Disraeli Gears DE coming 9/28
-
lukpac
- Top Dog and Sellout
- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
Long story short, company policy is you can't wear headphones except on specified days.
If it had come out yesterday I could have listened, for example.
If it had come out yesterday I could have listened, for example.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
lukpac wrote:So there's one version of Lawdy Mama (the "alt" one) in stereo while the other (Live Cream) one is mono? Strange.
Circuit City has the set listed with clips (their clips are usually stereo), but I'm at work at the moment so I can't listen.
The alternate Lawdy Mama is mono. The common Live Cream vol 1 version is stereo. I don't have the TWTD box handy but the alternate version sounds like a different mix than the one on the box.
-
lukpac
- Top Dog and Sellout
- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
The alternate version on the box set is stereo, so it would make sense that they would sound different. Strange that they didn't include those in stereo and mono.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
-
lukpac
- Top Dog and Sellout
- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
For some reason I picked this up today. Perhaps I'll comment on the rest of it later, but the BBC tracks sound REALLY BAD. I never picked up the BBC CD, so I don't know how that sounds (my guess is the same), but Steppin' Out on Crossroads sounds *great* in comparison. All the tracks (except an intro or two for some reason) have really heavy handed NR applied. Not only that, but the high end really drifts in and out in places. There's even a big pop on Steppin' Out *not* present on Crossroads.
I really hate these damn emoticons, but this might just deserve one:
I really hate these damn emoticons, but this might just deserve one:
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
-
John Buchanan
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 9:50 pm
- Location: Perth, Australia
Luke,
is the sound the same as the Those Were The Days set, or worse (for the Disraeli Gears tracks, I mean). Not as good as the MFSL gold?
What's the cover and booklet presentation like?
The BBC CD sounds very bad anyway and it sounds like the same mastering has been used again. Too bad.
It's released in Australia in late October, so I'll have to wait and see.
is the sound the same as the Those Were The Days set, or worse (for the Disraeli Gears tracks, I mean). Not as good as the MFSL gold?
What's the cover and booklet presentation like?
The BBC CD sounds very bad anyway and it sounds like the same mastering has been used again. Too bad.
It's released in Australia in late October, so I'll have to wait and see.
John Buchanan
-
lukpac
- Top Dog and Sellout
- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
I just skimmed through the rest of it, and it seemed ok. I really didn't listen closely yet, though, and I haven't done any type of comparisons.
The packaging seemed like typical DE fare - nice.
I'll put up a comparison MP3 of Steppin' Out when I get a chance. So much for 15+ years of technological advancements!
The packaging seemed like typical DE fare - nice.
I'll put up a comparison MP3 of Steppin' Out when I get a chance. So much for 15+ years of technological advancements!
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
-
John Buchanan
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 9:50 pm
- Location: Perth, Australia
-
lukpac
- Top Dog and Sellout
- Posts: 4592
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
- Location: Madison, WI
- Contact:
Random thoughts...
stereo mix, TWTD vs. DE:
They are certainly *different*, although I hesitate to say one is better than the other. The DE has a bit less hiss (better tape??) and might have a tad better separation (if so, the difference is small), but it also feels a bit more "pinched". I wonder if the high end isn't just rolled off a bit (or boosted on TWTD). We're Going Wrong has some tape issues (lots of small dropouts) that aren't on TWTD, which would seem to suggest a different source. It also has a low frequency rumble that *almost* sounds like turntable rumble. That same rumble seems to be on Mother's Lament as well, and it does seem to be on TWTD as well, just not as loud. Must be some strange tape issue.
stereo mix, MFSL vs DE:
The differences seem less than above. The hiss pretty much matches up, which suggests to me TWTD had a bit of a boost. The DE still comes off a bit "pinched", though, seemingly from a tad less bass and a tad more upper midrange. Same deal with the rumble (louder on the DE). I thought the MFSL sounded really good next to the DE.
stereo mix, orig Polydor vs DE:
Hoffman has said the Polydor was redone 2 or 3 times; I don't know if that's true or not, but in the interest of full disclosure, my copy has a clear inner ring and has the code "823 636-2 02!".
Even more of a midrange boost (or even less of a midrange drop, depending on what the master sounds like) than the DE. I'm actually inclined to think this is a bit more what the master sounds like, based on the sound of the noise in quiet spots, but then again, it might not be.
stereo mix thoughts:
It seems as if the DE had a similar approach to the MFSL, namely to reduce that "midrangy" sound of the original CD. However, where the MFSL seems to make things a bit more "relaxed" and "natural", the DE seems to blanket things slightly. And TWTD just takes a different approach altogether. My money is probably on the MFSL, although I wouldn't call any of the others bad. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I thought I liked another one better on another day, especially if I was comparing them in a different order.
mono mix, MFSL vs. DE:
The MFSL is certainly "thicker" here, a tad muddy in comparison to the DE. Well, at least on the first two tracks. After that the differences don't seem as great. Again, We're Going Wrong (in particular) seems to have some "rumble". Seems like either the tape machine was introducing some noise of its own, or it was actually picking up lower frequencies missed on the other masterings. I'm guessing the first, but you never know.
I might give the DE a slight edge, but I'd say it's a toss up.
Interesting note - the mono Lawdy Mama and alt Blue Condition are both mastered in stereo - fold them down to mono and you get all kinds of phasing. The rest of the mono CD doesn't seem to have that problem.
I'll say that I like the EC vocal version of Blue Condition a lot better than the one with Ginger singing.
And the mono mix of Lawdy Mama (v1) is quite different from the stereo one on TWTD. The balance of the guitars is quite different, and the vocal is double tracked in stereo, single in mono.
Maybe I'll comment on the rest of the bonus material at some point.
stereo mix, TWTD vs. DE:
They are certainly *different*, although I hesitate to say one is better than the other. The DE has a bit less hiss (better tape??) and might have a tad better separation (if so, the difference is small), but it also feels a bit more "pinched". I wonder if the high end isn't just rolled off a bit (or boosted on TWTD). We're Going Wrong has some tape issues (lots of small dropouts) that aren't on TWTD, which would seem to suggest a different source. It also has a low frequency rumble that *almost* sounds like turntable rumble. That same rumble seems to be on Mother's Lament as well, and it does seem to be on TWTD as well, just not as loud. Must be some strange tape issue.
stereo mix, MFSL vs DE:
The differences seem less than above. The hiss pretty much matches up, which suggests to me TWTD had a bit of a boost. The DE still comes off a bit "pinched", though, seemingly from a tad less bass and a tad more upper midrange. Same deal with the rumble (louder on the DE). I thought the MFSL sounded really good next to the DE.
stereo mix, orig Polydor vs DE:
Hoffman has said the Polydor was redone 2 or 3 times; I don't know if that's true or not, but in the interest of full disclosure, my copy has a clear inner ring and has the code "823 636-2 02!".
Even more of a midrange boost (or even less of a midrange drop, depending on what the master sounds like) than the DE. I'm actually inclined to think this is a bit more what the master sounds like, based on the sound of the noise in quiet spots, but then again, it might not be.
stereo mix thoughts:
It seems as if the DE had a similar approach to the MFSL, namely to reduce that "midrangy" sound of the original CD. However, where the MFSL seems to make things a bit more "relaxed" and "natural", the DE seems to blanket things slightly. And TWTD just takes a different approach altogether. My money is probably on the MFSL, although I wouldn't call any of the others bad. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I thought I liked another one better on another day, especially if I was comparing them in a different order.
mono mix, MFSL vs. DE:
The MFSL is certainly "thicker" here, a tad muddy in comparison to the DE. Well, at least on the first two tracks. After that the differences don't seem as great. Again, We're Going Wrong (in particular) seems to have some "rumble". Seems like either the tape machine was introducing some noise of its own, or it was actually picking up lower frequencies missed on the other masterings. I'm guessing the first, but you never know.
I might give the DE a slight edge, but I'd say it's a toss up.
Interesting note - the mono Lawdy Mama and alt Blue Condition are both mastered in stereo - fold them down to mono and you get all kinds of phasing. The rest of the mono CD doesn't seem to have that problem.
I'll say that I like the EC vocal version of Blue Condition a lot better than the one with Ginger singing.
And the mono mix of Lawdy Mama (v1) is quite different from the stereo one on TWTD. The balance of the guitars is quite different, and the vocal is double tracked in stereo, single in mono.
Maybe I'll comment on the rest of the bonus material at some point.
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
-
John Buchanan
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 9:50 pm
- Location: Perth, Australia