I got to getting nostalgic for the Black Album lately and I've been playing my "un"official copy of it. But a question came to mind. I wondered how the official version sounded and decided to just go online and buy it. To my surprise it was going for $50 or more!!! Needless to say I did not drop that much for songs I have heard a millions times. But now I have two questions:

1. Why is the official copy fetching so much?

2. Is the official copy a big enough upgrade in sound quality to bother?

Orgers, help.

The official copy sounds better, but it was mastered with the recording levels too low. I may actually sell one on ebay with a low starting price since I have extra copies of nearly every official cd. If I do, I would probably be willing to make a copy with a louder record level for the winner, provided they do purchase the original, and vow to keep the louder copy as a backup copy.

As far as how the bootleg versions sound to me? Much louder, but full of bacon frying, or tape hiss, as it is better known. Not to mention that the bootleg copies are missing about 10 seconds at the end of Rock Hard In A Funky Place where there is an odd fade out, and fade in to a guitar sound and Prince mumbling something.

The official copies aint that much.

When i was in LA last year in amoeba music the prices ranged from $14-$21

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...nce_album)

http://www.theblackalbum.info/ - click on the "all info" link

stillwaiting said:

The official copy sounds better, but it was mastered with the recording levels too low. I may actually sell one on ebay with a low starting price since I have extra copies of nearly every official cd. If I do, I would probably be willing to make a copy with a louder record level for the winner, provided they do purchase the original, and vow to keep the louder copy as a backup copy.

As far as how the bootleg versions sound to me? Much louder, but full of bacon frying, or tape hiss, as it is better known. Not to mention that the bootleg copies are missing about 10 seconds at the end of Rock Hard In A Funky Place where there is an odd fade out, and fade in to a guitar sound and Prince mumbling something.

I've had about 1/2 a dozen Black Album bootlegs over the years, all but one had the ending on Rock Hard, so that's not the case on all the bootlegs.

Of the boot copies I've had:

the first was too fast (everything sounded like Camille, except Bob George, which sounded like Prince's normal voice)

one CD was split into only 2 tracks (side 1 and side 2 of the vinyl)

several had unrelated bonus tracks (taken from b-sides & outtakes)

most sound good, but none sounded better than the official release...