Beefheart - Plain Brown Wrapper - Sundazed LP

Want to review the latest CD reissue? Or a 30 year old LP you just picked up? Discuss it all here.
User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Beefheart - Plain Brown Wrapper - Sundazed LP

Postby JWB » Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:03 am

I just wanted y'all to know that I picked this up, and all the hype surrounding it is just that...hype. It doesn't sound as good as the old sequel disc. It's shrill and "baked" sounding and the stereo channels aren't as wide. If it comes from better tapes, then it wasn't mastered very well. The vinyl they used is also semi-noisy, which ruins quiet spots and fadeouts. The dynamic range is identical. So, the Sequel disc reigns supreme after a little EQ tweaking. The alternate Moody Liz is nice, but it's about all the LP is worth. I don't know what they've been saying on SHitTV, but you can take my word for it.

User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Postby JWB » Tue Aug 05, 2008 3:50 am

I just did a comparison of "Korn Ring Finger" (the lone song out) and the two CD sources have a ton of hiss. The LP has much less, which I thought was good, until I listened closer and realized that the Sundazed version has been heavily NR'd. That's right folks!

"Grow Fins" is the best source for that track, believe it or not. It sounds so much better than the Sundazed LP, it's not even funny.

User avatar
lukpac
Top Dog and Sellout
Posts: 4591
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
Location: Madison, WI
Contact:

Postby lukpac » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:13 am

JWB wrote:I just did a comparison of "Korn Ring Finger" (the lone song out) and the two CD sources have a ton of hiss. The LP has much less, which I thought was good, until I listened closer and realized that the Sundazed version has been heavily NR'd. That's right folks!


Clips? That seems pretty surprising, to say the least.
"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

User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Postby JWB » Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:12 pm

Grow Fins (Remastered) vs. Sundazed LP:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/Q01GSXQ1YUlTSUEwTVE9PQ

User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Postby JWB » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:19 am

Something else I noticed about the Sundazed LP:

Gimme Dat Harp Boy fades out instead of ending cold like the CD!

User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Postby JWB » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:34 am

There is an obvious digital skip/glitch during the intro of "Beatle Bones". Half a beat is missing.

The list keeps on growing.

User avatar
lukpac
Top Dog and Sellout
Posts: 4591
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
Location: Madison, WI
Contact:

Postby lukpac » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:33 am

E-mail Sundazed?
"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

User avatar
prof. stoned
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:04 am

Postby prof. stoned » Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:57 pm

OMG, that second fragment sounds like a 128 kbps mp3 of a track w/ already too much digital NR!
Even a non audiophile ear can easily hear this is not right.
I really love their vinyl releases so far but this is unacceptable and very disturbing.

User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Postby JWB » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:03 am

lukpac wrote:E-mail Sundazed?


As opposed to complaining here? What would the point be? I've already written reviews for the Beefheart site and elsewhere.

prof. stoned wrote:OMG, that second fragment sounds like a 128 kbps mp3 of a track w/ already too much digital NR!


Bad, isn't it?

User avatar
lukpac
Top Dog and Sellout
Posts: 4591
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
Location: Madison, WI
Contact:

Postby lukpac » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:41 am

JWB wrote:As opposed to complaining here? What would the point be? I've already written reviews for the Beefheart site and elsewhere.


Just to see what the heck may be going on.
"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

User avatar
JWB
Posts: 440
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:12 am

Postby JWB » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:38 pm

lukpac wrote:Just to see what the heck may be going on.


It probably wouldn't do any good.

User avatar
lukpac
Top Dog and Sellout
Posts: 4591
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2003 11:51 pm
Location: Madison, WI
Contact:

Postby lukpac » Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:50 am

Couldn't hurt, could it?
"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

User avatar
Xenu
Sellout
Posts: 2209
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2003 8:15 pm

Postby Xenu » Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:36 pm

I'm mildly surprised that a) they bothered to release this, and b) did such a poor job, via JWB. Releasing it under the "Plain Brown Wrapper" title was doubly deceptive.
-------------
"Fuckin' Koreans" - Reno 911