Old WEA Van Morrison CDs - anybody have em?

[MK]

I'm looking for the old WEA Van Morrison CDs. I have the 1997-1998 Polydor remasters, but I want to make some comparisons, see how they measure up.

I can buy them used, or if someone wants to join in and compare the old CDs vs the remaster, we can make some CD-R swaps and post the results here.

In terms of remasters I've got Tupelo Honey, Saint Dominic's Preview, Veedon Fleece, and Into the Music so I'd be able to make complete track-by-track comparisons with those four.

[J_Partyka]

Almost a year and half ago, MK posted the above, to no response ... I'm simply replying now to (1) renew the inquiry, and (2) ask MK if he ever made any progress with this. If so, I'd be curious about your findings; I've seen conflicting reports elsewhere on the old-discs-vs-remasters issue.

Also ... I've seen recommendations elsewhere for German or "early US" issues of the first three Warner Bros. albums (or at least Astral Weeks and Moondance), and rumblings that the currently available US versions are "secret remasters." Does anyone know if there's anything to that?

[lukpac]

Also ... I've seen recommendations elsewhere for German or "early US" issues of the first three Warner Bros. albums (or at least Astral Weeks and Moondance), and rumblings that the currently available US versions are "secret remasters." Does anyone know if there's anything to that?

*Should* be easy enough to tell - most "secret remasters" from WEA have an RE code of some sort.

Of course, some CDs have *always* had RE codes (I think one disc in the CSN box says RE-4), so if you see the designation you can't assume it's been remastered. Unless you see one without the designation as well of course.

[MK]

I did some sporadic comparisons since then, and I ended up trading a few remasters in the process. Neither set seemed definitive.

The remasters are more in your face and don't breathe as much as the older CD's. However the older CD's aren't that hot either. I have no idea whether the old CD's were ever 'secretly' remastered but Steve Hoffman made a suggestion that the old CD's were cold and bright.

This is more apparent when you place similar music from the same era. Try a DCC Joni Mitchell or Jackson Browne album and compare. The old Van Morrison CD's sound exactly that: cold and bright. Some people say the old CD's sound like the vinyl, which I don't have, but it's a moot point because to me, they simpy sound cold and bright. Try something like that Rhino EQ setting and it helps a bit.

There may be one big exception: "Into The Music." I seem to recall the old CD sounding really, really shrill, really, really bright, much moreso than the other older discs, and the remaster (available only on import) actually sounds a lot less harsh. May be a bit sharp but not nearly as a bad as the old CD. At least, this is what I can recall. I can't find that old CD to confirm this, but the remastered "Best of Van Morrison" seems to use the same mastering as the remastered "Into the Music" so if you have that, you can use that to compare.

So neither is perfect, but I just went with the older CD's because they seem easier to fix. I think some compression may have been used no the remasters by Walter Samuels et al at Metropolis, or maybe just limiting, but something's kind of squished in there to give it a little bit of that modern, in-your-face feel.

[Ess Ay Cee Dee]

I have the original WB versions of Tupelo Honey and Saint Dominic's Preview if anyone is still interested. There's little possibility of either of them being any kind of "secret remaster," since I bought them way back in 1988.