I Don't Know Why We Bother!

Posted by: JazzDocNaim on 22 July 2017

I remember in the 1970s Ivor Tiefenbrun demonstrated that the turntable was the most important component in a system rather than the amplifier and speakers. The theory was 'garbage in, garbage out'. I think the importance of the front end remains relevant to this day but in this day and age, we seem to have a different kind of garbage, namely current recording technology. Modern recordings and often, remasterings, have the life and soul of the music sucked out of them by the use of compression techniques. I just can't listen to a lot of them and I wonder why we spend small fortunes on systems that merely amplify the incompetence of today's recording engineers. Two examples that immediately spring to mind are the 2017 remix of 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and the recent HiRes remastering of 'Fresh Cream'. There are some good remixes and remasterings. Steven Wilson's work immediately comes to mind. Given the current state of the art, there is little wonder that there is a resurgence in vinyl, with music lovers seeking out older pressings of albums. What price progress I wonder.

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by Clive B

I share your sentiment, Jazzdocnaim. However, I have to take issue with the implication of two adjacent sentences in your post which seem to suggest that you have found a CD which Steven Wilson has actually improved. Please tell us which that might be because I've tried some of his Yes efforts and, whilst initially being impressed, have fairly soon reverted to the original vinyl offerings or even the Rhino remasters on CD. If he were just creating a less noisy master of the same mix that would be fine, but one of the biggest issues I have is that the remixes mess with what I've grown up with. It's rather like going back in time and changing the course of history.

And where's Doc Emmett Brown when you need him?

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by JazzDocNaim

Two of Steven Wilson's efforts that I have enjoyed are Caravan's 'In The Land Of Grey And Pink' and Jethro Tull's 'Songs From The Wood' and 'Stand Up'. I'd like to hear a reworking of 'This Was' by Steven Wilson!

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by Clive B

JazzDocNaim posted:
Two of Steven Wilson's efforts that I have enjoyed are Caravan's 'In The Land Of Grey And Pink' and Jethro Tull's 'Songs From The Wood' and 'Stand Up'. I'd like to hear a reworking of 'This Was' by Steven Wilson!

I already have four copies of Grey and Pink, two vinyl and two CD. This is one of those albums I was introduced to by a friend at school. I have lived with this album ever since and it's one that is ingrained in my DNA.

Posted on: 22 July 2017 by JazzDocNaim

Like you, 'In The Land Of Grey And Pink' dates back to my school days almost fifty years ago. I loved it then and I love it to this day. I presume that you have the deluxe edition of the album that contains two CDs and a DVD. Unfortunately, and I am given to believe, much to Steven Wilson's disapproval, the HiRes version on the DVD was only 24/48, despite the fact that Steven Wilson mixed and mastered it at 24/88. This higher resolution version was leaked onto the Internet some time ago. It's very good!

Posted on: 01 August 2017 by perizoqui

Right you are JazzDocNaim. But the loudness wars, from which stems the compression you are noticing, is genre specific. Pop/rock genre to be specific. Switch to Classical or Jazz, anything youngster with iPods and white earbuds don't listen to, and you'll get the dynamic range you miss.