Reissue/Repress - is there a difference?

Rishan

Is there a difference in meaning between the terms reissue and repress? Does it affect your philosophy of digging? Do you even care? Is this poast bollocks?

Well I recently picked up a copy of Pharoah Sanders - 'Journey to the One' and it says RE in the deadwax, so I know it's not an original. However, it's on Theresa, it's not a boot, and it seems exactly like the original, but obviously a more recent pressing. So I started thinking, does the word repress refer to the same record put out subsequently (almost identical looking) by the same label, like a new manufacturing run when they sell out or something. For example, an OG Beatnuts self titled LP on Relativity has a black label, and the later pressing, also on Relativity has a grey label, but from looking at the cover alone you could never tell the difference.

And does reissue mean when an artist or record label is bought out by another (Norman Connors, Cobblestone to Buddah?) and gets the shitty redesigned cover, horrible font/graphics etc?

I actually don't care about such a difference (you'd never guess, right?), but thought it might be interesting to see what others think. Certain types of reissue/repress/whatever I just won't buy and never will (bootlegs, shit on a different label with rubbish cover art/writing or something), but the Sanders and Beatnuts examples sit fine with me.

Kinetic

This poast is kinda bullocks, or whatever.

Reissue and repress are synonymns.

Bootlegs are unauthorised reissues or repressings of music.

The_Hook_Up

Bootlegs are actually unauthorized releases of previously unreleased recording like a live recording not intended for release that got released, rehearsal/demo versions illegally released. The term "bootleg recording" came about in the late 60s and early 70s with bootleg labels like Trademark of Quality that released unauthorized live recordings.

Technically an unauthorized reissue of a previously legitimately released recording is a called a pirate copy.

over the years the term bootleg ended up being used for sketchy reissues.

BeatChemist

I always sort of assumed that a repress was from the same OG master lacquer. Whereas a reissue could be from the OG reels (with or without some 'cleaning' done to the audio) but meant that a new lacquer was cut to press the vinyl.

But I think that's more semantics than anything. In the real world, it seems like the two are interchangeable.

pickwick33

A reissue, to me, is a record that reappears after lapsing out of print. Or a record that automatically shows up on a different label - like when Cheech & Chong signed with Warner Bros., their older records on Ode reappeared on Warners.

A re-pressing usually involves an album that is still in the catalog, but has a minor face lift. Like if Epic changes their label color to orange, then all those Sly & the Family Stone LPs that originally had yellow labels are now orange.

Rishan

pickwick33 said:

A reissue, to me, is a record that reappears after lapsing out of print. Or a record that automatically shows up on a different label - like when Cheech & Chong signed with Warner Bros., their older records on Ode reappeared on Warners.

A re-pressing usually involves an album that is still in the catalog, but has a minor face lift. Like if Epic changes their label color to orange, then all those Sly & the Family Stone LPs that originally had yellow labels are now orange.

this is what i figured, although didn't express so succinctly.

anyway, my digging rule is: in nearly all cases originals (genuine first pressings) are better and only reissues of similar appearance/quality/thoughtful production value shall be purchased. 2LP, 180 gram, audiophile virgin vinyl does not necessarily mean better.

a current example of the reissue beating the OG would be the Pharoah Sanders 'Elevation' 45rpm double LP on Soul Jazz. And the Strata series on 180proof