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What album have you bought in the most different formats.

As I reflected on my musical journey, it occurred to me that I have owned one recording in the following formats over time:

Album original release
Cassette - prerecorded
Cassette - recorded from my vinyl
Reel to reel (recorded on my own R2R from vinyl)
Reel to Reel 4 channel - prerecorded purchase
CD
SACD

And NO, I never did 8 track

Also I now own the recording of the entire tour from which the original vinyl was created

The album - Live at the Fillmore East, by the Allman Brother Band

Does anyone have a similar attachment to a singular musical release?
lhasaguy

Showing 2 responses by cd318

cd318
2,636 posts
 
Abbey Road

Cassette - hissy sound but I loved it

Vinyl - late 70s UK pressing, pretty good

Picture Disc - couldn’t resist, couldn’t really listen to it either. Surface noise.

CD - 1987 UK - ok but not much more

CD - 2019 version - good but different

I’ve heard other versions too, including the famous Japanese Black Triangle CD.

There’s not much in it, but that’s my current favourite digital edition as it’s closest to the UK original vinyl.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@stereo5 ,

"That makes 16 versions. Is it a new world record?"

It might be. The only other album I can think that might have as many versions is Kind of Blue, but I’ve not heard of anyone having 16 variants of it! (unless there’s someone over on the Steve Hoffman music forums)...

I mean I must have had 3 versions of KOB and 3 of DSOTM and 3 of Led Zep IV (the best was the last).

Maybe this is another trait of being an audiophile, multiple copies of the same album. Although I guess it’s partly unavoidable if you’ve been around long enough due to regular changing of the formats.

Just how many have there been?
Here’s the ones that I know of.

78

LP (45 rpm LP)

Cassette
R2R

8 track

CD / SACD / DVD - Audio / Blu-ray

Minidisc

MP3 Download / HD download

I wonder if we’ve finally reached the end of the format road?
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