Binaural and No Code vinyl bootlegs

RoleModelsinBlood31

I own every original pressing but Binaural and have to say that since PJ's vinyl pressings for the most part sound like shit (except vault 3 and LB) it is obvious that a digital format was pressed into the vinyl, not an analog. Some bands spent more time and pressed the real deal- but PJ did not. Many board members know what I'm talking about. Sure, I'll eventually buy an original Binaural, but until then knowing that all their original presses are of pretty similar/shitty quality anyway, I don't mind spending a fraction of the cost for the music which will be very close to the shitty original version anyway. The colored vinyl to me doesn't mean shit- the fact that I have the album on a turntable does.

But then again I listen to almost everything on vinyl now.

RoleModelsinBlood31

Thanks to those who posted updates about the sound quality. I was thinking I getting the binaural one but if it's unlistenable there's just no point.

Patrick_Sea3

I also got the binaural copy and I don't think it sounds shitty at all. It also depends upon your set-up, I just replaced my needle before I got the record and it sounds fine in my opinion.

adogcalledego

It´s definitely not my setup. I´m using a 2 months old Ortofon Blue 2M System which has been adjusted properly. I compared my original copy to the bootleg and the repress is really really bad. The original actually sounds way better, less distortion, wider stereofield and a nice warm low end. The orange boot is distorted and crackly. Maybe the quality of the copies varies, mine is barely playable. I might be a bit picky, but in this case my bootleg record is obviously broken. ;-)

lolobugg

adogcalledego said:

It´s definitely not my setup. I´m using a 2 months old Ortofon Blue 2M System which has been adjusted properly. I compared my original copy to the bootleg and the repress is really really bad. The original actually sounds way better, less distortion, wider stereofield and a nice warm low end. The orange boot is distorted and crackly. Maybe the quality of the copies varies, mine is barely playable. I might be a bit picky, but in this case my bootleg record is obviously broken. ;-)

How do you like the Ortofon cartridge?
I am running a vintage Shure on my table now and was thinking about putting the Ortofon on my extra headshell.

adogcalledego

I was running a Shure M44-7 before which is a good value for money system but the Ortofon is definitely a different level. I tried various systems, the Ortofon Red among others, and I liked the blue one the most. It is way clearer and punchier than the Shure. The resolution is awesome, it totally opened up the sound of the records and it´s a good allrounder, too. I am into all sorts of music, loads of Rock and heavy stuff but also Jazz and Classical and the 2M does a great job with all types of music so far. It is not the highest end system but in my opinion there is not much in the same pricerange that delivers the same quality. Try it! (I know, I sound like an Ortofon sales rep)

lolobugg

Thanks for the review. I was rocking a Shure ML140he until my daughter accidently broke it. I almost cried since it is IMPOSSIBLE to find any NOS of this stylus. Right now I have a Shure M97he vintage early 80s on it. Probably falls somewhere between the Ortofon Red and Blue. I am gonna start saving up for the Blue. (you should apply with Ortofon for a sales job!!!

jonnyrock1975

I love how someone who bought the record when it came out almost 20 years ago is being referred to as a flipper for selling it at market value a flipper is someone who goes out on record store day and buys a 7" for £7 and then puts it on eBay the same day for 30 times what they paid for it, or whatever. A market value is just that. If you want the thing you pay for it, if you think it's a ridiculous price, you don't. All record collectors have paid through the nose on multiple occasions for things they "need" to complete their collection. These bootlegs surely can't be anywhere near the quality of the originals? It provides another option for someone to "complete" their collection on the cheap I suppose. But I think it's funny how holier than thou people are on this subject. I've used this analogy before, but in 1976 my parents paid £8000 for their house. By this reckoning, if they sold it tomorrow they'd be considered a thief for asking anything more than £8000 for it.

hrd2imgn

my guess is that they are just vinyl rips from a CD or another vinyl. People have been buying and selling boots forever.

Why is buying this vinyl different than the old days of buying a bootleg concert CD?? I know the vinyl is an official release in original format, but the concerts are PJ's intellectual property as well.
Both illegal, both serving a demand.

You wanna pay 150 bucks for a fake repro eat your heart out,

buck502000

http://www.vinyloftheday.com/2014/07/15/europes-biggest-counterfeit-record-pressing-plant-raided/

PJ_Soul

buck502000 said:

http://www.vinyloftheday.com/2014/07/15/europes-biggest-counterfeit-record-pressing-plant-raided/

=D>

Glad to hear it.

hrd2imgn

Bravo

tragibigzanda

jerparker20 said:

Dr. Delight said:

Only a matter of time before 10C steps up. This money is coming right out of their pockets in lost sales. I imagine they will not like that.
Then again, they have waited too long in re-issuing these middle era lp's.

The reissue is more of an Epic/Sony thing than it is a 10C thing.

I've posted this before in another thread, but to reiterate: I have a friend whom is very high up at Sony Legacy (the label that handles all the reissues). He has told me that all the reissue stuff is ultimately driven by Jeff. Jeff is the unofficial archivist for the band, and it is Jeff who pours through the old recordings and memorabilia. If he doesn't feel like taking it on, it's not happening (or so says my friend). My thought is that a simple reprint, without any extra goodies, doesn't make sense when the deluxe sets are likely a more profitable release. Maybe Jeff will feel motivated after the whole LB promo period dies down?

Ty

From the article above... "...professional organisations whose criminal activities inflict massive damage on artists and the recording industry". I definitely don't agree with this in the instance of repressing Binaural, etc. I can't imagine PJ getting that far along in their reissues. Maybe No Code and Yield... maybe. And fuck paying market price! I'd be keen for the Binaural and Avo boot copy, for sure. But with postage tacked on top it's still too pricey for me.

RoleModelsinBlood31

hrd2imgn said:

Why is buying this vinyl different than the old days of buying a bootleg concert CD??

Agreed.

PSUS2H

Isnt part of the excitement of PJ vinyl and memorabilia the chase and hunt for it?

KWO

Yep, the No Code one sounds pretty horrible with surface noise. Especially Present Tense, which has an AWFUL scuff sound throughout the entire song (I asked the seller and he said they're all like that.) Yield is OK sounding, and the vinyl feels heavier. Not all that great, but I guess they'll tide me over until they are re-pressed (if they ever are.)

tempo_n_groove

People are paying over $100 for these. You can get a decent used copy for that much.

jerparker20

tempo_n_groove said:

People are paying over $100 for these. You can get a decent used copy for that much.

"... but it's on colored vinyl."

patdev12

Advertised on ebay as being rare rerelease on coloured vinyl, german seller. €130 starting bit for a shitty orange binaural. Should not be allowed to advertise and mislead like this. I'd prefer to buy a used original instead of that amount of money on a bootleg

patdev12

Ha, just noticed an offical red LB cheaper than a bootleg yield

mookeywrench

Say you and your friends spent a month writing and working on a song, then recorded a rough draft and uploaded onto Youtube for some constructive feedback with no intent to make money off of the video.

Then some Youtube viewer in Germany takes that same video and uploads it on their user account and for some reason it goes viral and advertisers start paying the Youtube account a royalty and now they're making $1,000 a month from a direct copy of your song and video.

Would you be pissed off that someone is reaping all the benefits of you and your friends work? Or would say good for them and applaud their 'success' since you weren't going to release the song for money anyway?

Patrick_Sea3

I have a solution, PJ just reissues everything......

deadendp

mookeywrench said:

Say you and your friends spent a month writing and working on a song, then recorded a rough draft and uploaded onto Youtube for some constructive feedback with no intent to make money off of the video.

Then some Youtube viewer in Germany takes that same video and uploads it on their user account and for some reason it goes viral and advertisers start paying the Youtube account a royalty and now they're making $1,000 a month from a direct copy of your song and video.

Would you be pissed off that someone is reaping all the benefits of you and your friends work? Or would say good for them and applaud their 'success' since you weren't going to release the song for money anyway?

PJ_Soul said:

Guy Dudebro said:

I don't support my local flipper either because I don't buy into the hype. It's odd how people justify buying counterfeit records because the band won't reissue them. Wow, the entitlement. The reissues might not even be a band issue. It might be a band/label issue. It might be case where they get their masters back after a certain amount of years like a lot of bands or might have to buy their back catalog back like Metallica did. Who knows what their contracts are. The bottom line is buying counterfeit products supports nothing but thieves. I don't support thieves.

Pretty sure PJ can reissue if they want to but are choosing to hold off for now for whatever reason. But anyway, I totally agree with you. These are illegal counterfeits and the people who make them are stealing from the band we proclaim to love, yet people aren't hesitating to buy them. It's pretty low. Yez, i know people want the albuMs on vinyl and don't want to.wait for the reissues... but that shouldn't make anyone feel justified in participating in theft from Pearl Jam. Everyone should stop buying these things. I'm actually surprised how open people are being about it on 10C's boards and that the 10c mods haven't said anything.... maybe they and the band don't really care. Fair enough. That still doesn't make it right to be a part of the illegal counterfeit industry - one that truly does hurt artists...... Oh but yeah, who cares about any of that if you can save some money, right?! :-q

I'm not trying to be a dick btw. I know some wonderful people buy these things.... but I do hope people stop and think about this issue and make the decision not to buy any more of them.

My husband and I had a long discussion about this last night. We agree with both of you. Don't screw the band just in order to "complete your collection" or because it's cheaper. It's like borrowing a CD from a friend or the library, uploading it into iTunes, burning yourself copies and then saying that your collection is complete. Musically, it might be complete. If you care anything about a true collection (we're talking the whole package and quality considered) then you have no more than what you had before you purchased the bootleg.

RoleModelsinBlood31

mookeywrench said:

...then recorded a rough draft and uploaded onto Youtube for some constructive feedback with no intent to make money off of the video.

If you had no intent on making money off of it why would you care? Any press is good press.

Patrick_Sea3

But at the same time record stores across the US are selling these "Unofficial" releases. Not saying it's right and it's not just Pearl Jam. I can go into almost any record store in Seattle and find "unofficial releases" Danzig, Nick Cave, Stone Roses, NIN, U2, Beck etc. The list goes on and on. Unless you know what you are looking at most people won;t even realize these are bootlegs. If you local record store is selling them, it must be OK?

evsgjamm

What is the quality of the packaging / jackets on these bootlegs to those who ordered them? How are the sleeves? What's the gatefold cardboard / paper quality like? Are the inner sleeves of high quality or cheap? I'm very very curious to know. Thanks

jrock60

evsgjamm said:

What is the quality of the packaging / jackets on these bootlegs to those who ordered them? How are the sleeves? What's the gatefold cardboard / paper quality like? Are the inner sleeves of high quality or cheap? I'm very very curious to know. Thanks

Was in Brussels last week and stumbled upon these at a record store. I have been curious about them for a while but since I own every studio album already I have no need to purchase them. They had Yield, Binaural, Avocado, and Ukulele. They were all open as this shop keeps the actual records behind the counter so I was able to inspect the packaging. The cardboard is very cheap and thin, almost flimsy. The printing is proper to the original albums with the exception of Ukulele as it did not have the gatefold and yield that did not have the removable yield sign. The printing quality is terrible, looks like it was done on a bubble jet compared to the originals. I asked to listen to Yield while I was there and the record is a whole different story, I was very impressed. It was on a thick marble white vinyl which is way thicker than my original copy. I would assume these copies are digital conversions and a true audiophile would be able to tell the difference but to me the sound was great. I listened to about 4 songs in different places and sides and they all sounded good. In my opinion as a novelty they are cool to have in your vinyl collection if you do not have the studio albums, if it is to display they look terrible. The packaging is as close to the real thing as the price is.

robertstackarmy

Man, I was just at my local record store and they have Binaural and Avocado (orange, blue, respectively). The packaging is pretty bad but the vinyl does look great. I didn't ask to listen to it, as it was busy in the store. One of the workers said they heard Yield and it sounded great, and the others sound good too. I left it in the rack but I could totally see the appeal. Colored vinyl>Black Vinyl