Bad Company - AF gold disc

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lukpac
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Bad Company - AF gold disc

Postby lukpac » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:05 pm

Yeah, I know, arena rock. Getting beyond that...

Got the AF gold disc today. Mind you, the only basis for comparison I have is the 1999 Anthology, but sweet Jesus, the difference on most of these tracks is night and day. Ready For Love isn't too different, nor is Movin' On (despite the Anthology claiming to have the single mix), but the rest sound like they have a wet blanket over them on the 1999 set. I'll make some clips for examples.

Now, I know many have been heaping praise on Hoffman over this disc. While I agree that the disc sounds great, though, I have the feeling it was really just a matter of using the right tapes. That not to say he doesn't deserve credit for that, but I'm betting 95% of the improvement was the tapes, rather than a mastering decision.

There are a few AF standard issue font issues, but that's just too easy...
"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

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Postby lukpac » Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:40 pm

Here are the clips. Bad Company and Seagull should be pretty easy to figure out. Movin' On is much closer, alternate mix or not.

Bad Company a
Bad Company b

Movin' On a
Movin' On b

Seagull a
Seagull b
"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

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Postby JWB » Sat Feb 25, 2006 5:01 pm

I just got the Bad Company gold disc too and I'm truly blown away. I only have an old vinyl copy to compare it to, but it sounds quite "stunning". I know people love to rag on Steve because he has such a big ego/mullet, but I continue to believe that his work is top of the line.

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Postby MK » Sat Feb 25, 2006 7:21 pm

Yeah, what's the deal with that? I knew plenty of metalheads who used to sport mullets....in the EIGHTIES.
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Postby Andreas » Sun Feb 26, 2006 2:26 am

All tracks (except one, if I recall correctly) peak at 100%....any clipped samples? By just looking at the waveforms, I'd predict that there are some.

And yes, the CD sounds phenomenal. Apparently well recorded, but it is not automatic at all that a great studio sound and great mix translate so well onto a mastered CD.

Musically, the title song and Can't Get Enough are great. A solid hard rock album, if a bit under-produced.

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Postby lukpac » Wed Mar 01, 2006 12:39 am

lukpac wrote:Here are the clips.


Anyone?

Also, anyone have either the original CD or the remaster? I'm curious to know if those sound like the songs on Anthology or not...
"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

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Postby lukpac » Sat Jul 15, 2006 10:12 pm

lukpac wrote:Also, anyone have either the original CD or the remaster? I'm curious to know if those sound like the songs on Anthology or not...


I got a copy of the original CD for cheap the other day. I'm slightly less blown away by the AF disc. I thought perhaps the bad sound of the Anthology set was due to the (copy) tapes, but the original CD sounds pretty darn close to the AF, tonality-wise. Yeah, the tape source is probably still a bit better on the AF, but the difference is nothing like it is between the AF and the Anthology set. Some wacky EQ choices on the Anthology set...

Anyone have the remaster (is that Ted Jensen)?
"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