U2 on MFSL

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by SergioRZ, Aug 2, 2008.

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  1. SergioRZ

    SergioRZ Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portugal
    Joshua Tree
    Unforgettable Fire
    War

    Are the MFSL releases the best for these three albums? Is there a consensus on that? :winkgrin:

    (the forum search engine doesn't seem to work very well with U2)

    Thanks! :righton:
     
  2. JayB

    JayB Senior Member

    Location:
    CT
    Yes these are the best versions IMO.
     
    Say It Right likes this.
  3. scocs

    scocs Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    I don't have Unforgettable Fire, but I think the MFSL of War is the best. Most people think the MFSL Joshua Tree is tops, but there's some who feel it's the Japanese first pressing....

    Buy 'em all!
     
  4. SergioRZ

    SergioRZ Well-Known Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Portugal
    :laugh: :laugh: :righton: ;)

    Ok... so I suppose the MFSL CD's are very good options for these U2 albums.

    I did like the Joshua Tree MFSL, the only one I've heard from these 3... and It sounded pretty good to me, better than the standard Island and the new remaster.

    I was indeed curious about other releases... like the first press japanese CD's and such exotica... are they like the Pink Floyd Holly Grails??? :shh:
     
  5. Second that.
     
  6. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    I would say that WAR is the most substantial improvement over the domestic CD, although I haven't heard the new two-disc remaster.
     
  7. onebit

    onebit Forum Resident

    Love these MFSL's! Played them for a friend who is a big U2 fan (and has been listening to the originals for years) and he was blown away. Get them while you can!
     
  8. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    I second that. The MFSL War sounds so much better than the standard.

    UF & TJT would have benefitted from a upgrade to DVD-A, to add a substantial amount of clarity & depth to the Eno/Lanois murkiness. Which I did, upsampling the 44.1/16 bit to 192/24, and it helps a lot, but official hi-rez versions of all their Eno/Lanois albums would have been ideal.
     
  9. scocs

    scocs Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    No, I wouldn't call the first Japanese pressings of these albums "Holy Grail". I've seen them from time to time on the Forum, especially Joshua Tree. They're not that expensive, certainly not in the "three-figure" range!
     
  10. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Here's my take:
    I think Unforgettable fire and Joshua Tree MFSL are miles ahead of the original common. I think the Joshua Tree is better than the remaster.

    As for War, that was the one, IMO that had the least improvement over the original cd. PLus I really dislike the New Year's day version on the MFSL.
    I generally pull out the one that was made in Japan 90067-2 over even the West German. So, in conclusion, WAR MFSL is good, but I think there is better out there.
    So WG, Japan, might be better alternatives than the WAR MFSL
     
    Alex00 likes this.
  11. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    I have the MFSL of War and like it, but I've read in other threads that there are 3 or 4 different non-remasterings, actually 3 of them would be re-masterings in effect.. IIRC only the WG Target and the Japan for US contain Barry's mastering the rest do not. So it's not fair to state the MFSL is better as a blanket statement unless you've heard all the original masterings. One day I'll have to pick up a confirmed copy of Barry's War and do an a/b compare....

    Rick
     
  12. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443

    Correct! they seem to go for under $50, far less than the Mofi.
     
  13. Dansk

    Dansk rational romantic mystic cynical idealist

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Does anyone have a recommendation for a cost-effective way of getting ahold of the MFSL version of TJT? I'd love to have it, it's a fantastic album, but I can't touch the $100+ prices they go for on ebay. Is it against forum rules to beg someone to upload some FLACs?
     
  14. phallumontis

    phallumontis Active Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Yes. Let's not forget that Steve works in the industry, and illegal file-sharing on his website would be a major no-no.

    On point, all three of these U2 MFSL CD's sound superb to me. When I listened to their mastering of TJT, it was like hearing the album for the first time.
     
  15. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    Fwiw, I agree with this. Imo, most or all of MFSL JT just sounds almost stunning, to my ears, maybe even considered ear candy, especially for a record that relies on a Rock singer really pushing his voice and an effects-mad electric guitarist.

    Since I made a cassette copy of the War lp that I listened to back when it was first released, myself, and even moreso a friend of mine, thought when Bono was singing near the upper limits of his voice, the tone sounded, to us, really difficult to listen to and enjoy. It sounded kind of screechy to us, fwiw. My favorite-sounding tracks from the MFSL are 40, Drowning Man, The Refugee, and 2 Hearts. It's been wonderful to rediscover The Refugee. I think the melody and the dynamics of the performance have this great push on and pull back style - a unique kind of momentum about it that I really like. It's both endearing and powerful, imo. The MFSL War is the only cd version I have heard. I have heard a full studio take, and what sounded to me like exactly the same take used on War, for Like A Song. The tone sounded different, amd more appealin got my ears anyway. Maybe it was the same mix, but hadn't been mastered for the lp yet. Anyway, I'll have to find it on an unlabeled cassette, fun...

    I like the MFSL Unforgettable Fire about as much as I enjoy listening to The Joshua Tree MFSL. :righton: :righton:
     
  16. Stateless

    Stateless New Member

    Location:
    USA
    Me too. I hate the beats before the solo. TUF is great though.
     
  17. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    I had a copy of the MFSL of War on loan from the CD store in worked in right when it came out and we recieved a used copy somehow.
    It didn't sound any different to me at that time then the domestic CD did and so I didn't keep it.

    Also when you programmed it to play certain songs, you missed a litlle second or two from the very beginning of the songs. In other words, the damn thing wouldn't have played properly unless you played it from start to finish.

    I wasn't impressed at all.
     
    theron d likes this.
  18. Spaceboy

    Spaceboy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Edinburgh, UK
    War sounds abysmal imo, it isnt very well recorded, and the MFSL just highlights that.
     
    Alex00 likes this.
  19. Stateless

    Stateless New Member

    Location:
    USA
    It's interesting that you say that. It is probably my least favorite among the new remasters. BOY & OCTOBER sound great to me. I think they are a vast improvement on the original CD's, which I always felt sounded a little flat. I like the new WAR, but it sounds a bit louder, and occasionally harsh. I wonder if some of that is the way it was recorded. I always thought the original sounded ok. Maybe I should A/B them.
     
  20. dee

    dee Senior Member

    Location:
    ft. lauderdale, fl
    Aw heck, listening to the MFSL War in the cd drive, through earbuds, at work, and I'm enjoying it, :laugh: . I think maybe one of the biggest challenges for me is that I overplayed half to two-thirds of it over the years, and therefore that might be coloring my perception of the whole listening experience as well. Maybe it is all relative, ;) . Enjoy life, enjoy music.
     
  21. tommy-thewho

    tommy-thewho Senior Member

    Location:
    detroit, mi
    War is the only one I can vouch for and it sounds great on MFSL. I'm debating whether to buy the new remaster or not...
     
  22. Bertly

    Bertly Senior Member

  23. Mike the Fish

    Mike the Fish Señor Member

    Location:
    England
    I can't see how that can work, all you're getting is extra redundant bits of data. There is no extra information there. However you are using a different decoder/decoding technique to play the hi-rez discs so a difference in sound might be generated at that stage.
     
  24. Spaceboy

    Spaceboy Senior Member

    Location:
    Near Edinburgh, UK
    I'm not sure what you mean by great, imo the production is very shoddy.
     
  25. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    Here's my take on these three U2 albums Sergio.

    The Joshua Tree
    The MFSL plays second best to the Japanese 1st pressing on this album in the sonics dept.

    The Unforgettable Fire
    Again, the MFSL places 2nd against the Japanese 1st pressing.

    War
    The Japanese 1st pressing is the best with the most detailed natural sounding presentation. My second favorite is Barry's mastering on the W. German Target CD. Third and still pretty decent comes the MFSL.
     
    Rukiki likes this.
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