Graham Parker on CD
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2004 8:58 pm
I picked up two CD's today: the 1996 20-bit remaster of "Squeezing Out Sparks" + "Live Sparks," re-issued by the original label Arista Records, and the "Ultimate Collection" CD from 2001 issued by Hip-O Records.
BTW, isn't it a blatant rip-off to name your reissue imprint Hip-O with a hippopotamus as the logo, i.e. a variation on Rhino Records? I digress.
Ultimate Collection was maximized to death. Mastered by Erick Labson, there's a ton of compression, and real bright and grainy like many of Labson's masterings in the last few years. The squashed sound with that in-your-face bottom end is the worst. Too bad because it's the only comprehensive single CD compilation.
I know Rhino issued a two-CD set called "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" back in the early 90's, including almost all the same material, most importantly the single-only releases "I Want You Back" - the Jackson 5 cover - and "Mercury Poisoning," both great releases. I haven't heard Rhino's disc, but it's got to be better.
The compression on "Ultimate Collection" was confirmed when I compared it to "Squeezing Out Sparks," the 1996 re-issue. Greg Calbi mastered this, and he's had an inconsistent track record. It's great just to have it for "Live Sparks" as the bonus material, which fills out the disc to 79+ minutes.
I have not heard any other CD, and I wonder if this reissue of "Squeezing Out Sparks" is on the bright side from the mastering or if that's the nature of the original recording. I guess it's a moot point because it's not nearly as bright as "Ultimate Collection" and is a lot more open, it breathes a lot more so if there is any compression, it's minute compared to what was done to "Ultimate Collection."
So there you have it.
BTW, isn't it a blatant rip-off to name your reissue imprint Hip-O with a hippopotamus as the logo, i.e. a variation on Rhino Records? I digress.
Ultimate Collection was maximized to death. Mastered by Erick Labson, there's a ton of compression, and real bright and grainy like many of Labson's masterings in the last few years. The squashed sound with that in-your-face bottom end is the worst. Too bad because it's the only comprehensive single CD compilation.
I know Rhino issued a two-CD set called "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" back in the early 90's, including almost all the same material, most importantly the single-only releases "I Want You Back" - the Jackson 5 cover - and "Mercury Poisoning," both great releases. I haven't heard Rhino's disc, but it's got to be better.
The compression on "Ultimate Collection" was confirmed when I compared it to "Squeezing Out Sparks," the 1996 re-issue. Greg Calbi mastered this, and he's had an inconsistent track record. It's great just to have it for "Live Sparks" as the bonus material, which fills out the disc to 79+ minutes.
I have not heard any other CD, and I wonder if this reissue of "Squeezing Out Sparks" is on the bright side from the mastering or if that's the nature of the original recording. I guess it's a moot point because it's not nearly as bright as "Ultimate Collection" and is a lot more open, it breathes a lot more so if there is any compression, it's minute compared to what was done to "Ultimate Collection."
So there you have it.