Don't know if that has been mentioned before but the Extended Version of Beauty And The Beast is already for sale on iTunes. Listening to that one right now.
Well that's good news, and what I was hoping. I'm assuming these general marketing materials will be updated as we get closer to Sept, the other sets had exact remastering info in the marketing info as far as I "Recall" (pun unintentionally intentional). Anyway I just hope they have some form of sound quality increase done post 1999 or whenever the last remasters for this era were done... my Japanese mini Vinyl CD versions have been my go-to's for years now.
Yes, I'm surprised people aren't talking about it as a taster of the remastered album. The 'extended' bit is just silly (3/4 way through the song, splice the beginning on and call it an 'extended version') but the remastering isn't half bad IMO. I did an A-B comparison with my go-to ''Heroes'' (an excellent vinyl rip), and I think it might have beaten it. Will listen again when I get a minute.
I just A-B'ed a rip of the 2007 Japanese version of Beauty and the Beast on my iPhone with the new one via the iTunes store. The new one is louder but also has better separation and much better definition as far as I can tell, maybe a bit more analog/natural sounding. In no way is this a proper test obviously, I'm using hundred dollar Monster ear buds with MP3's, but it's sounding better for sure.
"Look Back In Anger" didn't grab me immediately, but it's been a definite grower over the years (at least for me).
'Lodger' IMO is a great album. The big question mark for me with this upcoming box set is, which album or albums are they going to short change us with poor mastering?. Each of the other boxes had their 'bad eggs', this one is bound to as well. Unfortunately!
I did know that yeah... though I had to refresh my memory after reading some of this stuff as I bought those back in 2007/08 and kind of forgot what was what, but it all came back pretty quickly.
Given what my parents have been through in the last few years, and the way it's someday going to affect all of us, today I would call the album A New Carer In a New Town. In deference to those who arrive in new towns, solely to look after others' well-being.
i'm more interested in whether it's accurate than sounding different/better. could you get it to me via "conversation"? i'm unable to purchase from itunes due to regional c/c restrictions.
Yes, the original Bowie site left the "(remastered)" wording off the LP and CD box lists for SM. (And it mentions that Re:Call3 isn't even Mastered for iTunes, but that's not new. The other two Re:Calls were in the same boat, IIRC.)
Well, Music Direct makes a strong case. 20% off and free shipping. That put it just below $200. There definitely appears to be a vinyl price war going on. The question is, are we winners or losers due to this? I guess it all depends on whether you would have bought it otherwise. Tempting. I think I'll sleep on it.
i managed to get the iTunes track thanks to another member here. the good news is that the edit itself (a single splice/repeat from around 2.45) is accurate, so this is not another botched attempt like Fame or Fashion. regarding the mastering it's very much in keeping with what's come before from this reissue campaign and with that of the Sound and Vision and Be My Wife singles that presumably are sourced from the 2017 LP master. in other words, if you like the sound of the 2015/16 remasters then you'll probably like this. i am, of course, comparing an iTunes file (which i assume will be equivalent to the CD) with an original vinyl rip of the extended version, so it's not a perfect pairing and the forthcoming vinyl may be a little more dynamic. the iTunes file is notably less dynamic than the original vinyl single which was already fairly "full on" as the dense Visconti productions of the time tended to be. i did a quick experiment using the pre-set "loudness maximizer" parametric EQ in audition applied to the original single and it basically "became" the new master. added bass "oomph" and sparkle in the top end. sample of unfutzed with level matched files here: B&TB compare.wav which do you prefer?
First one is good, but the second one sparkles a bit more in the high end, with a noticeably wider stereo stage. I like them both, but the second one is cleaner and the first one a has a bit more "thump". If I had to choose, think I'd have to go for the second one because it's wider, and then fiddle with the EQ sometimes when I want a darker presentation.
i'm going to suggest the high end lift is creating the illusion of a wider stereo stage, but i could be wrong. i'm more bothered by the sibilance (listen to that first "say") and glare in the second... the first is lively enough for me.
the first. i should also point out that as an edit from '77 it was probably a generation removed from the master. add to that it's the Spanish 12" so possibly a further dub from the US master. and it's a vinyl rip from my "mid-fi" system into my PC's soundcard, downsampled to 16/44. if i had the master tape to work with as presumably Parlophone did and state-of-the-art mastering facilities, i think i could have done a better job!