Opinions sought: Acrobat Records

[felser]

52 minutes ago, JSngry said:

If the liner notes are the selling point, why sell the music at all? The Ervin essay was indeed excellent, but it's been posted online, right? Taht's where I read it. And all the records have already come out in all kinds of ways. So is the strategy here to use the essay to sell me an online essay that I've already read?

 

I may be a minority of one, but I do care about the packaging of my CD's, PD or otherwise, and am willing to pay for something nice that I can hold in my hands, strongly prefer avid packages (with original album art including liner notes) to real gone jazz, etc.  Reading online and listening online don't work for me on any number of levels.

[JSngry]

I read and listen simultaneously all the time, with no preferred combination of media. Could be anything, usually is.

It's funny, though - I'll rad a liner note of a book or a magazine while listening at home, I'm pretty disciplined as far as effectively being able to multitask like that, but I will not, except for the most extreme urgency crack open program notes a t a concert. It pisses me off when I find myself doing that. Read that shit before or after the music, not during it. Maybe it's that a live concert is a truly live performance and a record is not, but I dunno, that's a line I draw pretty strongly for myself.

But I remember reading that Ervin essay, somebody posted it on here, it was when we were out of the house for a few nights due to some remodeling. I was reading it on my wife's iPad (she's the Apple in the house) and had some kind of Booker Ervin playlist going on YouTube on another tab/window/pane wtf Apple calls their shit. All through ear buds in a hotel bed with MSNBC on the TV and Brenda talking to a friend on her phone.

I such a scenario, a CD or a magazine or a pamphlet or a printout or anything extra above what was already going on would have felt like piling on, especially since the contractor was trying to play the probably Wednesday, definitely Friday, absolutely no later than the next Monday. It's time like that when I truly cherish the possibilities of virtual media. When I'm home, hell yeah, hard copies please, usually, almost always, definitely no more than almost certainly (Things I Learned From the Contractor for $200, Alex). But outside of that bubble, hey...

 

[Big Beat Steve]

10 hours ago, JSngry said:

And all the records have already come out in all kinds of ways.

Not all of those in the R&B field and related reissues, at least not since the original releases on 78. (And no, some reissue on some long-deleted P-Vine vinyl from the 70s/80s - or similar labels - that was exceedingly hard to get in almost all parts of the globe doesn't count and attitudes to the tune of "ha, your fault if you weren't around when they were current in places were they COULD be bought or if you aren't willing to shell out top ripoff money from secondhand sellers today" are just laughable).

Again, I'd I not condone sellng CD-Rs underhandedly at all but I cannot see any fault with those Acrobats I've bought even among fairly recent reissues (2010/2011 dates in the fine print), except one single one - the Macy's label compilation. And even there I canot find anything wrong with the booklet (which isn't copious anyway), and I wonder if maybe the problem with the CD-Rs is that these are REPRESSINGS (the booklet to the Macy's has a 2003 date whereas it is 2011 on the back insert. OTOH the similarly designed Atlas label compilation also has a booklet date of 2003 and a 2010 date on the back insert in the jewel case but this one definitely is not a CD-R but the real thing (as are the others I have from that label). Not that nice for sure that they resort to CD-Rs but hasn't this been a problem even with major label reisues such as OJCs?
At any rate, as for the Macy's, I know I'd pick up a Vol. 2 (if they ever did one) focusing on Macy's country output and filling gaps in reissues available elsewhere without flinching - CD-R or not. To the best of my knowledge BACM (another CD-R reissuer but they admit it and they are a special case anyway) have not done a Macy's compilation so far.
Unimportant reissues to others wondering about this label? Maybe - but then it's - AGAIN - just a matter of different strokes and tastes. So what, then?

BTW, @all:
What's the label address in the fine print at the bottom of the back inlay of your CD-Rs?

Edited December 12, 2018 by Big Beat Steve

[king ubu]

this is the Tubby Hayes in question:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Tempo-Recordings-1955-59-Tubby/dp/B00B7GBJP6

not sure there's any address, the inlay can be seen there (just a website there)

[Big Beat Steve]

This seems to be a further evolution of that imprint I have not seen on any of mine (which range up to a (P) and (C) date of 2011). The reason I was asking was that I am trying to find out how to possibly tell them apart from the outside.

The one I have doubts about has a Rickmansworth, Herts. address on the inlay. All those that are real CDs have a different address (PO Box 611, Pinner, no county given) . BUT - one other CD with the Rickmansworth address that I have has an O.K. real CD too. So the Rickmannsworth address is not a sure indicator of a CD-R either. Strangely those other Acrobats I own and that have their back inlay shown on Amazon too ALSO have the Rickmansworth address there whereas my copies have the Pinner address. So there seem to be several (re-)pressings floating around. Which makes me believe that one and the same CD release from them may exist in both forms. Not easy to settle ...

Edited December 12, 2018 by Big Beat Steve

[king ubu]

No one needs counts (except for guillotines  )

Not sure I have any earlier releases on Acrobat at home

--

Ok, found one more - CD-R as well, Herts. address there:

https://www.amazon.de/Jazz-At-Philharmonic-Seattle-1956/dp/B005EN4JKK/