digitally created absence of sound) Instead, it looks like the mastering staff/engineers did a flat transfer of side one from start to finish, then "Way Over Yonder" fades to "digital zero," then "You've Got a Friend" starts and the tape runs straight to the end of "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman." That, combined with the lack of peak limiting, makes this CD imho beautiful and warm sounding. An exemplar to anyone in the recording industry to take note!

(Note: "Music," EK 34949, was not treated with the same care. Songs fade out to digital zero between tracks. I think this approach is more common than the "Tapestry" approach.)

 

[rockdoctor]

I hit the crossroad back in high school in '81: What was I collecting...records or music? I made the decision that it gonna be music, which has limited my holdings considerably. That said, the only multiples of note I have are some of those '50s/'60s Atlantic jazz CDs (e.g. Mingus, Trane)...the ones that Rhino butchered in the '90s. For a tally, Astrud Gilberto at 3 is tops for two releases: the s/t debut -- I'm convinced all CDs exhibit distortion; so I now have a VAN GELDER VG++ LP that is stellar (well, as "stellar" as any VAN GELDER can be ); and Look To The Rainbow -- I'm not happy with any of these three; nevertherless, while the US and German CDs were bothersome the Japan version was an improvement.


Good man! (You're giving me a pseudo wall-paper idea here...)


That's dedication!


Do you have the Columbia pressing from the '80s when McCartney left Capitol?

One of the Fool On The Hill copies has the sticker that covers the hill on the back of the jacket. I had to get that one when I saw it as most of the records in the stores had the sticker on the outside of the shrink wrap.

 

[GDBY2LV]

Talking about Carole King made me give my CD-4 copy of Music from Japan another listen, now that my 2MM black stylus is broken in. A huge difference in the sound now. The shibata tip gets down into the groves for great separation on the quad vinyl. I’m hearing more of the instruments being played around the room. It’s the jazziest of all her albums. Lots of piano, guitars, and percussion being played. Too bad it only had one really good radio friendly cut with Sweet Seasons, but it’s a great listen. Her version of IGTTST is pretty low key. Glad Carpenters grabbed it first.

 

[rockdoctor]

Talking about Carole King made me give my CD-4 copy of Music from Japan another listen, now that my 2MM black stylus is broken in. A huge difference in the sound now. The shibata tip gets down into the groves for great separation on the quad vinyl. I’m hearing more of the instruments being played around the room. It’s the jazziest of all her albums. Lots of piano, guitars, and percussion being played. Too bad it only had one really good radio friendly cut with Sweet Seasons, but it’s a great listen. Her version of IGTTST is pretty low key. Glad Carpenters grabbed it first.

Interestingly enough, after Sweet Seasons peaked in this area, Brother Brother started getting a lot of airplay as if it was a single.

 

[Cuyler]

Interestingly enough, after Sweet Seasons peaked in this area, Brother Brother started getting a lot of airplay as if it was a single.

I do like "Brother, Brother." Did anyone else ever cover it/put their spin on it? I've always thought the song would be near perfect if they had added a more substantial drum track. Even if it's behind/obscured by the congas/tambourines.

 

[rockdoctor]

I do like "Brother, Brother." Did anyone else ever cover it/put their spin on it? I've always thought the song would be near perfect if they had added a more substantial drum track. Even if it's behind/obscured by the congas/tambourines.

The Isley Brothers covered it in 1972. That is the only cover that I know of for the song. They also covered Sweet Seasons and a 10 minute version of It's Too Late.