Hey Jared, I have a quick question for you. I recently bought a used Crosley Cr248 (one of those all in one things) and when I try to play a record, the audio only plays from the left speaker. The cassette and CD play stereo just fine. Should I replace the needle or what would you recommend?
Have you done anything regarding South Korean pressings? I have a copy of Def Leppard’s Adrenalize that was pressed in South Korea, and it has to be one of my better sounding albums. I’ve not done any research into it, but I’m now wondering if they were using similar techniques to the Japanese. The record itself is in one of those plastic sleeves you mentioned, and even though it was released in ‘91, and I’ve had it imported, it is in extremely good condition still.
As I’m Over 50 Years old I do remember seeing these albums here in Australia.....at the time they would be very expensive to purchase and also the record players I was using was not top end at the time.... Any I’ll have sort through my older records especially my Pink Floyd. Cheers. Mark🇦🇺
Hello there. I was born in Japan, now I live here LA for over thirty years. I think Japanese pressing are very good QC is always there also in Japan music are very expensive. $30 for a vinyl back in the late 70’s. So they have to produced the best quality vinyl. If you ever chance to buy used Japanese vinyl you could tell how people treated the vinyl. Most of them are mint condition. One more thing in Japan has rain season and humid so especially white album cover gets spots from mold. Thank you for your program.
That is very true. I have about a dozen Japanese LPs that were pressed in the late 70's to mid 80's and when I got them a few years ago I was amazed how pristine they were. Like they were pressed yesterday.
My man ! My girl ! My dude. Definitely look up “Boogie Maru Sounds” in Torrance. The man that runs it is beyond nice and has absolute GEMS in most genres in Japanese pressings.
I got an old japanese Beatles - Rubber Soul pressing in perfect condition. It was a present of my neighbour to my 15th birthday. Greetings from Germany
I have hundreds of Japanese vinyl and love each and everyone. The Japanese made albums better than anybody else. The cardboard was better too. The also added many additional inserts and extra goodies unlike the others who cheaped out at every opportunity. Definitely have to have the OBI.
Music Of The Arts1234567890a This May be true for this situation. Generally speaking many Japanese Jazz albums are superb. And there are just as many botched jobs, maybe much more so with USA pressings due to recycled vinyl they chopped up the labels with the vinyl. But a lot of the Japanese jazz I collect was never pressed anywhere else than in japan. As my favorite jazz artists happen to be Japanese. Yes I know the roots of jazz but still choose to collect a rare and often times over looked genre of music outside of japan at least.
If you look at prices on discogs, the presence of the obi nearly doubles the value of the record. If you have an entire series with obi, it looks great on the wall, and will be the envy of vinyl collectors. It sounds better as it was quieter, manufactured to higher standards, material and quality control. Downside is they pump the treble and lower the bass, which is not everyone's cup of tea, but then again, US pressings pump everything up till it sounds like mud, so pick your poison.
Just wanted to let you know: The whole "OBI" thing also transitioned to japanese CDs, and can still be found on CD albums released today. Additionally, japanese versions of popular albums often times come with previously unreleased bonus tracks, which makes them even more collectible. As a die-hard Avicii fan, the only reason I went with the japanese versions of his albums TRUE and STORIES (apart from the OBI, of course) was the fact that they both included a bunch of super rare bonus tracks. For example, TRUE Japanese Edition contains my all-time favorite Avicii track "All You Need Is Love", that was only ever released as a Spotify exclusive track. On the other hand, the STORIES Japan Tour Edition includes "I Could Be The One" and "X You", which were never released on any physical format. In some cases, the japanese version is even the only existing physical CD printing of an album entirely - in my case, the AVĪCI (01) EP!
Additionally, Obi originally means kimono sash, i.e. the sashes used to keep a kimono closed. As it looks a little similar the same term ended up being used for vinyl and from that later also for CD.
@@Null_Experis Yeah, that's the right thing to do. When you want to sell the items secondhand, those with the cleanest possible "obi" things will be traded with far more value than the ones without, which means that the market knows the value of those little obi things. The same applies to LP records, and the difference between with and without is even greater. Actually, I personally do not care for obi things, but I really can't dispose of them for the reason above.
I always enjoy reading the comments associated with vinyl and audio in general but due to the "song of the day" threads, it becomes impossible with this channel, too bad. I do go out of my way to find Japanese pressings but not all are good, many are actually worse than the local copies. When you find a good one, it is worth the additional cost. Great video.
I don't understand the point of the "song of the day" stuff. Maybe I'm not young enough and I can't see what's obvious for other people. But I can't manage to think about the possible utility of the declaration of the song of the day...
@@Divadisco It's for the "RUclips algorithm". If a video has more comments, it'll get recommended more to other users and generate more views/money for the channel.
I have 1 Japanese record in my collection,and I didn’t know it was Japanese at first. I got a copy of Candy-O at a local store for about $10, when I got home to open it nothing seemed out of the ordinary. English cover, english record. But I noticed the inner sleeve wasn’t actually an inner sleeve and could be opened. There I saw lyrics, song titles, and a description of the Cars’ history all in Japanese! That’s when I knew I had found something truly special
One small useful detail of the OBI strip is the artist + title information is printed on the top spine of the paper so you can flip through a rack of LPs without having to pull it out, especially if the stack is tightly packed.
I went to Japan a while ago and bought some stuff, but I also have a fair few Beatles/McCartney Japanese albums on that red vinyl you mentioned. Got them from a record fair at a very decent price as well. I love them
This video was really interesting! I'm a record collector living in Japan so most of my records are the Japanese pressings. There are lots of good record stores here and the criteria for the condition is pretty strict (this goes for used goods in general in Japan). A lot of used records seem to be well cared for and the prices are reasonable (unsurprisingly, non-Japanese pressings tend to go for more in Japan). Everclear vinyl, which you mentioned, is especially beautiful to look at in person, like gazing into a glass of red wine. I may start up my own channel one day to talk about Japanese records and collecting in Japan, if people are interested.
I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan in 80/81and I bought many Japanese pressings. They were about 2500 Yen ea. and at the time, the Yen rate was about 200 to the dollar, so everything was about half price and I paid about $12.50 per album. Still high for the time, but well worth it. Whenever I bought an album, the clerk would take the album out of the sleeve and inspect it under a lamp for flaws and they were always like a mirror and I never bought a bad one. Also they were perfectly flat and quiet. I still have them to this day in mint condition, all with the obi. I still buy them on the internet if I can find them. I quit buying U.S. pressings in 1979 because every one I bought (without exception) was warped and had impurities that you could see in the vinyl. Some people don't favor the sound of the Japanese pressings, but to me they are great, especially considering the quality : )
I collected a fair amount of Japanese cd's when i was over there, there are many big used CD shops in Japan. Some of the same elements like the obis are cool but also lots of Japanese releases also have exclusive bonus tracks which is the real draw. For instance my copy of Ne-Yo's - Year of the Gentleman has the track "Whats the Matter" exclusive to the Japanese release and my copy of the Sugar Cube's - Life's Too Good has an Icelandic version of the first track "Traitor". I was very excited to find these.
I go to Japan often & have gotten pretty familiar with the shops around each town; I usually come back with so many records that I need to buy additional luggage 😂
Don't forget Japanese pressings usually contain lyric sheets even when other versions do not. If other versions do not, the Japanese version usually has a sleeve or booklet with lyrics in both languages. If the standard release elsewhere does include them, the extra lyric sheet is usually included in Japanese only. They seem to insist on lyric sheets even when the lyrics are not really important like Fatboy Slim DJ stuff.
I do own a few of these pressings and one other interesting fact is that the Japanese release the original art for the releases they press - while the US typically forces bands to replace any “racy” artwork with a completely alternative cover. A good example of this is the Scorpions album Lovedrive (which I am fortunate enough to have found at a record store in Seattle). I also have a couple of other Scorpions records, a Kitaro album, a Bach pressing and one or two more. They definitely sound fantastic. Happy hunting! Also - suggestion for Song of the Day - The Mars Volta - Eriatarka from De-Loused in the Comatorium.
I totally agree. I have a mint copy of the Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary 12”, with Obi instead of it being a 3 track it’s a 4 track with a remix only available elsewhere on Assault on Sanctuary. It ha a poster, lyric sheet and is gatefold. A very nice piece. It’s not my only Japanese record but certainly is one of my favourite 12” singles from there that I have.
I have quite a few Japanese vinyl records . I have Nena's debut album, Nena shipped from Japan on eBay, which was still sealed when I received it. I kept the red obi. It had at least 1 photo that wasn’t on the European release. I also have Fragezeichen, 99 Luftballons, Feuer & Flamme, It’s All In The Game picture disc & Eisbrecher, all from Japan. When I received Eisbrecher it was still sealed. I haven’t counted how many Japanese vinyl releases I have.
Also their presentation is really something special, the cardboard sleeve is sometimes as thick as the record itself, inclusion of posters and lyrics booklets for basically every release, etc... I'm mostly fine with german and yugoslavian pressings (which is what we mostly have in Hungary), but since i'm a huge fan of vintage anime (+ soundtrack) and 80's japanese idol groups, i have a ton of those.
Song of the Day: "Aerial" by Kate Bush Edit: While we're at it, since you asked, two of my very cleanest sounding records are Japanese. Kate Bush's "Lionheart" and "Never For Ever", from '78 and '80, respectively. Absolutely bonkers how clean they sound, basically like a mellow and lovely (SA)CD. And to top it off, a Japanese Nagaoka MP-200 is what's making love to these grooves :-)
The Japanese pressings are just so good. The quality. rich sound not to mention that ALL of the original goodies like cut outs in Sgt Pepper were included along with printed lyrics. They're beautifully made and are certainly worth purchasing.
Really love how you presented this. They were in not on my radar but after you presented it, it really intrigued me. I understand their sound quality could be better for the reasons you listed, but they are oh so cool items to own from a collector's perspective. And let's not forget, song of the day, Strange kind of woman from Made in Japan by Deep Purple.
I have multiple Japanese pressings, but they are all by Japanese artists. They all have great sound quality and they all still have their obi. It’s a really cool look, as obis on Japanese pressings are typically made to match the artwork instead of a solid color with text on it. The most expensive one was only $45, plus shipping from Japan, so if you want Japanese pressings, maybe find some good Japanese music that isn’t as sought after by American collectors.
Got a genesis compilation on Japanese vinyl. I never knew about the quality before I bought it I just thought it looked cool with the OBI. Got it for 20 bucks. Put it on my turntable and immediately heard a difference in the sound quality compared to US pressings.
I was told by a audiophile guru at Tower Records in West Hollywood that a reason not mentioned for the great sounding Japanese vinyl is the records were pressed for a minimum of 8 seconds, vs Americans 5 seconds
I do love Japanese pressings! I have quite a few in my collection. Including Deep Purple's Made in Japan, which in Japan was called Live in Japan; same songs, different cover, and that awesome OBI. I also really like the card stock used for the sleeve, Japanese pressings have very sturdy cardboard used on the covers, which reduces ring wear, but I always keep the wax outside of the cover to prevent ring wear. I have heard, however, that Japanese pressings didn't always use the artist's original mix. Because of the population density there, and the small apartments people live in, I had read that Japanese record companies would modify the masters by reducing some of the low end. This way, you wouldn't bother your neighbor's with an album's heavy bass. Now, I live in a large apartment building in Chicago, so if this is true, I guess I kind of appreciate that. But I could see how that might detract from a Japanese pressing's attractiveness to some collectors. Having said that, I'm still not certain if that is true. I'd like to find some verification on that. Regardless, while I seldom see Japanese pressings in US stores (they crop up from time to time), I do have a couple Japanese vendors I buy from and have the records shipped here. My favorites include the Deep Purple Live in Japan I mentioned, but I'm also very excited to have the Japanese pressings for The Clash's Sandinista! and Climbing! by Mountain. I also have a Japanese pressing of Oscar Peterson's On The Town. I even have a Frank Zappa Japanese pressing of You Are What You Is. And I have many others. Love them all!
Song Of The Day - Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac: Inspired by the subject of Japanese Vinyl. Silver Springs was the b side to Go Your Own Way. It was a non-lp track. The US 45 was crap, so I bought a Japanese single, and it was crisp and clean :) I need to replace that from my stolen collection, it's a gem!
I'm a big Elvis Presley fan and I've been collecting Elvis records for years and just recently picked up two Japanese pressings of two of my favourite Elvis albums. But no obi strips. They were cheap, in mint condition and the back artwork was special. I look forward to my next record fair to get the ones with obi strips 😎
I live in Japan now and I am always finding hidden gems at Recycle Stores all over Japan. Usually they are much less expensive there. Like everything Japanese own they take care of them and are in amazing condition when you find them even at a Recycle Store. If there is something specific you are looking for let me know and I will keep my eye out for you.
I had a Slowdive “Souvlaki” Japanese Import from 1993, still sealed, but sold it in a record purge a few years back. I’ve actually never heard a Japanese pressing of a record, only CDs. Thanks for the knowledge.
I have quite a few Japanese records from the 70s and 80s that sound just as good as vinyl pressed today. Not only does Japan take better care making records, they also take better care of their records for decades after they're pressed.
Japanese pressings are awesome, I used to import them from Japan in the 80's and 90's. The covers use a much heavier card stock, lyrics (Japanese & English) are included on paper inserts, original extras, posters, stickers etc that may have been included when released are still reproduced. The vinyl is usually heavier than US and the sound is always superb.
I don't know how, but your sound in the video is pretty much great on the hi-fi gear. The voice and everything is finely delivered and nice to listen to.
I recently got my first Japanese pressings after a long time of wanting some. Both are promos, too! One was a great deal (I don't think they knew it was a promo!) and the other I probably paid more than I wanted to. No OBI's for either, but they're cool pieces.
I have 2 Japanese pressings, both from Kate Bush. One was her debut, Kick Inside, the other Never Forever, both still with the Obi band intact. The sound quality is indeed superior and I don't remember paying all that much for them. They were pricer than most but nothing outrageous. But this is going 30+ years back. I was in my late teens and 52 years old now..still have the records too.
During the 1960's, the Japanese label King Records released the Super Dynamic Sound series featuring Japanese artists. They were mainly instrumental recordings of the highest fidelity available at the time. For example" Tango Dynamics" Electone Fortissimo in Move Themes. Cuban Echoes. Cuban Spectacles. Operation Glen Miller.
I was shopping around my local antique shop years ago and came across a Japanese print of The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack with the obi still on. I wasn’t looking for records that day, nor was I a record collector. Now that I am and know how rare it is, I’m glad I bought it (for just $15 😎). Recently, my great uncle gifted me his Dark Side of the Moon original master record just bc I told him I like vinyls. These are my 2 prized records. They are very special to me, but I had no idea they were so sought after. Thanks for the knowledge!❤
Another awesome thing about Japanese records is some special extra content like bonus tracks, posters, and lyrics booklets. For example, the album Killers by Iron Maiden came up with a bonus track (Twilight zone), a booklet with lyrics in English and their translation to Japanese, plus a poster. Finally, the quality in those records is also seen in the cover of the albums. My suggestion for cool song and cool artist is Prodigal Son by Iron Maiden.
OHHH Yeah!!! Japanese pressings are the best!!! ...and I am one who refuses to buy a Japanese lp that does not have an obi strip lol. Love collecting those as well as the MOFI.
I have a virgin vinyl copy of Lee Ritenour in Rio complete with OBI strip from 1979. I actually found it for $1 at a flea market that used to be a giant Montgomery Wards. It sounds excellent. Great if you're into smooth jazz/yacht rock.
Hey man! I love your channel. I have been collecting vinyl for about 3 years now. I always wanted to make the commitment and I got to say it was the best decision I ever made. Your channel is one of the many reasons why I started collecting so thank you!
I stumbled across some Japanese vinyl records at a shop in Seattle, and I didn't think anything of the quality... I just picked them up because they were cool and I'm a weaboo. They are the VisionQuest OST, Journey - Raised on Radio, and the extended single of Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes (Two Tribes - annihilation, War - hide yourself, Two Tribes - surrender). All 3 have the Obi and are all around in excellent condition, and one even has a sticker that says Rental Record. The Obi for Raised on Radio is over the top of the sleeve and blends in with the artwork, and Two Tribes has a neat picture of Ronald Reagan as well as nuclear weapon statistics from 1984. They allegedly came from a flea market in Osaka or something like that. No mold.
I have a bunch and with all there advantages Japanese vinyl has one issue: sound quality. Very often they lack bass and have boosted treble due to mastering decisions.
This is correct, listen to Thriller JP version Vs US version you will be blown away by how flat the JP sounds compare to US or UK mastering.. I guess they didn’t have good mastering engineers back there
@@orenluttenberg5070 too strange, because for cd the first japan version have much bass than american cd, and it's also much better... The japan cd master of Thriller is from a tape eq for vinyl, so for me your comment seems a bit strange.
@@federico1888 not strange at all... The EQ in Japan was (kind off) regulated (not by law, but is was a common practice). As we all know: lower frequencies (bass) travels more easily thru walls than higher frequencies. The general construction in Japan is lighter or thinner than other countries due to space and population, so is easier to bother neighbors with low frequencies. That's why in Japan most of the pressings were "softened" in the low end of the spectrum
@@georgzeth yes i know, but for the thriller Cd (and not only) the original japan cd has more bass than the american and european cd. It sounds similar than the original european vinyl.
Another point for buying japanese record ,when you buy old vinyl directly from japan,they are in mint condition,no scratch at all,japanese take care of their object (vinyl for example).They maintain their object very well in their culture.
I saw a few Japanese vinyls with the obi at a flea market here in Italy, didn't know they were rare 🫢 I did think that the obis were a very cool addition though
I've been living in Japan for 13 years. I can attest to the quality of original pressings of Japanese vinyl. I have around 1400 LPs and about 90% of them are Japanese. The curved plastic record sleeves are very nice. And it's cool to have a Japanese obi and the bilingual material inserts. My original Japanese pressings of CSN&Y are soooooooo beautiful!
I have many Japanese pressings of my fav artist Connie Francis and from the 1970's 1980's dble gatefolds and boxed sets of LP'S. her MOST RARITIES ARE HER jAPANESE SINGING ones[LET'S SING WITH CONNIE FRANCIS [very unique cover as Connie Francis is dressed as a geisha girl]-1st pressing], yes singing in japanese, but unfortunately only her hits dubbed in japanese, she didn't record any japanese original songs.This was the only language that she didn't record any original songs. The quality of them are awesome especially the cover art, i would say unique and amongst us CF collectors Japanese pressings are amongst the 1st to acquire .
Another reason Japanese vinyl is desirable is they let the records cool completely after coming out of the presses before throwing them into the sleeves. This means less warping among other things.
Wow, I have learned something today. I really had no clue about Japanese pressings. I would love to have one or two, but I have a feeling that the price-tag would be out of range for me. AND I have a song for you: the hippest, coolest song that you've probably never heard but it's more relevant today that ever. World Party-Ship of Fools. If nothing else listen to it yourself and get down with the sound. I have that particular song on 45. 8)
I bought dozens of Japanese pressings when MoFi wasn't going to do an album I wanted. A local dealer would gladly order the Japanese copy for me of pretty much anything available. Just had to wait, but it was worth it. Everything about the Japanese version was better. The vinyl was quiet, the pressing was perfect (absolutely no out-of-roundness), no warping, labels absolutely centered and the jackets were printed with such care there were no flaws. If I had a Japanese album and MoFi went ahead and did it...I didn't bother. Kept the Japanese.
04:20 Didn't know Japan also censored Mama's & Papa's' "If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears" album cover... ...just because of a poor little toilet bowl
I own 2 Japanese pressings. First, Bill Withers’ Still Bill mini LP. Technically a CD but made to look like the record, complete with OBI strip. Second, Santana Lotus. Quadrophonic live triple LP that was from Santana’s Japanese tour in ‘74(?). Originally released in Japan. Complete with inserts and OBI. Got it for a steal from a record store that was struggling during quarantine.
A story that I heard from the guy that brings Japanese records in my city(Bucharest). Back in the Vinyl Era, in Japan you were not allowed to put your hands on the record in the record stores. They had only one copy for presentation and a guy responsible in the store was the only one who touched the records, using gloves. You could listen to it in dedicated ares and if you decided to buy it, he would have got you a brand new record complete sealed from the back of the store. If it’s true, is fascinating! Going to my collection, I thought that buying Japanese would be a sign of elitism until one day. I got an USA press of Rainbow Live 1977. Great record. My girlfriend said that she wants one for herself and got the same record but Japanese from the guy that I told you about. On one night I said: this is a different record! This song is not on my copy! (“Catch the Rainbow the song” like Dio says on the record). The track list is the same but the way the Japanese is recorded is something from another world.
Interesting but there's one point I doubt; How the recycling of plastic effects to sound quality? More likely it has something to do with manufacturing process, not source of the material. I say it's hifist urban legend, until of course someone shows me some research that proves me wrong ;)
This is just a guess, but have you observed the difference in the texture of recycled paper versus "virgin" paper? It's both paper, but first generation paper seems to be smoother and ink doesn't spear on it as much compared with recycled paper. Just a hunch, but maybe a similar physical degradation occurs when vinyl is recycled?
well, plastics once used usally lose properties and gain others thats one of the reason you shouldn't reuse certain plastics i guess its something about the purity of the plastic
Thank you for your patience! More good stuff on the way! 🙌
song of the day
Enter Sandman -Metallica
Hey Jared, I have a quick question for you. I recently bought a used Crosley Cr248 (one of those all in one things) and when I try to play a record, the audio only plays from the left speaker. The cassette and CD play stereo just fine. Should I replace the needle or what would you recommend?
Have you done anything regarding South Korean pressings? I have a copy of Def Leppard’s Adrenalize that was pressed in South Korea, and it has to be one of my better sounding albums. I’ve not done any research into it, but I’m now wondering if they were using similar techniques to the Japanese. The record itself is in one of those plastic sleeves you mentioned, and even though it was released in ‘91, and I’ve had it imported, it is in extremely good condition still.
As I’m Over 50 Years old I do remember seeing these albums here in Australia.....at the time they would be very expensive to purchase and also the record players I was using was not top end at the time.... Any I’ll have sort through my older records especially my Pink Floyd.
Cheers. Mark🇦🇺
@gatekeeper, your problem is that you brought a crosley cruiser
Hello there. I was born in Japan, now I live here LA for over thirty years. I think Japanese pressing are very good QC is always there also in Japan music are very expensive. $30 for a vinyl back in the late 70’s. So they have to produced the best quality vinyl. If you ever chance to buy used Japanese vinyl you could tell how people treated the vinyl. Most of them are mint condition. One more thing in Japan has rain season and humid so especially white album cover gets spots from mold. Thank you for your program.
The care taken is in sending is a high standard from japanese people thanks from New Zealand
Truth, I’ll take chances all the time on sellers from Japan because usually even when they list something VG+ its usually more like NM when I get it.
Thanks
That is very true. I have about a dozen Japanese LPs that were pressed in the late 70's to mid 80's and when I got them a few years ago I was amazed how pristine they were. Like they were pressed yesterday.
My man ! My girl ! My dude. Definitely look up “Boogie Maru Sounds” in Torrance. The man that runs it is beyond nice and has absolute GEMS in most genres in Japanese pressings.
Song of the Day: Sparkle - Tatsuro Yamashita, Fits the theme too
noobtuber728 Yesss!! One of my all-time favorite songs!
Don’t forget plastic love
Or magic ways! But to be fair all of tatsu's sound is gold!
Telephone Number by Junko Ohashi too!
Yessss omg 🤠
I got an old japanese Beatles - Rubber Soul pressing in perfect condition. It was a present of my neighbour to my 15th birthday.
Greetings from Germany
that's probably a _reaaally_ valuable record
*i know someone who'll give you $10 and a button for it*
@@tragiclifeform347 Pawnstars will give you a dollar for it because it had to be framed.
I don't collect records to sell them afterwards. I also think I would never get such record again.
Hey Flo What Kind Of Version Is It? Is It An EAS or AP?
I have hundreds of Japanese vinyl and love each and everyone. The Japanese made albums better than anybody else. The cardboard was better too. The also added many additional inserts and extra goodies unlike the others who cheaped out at every opportunity.
Definitely have to have the OBI.
Music Of The Arts1234567890a This May be true for this situation. Generally speaking many Japanese Jazz albums are superb. And there are just as many botched jobs, maybe much more so with USA pressings due to recycled vinyl they chopped up the labels with the vinyl. But a lot of the Japanese jazz I collect was never pressed anywhere else than in japan. As my favorite jazz artists happen to be Japanese. Yes I know the roots of jazz but still choose to collect a rare and often times over looked genre of music outside of japan at least.
Music Of The Arts1234567890a Sounds like you’ve never heard or are aware of the King pressings of Blue Note albums, which are some of the best around.
Can you list why it was better
If you look at prices on discogs, the presence of the obi nearly doubles the value of the record. If you have an entire series with obi, it looks great on the wall, and will be the envy of vinyl collectors.
It sounds better as it was quieter, manufactured to higher standards, material and quality control.
Downside is they pump the treble and lower the bass, which is not everyone's cup of tea, but then again, US pressings pump everything up till it sounds like mud, so pick your poison.
What's your address?
My grandmother, who was born in Japan, has hundreds of Japanese records from the 60s and 70s. I had no idea how rare they were
Please play them and don't just leave them there!
Just wanted to let you know: The whole "OBI" thing also transitioned to japanese CDs, and can still be found on CD albums released today. Additionally, japanese versions of popular albums often times come with previously unreleased bonus tracks, which makes them even more collectible. As a die-hard Avicii fan, the only reason I went with the japanese versions of his albums TRUE and STORIES (apart from the OBI, of course) was the fact that they both included a bunch of super rare bonus tracks. For example, TRUE Japanese Edition contains my all-time favorite Avicii track "All You Need Is Love", that was only ever released as a Spotify exclusive track. On the other hand, the STORIES Japan Tour Edition includes "I Could Be The One" and "X You", which were never released on any physical format. In some cases, the japanese version is even the only existing physical CD printing of an album entirely - in my case, the AVĪCI (01) EP!
Additionally, Obi originally means kimono sash, i.e. the sashes used to keep a kimono closed. As it looks a little similar the same term ended up being used for vinyl and from that later also for CD.
I have a couple dozen Japanese CD albums and I always put the Obi inside the case behind the disc tray. I like having them.
@@wich1
In Judo, the "kuro obi" is translated as "black belt".
I actually bought a cd previously used for rental use, and the obi is in the case, looking like it was brand new!
@@Null_Experis
Yeah, that's the right thing to do. When you want to sell the items secondhand, those with the cleanest possible "obi" things will be traded with far more value than the ones without, which means that the market knows the value of those little obi things. The same applies to LP records, and the difference between with and without is even greater. Actually, I personally do not care for obi things, but I really can't dispose of them for the reason above.
I always enjoy reading the comments associated with vinyl and audio in general but due to the "song of the day" threads, it becomes impossible with this channel, too bad.
I do go out of my way to find Japanese pressings but not all are good, many are actually worse than the local copies. When you find a good one, it is worth the additional cost. Great video.
I don't understand the point of the "song of the day" stuff. Maybe I'm not young enough and I can't see what's obvious for other people. But I can't manage to think about the possible utility of the declaration of the song of the day...
@@Divadisco It's for the "RUclips algorithm". If a video has more comments, it'll get recommended more to other users and generate more views/money for the channel.
Fully agree
I have 1 Japanese record in my collection,and I didn’t know it was Japanese at first. I got a copy of Candy-O at a local store for about $10, when I got home to open it nothing seemed out of the ordinary. English cover, english record. But I noticed the inner sleeve wasn’t actually an inner sleeve and could be opened. There I saw lyrics, song titles, and a description of the Cars’ history all in Japanese! That’s when I knew I had found something truly special
One small useful detail of the OBI strip is the artist + title information is printed on the top spine of the paper so you can flip through a rack of LPs without having to pull it out, especially if the stack is tightly packed.
Over the years I kept saying my Japanese records sound better. Now I have back up with this proof! Thank you! I didn't know why, but now I do.
I went to Japan a while ago and bought some stuff, but I also have a fair few Beatles/McCartney Japanese albums on that red vinyl you mentioned. Got them from a record fair at a very decent price as well. I love them
Thanks for using my song of the day Jarrett, really appreciate it man!
Japanese releases also have extra songs quite a lot of the time (like b sides or a hidden track)
This video was really interesting! I'm a record collector living in Japan so most of my records are the Japanese pressings. There are lots of good record stores here and the criteria for the condition is pretty strict (this goes for used goods in general in Japan). A lot of used records seem to be well cared for and the prices are reasonable (unsurprisingly, non-Japanese pressings tend to go for more in Japan). Everclear vinyl, which you mentioned, is especially beautiful to look at in person, like gazing into a glass of red wine. I may start up my own channel one day to talk about Japanese records and collecting in Japan, if people are interested.
We are interested!
I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan in 80/81and I bought many Japanese pressings. They were about 2500 Yen ea. and at the time, the Yen rate was about 200 to the dollar, so everything was about half price and I paid about $12.50 per album. Still high for the time, but well worth it. Whenever I bought an album, the clerk would take the album out of the sleeve and inspect it under a lamp for flaws and they were always like a mirror and I never bought a bad one. Also they were perfectly flat and quiet. I still have them to this day in mint condition, all with the obi. I still buy them on the internet if I can find them. I quit buying U.S. pressings in 1979 because every one I bought (without exception) was warped and had impurities that you could see in the vinyl. Some people don't favor the sound of the Japanese pressings, but to me they are great, especially considering the quality : )
Song of the day: Hand Of Doom by Black Sabbath.
This and Jack the stripper are the most underrated songs from their most overrated album lol
I collected a fair amount of Japanese cd's when i was over there, there are many big used CD shops in Japan. Some of the same elements like the obis are cool but also lots of Japanese releases also have exclusive bonus tracks which is the real draw. For instance my copy of Ne-Yo's - Year of the Gentleman has the track "Whats the Matter" exclusive to the Japanese release and my copy of the Sugar Cube's - Life's Too Good has an Icelandic version of the first track "Traitor". I was very excited to find these.
I have two Japanese vinyl pressings. One is Venus and Mars by Paul McCartney, the other is Cheap Trick at Budokan. Both are amazing listens.
I go to Japan often & have gotten pretty familiar with the shops around each town; I usually come back with so many records that I need to buy additional luggage 😂
Don't forget Japanese pressings usually contain lyric sheets even when other versions do not. If other versions do not, the Japanese version usually has a sleeve or booklet with lyrics in both languages. If the standard release elsewhere does include them, the extra lyric sheet is usually included in Japanese only. They seem to insist on lyric sheets even when the lyrics are not really important like Fatboy Slim DJ stuff.
I do own a few of these pressings and one other interesting fact is that the Japanese release the original art for the releases they press - while the US typically forces bands to replace any “racy” artwork with a completely alternative cover. A good example of this is the Scorpions album Lovedrive (which I am fortunate enough to have found at a record store in Seattle). I also have a couple of other Scorpions records, a Kitaro album, a Bach pressing and one or two more. They definitely sound fantastic. Happy hunting!
Also - suggestion for Song of the Day - The Mars Volta - Eriatarka from De-Loused in the Comatorium.
i have a Japanese press of The Police's Zenyata Mondatta and it still sounds awesome after 30+ years
I have a copy as well, and you're absolutely right.
Keep an eye out for Japanese-pressed 45 rpm singles too, they are also nice to have.
I totally agree. I have a mint copy of the Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary 12”, with Obi instead of it being a 3 track it’s a 4 track with a remix only available elsewhere on Assault on Sanctuary. It ha a poster, lyric sheet and is gatefold. A very nice piece. It’s not my only Japanese record but certainly is one of my favourite 12” singles from there that I have.
The fact that I had never heard of Virgin Vinyl...
Btw, song of the day has to be Amber Run's amazing song called: "5AM". What a tune!
I have quite a few Japanese vinyl records . I have Nena's debut album, Nena shipped from Japan on eBay, which was still sealed when I received it. I kept the red obi. It had at least 1 photo that wasn’t on the European release. I also have Fragezeichen, 99 Luftballons, Feuer & Flamme, It’s All In The Game picture disc & Eisbrecher, all from Japan. When I received Eisbrecher it was still sealed. I haven’t counted how many Japanese vinyl releases I have.
Also their presentation is really something special, the cardboard sleeve is sometimes as thick as the record itself, inclusion of posters and lyrics booklets for basically every release, etc...
I'm mostly fine with german and yugoslavian pressings (which is what we mostly have in Hungary), but since i'm a huge fan of vintage anime (+ soundtrack) and 80's japanese idol groups, i have a ton of those.
Finally you made this video i've been wanting for someone to make this
Song of the day: How Many More Times by Led Zeppelin
How about dased and confused
Gideon Gilmore Productions nah u need a unique zeppelin song. How many more times is so underrated
Ahhh Ahhh bruh don’t sub to him then. He’s a mad chill guy and just wants to do good things by helping ppl in the vinyl record community
@@coldbeer5552 how about Achilles Last Stand
@Ahhh Ahhh how many more times do I have to say this DON'T WATCH IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT
Song of the Day: "Aerial" by Kate Bush
Edit: While we're at it, since you asked, two of my very cleanest sounding records are Japanese. Kate Bush's "Lionheart" and "Never For Ever", from '78 and '80, respectively. Absolutely bonkers how clean they sound, basically like a mellow and lovely (SA)CD. And to top it off, a Japanese Nagaoka MP-200 is what's making love to these grooves :-)
The Japanese pressings are just so good. The quality. rich sound not to mention that ALL of the original goodies like cut outs in Sgt Pepper were included along with printed lyrics. They're beautifully made and are certainly worth purchasing.
I have a few Japanese pressings myself, and I love them. They sounds great, and often there are extra goodies that come with them.
I found a Japanese album in a crate at my record store and now I’m definitely going to go pick it up if it’s still there
I’m so happy that vinyl is making a BIG comeback! In my opinion it is and always has been the best way to listen to music.
Hi great video
Japanese pressings are fantastic
I have a few of them. The quality is amazing..
Looking forward to the next video
Jam- Michael Jackson
I have been listening to Michael Jackson’s This Is It on Vinyl!! There is four vinyls in the boxset and it sounds amazing!
Really love how you presented this. They were in not on my radar but after you presented it, it really intrigued me. I understand their sound quality could be better for the reasons you listed, but they are oh so cool items to own from a collector's perspective.
And let's not forget, song of the day, Strange kind of woman from Made in Japan by Deep Purple.
Great to hear about vinyl pressings from Japan.
I have multiple Japanese pressings, but they are all by Japanese artists. They all have great sound quality and they all still have their obi. It’s a really cool look, as obis on Japanese pressings are typically made to match the artwork instead of a solid color with text on it. The most expensive one was only $45, plus shipping from Japan, so if you want Japanese pressings, maybe find some good Japanese music that isn’t as sought after by American collectors.
Got a genesis compilation on Japanese vinyl. I never knew about the quality before I bought it I just thought it looked cool with the OBI. Got it for 20 bucks. Put it on my turntable and immediately heard a difference in the sound quality compared to US pressings.
Thanks for the info. You should do a video on the difference between regular CDs and Japanese SHM CDs.
I was told by a audiophile guru at Tower Records in West Hollywood that a reason not mentioned for the great sounding Japanese vinyl is the records were pressed for a minimum of 8 seconds, vs Americans 5 seconds
I do love Japanese pressings! I have quite a few in my collection. Including Deep Purple's Made in Japan, which in Japan was called Live in Japan; same songs, different cover, and that awesome OBI. I also really like the card stock used for the sleeve, Japanese pressings have very sturdy cardboard used on the covers, which reduces ring wear, but I always keep the wax outside of the cover to prevent ring wear.
I have heard, however, that Japanese pressings didn't always use the artist's original mix. Because of the population density there, and the small apartments people live in, I had read that Japanese record companies would modify the masters by reducing some of the low end. This way, you wouldn't bother your neighbor's with an album's heavy bass. Now, I live in a large apartment building in Chicago, so if this is true, I guess I kind of appreciate that. But I could see how that might detract from a Japanese pressing's attractiveness to some collectors.
Having said that, I'm still not certain if that is true. I'd like to find some verification on that.
Regardless, while I seldom see Japanese pressings in US stores (they crop up from time to time), I do have a couple Japanese vendors I buy from and have the records shipped here. My favorites include the Deep Purple Live in Japan I mentioned, but I'm also very excited to have the Japanese pressings for The Clash's Sandinista! and Climbing! by Mountain. I also have a Japanese pressing of Oscar Peterson's On The Town. I even have a Frank Zappa Japanese pressing of You Are What You Is. And I have many others. Love them all!
Song Of The Day - Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac: Inspired by the subject of Japanese Vinyl. Silver Springs was the b side to Go Your Own Way. It was a non-lp track. The US 45 was crap, so I bought a Japanese single, and it was crisp and clean :) I need to replace that from my stolen collection, it's a gem!
I'm a big Elvis Presley fan and I've been collecting Elvis records for years and just recently picked up two Japanese pressings of two of my favourite Elvis albums. But no obi strips. They were cheap, in mint condition and the back artwork was special. I look forward to my next record fair to get the ones with obi strips 😎
Song of the day: Babies, by Pulp
Song of the day Joy Division - Atmosphere
I picked up Balzac into the light with the obi for $20 in Australia. Sounds great!
I live in Japan now and I am always finding hidden gems at Recycle Stores all over Japan. Usually they are much less expensive there. Like everything Japanese own they take care of them and are in amazing condition when you find them even at a Recycle Store. If there is something specific you are looking for let me know and I will keep my eye out for you.
I had a Slowdive “Souvlaki” Japanese Import from 1993, still sealed, but sold it in a record purge a few years back. I’ve actually never heard a Japanese pressing of a record, only CDs. Thanks for the knowledge.
I have quite a few Japanese records from the 70s and 80s that sound just as good as vinyl pressed today. Not only does Japan take better care making records, they also take better care of their records for decades after they're pressed.
Japanese pressings are awesome, I used to import them from Japan in the 80's and 90's. The covers use a much heavier card stock, lyrics (Japanese & English) are included on paper inserts, original extras, posters, stickers etc that may have been included when released are still reproduced. The vinyl is usually heavier than US and the sound is always superb.
Song of the day: Holland, 1945-Neutral Milk Hotel
I don't know how, but your sound in the video is pretty much great on the hi-fi gear. The voice and everything is finely delivered and nice to listen to.
I recently got my first Japanese pressings after a long time of wanting some. Both are promos, too! One was a great deal (I don't think they knew it was a promo!) and the other I probably paid more than I wanted to. No OBI's for either, but they're cool pieces.
I have 2 Japanese pressings, both from Kate Bush. One was her debut, Kick Inside, the other Never Forever, both still with the Obi band intact. The sound quality is indeed superior and I don't remember paying all that much for them. They were pricer than most but nothing outrageous. But this is going 30+ years back. I was in my late teens and 52 years old now..still have the records too.
Yes the Japaanese pressings are known for their sound quality and are sought after by music lovers of all ages !
During the 1960's, the Japanese label King Records released the Super Dynamic Sound series featuring Japanese artists. They were mainly instrumental recordings of the highest fidelity available at the time. For example" Tango Dynamics" Electone Fortissimo in Move Themes. Cuban Echoes. Cuban Spectacles. Operation Glen Miller.
Ngl, Obi Strips make japanese realeases more interesting to buy than their plane anglo counterparts
I was shopping around my local antique shop years ago and came across a Japanese print of The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack with the obi still on. I wasn’t looking for records that day, nor was I a record collector. Now that I am and know how rare it is, I’m glad I bought it (for just $15 😎).
Recently, my great uncle gifted me his Dark Side of the Moon original master record just bc I told him I like vinyls.
These are my 2 prized records. They are very special to me, but I had no idea they were so sought after. Thanks for the knowledge!❤
I used to buy tons of Japanese pressings in the 80s. The vinyl was always top notch, but sometimes the mastering was a bit wimpy sounding.
Another awesome thing about Japanese records is some special extra content like bonus tracks, posters, and lyrics booklets. For example, the album Killers by Iron Maiden came up with a bonus track (Twilight zone), a booklet with lyrics in English and their translation to Japanese, plus a poster. Finally, the quality in those records is also seen in the cover of the albums. My suggestion for cool song and cool artist is Prodigal Son by Iron Maiden.
OHHH Yeah!!! Japanese pressings are the best!!! ...and I am one who refuses to buy a Japanese lp that does not have an obi strip lol. Love collecting those as well as the MOFI.
Those OBIs are so beautiful haha! Thanks for watching dude! 👍
Just call it an obi. It already means strip/sash in Japanese
I have a virgin vinyl copy of Lee Ritenour in Rio complete with OBI strip from 1979. I actually found it for $1 at a flea market that used to be a giant Montgomery Wards. It sounds excellent. Great if you're into smooth jazz/yacht rock.
Song of the day: Honey Bucket by the Melvins
Song of the day
Back in love again - Donna summer
Song of the day: Money Man by Jack Robert
Hey man! I love your channel. I have been collecting vinyl for about 3 years now. I always wanted to make the commitment and I got to say it was the best decision I ever made. Your channel is one of the many reasons why I started collecting so thank you!
Song of the day: Iron Butterfly - In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.
I stumbled across some Japanese vinyl records at a shop in Seattle, and I didn't think anything of the quality... I just picked them up because they were cool and I'm a weaboo. They are the VisionQuest OST, Journey - Raised on Radio, and the extended single of Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes (Two Tribes - annihilation, War - hide yourself, Two Tribes - surrender). All 3 have the Obi and are all around in excellent condition, and one even has a sticker that says Rental Record. The Obi for Raised on Radio is over the top of the sleeve and blends in with the artwork, and Two Tribes has a neat picture of Ronald Reagan as well as nuclear weapon statistics from 1984. They allegedly came from a flea market in Osaka or something like that. No mold.
I have a bunch and with all there advantages Japanese vinyl has one issue: sound quality. Very often they lack bass and have boosted treble due to mastering decisions.
I agree on this one. UK and German pressings sound better most of the time.
This is correct, listen to Thriller JP version Vs US version you will be blown away by how flat the JP sounds compare to US or UK mastering.. I guess they didn’t have good mastering engineers back there
@@orenluttenberg5070 too strange, because for cd the first japan version have much bass than american cd, and it's also much better... The japan cd master of Thriller is from a tape eq for vinyl, so for me your comment seems a bit strange.
@@federico1888 not strange at all... The EQ in Japan was (kind off) regulated (not by law, but is was a common practice). As we all know: lower frequencies (bass) travels more easily thru walls than higher frequencies. The general construction in Japan is lighter or thinner than other countries due to space and population, so is easier to bother neighbors with low frequencies. That's why in Japan most of the pressings were "softened" in the low end of the spectrum
@@georgzeth yes i know, but for the thriller Cd (and not only) the original japan cd has more bass than the american and european cd. It sounds similar than the original european vinyl.
I have The Beatles Yesterday Today on a 1976 Japanese press. Sounds incredible!
I’m a Japanese and I didn’t know these things.
I guess this is why Japanese records are more expensive.
Another point for buying japanese record ,when you buy old vinyl directly from japan,they are in mint condition,no scratch at all,japanese take care of their object (vinyl for example).They maintain their object
very well in their culture.
I have been collecting Japanese vinyl since the early 80’s, not all are the best sounding though
I saw a few Japanese vinyls with the obi at a flea market here in Italy, didn't know they were rare 🫢 I did think that the obis were a very cool addition though
I love your channel!!!
I've been living in Japan for 13 years. I can attest to the quality of original pressings of Japanese vinyl. I have around 1400 LPs and about 90% of them are Japanese. The curved plastic record sleeves are very nice. And it's cool to have a Japanese obi and the bilingual material inserts. My original Japanese pressings of CSN&Y are soooooooo beautiful!
Song of the Day: Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith
The only person that thought outside the box
I have many Japanese pressings of my fav artist Connie Francis and from the 1970's 1980's dble gatefolds and boxed sets of LP'S. her MOST RARITIES ARE HER jAPANESE SINGING ones[LET'S SING WITH CONNIE FRANCIS [very unique cover as Connie Francis is dressed as a geisha girl]-1st pressing], yes singing in japanese, but unfortunately only her hits dubbed in japanese, she didn't record any japanese original songs.This was the only language that she didn't record any original songs. The quality of them are awesome especially the cover art, i would say unique and amongst us CF collectors Japanese pressings are amongst the 1st to acquire .
Song Of The Day: Hellraiser Covered By Motörhead
I've got a 1972 Beatles' japanesse Revolver, and it really looks and sounds outstanding. Love it.
Song of the day: Passage to Bangkok by Rush
These days I've been listening to a lot of Rush. They're awesome...
Hi Jarrett! Thank you for sharing your knowledge about vinyl records in general. Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Another reason Japanese vinyl is desirable is they let the records cool completely after coming out of the presses before throwing them into the sleeves. This means less warping among other things.
I have a few, Gazeebo's first album and Eagles - Hotel California, they sound fantastic. Song of the day Galatée - La mer.
Song of the day: Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
Wow, I have learned something today. I really had no clue about Japanese pressings. I would love to have one or two, but I have a feeling that the price-tag would be out of range for me. AND I have a song for you: the hippest, coolest song that you've probably never heard but it's more relevant today that ever. World Party-Ship of Fools. If nothing else listen to it yourself and get down with the sound. I have that particular song on 45. 8)
Song of the day:
Paranoid Android - Radiohead
I bought dozens of Japanese pressings when MoFi wasn't going to do an album I wanted. A local dealer would gladly order the Japanese copy for me of pretty much anything available. Just had to wait, but it was worth it. Everything about the Japanese version was better. The vinyl was quiet, the pressing was perfect (absolutely no out-of-roundness), no warping, labels absolutely centered and the jackets were printed with such care there were no flaws. If I had a Japanese album and MoFi went ahead and did it...I didn't bother. Kept the Japanese.
04:20 Didn't know Japan also censored Mama's & Papa's' "If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears" album cover...
...just because of a poor little toilet bowl
Back then it wasn't just the Japanese who were squeamish about toilets. The Stones' Beggars Banquet album cover was also banned in many countries
Hi Jarret!
Song of the day: Mardy Bum
By the Arctic Monkeys
Thank you for all the information
From UK
Song of the day: Jesus is the one by Zach Fox and Kenny Beats.
Song of the day: O Father O Satan O Sun! by Behemoth
ive always noticed that japanese pressed vinyl are just... amazing... its so clean & crazy...
Song of the day: Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels Band.
I own 2 Japanese pressings.
First, Bill Withers’ Still Bill mini LP. Technically a CD but made to look like the record, complete with OBI strip.
Second, Santana Lotus. Quadrophonic live triple LP that was from Santana’s Japanese tour in ‘74(?). Originally released in Japan. Complete with inserts and OBI. Got it for a steal from a record store that was struggling during quarantine.
A story that I heard from the guy that brings Japanese records in my city(Bucharest). Back in the Vinyl Era, in Japan you were not allowed to put your hands on the record in the record stores. They had only one copy for presentation and a guy responsible in the store was the only one who touched the records, using gloves. You could listen to it in dedicated ares and if you decided to buy it, he would have got you a brand new record complete sealed from the back of the store. If it’s true, is fascinating!
Going to my collection, I thought that buying Japanese would be a sign of elitism until one day. I got an USA press of Rainbow Live 1977. Great record. My girlfriend said that she wants one for herself and got the same record but Japanese from the guy that I told you about. On one night I said: this is a different record! This song is not on my copy! (“Catch the Rainbow the song” like Dio says on the record). The track list is the same but the way the Japanese is recorded is something from another world.
Every Japanese import I have is stuffed with cool extras. Posters, a bonus single, stickers, usually a big booklet, and they often have bonus tracks.
Interesting but there's one point I doubt; How the recycling of plastic effects to sound quality? More likely it has something to do with manufacturing process, not source of the material. I say it's hifist urban legend, until of course someone shows me some research that proves me wrong ;)
This is just a guess, but have you observed the difference in the texture of recycled paper versus "virgin" paper? It's both paper, but first generation paper seems to be smoother and ink doesn't spear on it as much compared with recycled paper. Just a hunch, but maybe a similar physical degradation occurs when vinyl is recycled?
well, plastics once used usally lose properties and gain others
thats one of the reason you shouldn't reuse certain plastics
i guess its something about the purity of the plastic
In Japan their vinyl shops are massive and very cheap, I buy most of my vinyl every time I go to japan