Who's Next Steve Hoffman master in Japan?

JWB · Postby **JWB** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 1:14 am

Someone is on SHTV claiming that all Japanese discs of "Who's Next" use the Polydor master. I could have sworn that Steve's digital master was used in Japan. Am I imagining this?

There is guy with a Japanese disc #P33P 25009 that totals 43:25. I would think that this was Steve's master...

Postby **lukpac** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 7:35 am

Are they saying "made in Japan" or "released in Japan"? As if they mean "released in Japan" it probably *would* be the Polydor master (being on Polydor, after all).

Ok, that catalog # certainly looks like a Polydor #. So, yes, it would probably be the same as the Polydor UK/Germany disc.

I've got two distinct "Made In Japan" MCA pressings, and both use Steve's master. I believe some other copies use the other MCA master (narrowed, sped up), but I don't have one myself.

Dob · Postby **Dob** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:19 am

lukpac wrote:I've got two distinct "Made In Japan" MCA pressings, and both use Steve's master. I believe some other copies use the other MCA master (narrowed, sped up), but I don't have one myself.

I've got one. MCA, Made In Japan, definitely not Steve's master.

Postby **lukpac** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:34 am

Dob wrote:I've got one. MCA, Made In Japan, definitely not Steve's master.

~43:15?

Dob · Postby **Dob** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:35 am

Postby **lukpac** » Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:37 am

I've got one of those made in the US. I *think* it's a JVC pressing.

HZ had one at one time, I think.

JWB · Postby **JWB** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 1:59 am

lukpac wrote:Ok, that catalog # certainly looks like a Polydor #. So, yes, it would probably be the same as the Polydor UK/Germany disc.

But it's 43:25.

Andreas · Postby **Andreas** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:08 am

JWB wrote:
lukpac wrote:Ok, that catalog # certainly looks like a Polydor #. So, yes, it would probably be the same as the Polydor UK/Germany disc.

But it's 43:25.

What is the timing for the European 1980s Polydor Who's Next CD? I don't have it anymore.

JWB · Postby **JWB** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 2:25 am

Andreas wrote:
JWB wrote:
lukpac wrote:Ok, that catalog # certainly looks like a Polydor #. So, yes, it would probably be the same as the Polydor UK/Germany disc.

But it's 43:25.

What is the timing for the European 1980s Polydor Who's Next CD? I don't have it anymore.

I thought all the others were 43:15.

Andreas · Postby **Andreas** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:02 am

JWB wrote:I thought all the others were 43:15.

I thought that only refers to MCA discs.

JWB · Postby **JWB** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 4:29 am

Andreas wrote:
JWB wrote:I thought all the others were 43:15.

I thought that only refers to MCA discs.

Okay, how many masterings are there total then?

I was under the impression that the "other" MCA's were the same as the Polydors.

Andreas · Postby **Andreas** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 4:39 am

I thought the Polydor is a unique mastering. But I have never owned a non-SH MCA Who's Next, and I don't own the Polydor anymore.

I think the (German) Polydor Who's Next had Baba O' RIley and Behind Blue Eys fading in, just the the way you can hear them on The Who Collection.

JWB · Postby **JWB** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 4:55 am

On SHTV they were saying that the Polydor matched the non-SH MCA. Oh well, I guess I'm confused.

Andreas · Postby **Andreas** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 5:27 am

Gardo, 09-22-2002, 10:27 PM:

Just to Muddy Waters a little more:

I have a Polydor WN (813651-2) from the very early days of CD (copyright 1983), made in West Germany, bought in the States, and it clocks in at 43:25. It is (obviously) NOT Steve's remaster, though it does pass the one-channel BBE test described above. It sounds like it was mastered from a third or fourth generation tape: hissy and congested. Another tell-tale difference from Steve's: "Baba O' Riley" is faded in, taking about 3 seconds to reach full volume. On Steve's master, "Baba" is NOT faded in.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=6948

Another thread:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showt ... hp?t=12105

Postby **lukpac** » Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:37 am

What Gardo said.

I'm aware of the following "early" masterings:

Polydor - hissy, fade-ups on some songs, ~43:25
MCA ("SH mastering") - ~43:25, no fade-ups, little hiss
MCA (non-"SH mastering") - ~43:15, more hiss than the SH version, slightly narrowed

When I first got Who's Next in the early '90s it was the second MCA one above.

While some MCA and Polydor CDs were identical, I'm not aware of this ever happening with Who's Next.