I doubt that it is an official release. Why should, in the USA at that, a 'Killers' picture disc be released 17 years after the official vinyl edition? By the way, there's also another USA 1998 'The Number Of The Beast' picture disc released by the same 'company'.
However, I'm not dead sure whether it's a bootleg or not. It might be official, but it's hard to tell because nowadays it's pretty easy to release very professional looking stuff.
Thank you Cosmiceddie, I got your point "a 'Killers' picture disc be released 17 years after the official vinyl edition?" It is reasonable think this way. As far as I know It seems to be bootleg or pirate, well just wait to next month to get the original ones by EMI or UM.
Other info by anyone is welcome.
I was planning on getting these until i saw the prices, £20 per album, £30 for Live After Death. Now of course its just my opinion that these are WAY over priced. When i got A Matter Of Life & Death it was €14.99 (im in Ireland) and it was a double lp picture disc. So £20 plus £5-6 postage will bring each album up to approx €35 and LAD will be closer to €50.
Its a pity because i would have bought all of them if they were fairly priced.
I watched a review in youtube... It seems that it's the original mix not the remastered ones... And that they sound pretty good compared to other picture discs.
According to the audiophile snobs at the Steve Hoffman forums, Iron Maiden sounds pretty good for a picture disc, but Killers sounds bad. Plus, as with most if not all picture discs, you get the annoying surface noise that you don't get with regular vinyl. Also, it's the UK versions of each, so you won't get Sanctuary or Twilight Zone.
The only version of the debut I've heard is that remaster and Sanctuary still sounds a bit out of place to me. Remember Tomorrow following Prowler seems much more appropriate to me somehow. I feel like having the two rockers in a row is odd, like it's meant to be rocker then softer song. I might get the debut just to try, but I'm not a fan of these vinyl re-releases. There's something special about having the original ones.
We probably mean the same but I am just pointing out that the whole world apart from North America is a bit bigger than the UK. ;-)
So I am not used to Sanctuary on the debut album. I own a very early (the first?) CD release of the album and before that I knew the album via a cassette recording of the LP from a friend.
Same with Twilight Zone on Killers (borrowed an LP from a class mate, and later bought it on CD).
I'm really torn on whether I want these or not! I have all the original 80's pressings, but the picture discs look really awesome!
Usually with something like this, I leave it up to if I find it for a reasonable price somewhere, you can go broke trying to get everything!
check out my collection here!
I'm really torn on whether I want these or not! I have all the original 80's pressings, but the picture discs look really awesome!
Usually with something like this, I leave it up to if I find it for a reasonable price somewhere, you can go broke trying to get everything!
check out my collection here!
]
Awesome video of your Maiden vinyl collection there Rebel! I have all my original vinyl from the 80s and 90s as well. The last Maiden vinyl I bought was DoD. Never have picked up AMOLAD & TFF vinyls yet. I have the original 12" singles as well as the first 10 years set of singles, all on vinyl. I've also kept all my cassette tapes of Iron Maiden, and have all the cds as well.
All but the CDs are in my storage closet, since we retired from the US Air Force in 05. I may have to dig that box out one day and see how they're holding up.
Yeah, I'd love to buy all these re-released picture LPs too, but money is a bit tight these days, so that probably won't happen.
Thanks for watching the video! I'd love to get that first 10 years set, it's really cool.
I just picked up the Clairvoyant 12"single too, of course after the video was done!
Oh well, I should re-do it anyway, it was a first attempt!
You're not going to get any better-sounding versions than the original 80s LPs. I have no desire to buy these picture discs, which I view as pure collectibles, with no redeeming musical value.
OK, first of all this is my first post on this forum, yay noobs. Secondly, i recently went up to my local record store to buy both S/T and Killers picture disc. As a matter of fact, I'm planning on buying all of these reissues, even though I'm hesitant on Live After Death (because I'm not that big on the album) and 666 (because GOD knows that's in high demand over all these). I will admit, I was hesitant on the sound quality, as I'm sure we all are... but man, these are just way too damn cool, and they look amazing. I bought em. To my surprise, they both sound very good. The reason Sanctuary and Twilight Zone are absent from these two is because they are ripped from the analog recordings of the original release. This has got me looking forward to the coming releases... If you have any questions pertaining to these picture discs, you're more than welcome to ask me. I plan on being active in this forum. Cheers, lads.
You'd be better off saving your money and investing in used original vinyl or original CD releases. The 1998 "enhanced" CD remasters that are currently in print sound like ass. Go online and get the original late-80's CD releases, and note how much better the original CDs sound. Softer, yes, but turn them up and they sound a lot better.
Or better yet get the original Japanese releases, nicknamed Black Triangle for the print on the CDs themselves. I own them all and they have superb audio quality, well far to that of the remasters. I can't compare with the original EMI UK releases because I never listened to them.
Don't confuse! This is not the whole vinyl set! This is only a box. NO LPs. That's right, a box, bidding for $150. And don't think that's it: this one is bidding for $289!
Or better yet get the original Japanese releases, nicknamed Black Triangle for the print on the CDs themselves. I own them all and they have superb audio quality, well far to that of the remasters. I can't compare with the original EMI UK releases because I never listened to them.
The Black Triangle releases are considered the holy grail for CD collectors, but frankly I got one and the sound is not any different than the other region original releases on EMI, or even the later reissue on Castle, which I have. For those who are really into this sort of thing, compare the dynamic range on the Japanese Black Triangle of Piece of Mind to that of the Castle version, which used the original UK EMI mastering. See tables in the spoiler box below. (Note, the Japan version codes the backwards language right before Still Life as a separate track, which is why there is an extra track on the Japanese.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: Iron Maiden/Piece Of Mind (Japan First Pressing)
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DRPeakRMSFilename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR12-0.67 dB-14.50 dB01 Iron Maiden - Where Eagles Dare.wav
DR13-0.68 dB-15.74 dB02 Iron Maiden - Revelations.wav
DR12-0.01 dB-12.98 dB03 Iron Maiden - Flight Of Icarus.wav
DR12over-13.54 dB04 Iron Maiden - Die With Your Boots On.wav
DR12-0.75 dB-15.02 dB05 Iron Maiden - The Trooper.wav
DR16-14.85 dB-36.96 dB06 Iron Maiden - Phatoor.wav
DR14-0.46 dB-16.38 dB07 Iron Maiden - Still Life.wav
DR14-0.46 dB-16.28 dB08 Iron Maiden - Quest For Fire.wav
DR12-1.51 dB-15.36 dB09 Iron Maiden - Sun And Steel.wav
DR13-0.86 dB-16.31 dB10 Iron Maiden - To Tame A Land.wav
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed folder: Music/Iron Maiden/Piece Of Mind
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DRPeakRMSFilename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR12-0.67 dB-14.53 dB01 Where Eagles Dare.m4a
DR13-0.68 dB-15.74 dB02 Revelations.m4a
DR12-0.01 dB-12.98 dB03 Flight Of Icarus.m4a
DR12over-13.54 dB04 Die With Your Boots On.m4a
DR12-0.75 dB-15.02 dB05 The Trooper.m4a
DR14-0.46 dB-16.56 dB06 Still Life.m4a
DR14-0.46 dB-16.28 dB07 Quest For Fire.m4a
DR12-1.51 dB-15.36 dB08 Sun And Steel.m4a
DR13-0.86 dB-16.31 dB09 To Tame A Land.m4a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of files:9
Official DR value DR13
It is obviously exactly the same mastering, and I've never understood how different CD "pressings" from the same master could possibly make a material difference in sound -- unlike vinyl, where the pressing quality does matter, with CDs digital is digital, and a series of bits is exactly the same regardless of the medium on which it's stored. This is important because the Black Triangle will cost you over US$100 on the used market, if you can find it at all, while the Castle or the original EMI can be had for just a few dollars on Amazon.
I should add that the dynamic range on these releases is outstanding, nearly twice that of the current Sanctuary versions, which use the indefensibly awful 1998 remasters. So, get the Black Triangle if you're a serious collector, and if you're just interested in the sound quality get the original masters on EMI, which were released pre-1990. Again, stay away from the current versions. On Amazon.com, at least in the U.S., virtually every CD released before 1990 shows a "release date" of 1990 for some reason, so if you find a used version on EMI or Capitol and it has a stated release date of 1990, that's the version to get. There were no remasters between the 1980's CD releases and the 1998 remasters.
By the way, this might be the most value-added post I've ever made on this forum. Most people here have the 1998 remasters. They are dreck.
As for the price, it's all market value I guess. People are willing to pay $100 for a Japanese CD so people are selling it for $100. I got the whole pack second hand in a great deal with the help of a friend who visits Japan every couple of months.
When I first learned of the Black Triangles, I read that back when the CD business was just starting to pick up, (early 80s to early 90s), CD manufacturers outside Japan had lower quality equipment and lesser expertise and experience comparing to the Japanese manufacturers who were pioneering everything - hence why 'those in the know' claim Japanese pressings from this period are superior to those which were done in The West. Personally, I just love them Obi stripes!
I ended up coming across Piece of Mind today while at our local music store. It came as bit of a surprise because I didn't think they would have the picture discs there. So of course, I snagged it. They also had Iron Maiden, Killers and Number of the Beast. I would have bought the other 3 but I already have NotB on vinyl and money is a bit tight. Now I know where to look when the other ones come out.
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