Jim, I have an HK-CDR 20 stand alone burner and I have NEVER had a problem with any home audio cdrs I've ever tried. I've had some duds in batches of cdrs in the past, but in these cases, I've just started over again with another disc in the same batch and I've been fine.
I don't really stick to one particular brand of cdr, though I've never had a problem with the Maxell Gold series (only by Japanese manufacturer). As long as they're made in Japan, I'll buy them (I've been told to stay away from Taiwanese cdrs). As to the difference between blue-green-gold inks---I've never noticed.
(afterthought)
Jim, since we have the same burner, we could co-ordinate some tests, if you'd like. Let me know if there's any way I could help.
Also, I just read the link that couw posted, and now I'm freakin' out about how long some of my music is going to last! Apparently, questions of quality run deeper than the Japan vs. Taiwan thing.