The Who - Who Are You

[Mike Hunte]

What's the best version on CD?

[Leppo]

I'd suggest the MFSL if the price is right.

[Dob]

UD1 or UD2??????

Just trying to make you feel at home.

[Leppo]

I find that the UD1 and UD2 sound identical.

[Andreas]

EAC log of my Polydor Who Are You CD (831 557-2, Made In W. Germany, inner ring 831 557-2 03):

(I concentrated on the peak levels because these are the only relevant numbers)

Track 1 Peak level 82.9 %

Track 2 Peak level 90.2 %

Track 3 Peak level 93.3 %

Track 4 Peak level 86.9 %

Track 5 Peak level 89.7 %

Track 6 Peak level 80.0 %

Track 7 Peak level 82.6 %

Track 8 Peak level 68.3 %

Track 9 Peak level 78.7 %

[Andreas]

Could you all who have Who Are You on CD, please post your EAC logs as well? I would like to determine how many masterings of the original mix there are (with as much certainty as EAC logs give).

[dudelsack]

This is for the original MCA CD, made in Japan at the JVC plant, catalog # MCAD-37003, matrix info MCAD 37003 M3E 12

EAC extraction logfile from 6. May 2005, 10:44 for CD
Who / Who Are You

Used drive : SAMSUNG DVD-ROM SD-616T Adapter: 1 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure with C2, accurate stream, NO disable cache
Combined read/write offset correction : 0
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No

Track 1
Peak level 88.9 %

Track 2
Peak level 96.6 %

Track 3
Peak level 100.0 %

Track 4
Peak level 93.2 %

Track 5
Peak level 96.1 %

Track 6
Peak level 85.7 %

Track 7
Peak level 88.5 %


Track 8
Peak level 73.2 %

Track 9
Peak level 84.4 %


No errors occured


End of status report

[Andreas]

Dudelsack's numbers are almost exactly my numbers multiplied by 1.0718 (which equals 100/93.3), i.e. the volume increase that is needed to make the CD peak at 100%

[Xenu]

I finally am unpacked enough to get down to business...I compared the much-vaunted Polydor original CD of Who Are You to a Canadian MCA copy generously donated by JWB.

Here's what Fang says about this:

CD (original mix) comments: The Polydor (Germany) sounds wonderful. The MCA (USA) is as dull as a door, drowning in artificial bass. The MFSL is "OK", but doesn't sound anywhere as near as good as the Polydor (Germany).

The MCA issue is slightly louder. When normalized, of course, they cancel out completely. Did he, like, just make everything up, or does everyone happen to stumble upon "good" pressings of everything?

Does anybody seriously want me to do Face Dances or It's Hard? (I think for one of those I actually now have POlydor--from JWB--MCA and WB copies).

[lukpac]

I don't remember if I ever compared my Canadian MCA to my "full art" original. I suppose I should. Or something.

Damn that "artificial bass".

I still like the MFSL.

[Rspaight]

FWIW, cddb recognizes my MCA copies of It's Hard and Face Dances as exact matches for "It's Hard - Warner Bros." and "Face Dances - Warner Bros."

Ryan

[Andreas]

Why do you still refer to WhiteFang for sound quality comparisons? Anyone who praises the Tommy remix so uncritically (and never mentions the clicks) should be regarded with skepticism. I doubt that he ever made serious (in our sense) A/B comparisons.

[Xenu]

I refer to him because we're gradually taking apart everything he ever said about sound quality. Never before have I seen someone so influential in a field he clearly has no objective grasp on. I fell for a great deal of his bullshit back before I knew better, and it might be nice to keep future generations from the same.

[Andreas]

David,

if you write a thorough Who-FAQ, I will post it on every Who-releated thread on every message board that I am reading.

(I can't because my English is not good enough, and I don't have the MCA versions of most albums).

[JWB]

I already told David that he'd better write a Who FAQ. White Fang is a bonehead and he needs to be stopped.