Warner Brothers Original Album Series (5 cd's, 2010), Anyone Have Opinions on These?

there are about 40 artists represented, 2010 releases of 5 albums from each artist...I am interested in the Spinners set, specifically, if anyone has that...the series, in general, how is the sound and packaging? any specific artists you can comment on? the Spinners set has their 5 best albums, I think, and goes for $26 at CDUniverse, and "Mighty Love" doesn't have the stupid bonus tracks that marred the 1995 Rhino release

 

The packaging is very cheap (not as good as the Sony series). And some of these sets use the standard edition of the album instead of the more recent version with bonus tracks.

The music - from what I gather it's a mixed bag, some sound good others not so.

Consensus seemed to be it was a desperate cheap money grabbing exercise.

But it is a cheap way to own certain batches of albums.

 

I've been thinking of getting the Todd Rundgren set.

 

I ordered The Jesus and Mary Chain package from Amazon UK a few days ago. Still waiting for it to arrive.

I downloaded MP3 samples and it doesn't seem remastered.

 

I'm tempted by the Aztec Camera collection, I will listen to sound samples first though. If they bought out a Randy Newman collection I'd buy it.
Regards, Trevor.

 

I snagged the Mott The Hoople set. It had the remaster/bonus tracks versions. The downside is the packaging, no liner notes, just sleeves.

 

I'm interested in a few of these, esp. the J. Geils Band, Bootsy, Chaka Khan and Slave.

Packaging is very cheap indeed. Flimsy sleeves with no extra booklet or information whatsoever. But for a bargain price you can have five great albums in a neat package. For many artists involved some of the individual titles are long OOP, so it's a nice and cheap way to acquire these.

Of course there is a downside - you're stuck if you already own two or three of these titles and the others are OOP otherwise.

Sound-wise I suppose it's the same as with the Sony titles. In most cases they'll take the easiest route, which is usually the latest available master. Like Jim B says, probably a mixed bag.

 

There was some discussion on a couple of these under various artists such as J. Geils and Warren Zevon.

In the case of the former I believe that we found out they were the remasters in the case of the latter, they were the original CD masters which was a good thing for some of the stuff that was out-of-print and only available as remasters with bonus tracks (some folks don't like the Zevon remasters as they are louder and have some compression applied to them).

 

I picked up the Cars, Paul Butterfield and Spinners set-they are what they are (cheaply packaged) but since I rip them to my iPod I am fine with them--the Spinners lack the bonus cuts on the Rhino versions...I got all for about 15 bucks US when I ordered them at spincd.com...haven't noticed any problems with the sound although I am certainly no expert...I am sure there are better masterings of the Cars 1st lp to be had....

 

go to http://www.spincds.com and under album title search for ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES -- 4 pages of them come up...

 

I've been looking at these recently, too. Has anyone heard the Argent set? Which masterings are these? I have the Sony Rewind version of "In Deep" from a few years back. Is the version included here that version? How about the others - 1st., Ring Of Hands, All Together Now, Nexus? How do they sound?

 

i think they are great for the money, if you can find some that have updated versions of the albums then all the better.

 

Anyone pick up the Rod Stewart one? The Warner Germany site suggests that some are remastered which would make it worthwhile, but I had heard elsewhere that none were remastered..in which case there's no point in my case...

 

I've bought the Todd Rundgren set and I'm really enjoying it. The packaging is indeed very cheap and don't expect any sonic wonders, but it's an easy way to get a lot of great Todd music very cheap.

 

The Jesus and Mary Chain set has the same mastering as the original Blanco Y Negro/Warner Bros. CDs (not the 2006 Rhino remasters). If you like the sound of the original CDs and don't have them -- and don't mind the Original Albums Series' cheap packaging -- it's a cost-effective way to get the albums on CD all at once.

I'm interested in the upcoming Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band set. I'll be picking that one up for sure.

 

Got it, it's a great one!

 

Anyone know anything about the Laura Nyro set? It seems folks around here are a bit divided over the different masterings of her catalog and I have no idea which mastering this set uses.

 

I still don't have any of Todd Rundgren's albums. How essential is this collection?
Is there more than one must-have in it?

Martin

 

Anyone know if the Echo & the Bunnymen albums are the original non-remastered ones?

 

just got the new Wilson Pickett and Ben E King sets , great music

 

For the Pickett stuff, is that the same mastering as the derided "Collectables" CDs?

 

They seem to much more expensive than the Sony packages though

http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1281530...5174,n:!301668,k:original album series&page=1

 

I think some of these have some rare ep's such as the Los Lobos set and the Rickie Lee Jones set.

 

i cannot tell , i only had the Rhino 2 cd compilation before that but they sound very good to my ear
its neat to have those 5 first lps all at once