LAYLA and other assorted love songs

I've a Simply Vinyl reissue and it's not good.

Better to source the UK original.

Which reissue do you have?

I've searched the sleeve and records but can't find any info about it being remastered or such. It's on the Polydor label, but it does say 'made in the EU'. One of the few times when my 'best of' CD is definitely the better choice!

If it say's Made in the EU then it's a reissue. Even a later '70s RSO will sound better. As Kuma said, if you want the best try and source an original Polydor UK copy. Mine has good SQ.

Steve

I have the original vinyl and it sounds great.

I have heard a 24 bit remastered , or I even believe remixed from the original multitrack tapes, Layla CD at my cousins house last summer.

And it's funny, you could  hear everything crystal clear ,everything that was going on, every hand clap,out of tune 2nd guitar, bongos in the background somewhere,what have you... and it was terrible, the clarity did not fit the music at all.We all know that they were drunk and stoned when recording this music, but it do not have to be that obvious!

We quickly dug out his old battered original LP,(I don't know which pressing but very old!) and thank God, the sound of desperate love and life being taken to the edge, was back .

A remix or remaster has to be done with respect towards the original version.

I find the new recent Beatles remasters has achieved that.

Layla has had a chequered history as far as the reissues go. This is what I think has happened but others may have better information. The 20th Anniversary Layla Sessions (CD box set) involved considerable remixing of the tapes and sounded nothing like the original. I believe this was the standard single stand-alone CD edition for a number of years but I don't think there was a vinyl edition. For the 30th anniversary there was a Back to Black vinyl edition and this could well be what you have. It's widely assumed to be a digital source - I bought it and it sounds nasty - a view held by many. However, there was a meticulously produced vinyl edition for the 40th anniversary - it was in a box set and available separately. This sounds very good to me and on a par with my later but pre-digital vinyl version. My original pressing got worn out, acquiring too many surface marks to be enjoyable listening. As many others have said, do note that this is not an audiophile recording, but you should certainly feel the emotion expressed in the singing and playing.

Thanks Cdb,

That clarifies matters.

And shows that in the case of Layla it is listen before you buy.