A question here:
Although I highly doubt it, does anyone know if these latest Original Album Classics series include remastered albums? I assume it's just straight re-releases, but the prices on Tower.com for these are in some cases nuts. There's a Rory Gallagher set for $14.99, and others have prices in the $14.99-$17.99 range for Kansas, Mott The Hoople (bizarrely including 2 albums by Mott), Jeff Beck, Weather Report, Miles Davis, Poco, Allman Bros. Band-some amazing stuff. Some artists are listed as very high priced right now, but that will change.
My curiosity is focused on the Santana set because it has albums I've been waiting years for to be remastered including Inner Secrets, Marathon, Zebop!, Shango and Freedom. Again, I doubt these are remastered, but I might just give up hope and get these for $17.99 which would make them around $3.50 a piece.
This is all I could find out:

Product Description
2009 five CD set consisting of a quintet of albums from the classic Rock band led by guitarist Carlos Santana: Inner Secrets (1978), Marathon (1979), Zebop! (1981), Shango (1982) and Freedom (1987). Sony/BMG.

Can anyone help???

---

Linda adds — here's the complete list of Original Album Classics sets released on March 30, 2009:

Product Description
Original Album Classics is a series of 5 CD sets that bring together rare and out of print titles with some best sellers from the Sony Catalogue. Many of these albums have been unavailable on CD for some time and are sought after by collectors.

Each set is presented in a high quality, rigid cardboard slipcase, containing 5 vinyl replica sleeves, as they were originally released.

Amazon USA:

    

   

---

Amazon UK:

    

   

don't know about the mastering, but for $3.50 a pop, all 5 of those albums are well worth it.

I've got all five on original CD reissues and they sound fine, quiet and with good dynamic range, though a bit tinny sounding.

Bump: added the complete list of Original Album Classics sets for March 30, 2009 to the first post.

Also ...


Pete, AFAIK the albums included in the Original Album Classics series are the most recent versions released in the UK, including remastering and bonus tracks where applicable, but repackaged in mini LP replica sleeves. IOW, if the Santana albums you were asking about hadn't yet been remastered individually, then the versions contained in this set won't be remastered either.

My understanding is that the series is the most recent Previously released remasters. The one's I've had in stock did have the bonus tracks from the most recent expanded albums. These appear to be a monster bargain IF you don't already have the albums. I've never opened one, because I've already owned all of the ones we've carried that interested me on separate cd's.

It seems these are all just re-releases in apparantley very cheap, crappy cardboard sleeves with no liner notes included. If the albums have already been remastered, then those versions are included. Otherwise just straight re-releases.
The price is right, but I own what's been remastered and I would be very unhappy with the packaging, so I'm good.

I have the mini-sleeve Japanese box set from "Argent" so I am good there. I did pick up the Mott set (very inexpensive) especially for the two Mott discs being a completist that I am. The two standalones imports together were more expensive than the entire 5 CD set.

Rick A.

Sony UK has just issued a new series of "Album Classics" but they are only 3-disc sets, making them less compelling. The artists in the new sets include Journey, Korn, Scorpions, Simon and Garfunkel, Dolly Parton, Santana, Toto, Walker Bros., and more of your teen pop star favorites.

But now UK Warner's is in on the act with a ton of 5-disc sets under the "Original Album Series" banner. Among the artists included are Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Aztec Camera, Bread, Chaka Khan, Echo and the Bunnymen, Foghat, Foreigner, J. Geils Band, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, Otis Redding, Pretenders, Rod Stewart, Sisters of Mercy, the Cars, Todd Rundgren and many more. Something for everyone.

Yeah, this looks good. Sets lke Foghat and others would fill gaps nicely. Thanks DCTalk.

Rick A.