Record Sharing No. 40 – a record worth cherishing for a lifetime

On May 9, 1986, Cui Jian shouted loudly at the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium 100 Singers Concert, "I used to ask endlessly, when you will go with me, but you always laugh at me, nothing", announcing the birth of Chinese rock music. In the following years, rock music represented by Cui Jian quickly appeared on the stage of various domestic performances, but the domestic market officially published rock records were rare, Cui Jian released "Rock on the New Long March Road" in February 1989, and domestic rock music began to gradually become a prominent music genre in the record market. But the real sales frenzy was still until 1992, when Taiwan's Magic Rock released a compilation album of Black Panther, Tang Dynasty and Chinese Fire in China.

Cover of the first edition of the HONG Kong CD

Hong Kong first edition CD back cover

Hong Kong's first CD dish

Hong Kong's first edition of the CD inner circle

It is from these three records that domestic rock music has truly entered its own era, and during this period, domestic rock music has developed the most brilliantly, and it has been so far. It was from this time that rock music was no longer a niche in China, it began to become mainstream, not only popular, but also formed a group of fans who frantically chased these rock musicians and bands, and my college classmates and I were their die-hard fans. At that time, in the public bathroom in the dormitory building, they were the best cold repellent tools for us to take cold baths, and they did not shout two sentences, "In the sea of people, there are you and me, meet and know each other", and did not have the courage to rush to the cold and bone-chilling faucet. At that time, after drinking big, when they were wandering late at night, they were the best antidote to our drunkenness, not on the school road in the middle of the night, shouting out two sentences of "I don't want to experience, that bitter taste, and who can tell me how to do it", I feel sorry for the brothers who are drunk with me. This record can say too much, forgive my poor words, classics do not need too many words, it will only stay in the depths of your eternal memory, unforgettable for a lifetime. For me, there are many records worth cherishing, and there are many records worth cherishing for a lifetime, and this one of Black Panther is that youth has passed, life is still going on, and Black Panther and their record will accompany me for a lifetime.

The first cd cover of the station

The back cover of the first cd

The first edition of the CD disc

The inner circle of the first CD version of the station

Let's talk about the record version, this album was first released by Hong Kong Kinn's Records in August 1991, and the Taiwanese version was released by Taiwan's Magic Rock in December 1992. The Hong Kong version of the CD was pressed by Pan Asia Pan Asia, a subsidiary of Sonopress in Hong Kong, and the Pan Asia production line is also the first dish press line in Hong Kong. The Taiwanese version of the CD was pressed by the famous K1 line in Taiwan, and many records in Taiwan and Hong Kong around the 1990s were pressed by them.

Vinyl cover of the 2019 edition of Taiwan

Taiwan 2019 edition vinyl back cover

Taiwan 2019 edition of vinyl labels

In addition, is the difference in sound quality between the Hong Kong version and the Taiwan version of the CD, has been popular on the Internet and in the circle, the two versions of the mixing process is not the same, the most common saying is: "The sound effect of the Hong Kong version in 1991 is like the feeling of no post-mixing, the distortion effect is very strong, the coarse grain is even more, just like it was recorded in a closed scene, which has more rock and roll power than the later Rolling Stone Leopard head version." Judging from the information on the inside page of the lyrics of the record, the production list of the two versions of the recording studio and the sound recordist, the mixing room and the mixer are exactly the same, both are recorded in the Beijing Baihua Recording Studio, the mix is in the Taipei Dacai Recording Studio, and the recording engineer and mixer of the two versions are Jim Lee Lee Zhenquan. Because, these two first-edition CDs I have, but also did many AB comparisons, to be honest with my equipment to play, I personally listened to it, there is a slight difference, but whether the difference is really as big as the Internet said, personal is a certain reservation, perhaps my equipment is not good, or it may be that the personal hearing and the subtle discrimination ability of the mixing process is limited. I have to summarize the difference in their sense of hearing, the clarity of the Taiwan version, the separation of instruments and the high frequency are more prominent, while the Hong Kong version of the processing is more analog, the density of the sound is better, it sounds more comfortable, but overall, the difference in sound quality is completely in the acceptable range, and the difference is not large.

Inside the list of hong Kong first CD productions

Inside the list of cd productions for the first edition of Taiwan

Taiwan 2019 edition of the vinyl production list inside the page

Regardless of whether the mixing effect of the two versions of the CD is different, in the second-hand market, the Hong Kong version is indeed much more expensive than the Taiwan version. My two CDs were bought in September and October 2011, the Hong Kong version is 680 yuan, and the Taiwan version is 260 yuan. Now, the Taiwan version should still be available, but the Hong Kong version is indeed rarely seen. Up to now, as far as a single CD is concerned, the Hong Kong Leopard is the most expensive CD I have ever bought, which is completely inconsistent with the principle that I like to pick up leaks and pan discs for many years, no way, I like them too much, and then I have to start, now it seems that it was still right to buy at that time, and now I want to buy it again, not necessarily, even if there is, the price must have already flown into the sky.

Domestic imported version of the tape

Hong Kong Leopard domestic pirated tapes

In addition to these two first-edition CDs, I also received tapes imported by the Chinese Musicians Audiovisual Publishing House, as well as a box of domestic pirated Hong Kong Leopard tapes, and a new version of vinyl released by Rolling Stone in Taiwan in December 2019, because when this album was first released, the record company only published CDs and tapes, and did not officially publish the vinyl version, so when the Taiwan Rolling Stones republished the vinyl version of the classic rock album of the Magic Rock period, I immediately placed an order to buy it, because I always knew that the sound quality of the new version of 180g vinyl was not as good as the old version , so almost do not buy a new version of vinyl, unless there has been no vinyl version before will be considered, but to be honest, most of the people who bought back are still disappointed, but the vinyl of the magic rock classic record is still unbearable, bought 3 copies, namely Black Panther, Tang Chao and Dou Wei's "Black Dream". After getting it, immediately unpacked and played, to be honest, too disappointed, the cover disappointed, the sound quality is more disappointed, and the first version of the CD is too far away, the sound clarity and vinyl should have the sound density is not as good as the first version of the CD, personally feel that it may be related to the preservation quality of the recording master, or it is difficult to explain. No matter what, it should be to satisfy the regrets of the previous memories, who made us like Black Panther so much, so like magic rock.

Next Update Trailer: Record Sharing No. 41 - Zheng Zhihua's "Single Escape"