Yellow Magic Orchestra – Yellow Magic Orchestra

Really nice remaster with good dynamics. The indexing here is better than most of the Japanese CDs - you get a clean intro for "Firecracker", and "Mad Pierrot" starts with the drum break as on the US single edit. The only downside to this version is the poor colour balance on the artwork, which all looks a bit over-saturated.

Very good mixing! No peaking, very natual sound without excessive bass. Very fun to listen to and worth picking up! - that might be the YMO itself though :)

Runouts on my copy are:
Side A: SP-736-(711)-RC3 TML M +1 [inverted V]3 plus some very faint etchings.
Side B: SP-736 (scratched) - (772) - RCI TML-M 1 [inverted V]4 A.

My copy of this CD came with a white obi, same format as the same label's release of Solid State Survivor: https://www.discogs.com/ja/release/2763017-Yellow-Magic-Orchestra-Solid-State-Survivor

Clearly better than the US release.
Fantastic record !
The first Japanese release, with the different sleeve, is also amazing, and i think even better than this one (more sweet, less punchy, but with a wonderful alternative production by Hosono)

this contributor has a New Zealand oressed version which is actually logged on Discogs but not shown here. How is that?

Which version of this album would be considered the "best" quality? I was considering the 2018 remaster.

Long story short, the sound quality is excellent and the boxset itself is a treat. Bob Ludwig at Bernie Grundman Mastering on 45RPM for the 40th Anniversary...of course it sounds good! The sound is rich and has ample base, with lack of bass being a common critique of Japanese-market releases. However, the mastering is quite loud and I find I had to shave 10% off my reference volume to make it a little less harsh. When you see the recording track layout as part of the deluxe package extras, it's easy to recognize each track's presence with the excellent mastering.

Inside the box, you'll find the original Japanese release jacket, complete with an obi strip. There's a softcover book, and as this release is based on the original Japanese version, the entire contents of the boxset are in Japanese, save for a few lyrics and headers. There's also an envelope, styled in a similar print as the outer box, which contains memorabilia from the studio.

All-in-all, a great sounding release in an enjoyable collector's package, highly recommended for fans of the album and the genre alike.

send me a message if you have a spare jacket in decent shape !

is there a clear preference between US and Japanese mix? US cover is great, but any thoughts on the mix/song order?