My first deteriorated CD

[mikeweil]

Today I threw in one of my first hundred CDs purchased, a 1989 JazzUp JU-304 CD issue of the Jivin' In bebop soundtrack with Dizzy's big band, and it took loooooooooong to read, and almost as loooooong to start playing, and then only with bad distortion. CD layer looks brownish, like some of those manufactured in Great Britain for a short time oxidizing fast - and it shines through, a very thin layer. A hopeless case for the wastebox .... I'll rather get me a DVD of the movie.

[kh1958]

I recently listened to the first two CDs I bought, in 1983, Art Blakey's Night in Tunisia (the Watson, Schnitter Band, not the Blue Note version) and a Max Roach Soul Note In the Light. They both played perfectly.

[Chuck Nessa]

CD layer looks brownish, like some of those manufactured in Great Britain for a short time oxidizing fast - and it shines through, a very thin layer

At least one plant in Italy had the same problem at that time.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

I have a CD just titled "Wynton" (Art Blakey live at Bubba's, Ft. Lauderdale) that works fine in a player, but my computer won't recognize. It's got the little pinholes. It's on the Who's Who In Jazz label from 1983. I was hoping to make a backup copy for when it really goes south, but no such luck. I'll have to buy the material again.

Mike

[couw]

I have a CD just titled "Wynton" (Art Blakey live at Bubba's, Ft. Lauderdale) that works fine in a player, but my computer won't recognize. It's got the little pinholes. It's on the Who's Who In Jazz label from 1983. I was hoping to make a backup copy for when it really goes south, but no such luck. I'll have to buy the material again.

Mike

you can alway make an "analogue" copy, either through a stand alone CD recorder or by hooking up through a soundcard. Maybe a better option than buying the disk again and running the risk of another one going bad on you (?)

An experience I have made is that newer CDr/DVD drives are often able to read disks that older drives won't recognise. Maybe worth a try if your drive is a little older.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

In this particular case, the material is widely available on a bunch of different labels. (I wouldn't be buying a 1983 CD again). BTW, my drive is a new CDR/DVD model.

Thanks -

Mike

[mmilovan]

CD layer looks brownish, like some of those manufactured in Great Britain for a short time oxidizing fast - and it shines through, a very thin layer. A hopeless case for the wastebox .... I'll rather get me a DVD of the movie.

Strange, I have that same issue, the same label, the same disc - mine is well, and disc has non-transparent layer.

But, anyway it's important to know that such products are not durable... (well, not at least 15 years, cover says it was issued back in 1989).

Edited November 28, 2004 by mmilovan

[Christiern]

Having experience a large scale dose of "laser rot" in my LaserDisc collection (since replaced by DVDs), I have often feared that the same deterioration might eventually hit CDs. The laser rot thing was a matter of poor lamination that allowed air between the layers--does this look like the same thing, Mike?

[mikeweil]

The laser rot thing was a matter of poor lamination that allowed air between the layers--does this look like the same thing, Mike?

Frankly I can't tell as I don't know how it looks like with air between the layers - the one copy of a Hyperion CD I had with similar look and defects was immediately replaced by the label, who sent a nice letter explaining the oxidation phenomenon due to lacquer experiments and parted company with the manufacturer - but that was ten or more years ago.

The remark about an Italian plant Chuck made rings a bell: This CD was indeed manufactured in Italy!

Edited November 28, 2004 by mikeweil

[mikeweil]

- and it shines through, a very thin layer.

I should say a little more precisely: When I look at the playing surface from a certain angle I can see a mirror image of the print on the label side.

[Chuck Nessa]

The problem resulted when the pressing plants in question used the LaserDisc lacquer compound on cds instead ot the specified sealant. The compound in question slowly reacted to the acid from the paper used in booklets and traycards. This reaction allowed air to leak into the metal layer of the disc and corrode.

[Larry Kart]

I have an apparently O.O.P. CD (copyright 1987) on the cheapo English Prism label of radio transcriptions (not airchecks) by Artie Shaw's superb 1949 band -- the one with Don Fagerquist, a sax section of Herbie Steward, Frank Socolow (altos) Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (Tenors), Danny Bank (bari), Jimmy Raney on guitar, and charts by Geroge Russell, Johnny Mandel et al. Sound was fine, and several pieces, including a mindboggling setting for pure-toned vocalist Pat Lockwood of "You Do Something To Me" (arranger unidentified -- no liner notes at all), were not recorded commercially by the band ASFAIK. Played it once, everything went OK; next time several tracks wouldn't play at all, and others skipped and jumped. Damn.

[mmilovan]

There is hidden mark of where it was produced, "Made in Italy by OPTI.ME.S" and onthe reverse side it is written: "CDT-Berlin JU 304 01"

It is interesting to observe that some discs can be saved by re-burning it to CDR - to my mind computer CD unit always was better for reading defect CDs than ordinary CD player. And some newer computer DVDs (I've experienced this by simple experiment) can do such job even more precise and accurate (well I managed to safe recover disc data and save them by reading it on friend's DVD combo).

Edited November 28, 2004 by mmilovan

[Larry Kart]

Correction: On that defective Shaw CD on Prism, the vocal with the striking arrangement (the coda in particular) is "He's Funny That Way." It's sort of Gil Evans-ish in the way that there's little or no sense of sections, just a shifting cloud of sound, with Jimmy Raney dancing in and out of view and the pulse almost obliterated by a "Jeux"-like hovering, but I'm sure it's not Evans; the fingerprint is different.

[mmilovan]

Yes, I think I've heard "You Do Something To Me" as issued as Shaw's regular number, and probably have it somewhere.

Anyway, it's a great tune. Probably I've heard Pat Lockwood and she sounded just like prewar type vocalist (no negative minded about that, I like sometimes to hear that type of singing).