New Richard Thompson album 'Electric'

Hi John,

Sorry, I can't comment on the recording quality as I do mp3 and few around here give nod to that medium.  But, as you stated, the music and songs are wonderful. And I hear nothing amiss in the production achieved.   BigH should be along soon.  He knows RT better than anyone else here. Do you or he know of an acoustic equivalent in RT catalog ?

Hope you are well.

Jeff A

Hi Jeff,

Nice to hear from you again. I know of no acoustic version of 'Electric'.

You've reminded me to dig out RT's 1984 'Small Town Romance' - a live solo acoustic set recorded in New York.

Good listening.

John.

I think you just sent me on a shopping trip looking for Small Town Romance.  His Austin City Limits dvd is excellent and I believe that may be available as audio-only as well (with Danny Thompson on upright bass and Mr Jerome on drums)

Jeff A

Here I am, 

RTs previous album Dream Attic the deluxe 2 CD was one disc electric, one disc acoustic.

As JN said Small Town Romance is live AND acoustic. Slight variation Semi-Detached Mock Tudor is mainly Mock Tudor album live. 

Howard

Thanks for that info.

Jeff A

And I think from memory that 'You, Me, Us?' is one disc electric and one acoustic.

Whadya make of the recording/sound quality of 'Electric' Howard?

John.

Celtschmertz is acoustic and live too.

John,

I've not noticed any problems with Electric, but I've only played the CD so far.

I have this CD and, apart from a the 'quiet' tracks, it sounds absolutely dreadful - one of the worst recorded CDs I've heard in ages. I love RT's music, but this sounds so bad I cannot be bothered to play it again.

I have this way of listening to the music and ignoring the faults , works for me.

Thanks folks. I deliberately did not state my opinion up-front to avoid bias.

I absolutely concur with his Lordship's summation above. A friend went to the trouble to get a USA manufactured CD, because it was recorded there by Buddy Miller at his home studio. Mention is made in the sleeve notes of it being recorded on an analogue 16 track machine. My fellow Naim system owning friend and I commented that we could have produced a better sound on one of these.

It sounds mind bogglingly bad - presumably being screwed up at the mastering stage due to music industry pressure to achieve a certain (i.e best on an mp3 player) sound for mass market sales. A handful of audiophiles don't count of course.

I find it somewhat depressing that so much new music is now mastered to sound like this.

John. 

I bought the Deluxe 2CD version on the back of the excellent set he performed on the recent BBC Four Sessions TV programme as I loved the show... great songs and musicians and good sound quality from the BBC technicians via my Sky box and AV system. The CD contains many of the songs he performed with a similar line-up.

When the CD set arrived last week I was so disappointed by the main CD. As Lord Emsworth says it is one of the worst examples of modern recording technique. A good description J.N. you have given the cassette recorder the luxury of an external mic... maybe more like the internal one!

The next day my disappointment was tempered a little when I played the bonus CD. Thankfully this has been left alone and sounds good.

It would be interesting to hear what the musicians think.... as a musician myself albeit a very amateur one in comparison, I would have thought that listening their music reproduced like this, they would think it a travesty of their artistry.

According to the DR Database website, the dynamic range of the CD is 7 and the vinyl is 10. So the CD has been mastered "hot", presumably as a reponse to demands from RT's fanbase :-0

Keith

I treated myself to the vinyl, the price of which included a 320 kbps MP3 download. The former's pretty decent, a very good quiet pressing but I'd rate the sound quality as merely OK. The latter's 'orrible.

+1, but

Some slight dishing on both discs, but I was able to resolve by using a Michell disc clamp.

A few very minor "pops"on the quiet passages.

Got it for just short of £12 so can't complain.

I think the "Sweet Warrior" Diverse Records pressing is a better product.

I agree, really bad recording quality but really good album-some of the guitar riffs are amazing! david