Remasters

The Yes remasters on Rhino were a very good collection. The more recent MFSL issue of The Yes Album, based on the Rhino issue is by far and away the best I have yet heard. There are too many good efforts to list. Likewise bad ones. Where to start? I got the Japanese SHM-CD remaster of The Jam's Sound Effects on Saturday. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Shrill, hard and out of balance. They must have really pushed some sliders against the buffers.

Freddie King My Feeling For The Blues Remaster.
Just picked this one up, and if you're a blues fan . . . it's a no brainer. The sound is so natural, open, and dynamic! Some of the best blues - on this album!

Max

quote:

Originally posted by Harry K:
The more recent MFSL issue of The Yes Album, based on the Rhino issue is by far and away the best I have yet heard.

Totally agree with that. I have been so impressed with the sound of this MFSL and it is a great album too.

quote:

Originally posted by Lontano:

quote:

Originally posted by Harry K:
The more recent MFSL issue of The Yes Album, based on the Rhino issue is by far and away the best I have yet heard.

Totally agree with that. I have been so impressed with the sound of this MFSL and it is a great album too.

I don't ordinarily go for these, but my first gen CD of this didn't really cut it so I went for it. It's a real winner.

Followed it up with Sailin' Shoes and Dixie Chicken, both of which were very good, though not as big an improvement as the Yes.

There are a pile of excellent remasters out there, but special mention for the recent deluxe Propaganda release - the original could strip paint, but this doesn't - and without losing any of the drive and impact of the music.

And a bit of a cheat - the recent(ish) Doors re-issues that are excellent remasters, though partly because they've also been re-mixed. There aren't that many major differences in the mix but the first album now runs a bit faster (they found the original was mastered a tad slow and flat), which is a bit of a shock,

quote:

Originally posted by jamesfuge:
Just bought the Fleetwood mac Rumours Remastered 2 cd thing, as i have had the original for years, and i cant believe the difference in quality! Listening to Oh Daddy makes actually sounds like the band are in the room, its unbelievable, and it is the same story with the Tusk album too...

What are the best remastered albums you have heard? And equally what are the worst? Mothership?

James

Interesting as I just tested it at the weekend and prefer the original WB Rumours issue which to me sounds more balanced. Less obvious tweaking of low and high frequencies and so the 'remaster' has been relegated to the do not play shelf....Same true of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Second Helping' where the original MCA MCLD release sounds much less manipulated...these new Ovators are really revealing!

Graeme

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Shaw:
There are a pile of excellent remasters out there, but special mention for the recent deluxe Propaganda release - the original could strip paint, but this doesn't - and without losing any of the drive and impact of the music.

We may not be speaking of the same release, such are the permutations that can exist. I have Japanese remastered issues of the Propaganda trio (not 1234) and Act, which are tagged as Deluxe editions. I concur with your findings, although I didn't find the originals excessively bad. My copy of A Secret Wish contains a different arrangement for Track 1 and Mabuse has been tailed and split into two parts. If that doesn't sound familiar I'm talking at cross purposes. While I'm on the subject of reissues of remasters emanating from Japan, I highly recommend the SHM-CD (mini LP) of Days Of Future Past. Breathtaking. Not my favourite album of all time but impossible to not listen from start to finish, such is the quality. I've got some stonking remasters of Transformer and Berlin. Plus more expensive cardboard sleeve remasters (released later) that sound quite a bit inferior. It's a jungle out there.

quote:

Originally posted by jamesfuge:
Just bought the Fleetwood mac Rumours Remastered 2 cd thing, as i have had the original for years, and i cant believe the difference in quality! Listening to Oh Daddy makes actually sounds like the band are in the room, its unbelievable, and it is the same story with the Tusk album too...

What are the best remastered albums you have heard? And equally what are the worst? Mothership?

James

Do you mean the "Rumours: Expanded & Remastered [CD, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Deluxe Edition]" that is priced 5 Pounds on Amazon

Groundhogs - Thank Christ For The Bomb remaster is excellent. Included 3 bonus tracks reorded live at the BBC.

Joan Armatrading - Gold is the worst remastered CD I've heaqrd

quote:

I've got some stonking remasters of Transformer and Berlin. Plus more expensive cardboard sleeve remasters (released later) that sound quite a bit inferior. It's a jungle out there.

Yes, you are right, it is a jungle out there!

As audio equipment gets ever more revealing, it's becoming more of a challenge to make sure you have the the most audiophile version of each particular piece of music.

Poor examples are Supertramp's Even In The Quietest Moments. The 1990 CD sounds "flat", no dynamics; 1997 German Remaster, really excellent, lots of dynamic range, no harshness, piano sounding very warm and acoustic; 2003 Original Recording Remastered, dreadful! A prime example of Volume Wars and compression. And finally the SHM HMCD Japanese Mini LP CD. Harsh, brittle sound, you wonder how the engineers could sign off such an appalling effort.

It's the same nonsense with the David Bowie catalogue, a complete mine field. I think there are now five different releases of this whole CD catalogue over the last 24 years, starting with the original RCA CDs which are now pretty rare and consequently very pricey.

But then you move to XRCD & MFSL Gold CDs, my three most recent purchases being 10CC Original Soundtrack, Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells A Story (breathtaking quality!) and Ray Bryant Trio Prestige and you are then up there with quality to match the renowned reference recording Jazz At The Pawnshop...

Harry, could I ask you which particular Lou Reed Transformer remaster you have and could recommend - is it the 2002 Original Recording Remastered on RCA?

Regards, Ian

Propaganda: the deluxe version is the Salvo double from last year. Just about every remix is included. I believe the first track on the CD is a different mix to the vinyl version released at the time (though that, of course, is included on the double.

I found that, as soon as I wound the volume up to the correct volume (i.e. loud) the original CD became a pain. The Salvo version is just a blast.

Recently got Plastic Ono Band remaster. I like several tracks off the original vinyl but never really "got" the original album. The remastered cd makes the whole thing listenable. Recommended. I may even venture into the stripped down Double Famtasy.

Bob Dylan in mono on cd is interesting. There's a huge leap on the first two albums; less so on the classics and then I hit Like A Rollong Stone. Bit of a shock to say the least. Cam honestly say I've never really "heard" it until now. An entirely different song and all the better for it.

A further problem with all of this. There is a difference between what you like and what is good. Nick Drake remasters are poor IMHO but I love the more forward vocals and brittle guitar on Pink Moon.

Mike

Alain,

Yes i do mean that one. the 2nd cd is great as well as it has demo tracks on it which are quite cool, and the original recording of silver springs, which is one of my favourite Mac songs. I got it for £5 as HMV. Bargain!

Transformer is BMG Japan (jewel case) SHM-CD BVCM-34416. Release date 22/10/08.
Berlin is BMG Japan (jewel case) SHM-CD BVCM-34417. Release date 22/10/08.
Transformer includes acoustic run throughs of Hanging Around and Perfect Day – I love these kinds of historic curios.

The releases I would personally advise avoiding are Transformer BVCM-37726 and Berlin BVCM-3772. Both cardboard sleeves.

Propaganda is A Secret Wish + Wishful Thinking double pack, cardboard sleeve, Wint XECZ-1021. Plus Outside World, cardboard sleeve Wint XECZ-1023. These are excellent and most tracks are differently arranged to the original 80s ZZT UK CD release and the special edition with DVD which came out a few years back and doesn’t sound too good to my ears.

And in the tradition of drip feeding suggestions as I think of them, both Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett have had their catalogues remastered and re issued to great effect – although that is going back a few years in the case of Hackett. Most of the Genesis umbrella artists plus a few more are sold by Camino Records. The remasters, reissues and special editions are sold at good prices and they point out the distinctions between reissues and remasters, which is helpful.

I expect I’ll think of more, two seconds after I post this.

Thinking further about poor remasters, the LZ catalogue which came out in SHM-CD format a couple of years (or so) ago sounded bloody awful to my ears. There are a number of remastered sources in existence and they either chose the wrong one or trampled all over a good one. A lot of my stuff comes from the Japanese market and if I don’t like the sound of something it is not difficult to sell it on. They often seem to be collected for their rarity value, although the Zep SHM-CDs can still be bought new – big production run or word’s got around. There was a release of cardboard sleeved Japanese versions about 4-5 years back which sold on Amazon UK at regular prices. I thought these sounded very good and would still have been good VFM if priced higher. These are now my default set.

quote:

Originally posted by Harry K:
Transformer is BMG Japan (jewel case) SHM-CD BVCM-34416. Release date 22/10/08. Transformer includes acoustic run throughs of Hanging Around and Perfect Day – I love these kinds of historic curios.

Harry

Thank you very much for that really helpful info, much appreciated. Now to do some web searching....!

Regards

Ian

Good luck with that Ian

My experience is that 'Remaster' more often than not, means 'Louder, compressed and inferior sounding'. Effectively re-engineered to sound better on smaller lo-fi drive units or the iPod.

I'm currently replacing some of my remasters with original CDs because they sound obviously better on a good system. That said; the Mo-Fi productions are good - I've just ordered 'The Yes Album' and the Steve Hoffman remastered discs on the 'Audio Fidelity' label sound great, so there are exceptions.

John.

Whitesnake - Live in the Heart of the City - SHM -CD on http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pro...0MF24ZYPBAMWQDCBMQ3W Amazon for ...... £67.49 ?!?!?!

Blow me down, these SHMs are not cheap ....

I own a couple of remastered CD that IMHO sound better than the LP, bought in the 70’s.

John Coltrane Impulse Albums volume 1 (207) , 2 (2008) and 3 (2008).
Before purchasing these boxes, I was under the idea that Coltrane Impulse albums where recorded under bad conditions and that the sound was irremediably damaged. I changed my mind after purchasing Coltrane box sets. The sound is much better than with the LP I own. In particular, the engineer has done a fantastic job for the drums. Elvin Jones is amazing. Most drummers should sell their drum set and change instrument after listening to Elvin Jones with Coltrane.

Bill Evans & Eddie Gometz ; Montreux III 24 bit remastered in 1991, ZYY Music. This is my favourite Bill Evans, the LP is quite good and the remastered CD stunning.

Live Dead Rhino HDCD (2003). The LP has a very distant sound with no treble. The HDCD is much better.

Band of Gypsys (1997) MCA. IMHO the best Hendrix album. The CD sounds much better than the LP.

quote:

Originally posted by formbypc:
Blow me down, these SHMs are not cheap ....

An awful lot of them are taken from poorer masterings than the original CDs. Buyer beware.

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Bibb:

quote:

Originally posted by formbypc:
Blow me down, these SHMs are not cheap ....

An awful lot of them are taken from poorer masterings than the original CDs. Buyer beware.

Joe

Indeed. Rush and Zeppelin worth avoiding. Yes rather bitty but good in parts. Days Of Future Past amazing. Transformer, best I've heard so far. Moonmadness very good. Stary Cats very good indeed. And so it goes on. I guess we need a listing. Could be boring. Will be subjective. So maybe not.

Based on Retrospective (all three of them) on SHM-CD I bought the Rush catalogue and sold my Rush remasters. Then bought them again. Sometimes the only way is the hard way. Or maybe it's just me. Helen says Slowhand on SHM-CD sounds crap but she loves the sound of Marley's legend and all the T-Rex stuff. I don't listen to any of that but I know she's got good appreciation. Hell, she even "got" the SL2. maybe the wrong person is posting!

If you can find an 'MCLD' mca masters series edition of 'Aja' (1990's I think) it's a Steve Hoffman mastering and sounds superb for about £5.00!

quote:

Originally posted by Graeme Hutton:
If you can find an 'MCLD' mca masters series edition of 'Aja' (1990's I think) it's a Steve Hoffman mastering and sounds superb for about £5.00!

Yes, I think all the Dan original CDs are better than any subsequent remastering.

Harry mentioned the Rush discs, they are another example of the earlier CDs sounding much better. Some of the remasters strip paint.

I would recommend a trip to the Steve Hoffman forum and popping the release of your choice into the search engine. It gets nerdy in terms of graphs and figures but there are plenty of threads giving details of the generally favoured versions. There really is no set formula but a lot of 80's and early 90's CD issues are much sought after. Too many remasters add unnecessary compression, EQ or both. Volume matching soon sorts the over-priced chaff.

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Bibb:

quote:

Originally posted by Graeme Hutton:
If you can find an 'MCLD' mca masters series edition of 'Aja' (1990's I think) it's a Steve Hoffman mastering and sounds superb for about £5.00!

Yes, I think all the Dan original CDs are better than any subsequent remastering.

Harry mentioned the Rush discs, they are another example of the earlier CDs sounding much better. Some of the remasters strip paint.

I would recommend a trip to the Steve Hoffman forum and popping the release of your choice into the search engine. It gets nerdy in terms of graphs and figures but there are plenty of threads giving details of the generally favoured versions. There really is no set formula but a lot of 80's and early 90's CD issues are much sought after. Too many remasters add unnecessary compression, EQ or both. Volume matching soon sorts the over-priced chaff.

Joe

I do look at that site Joe, as well as keeping an eye out for 'Target' cd's. I just picked up one of 'Hotel California' for £5 so await its arrival to see how it compares so the 'remaster'.

quote:

Originally posted by Graeme Hutton:
I just picked up one of 'Hotel California' for £5 so await its arrival to see how it compares so the 'remaster'.

If it's as good as the 'Target' Greatest Hits that I have, it should be a good one. Enjoy.

Joe