The Byrds and Their Box

Just what the name says.
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Xenu
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The Byrds and Their Box

Postby Xenu » Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:22 am

A little bit of a lark, this. I really like the song "I See You," and always harbored a vague suspicion that the version on the box is more pleasing to my earholes than is the version on the 5D reissue.

I only actually got around to COMPARING 'em today. In fact, I went one step further, and compared box-->reissue--->original CBS CD.

Results: Yikes. While I like the 5D reissue fine, I really wish they hadn't duplicated the midrangey sound of the original...I feel like it has the potential to sound so much better. Ahh well, historical accuracy and all that.

In fact, barring the slight muddiness of the original CBS source, they're pretty close; if I didn't "know better," I wouldn't assume the track in question was remixed.

On the other hand, the box sounds *nothing* like the original...I do prefer it slightly, though. Take a listen to the following clip:

http://www.lukpac.org/~handmade/iseeyou.mp3

Source: the first bar is from the CBS disc, the second from the reissue (it's a REALLY hard transition to pick out...you'll see what I mean), the third bar onward is the easy-to-spot boxed-set section.
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JWB
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Postby JWB » Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:12 am

Wasn't the Byrds stuff recorded on 8-Track and then bounced down to 3-Track or 4-Track a'la "Safe As Milk"? It could be possible that the box was mixed from an 8-Track and the original/reissue come from a 3-Track with the mid-range built in. Just a thought though.

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Postby lukpac » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:42 am

JWB wrote:Wasn't the Byrds stuff recorded on 8-Track and then bounced down to 3-Track or 4-Track a'la "Safe As Milk"? It could be possible that the box was mixed from an 8-Track and the original/reissue come from a 3-Track with the mid-range built in. Just a thought though.


Depends on the song. Also depends on the mix. According to Bob Irwin, they did this for some (but apparently not all) songs on the first three albums, but the 3-track dub was only used for the stereo mix, and the mono mix was taken directly from the 8-track.

As if that helps at all...
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Postby seth » Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:48 pm

I had no idea the box set sounded so different. Disconcerting.

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Postby lukpac » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:06 pm

Yeah, I think there were a few cases from 5D and YTY where they didn't really try to get super close to the original mixes.
"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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Re: The Byrds and Their Box

Postby David R. Modny » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:21 pm

Xenu wrote:A little bit of a lark, this. I really like the song "I See You," and always harbored a vague suspicion that the version on the box is more pleasing to my earholes than is the version on the 5D reissue.


Going from memory, I seem to recall that more than a few songs on the box set are a tad more pleasing than their single disc reissue counterparts from a frequency balance standpoint.

For all the criticism that box sometimes gets, in terms of things such as song omissions, I still think it set the bar pretty high for future box sets. I always did, and still do, like it.

Those jewel box artwork designs really did suck though! "Cruising Altitude"...lol.

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Postby Rspaight » Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:43 pm

I always thought they should've called the fourth disc "Nose First."

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Postby jbohdan » Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:28 pm

"Why?" on the box set, although narrowed somewhat, sounds better to me than the bonus track on 5D.
Overall, though I prefer the reissues of the first four (I don't have any of the subsequent ones; why mess with perfection? :lol: ) than the equivalent tracks on the box. Much as I admire the box, the reissues sound better and look cooler.
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Xenu
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Postby Xenu » Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:27 pm

Random point:

Does anybody here have the Sony-issued "Gosdins" on CD? The mono one?

a) Does your copy have a lot of nasty digital clicking in "Echoes?"

b) Is it just me, or is this "alternate" "Tried So Hard" just one channel of the 1970s remix?
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Postby Leppo » Wed Apr 26, 2006 5:14 pm

Xenu wrote:Does anybody here have the Sony-issued "Gosdins" on CD? The mono one?
Yeah, I have it but haven't noticed digital clicking. I'll give it another listen and report back.
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Xenu
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Postby Xenu » Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:45 pm

It'd be RIGHT at the beginning of "Echoes."
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Postby Leppo » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:09 am

Yeah, I did hear clicking (?) at the beginning of "Echoes". Not sure what it is though? FWIW, there is a warning on the back cover:

"The listener should be aware that these transfers contain imperfections which were inherent in the recording equipment and techniques of that time."
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Xenu
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Postby Xenu » Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:00 pm

Leppo wrote:Yeah, I did hear clicking (?) at the beginning of "Echoes". Not sure what it is though? FWIW, there is a warning on the back cover:

"The listener should be aware that these transfers contain imperfections which were inherent in the recording equipment and techniques of that time."


Yeah, but isn't that just Sony's version of "limitations of analogue tape?" Those clicks sure SOUND digital. I've never done much of an examination on 'em, though.
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