Pretenders compilation CD's - they both suck

MK · Postby MK » Fri Aug 20, 2004 12:04 am

Content-wise, yeah, glaring omissions on both of them, though not so much on "Singles."

Sound-wise, they both stink. You have "Greatest Hits," an import-only CD that compresses the shit out of everything and spikes the treble, just so the early tracks match the supercompressed tracks from 1994 and beyond - check out the original Pretenders albums released in 1994 and later, all compressed to hell.

"Singles" has no compression, tape sources sound fine even if there's the possibility it's all dubbed like most compilations, but lots of upper frequency boosting. Compare the supposed flat transfer of the first album on CD - never remastered or 'secretly' remastered - with the same three tracks on "Singles." Do the same with the rest of the tracks and other CD's. Brighter and a lot more air, kind of screechy once you hone in on it.

Rob P · Postby **Rob P** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 6:13 am

It's too bad there's no good compilation of the Pretenders. Thanks for the information.

Has The Pretenders "Learning to Crawl" ever sounded good in any format? I have the LP and listened to the original CD, and I really didn't like the SQ on either. Love the music, though. I think both are too trebly, and the LP is a poor pressing with high-frequency distortion.

MK · Postby MK » Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:53 am

Sorry, I only have the "Learning To Crawl" CD, no vinyl. I know little about vinyl, but did U.S. vinyl in 1984 still use recycled vinyl instead of virgin vinyl? That could be one problem. When they recycle vinyl, I think they used to just grind unsold Lp's into slurry, paper labels and all.

You might want to see who mastered the original Lp, too.

Part of it may be the way it was recorded. I know on the first album, the cymbals/drum kit will sound a little toppy to anyone, but it's because of the way it was recorded or mixed. You have to listen to the whole band and see if that treble boost is there on everyone.

seth · Postby **seth** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 4:42 pm

My favorite Pretenders song is My City Was Gone, but IIRC, it is inexpicably omitted from any best-of CDs. Why? (I have it on a 45 P/S)

Rob P · Postby **Rob P** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:19 pm

A lot of LP's from that time did have recycled vinyl in them. I don't know about this pressing, though. I mean, it sounds relatively clean and free from pops and ticks, so the quality of the vinyl may be good. I bought it still sealed about 7 years ago. The groove run-out markings didn't give anything away about who mastered it, but it might be an original pressing because the label is custom.

I listened to the record yesterday, and it didn't sound as bad as I remembered. It was cleaner than I remembered, and the guitars were more accurate. However, the sibilants still distorted like crazy at times, and the cymbal crashes got a little over the top after a while.

My City was Gone is a classic, it shouldn't have been omitted from a best-of. Their catalogue just screams for a proper compilation.

Postby **lukpac** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 11:58 pm

As far as recycled vinyl goes, I wouldn't rush into any sweeping generalizations. Mr. Hunte provided me with a (presumably) '80s pressing of Buffalo Springfield Again which is perhaps one of the most quiet pieces of vinyl I've ever heard.

krabapple · Postby **krabapple** » Sun Aug 22, 2004 3:13 pm

My second favorite Pretenders song is the live version of 'Precious' but that fucker hasn't ever been releasedon CD AFAIK. Someday I'll have to borrow a friend's EP and do a needle-drop transfer.