Preferred CD Versions of Kansas's Point of Know Return and Song For America?

Does anyone here have any opinions on what are the best CD versions of these two great albums? Should I avoid the Sony remasters? Some help would be appreciated!

 

Usually I'm a Vic Anesini fan but his Kansas remasters are too bright and compressed. They sound harsh and manipulated. Get the original CD releases.

 

I like the originals too. But I like the bonus tracks on the remasters.

Hopefully you have Leftoverture too. (That's my personal favorite.)

 

I have all the 70's albums except These two. I love Leftoverture!

 

The original mastering CD issues of "Leftoverture" and "Point Of Know Return" are superb. None finer in digital. Worth owning. The right tonality. US original Kirshner LP discs also recommended. These recordings sound superb. McLover Approved!

 

From what I can tell on spotify the Remasters of these two are compressed. I have seen some comments from people on Amazon that the EQ on the remastered Song For America is so much better and it sounds a lot fresher. If this is true, is the EQ that improved that it is worth sacrificing a little bit of the dynamics?

 

I'll pick up those original CDs then. They are easily available at my local haunt.

 

I don't thin Vic had anything to do with these remasters. They were done by Jeff Magrid and/or Dave Donnley as I recall. There is some compression and peak limiting applied. They have dynamics just not what the albums deserve.

I never had the previous CD but I suspect that the mids and bass we're pumped up so maybe they are mistaking that with EQ choices.

 

Actually a couple were mastered by Joe Palmaccio, Jeff Glixman (Two For The Show) and Darcy Proper (Leftoverture, Point of Know Return) as well but no Vic.

 

That explains why the sound is not up to the standard I expect from Anesini.

 

Unfortunately, Audio-Visions, Vinyl Confessions and Drastic Measurses were never released on CD until 1996. I have the Classic Albums Collection boxed set, and those don't sound all that great. The originals are most definitely better!

 

Apologies to bump this old thread, but I grabbed an original 80s era Kirchner CD of Point of Know Return off eBay and found it to sound pretty bad compared to the original vinyl. The DR numbers are good, but the CD sounds thin, veiled, and lifeless. This album could really use a respectful modern 24bit remaster. At least it was cheap.

Also got an original Song For America, and it holds up better.

 

Get the original ZK series from the 80's. I own all of them, and used to have all the remasters.
The remasters are garbage. Compressed, too loud, real earbleeders.
I'm sick of the lovefest for Vic Anesini. I've owned a boatload of remasters by him which I've since traded in, and in every single case the original pressing from the 80's was better.

 

It was established earlier in this thread that the Kansas remasters were not done by Anesini.

 

He didn't do the Kansas, nevertheless I stand by my statement. (Aerosmith, Ted Nugent etc.)

 

I believe that's what I have - ZK 34929. Good DR, but still sounds pretty bad to me compared to the original vinyl.

I can't find my box of remasters, but I'll take your word for it they suck.

 

A lot of the CBS, Epic, and in this case Kirshner (a CBS affiliate) material from the 70's I've heard from quite a few, that the vinyl is the way to go.

A lot of the old 80's CD pressings as far as sonics go, depend on the system you are playing through. Just for example, if a pressing is a little thin on bottom end, and your speakers don't have 10"s in them, it's gonna sound thin. I've never heard a set of speakers with 8"'s that ever had any decent low frequency depth. Of course the CD player, and amp w/preamp or integrated amp make a difference, too. Anything under 100W just isn't going to give you the impact. But I'm off topic, so I'll shut up. And yes, the Kansas remasters are pretty bad, not the worst ever, but pretty bad.

 

I disagree. I like the remasters (whichever one is on the 2010 Leftoverture/Point of no Return double CD) much more than the classic vinyl, which I always felt was a bit dull and sounded like a copy of a copy. The remasters have more detail and are just more revealing overall.

 

Point of Know Return always sounded thin to me, even on Vinyl. I love the album despite the SQ not because of it.

 

I have the original USA ZK cd's as well as the original Japan issues. I need to do a shoot-out and see which is better.

The remaster of "Two For The Show" is a keeper though because of the bountiful extra tracks.

 

I didn't even know there was a remaster. What year did this come out?

 

2008

 

The 2-disc remaster is included in the Classic Albums Collection boxed set.

 

That would make it the 30th Anniversary edition, right? I ended up ordering a great vintage vinyl copy because that's what I had back in the day. CDs just can't compete with the physicality of vinyl albums, especially double albums. Nonetheless, I'd like to hear the bonus tracks and I prefer the sound of CDs in general, so I'll probably pick up the remaster.

 

Hard to beat the original vinyl. If u know somebody who needle drops definitely the way to go.