Buying Western Classical Music

[ajay124]

My UK orders were shipped on 22/02,24/02,26/02,28/02,28/02.The one I received was dispatched on 24/02.Today I intend to inquire about the 22/02 parcel from the post office
I put in a 25 pound order on Amazon UK and alternatively clicked all three shipping options to verify what the final billing amount would come to.
Price without shipping after VAT deduction 21 pounds.Prices approximated to nearest round figure.
Free Shipping.......21 pounds 21+0 (shipping)
Standard Shipping.27 pounds 21+6 (shipping)
Priority Shipping...48 pounds 21+27 (shipping)

 

[ajay124]

I have noticed that for many cds if the UK prices are 25 pounds then the US prices are also around 25 dollars.
Since there is no VAT deduction from the US site,the final billing amount would be 25 Dollars.From the UK site final billing was app. 21 pounds.
I repeated the shipping experiment on the US site and came up with these final costs.
Standard 25+16=41 dollars
Expedited 25+22=47 dollars
Priority 25+38+63 dollars.
With standard shipping 41 dollars amount to app.1850.
The same order from UK with free shipping would amount to 21 pounds app.1500.
The same order with standard shipping from UK would amount to 26 pounds .app. 1850.
Therefore if you apply standard shipping rates prices are virtually identical for the US and UK sites.
However prices differ from cd to cd on both sites.It would be sensible to calculate costs on both sites before submitting the order.

 

[ajay124]

@Manav
"I guess they like me too much and want me to take a trip uptown again!"
The benefits of living in a tier two city
I strolled down to the post office which is within walking distance,
had a chat with the man in charge of the parcels,informed the postman who visits our area.
Told him I'm expecting some parcels which should be delivered personally to me.
Plan to visit the post office everyday until I have received all the cds.Beyond that things are out of my control.
No news of the other parcels yet.

 

[malvai]

bro... the Airport customs, the foreign post (customs) and the local post office all seem to be giving me the runaround on my japanese cut LP's!
when one goes to the airport, they direct you to the foreign post (25 kms away!). The foreign post says that it never came to them and went straight to the local post office (so 30ksm back to home!) and no one seems to know where it is!
that is 3 superb japanese cut LP's of 1. The Band -Islands 2. Robert Cray - Strong Persuader 3. Bob Dylan - Slow Train Coming...

as per the tracking report, the item was despatched on the 9th of feb. It arrived in India on the 12th. Was released by them on the 13th! But its still not reached me here....

If the seller were in Us or the UK, i'd have gotten him to ship to borderlinx and i'd have the LP's in my hand within 5 days!

Its a shame really... our postal department really sucks. In fact, i have encountered sellers who DO NOT like to ship things to India because of all the hassels they have to face from the buyers. Because buyers end up blaming the sender/seller. Not realising that the problem lies with our idiotic postal service.

 

[ajay124]

Received THREE of the UK parcels today!Safe and Sound These parcels were shipped on 26/02,28/02,28/02. The first parcel shipped on 22/02 is still missing :sad: The US parcel has a tracking number. A week after dispatch it has still not left the US shores.

 

[esanthosh]

^ Unless it's priority USPS, the tracking would at max show "Received from Customer" or "Electronic info received from Customer". But, it will not be updated after that. Depending on which service they used, it could even be in India or on it's way to India.

 

[ajay124]

^ Unless it's priority USPS, the tracking would at max show "Received from Customer" or "Electronic info received from Customer". But, it will not be updated after that. Depending on which service they used, it could even be in India or on it's way to India.

It is the UK free shipping parcel I'm worried about.Since all the other parcels have arrived I'm wondering what happened to the parcel which was dispatched the earliest.The estimated time of delivery is 15/03.If that date is crossed without the package being delivered then I will be contacting Amazon to try and locate the package.The estimated delivery date for the other packages was 21/03 but I received them today.The estimated delivery for the US package is 11/03.If I receive all the packages without a hitch,I intend to place two more orders to take advantage of the UK free delivery offer.After that I will (hopefully) have exhausted the urge to buy ALL the works of ALL the modern composers as soon as possible

@Jitenndra 01
What exactly do you want information about?

 

[malvai]

@Ajay: finally got my LPs...
Bloody foreign post... it is freaking DISGUSTING...

 

[Hiten]

bro... the Airport customs, the foreign post (customs) and the local post office all seem to be giving me the runaround on my japanese cut LP's!

buddy tell me about Japanese pressings.
Are they old sealed stock or they still do new pressings ? Why are they sought after ? (No info on net :sad.
Thanks.
Sorry ajay for being offtopic.

 

[malvai]

These are old, sealed pressing in MINT shape... listening to 'em now! And they sound awesome! They are extremely prized by collectors and are very very rare and expensive. If you see a Jap pressing BUY IT at any price. It money well spent.

The facts like this: These are meticulously pressed on dead-quiet, 200g Japanese Virgin Vinyl. Only the highest-quality titles are released from the original analog tapes. They follow a strictly one-time pressing run and quantities are extremely limited.

I paraphrase from another write up here:
Japanese vinyl releases are premium quality pressings, much sought after by audiophiles and collectors alike. In the 1960s Toshiba pioneered top quality red vinyl pressings using their trademark 'Ever-Clean' process. This utilized a special ingredient intended to prevent the build-up of static electricity on the vinyl. Japanese pressings are synonymous with quality - the vinyl shines like no other vinyl - everything about their releases feels special. When US audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab first released their series of high quality pressings the records were manufactured in Japan. The sonic quality of Japanese pressings is considered to be among the best in the world and, in addition, they are beautifully presented, their covers usually printed on better quality heavy stock paper and often including a bonus lyric insert with dual language Japanese & English text. Nearly all Japanese LPs were issued with an 'obi' strip- literally translated this means 'sash' and is derived from the obi (sash) worn around the traditional kimono dress. This delicate paper strip, usually wrapped around the left side of the album cover, often contains marketing information and album content details, all printed in Japanese kanji and kana script. Obi designs can be as varied as the LPs they adorn, and some series of obi designs can be as collectable as the artists' albums they decorate. 'Hankake' (3/4 length obis) are nearly impossible to find, and the 'Rock Age' series of obis are especially rare and valuable. Obis make a unique, attractive addition to the overall package and are becoming increasingly rare, especially on LPs from the 1960s and 70s. Their delicate and disposable nature meant that very early obis were routinely discarded, so that now they can often be worth several times more than the record they accompany. In addition to Japanese pressings of regular albums there are numerous Japanese-only releases. Labels and artists often issued exclusive records timed to coincide with their Far East tour, or they re-released back catalogue albums with a re-designed obi, displaying revised graphics and other consumer information. Regardless of your musical taste, Japanese records make a stunning addition to any collection. Audibly and visually they present the collector with a feast of delights. Genuine mint condition records, complete with inserts and obi, are becoming rarer every day. Whatever the digital age throws at you there is still a valid opinion that says vinyl sounds best; with Japanese records you get top quality pressings, a tactile picture sleeve that looks stunning and you can sing along from the lyric insert. This is the real alternative to a download!

Hiten, you will notice a strip in the pic here, that is the OBI... My Lps have them too!

 

[Hiten]

Now how cool is that
Will look for these. Specially albums which has all the hit songs which I like.
Regards

 

[ajay124]

@Ajay: finally got my LPs...
Bloody foreign post... it is freaking DISGUSTING...

Congratulations Manav!
Would love to hear slow train coming,serve somebody,I believe in you,man gave names to all the animals....This was the album where Dylan was 'born again' as a Christian in 1979.He followed it up with "Saved" in 1980.I used to wonder how sincere his born again phase was.Was it real or a marketing hype?With superstars you never know what their managers will think up next
I am sure the obi's would be wonderful works of art.I visited Japan a few years agne of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.Especially the temples in and around Kyoto and Nara.The Japanese can turn everything into a work of art.A simple pouring of tea or contemplation of a miniature garden can become an artistic exercise.I caught a fleeting glimpse of what I presumed were modern day geisha's,and I have never seen more incredibly graceful and beautiful women than those two.It was in the lobby of a very exclusive looking bank in the Ginza district of Tokyo.I had wandered in to hunt for a loo to answer an urgent call of nature!
On railway stations we used to buy boxes of Sushi,Soba or Udon noodles.The wooden boxes with delicate floral patterns and other motifs were really pretty.One day we got lost in Tokyo and asked a stranger for directions.The young executive who seemed to be hurrying home after work turned around and walked us back to our hotel,a good 30 minute walk.Rope bridges,volcanoes,ancient shrines,ryokan inns,shinkansen bullet trains,the strangest looking and dressing teenagers one can imagine at Harajuku,futuristic cities,villages where time seems to have stood still for centuries...ancient and modern Japan seems to co-exist quite comfortably!
The underlying malaise of an ageing population,stressed out workers,tiny living quarters,a high rate of depression and suicide is not so visible on a holiday.But the bars, game parlours and 'love hotels' seem to be doing a roaring business in the evening....there seem to be more lonely men and women in the cities of Japan and Western Europe than in the cities of China or India.

 

[malvai]

Hi Ajay! You're most welcome to come over.... I am shifting home to Gurgaon by the end of the month. It's but a short drive, eh!

While I haven't been to Japan in person, I have seen it in my mind through the words of Murukami... what a writer.

And yes, the OBI Dylan sounds way way superior to the original LP as well as the CD! You gotta hear it to believe it!

 

[ajay124]

Murukami!
Kafka On The Shore was one of the most enjoyable books I read last year.But the best introduction to Japan,and my 'inspiration' for visiting Japan was Yukio Mishima's 'Sea Of Fertility' tetralogy.Spring Snow,Runaway Horses,The Temple Of Dawn,The Decay Of Angels.Four books which can transport you into a magical world.Great reading on a vacation!
Gurgaon will certainly be easier to visit than Mumbai.Are you shifting all your hifi stuff and music?There are a lot of good set ups with the Mumbai forum members!High time the north did some catching up

 

[malvai]

Murukami!
Yukio Mishima's 'Sea Of Fertility' tetralogy.

Gurgaon will certainly be easier to visit than Mumbai.Are you shifting all your hifi stuff and music?

Will get me hands on some Yukio!

Yes, I'm shifting my entire set-up and music to GG! Getting the heebie-geebies about it.... Hope it reaches without any damage... pray for me brother.

 

[ajay124]

Manav
"Getting the heebie-geebies about it.... Hope it reaches without any damage... pray for me brother"

Last year when I was contemplating moving to Goa,I used to dread the thought of placing my system into the 'callous' care of a courier or a transporter.I also used to worry about the size of the listening room I would have in Goa and whether my system would sound as good there as it does in my 25x16 feet room in Chandigarh.I have got used to this size and would not be happy with a smaller room.In my present house I can play LOUD without disturbing or receiving complaints from the neighbours.
You need to pack everything with a lot of care.Bubble wrap,thermocole,cardboard,wooden borders-the works.And choose your courier/packer mover with a lot of care.Best Of Luck!

 

[ajay124]

The Modern's reign supreme!
For more than two decades I have been listening to the composers from the Baroque,Classical and Romantic period.My exposure to late 19th century and 20th century classical music was restricted to a few works of Mahler,Stravinski and Ravel.Last year I started buying cds of modern composers from Rhythm House and in the past 30 days over a hundred cds from Amazon.
Gustav Mahler,Igor Stravinski,Bela Bartok,Rachmaninov,Antonin Dvorak,Claude Debussy,Sergei Prokofiev,Alexander Borodin,Aram Khachaturian,Maurice Ravel,Olivier Messiaen,Arnold Schoenberg,Alban Berg,George Gershwin,Aaron Copland and most of all DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH.
For once I have a system which can actually handle western classical music.That coupled with all the cds I have acquired and the ample time I have at my disposal has opened a new horizon on music.A horizon where the earlier five dieties of Bach,Beethoven and Mozart,Schubert,Haydn still reign but now there are several more stars in the night sky.My unquestioned belief in the superiority of the old over the new has been shaken.I would now venture that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the greatest.There is an eternal,timeless beauty in all his music that cannot be rivalled.But the current love of my life is Dmitri Shostakovich!And like a besotted lover I could sacrifice All my jazz,rock,soul and a lot of my classical music to keep listening to DS.15 symphonies,15 string Quartets,Violin,Cello,Piano concertos,Jazz Suites,Preludes,Sonatas,Opera and Ballets.A legacy of great music one could spend a lifetime listening to.Instead of a box set I am in the process of acquiring the best recordings of all his works.Will take a lot of time and capital but since I have never enjoyed music as I do the music of DS it would be worth it

 

[ajay124]

I received my US parcel of Amazon cds a little while back!
Order was placed on 27/02.I had opted for standard shipping amd put in a request for being kept updated on my mail id.Last week I received a mail that my parcel had cleared customs and 'entered' Delhi.I was excpecting the usual 'sooner or later' delivery thriugh the local post office but my parcel was delivered today morning by an Indian courier!
An all Arnold Schoenberg parcel with the best Schoenberg conductor Pierre Boulez conducting various orchestra's.Payed a premium by opting for Pierre Boulez recordings but for modern composers like Schoenberg,Stravinsky and Bartok he is numero uno.

 

[sups]

I received my US parcel of Amazon cds a little while back!
Order was placed on 27/02.I had opted for standard shipping amd put in a request for being kept updated on my mail id.Last week I received a mail that my parcel had cleared customs and 'entered' Delhi.I was excpecting the usual 'sooner or later' delivery thriugh the local post office but my parcel was delivered today morning by an Indian courier!

Great to know ajay, gives me lot of confidence to order from Amazon US website. Amazon UK website along with their free delivery option have already spoiled my monthly budget.

 

[ajay124]

I had written to Amazon US after I did not receive my parcel on the expected day of delivery which was 11/03. The same day I got a reply from them that the parcel had already reached Delhi and I should wait for a little while as I was bound to receive the package.They provided a link and asked me to click on that link if I did not receive the package by 22/04.They also wrote that in case I did not get the package I could opt for a replacement or refund
That just leaves one of my Feb parcels missing.The earliest one from 20/02.I seriously think there is a problem with that one and I have written to Amazon UK.They replied promptly that I should wait till the expected delivery date of 15/03.They too have provided a link in case I do not get delivery by 15/03.They have stated that Amazon will take FULL responsibility for ensuring that I get everything I have ordered.
My budget has not only been spoiled,it has gone STRATOSPHERIC with Amazon! I have received 75 + cds in the last 7-8 days and there are 40 + more on their way.Amazing Amazon