Black Sabbath S/T This is quite complicated. My three favorite versions are the Creative Sounds CD (which needs to be burnt to a CD-R with the PE flag set manually), the 1st Japanese pressing (twofer with Paranoid, but incomplete album) and the early 1986 Castle CD. All of these sound pretty good. Especially side 2 of the original album sounds really incredible on the CD-R made from the Creative Sounds CD, and that one also has "Wicked World".
Paranoid My favorite version is the 1st Japanese pressing (twofer), followed by the original 1986 Castle CD and then the 2nd Japanese pressing.
Master of Reality I just listened to this again, and I really prefer the early 1986 Castle version. It might sound a tad muddy to some, but it is very warm and you can really crank it up without it ever sounding harsh. My second favorite version is the 1st Japanese pressing (twofer), but that one sounds quite a bit EQ'd in the upper range compared to the early Castle CD.
Vol. 4 My favorite version by far is the 1986 Castle version. There is just no alternative, and the 1st Japanese pressing (twofer) cannot hold up to the early Castle.
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath I also prefer the early 1986 Castle version. My second favorite version is either the 1st Japanese pressing (23PD) or the US WB CD, but I prefer the Castle here also.
Sabotage The original US WB CD is pretty good here and has a consistent quality. I would prefer the sound of the early 1986 Castle which is just a tad more natural sounding, but it has quite severe tape problems on two songs (Symptoms of the Universe, Megalomania), so on these two songs the WB is a must. For the other songs I slightly prefer the Castle, but if you want to keep it simple, you can just get the US WB CD. I haven't heard the 1st Japanese pressing (23PD) for this album, so that one could still be better.
Technical Ecstasy I have the 1st Japanese pressing (23PD), and it is digitally identical to the US WB CD. The best version I have heard so far (there is no original 1986 Castle of that album). Not the greatest sounding album, but this is the best digital version I have heard so far.
Never Say Die! I have the US WB CD, and it sounds decent. I assume that the 1st Japanese pressing (23PD) is also digitally identical to the WB CD, just like with Technical Ecstasy. There is also no early Castle version of this album.
Live at Last The original 1986 Castle is the best I have heard so far.
Heaven and Hell I haven't heard the 1st or 2nd Japanese pressing of that album yet. I compared the US WB CD with the WG Vertigo (mastered by Gert van Hoeyen), and I prefer the WG Vertigo after a longer comparison. I heard good things about the 1st Japanese pressing, but it just seems too expensive.
Mob Rules I really like my WG Vertigo of this, also mastered by Gert van Hoeyen. Apparently, the US WB sounds quite similar (but isn't identical). Haven't heard the 1st Japanese pressing, but the WG Vertigo is really good already. |