The US 1995 Voulez-Vous carries the same mastering as the WG #04 silver For those in the US interested
I love the Voulez-Vous album art!! I thought it was cool the first time I saw it. The cover I don't like is Arrival.
Yes, excessive NR is the killer for me on the 97's - and in particular, the worst offender being 'The Album' which has really wonky EQ. It's a great shame because Jon Astley had access to the best tapes but the final mastering of that album is awful - all previous CD versions prior to that use the LP cutting tape as a source which suffers from what appears to be distortion, or use of a dodgy compressor/limiter on the side one tracks - this is most apparent on the choruses of The Name Of The Game. So all the early CDs use LP cutting tapes not first generation masters (but are still the best sounding overall) The 1997 editions use the best tapes (as far as I know) but have excessive NR and questionable EQ The 2001's and/or 2005's also go back to the 'right ' tapes (again, as far as I know) but suffer from excessive compression, i.e. are quite 'brickwalled'. The deluxe editions (of which I have none) appear to be hit and miss - tape issues, again questionable mastering choices. It's a mess I tell you, I agree wholeheartedly that there is no perfect versions of all albums available digitally!
You guys really have issues with The Visitors (I have a Canadian Cinram manufacture I love) and the US Super Trouper Atlantic? For The Album, since it's almost impossible for me to track down an old mastering, the 2011 German lp I transferred will suffice for now.
I said that the original CDs use LP cutting tapes as sources - but I forgot about the original Polar/Polydor Visitors CD - is that one DDD?
Thank you, Pizza! I´m glad someone agrees with me about "VOULEZ VOUS". I happen to like blue. Veeery cool!
Yes, some of the Deluxe Editions sound fine (Voulez-Vous / Ring Ring / Waterloo)...but others not. The tapes of the SUPER TROUPER DELUXE must have been in bad shape...and THE VISITORS is a real mess...sourced from a partially damaged analogue tape of the album... If I have to keep only one CD per album, I would choose the following: - Honey Honey (Polydor Germany...nearly the entire RING RING album minus one song...best sound so far !!!) or Ring Ring Deluxe Edition. - Waterloo (Polar Sweden 1988) - ABBA (Polar Sweden 1988) - Arrival (Polydor Germany...not a nice-sounding disc, but there are no options...Japan CD versions don't sound any better...) - The Album (Polydor Germany...not a nice-sounding disc, but there are no options...Japan CD versions don't sound any better...) - Voulez-Vous (Deluxe Edition - better tapes, compared to the old Polydor Germany CD, nice mastering) - Super Trouper (Polydor USA 1995...sounds like the Polydor Germany CD, but without the dropout in the title track. Atlantic USA is not my preferred version !!!) - The Visitors (Polydor Germany CD - DDD) For the non album tracks I would keep the "Thank You For The Music" box set...and maybe compilations like ABBA INTERNATIONAL... It would be so nice to have a complete set, including all recordings (as the light blue velvet box), but mastered to audiophile standard...or better: simply flat transfers of the original mixdown tapes...to listen ABBA as it was originally mixed in those days...
I'm pretty sure my local entertainment store (owned by Music Magpie) has the pre-remastered The Album in stock for £2.99. Have you tried the barcode in ebay or Amazon.
There are so many options to find a non-remastered ABBA- The Album CD...any Polydor pressing before 1997 or the 1995 USA Polydor...
I totally agree with you. So much rereleased Abba vinyl over the last few years, a properly done CD box is needed now, once and for all!
Didn't you say previously that the Japan CD from 1986 used better source tapes and doesn't have the minor tape glitches that the German Polydor has?
There is an excellent site ABBA Plaza - the ultimate ABBA site In Albums panel you can find info for audiophiles. Unfortunately, the owner past away ;(
except that the recent vinyl from the box set (and maybe the back to black version too) uses a crappy analogue dub as it'a source - the best vinyl LP versions of the visitors have 'CUTTING ROOM SWEDEN' in the dead wax - even the one cut at townhouse is inferior but avoid the recent vinyl re-issue as it sounds really poor to original copies sourced from the digital master - oh, the irony!
The Japanese first editions are supposed to be the grails for SQ. I have none of them so I can't give an opinion. Nearly impossible to find anyway.
I only picked up a couple of the 2011 Germans, one's I was trying to find some kind of improvement on. I've got an old US SP Atlantic cut of Super that sounds good. 'The Album' I gave up on old US cuts. I went through three and have yet to find a silent copy
Don't bother with the US copies. As you found, they are usually not well pressed. I have had good luck with Japanese pressings, but I was finally done when I bit the bullet and paid my $400 for all their albums in that silver box set a few years ago. They are on the Polar label and as good as it will likely ever be. They rereleased it removing the bonus vinyl disc with the extra tracks, but at a greatly reduced price. I think it is $200 and may be still available. Doing that gets you great pressings in one shot. You have probably seen us discuss the Readers Digest box set so I won't repeat it but if not let me know and I'll pm you, or you can just search it. A forum member thanked me for turning himonto one, and of course a forum member did the same for me! It's an absolute must have if you can spin vinyl.
These are stunning photos David! I (also) wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your "work" on You-Tube! Thank you!