Japan - Tin Drum - Abbey Road Half Speed Mastered Vinyl

I finally got a copy of this fantastic Japan album from 1981. 

The final Japan album (if you don't count Rain Tree Crow) is a masterpiece and came at a time which found the band at their creative peak, very similar to Roxy Music's final album Avalon which (in my opinion) is their best. 

The half speed mastering and cutting process (by the techs at Abbey Road Studios) speeds things up so you now have 2 vinyl discs where there was only 1 originally. The discs are played at 45rpm not 33. This greatly improves the high frequencies and makes for an awesome listening experience. I plan on spinning this during the coming weekend on my vintage JVC turntable. (update: I took it for a spin. See below)

2 vinyl discs in anti-static sleeves and a gatefold cover. Includes download code.

Tracks

Side A

1 Art of Parties  

2 Talking Drum  

Side B

1 Ghosts  

2 Canton  

Side C

1 Still Life  

2 Visions of China  

Side D

1 Sons of Pioneers  

2 Cantonese Boy

Spin test of this half speed master: 

Quiet! This is a very quiet record. Being vinyl, you always expect some pops and ticks and there are a few but if you're not listening for them you won't notice. The big pop/tick test of course is on the track Ghosts which being a softer track, they will show up.

One thing very noticeable straight away was the warmth. It seems a lot of the 1980's music re-issued on cd was a bit on the sharp side, at lease on the original cd issues before remastering. There is a definite warmth to this vinyl version. Another noticeable point is the frequency range. Bass is nice and bassy, not boomy. Trebles are crystal clear but don't make your ears bleed.

Bonus: the packaging is wonderful!

Overall a 5 star release. Put it on and especially with a good set of headphones, you will hear nuances in the music you did not hear before.

Japan Tin Drum Half Speed Master at the Abbey Road Store