Neil Young-Time Fades Away official CD thoughts?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Leaman, Oct 7, 2017.

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  1. Leaman

    Leaman Has a foggy notion Thread Starter

    Just in time for the 44th anniversary of the album, Neil Young's Time Fades Away was finally (officially) released on CD as part of the Official Release Series 5-8 CD box. ORS 5-8 was released on vinyl way back in 2014, but it wasn't until late August this year that the box set was made available on CD, marking the first time Time Fades Away was officially released on CD. (There have been plenty of bootleg CDs over the years.)

    As one of my favorite Neil albums, I was tempted to buy one of those bootlegs, but just kept on playing my original vinyl (and, later, the 2014 ORS 5-8 vinyl version), hoping for an official CD some day. Now that it's been out for six weeks or so, I gotta say I really like it a lot, but it is pretty LOUD and a bit more polished-sounding than the vinyl LP.

    I can see myself listening to the CD a lot, if only to save more wear and tear on the vinyl copies. But as good as it sounds, I wonder if it's lost some of the grungy sound of the original. What do other Neil fans think, especially ones who have been waiting for this CD release for a long time?
     
  2. Chemguy

    Chemguy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Western Canada
    Most certainly enjoy that cd. But please don't hestitate to enjoy the vinyl. Wear and tear is a real myth. I have a ton of 40 and 50+ year old, constantly played lps that are just perfect. Really.

    Now, my Time Fades Away, Canadian original, is a sonic treasure that has a fabulous warm sound. Not a hint of grunge...that comes later, around Sleeps With Angels! ;)
     
  3. Leaman

    Leaman Has a foggy notion Thread Starter

    Thanks, Chemguy!

    I definitely didn’t mean “grungy” in the sense of the grunge rock of Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, et. al. I meant it more as Time Fades Away has a rough, grimy feel that is maybe polished up a bit for this CD release.

    It’s nice that you have an original Canadian vinyl pressing. I have an original US pressing and I definitely like the way it sounds in comparison to the ORS 5-8 vinyl pressing. Not that the latter sounds bad, or even terribly different, but the original just sounds great.

    I like your thoughts on the “wear and tear” of vinyl. I’ve never bought into that theory myself, but I have read so many articles that say every time you play a record, you’re wearing out the grooves a little bit.

    I have many records that are 50 to 60 years old still sounds great, but SO MANY people swear by the “wear and tear” theory that I just kinda assumed they were right.
     
  4. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    It's strange that Neil agrees making his remasters loud and peak limited, since he's stated he's against the loudness war.
     
  5. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Does the official ORS 5-8 Time Fades Away CD release use the same mastering as the leaked 1995 HDCD mastering (which circulated illegally in unmentionable parts on the interweb several years ago)?

    Discussion about the HDCD here: Neil Young - Time Fades Away (withdrawn 1995 HDCD CD Release)


    And the cover of the album being discussed, I have always liked the colour palette used on it:

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Hey Vinyl Man

    Hey Vinyl Man Another bloody Yank down under...

    Is it available as a single CD? I'm not inclined to buy the whole set for just that one (because I already have copies of all the other albums with sound quality I'm perfectly content with).
     
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  7. Sadly it isn't. Exactly the reason why I haven't picked up a copy yet, I'm not going to buy a full 4 disc set just to have the album on CD. As soon as it's available as a separate release I'll buy it.
     
    Tjazz and Hey Vinyl Man like this.
  8. shaboo

    shaboo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bonn, Germany
    I don't know what makes you think that these remasters are "loud and peak limited". How many of them have you actually listened to?
    Just because slight compression reduces a remaster's DR value from 14 to 11 doesn't mean it's "brickwalled" or "peak limited" ...
     
  9. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Maybe we're talking about different remasters, I just reacted to what Leaman said about loud.
    I've checked out the wave forms (IMO the best way to determine such issues) of the 2009 HDCD remasters of: Everybody Knows, After The Goldrush and Harvest (used to own them for several years, then sold them in favour of of the original CD's, which I prefer, so I have listened them as well - many times). These are just a bit peak limited, but still.
    In the same way I know the 2003 HDCD editions of those four that up to that time yet wasn't released on CD. Those are compressed and rather heavy peak limited.
    I didn't use the term brick walled in my post but all the above certainly is more or less peak limited, check them out if you don't believe me.
     
  10. Flaming Torch

    Flaming Torch Forum Resident

    I have a copy of the withdrawn release on a dvd r. I have not compared it yet with the new version which I really like. The high resolution download is great too. The withdrawn release was/is a really great listen as well. I have always liked the album cover.
     
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  11. swedgin

    swedgin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Earth
    The older CDs are HDCD and use the peak extension feature and are meant to be decoded on an HDCD compatible player or they will be loud.
    You can download software that removes the peak extension and they will have full dynamics.
     
  12. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Ok, that's interesting, didn't know about that. Ok, I just ripped the files to have a look, didn't knew HDCD's got ripped in the "wrong" way. Well, I've sold them years ago and prefer the originals anyhow - but thanks for that information.
     
    swedgin likes this.
  13. kevin5brown

    kevin5brown Analog or bust.

    The dynamic range of the earlier HDCD and the new one aren't very different:

    Album list - Dynamic Range Database

    This would also seem to contradict the belief that the hi res downloads are the same as the newly remastered CDs too, well, perhaps just for this one.
     
  14. fatwad666

    fatwad666 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fat City, USA
    I would also like to know this. Anyone know the answer?
     
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  15. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    I only own the HDCD remasters of After the Gold Rush and Harvest and have always thought they sound way too loud and not pleasant. I don't have an HDCD decoding player so I really need to seek out those original Reprise CDs! On the other hand I think the new remasters in the 5-8 box sound excellent!
     
  16. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I agree about the HDCD remasters, I've changed them back to the originals which sounds delightful! Got them cheap and brand new from a Swedish based online retailer that got copies left in stock.
     
    bruce2 likes this.
  17. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    I just received and listened to the original Reprise CDs of After the Gold Rush and Harvest. I listened to Harvest first and liked it a lot better than the HDCD remaster. Unlike the remaster I could really turn up the volume and it sounds smooth punchy and well balanced. For After the Gold Rush I was not as impressed with the original CD. I thought it sounded a little harsh compared to Harvest. Also the copy I received smells of a moldy basement. I think I might actually stick with the remaster for Gold Rush, but may do more comparing first.
     
  18. Crossfire#3

    Crossfire#3 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Burlington Vermont
    Whatever happened to Pono btw?
     
  19. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I don't know, but there's a thread about it.
     
  20. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I like them both, they both sound like they should, to my ears - but Harvest is recorded with a smoother sound to begin with. I know what you mean, regretfully some sellers store their items so that they smell like that, it's very annoying!
     
  21. bruce2

    bruce2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Connecticut, USA
    It's worth mentioning that even before I heard these original CDs I thought that the After the Gold Rush remaster sounded decent, it was more Harvest that I really did not like the sound of.
     
  22. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    any info yet on 'time fades away' being released individually?
     
    The MEZ likes this.
  23. anth67

    anth67 Purveyor of Hogwash

    Location:
    PNW USA
    I don't know the answer, but I'd be flabbergasted if the '95 release (even an HDCD) sounds as fantastic as this new release does.
     
  24. anth67

    anth67 Purveyor of Hogwash

    Location:
    PNW USA
    If you've got older versions of Tonight's the Night & Zuma, you won't regret upgrading them if you just spring for the 4-album box. It's under $40 on Amazon USA right now (what some would've gladly paid for a good copy of 'Time Fades' alone), and the sound is stunning.

    Tonight's the Night blows my old cd away. Seriously. Cool mini-LP packaging on each album, too. Title track of Time Fades sounds glorious.
     
  25. bmoregnr

    bmoregnr Forum Rezident

    Location:
    1060 W. Addison
    It is stand alone if you can do files, and is a bargain here http://neilyoung.warnerbrosrecords.com/music-2/hd-digital.html

    I would say especially if you can’t decode HDCD (I can’t and find the other Neil HDCDs I've had to be a little stuffy by comparison because of it), the files are a great way to go.
     
    trumpet sounds likes this.
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