Are 80s Led Zeppelin CDs really better?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by SOONERFAN, Jan 9, 2010.

  1. testikoff

    testikoff Seasoned n00b

    Well, mine doesn't. Both PG two-fer CDs I have read "Japan for USA", IIRC...
     
  2. robbieplatter

    robbieplatter Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warszawa, PL
    Do you guys like the new CDs that were made?
     
  3. RK2249

    RK2249 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Jersey
    So that's a Japanese pressing, not a U.S. pressing
     
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  4. testikoff

    testikoff Seasoned n00b

    US PG fat-boy with Japan pressed discs ;)
     
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  5. rburly

    rburly Sitting comfortably with Item 9

    Location:
    Orlando
    Maybe that's what ledsox was talking about, but they're still Japanese pressings.
     
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  6. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    US pressed discs within the fatboy, your's is a Japan thus no cough.

    In the last year I have seen quite a few Japan for US fatboy's but very few US for US' in the shops I frequent. Almost makes me think the general public has caught on :)
     
  7. ledsox

    ledsox Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    The one I bought has discs pressed by WEA in the US (SRC) and is in the fatboy (missing cough). I actually copied these and sent them to Barry back in '07 for him to check out.
    Also, above is a quote from dbz who had a 'no cough' WG pressing.

    Here is the old thread with Barry and others discussing the issue.
    http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/physical-graffiti-cd-version-question.124099/

    This issue had always fascinated me for some reason. Not only the missing cough but how it got fixed and added back on to the cd master.
     
  8. ManFromCouv

    ManFromCouv Employee #3541

    The first album is the only one of the new bunch that I think is an upgrade. Some of the others are okay, just different.
     
  9. rburly

    rburly Sitting comfortably with Item 9

    Location:
    Orlando
    You're right. Darren (dbz) does say that he has/had a W. German pressed PG with no cough. It's always been interesting to me as well. So, are there W.G. pressings with the cough?
     
  10. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I believe every old pressing has some with and without.
     
  11. RK2249

    RK2249 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Jersey
    Wow, what a cluster f***!

    So basically there is no guaranteed version that has the cough?
     
  12. RK2249

    RK2249 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Jersey
    That's opening up a big can of worms ;)
     
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  13. ledsox

    ledsox Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    I don't know if there are WG pressings with the cough. I would think that Atlantic fixed the master and all the plants got the cough version soon after this became an issue. Don't really know.
    Since the Ice watchdog column made this a big deal I would think that Atlantic made sure the plants (at least 3 of them) had the corrected master to press from very soon after initial release.
    It's interesting that Barry doesn't remember the fixing of the master. Not surprising though, as over 20 years had passed in 2007. Going on 30 now.
     
  14. rburly

    rburly Sitting comfortably with Item 9

    Location:
    Orlando
    My memory (I think you're the one who posted his quote) was that Barry said that he never mastered a version with no cough, and that it was somewhere after it left his possession that someone must have decided it was a mistake and cut out the cough.
     
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  15. Roberto899

    Roberto899 Forum Resident

    Location:
    California
    I haven't listened to the CD's just the downloads, but personally over all I think they sound the best. That's my preference anyway.
     
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  16. ledsox

    ledsox Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Yes, but he is working from memory and as he stated in the past, the details for him are fuzzy. Does he remember the cough so well because he had to do a fixed version for the plants? Who knows?

    He also said it's possible someone had him delete the cough before it went out and doesn't remember that part. Under that scenario, could that have been George Piros or someone else at Atlantic? Maybe the same person that deleted the cough from the vinyl pressing I have snipped Barry's master. Again, who knows?

    I just don't buy that 3 different pressing plants around the world would change the master and then fix it without Atlantic's direct involvement.
     
  17. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    To my knowledge, no, for original CDs.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2015
  18. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Does the latest PG remaster have the cough?
     
  19. ledsox

    ledsox Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Yes.
     
  20. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    Have owned multiple versions of Zeppelin cds and I like the sound of the new discs very well so if you just want to play it simple and spare yourself deep hunting and just get what's at your local music store, you cannot go wrong with the current cds.
    The compilations are a different story.
     
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  21. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I like them. I have the 1993 Complete Studio Recordings and the 80s 1st 3 albums plus Houses Of The Holy. Except for Houses Of The Holy, the CDs up to Physical Grafitti (and especially that one) sound best in the new remasterings. To be fair, I haven't heard the remaster of Houses Of The Holy, but the 80s one sounds so good and if one can say there is a general consensus here, most prefer it to the new remaster.
    My two cents, anyway.
     
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  22. dvda

    dvda Forum Resident

    Location:
    usa
    Who really cares anymore? :rolleyes: What matters now is the HUNDREDS+ (at least 2 reels for each show) of stereo Showco soundboard tapes (with live performances better any official release so far) that are rotting away in someone's basement right now.
     
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  23. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    There is; all original Physical Graffiti US for US versions with "re-1" in the matrix, one of the few cases where that designation is desirable.

    So to sum up an original US for US with re-1 in the matrix on disc #1 will have the cough.

    P.S. Don't overpay there are many of these out there it is not rare.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2015
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  24. ledsox

    ledsox Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    So, you think it's more plausible that at least 3 pressing plants around the world did the dirty deed of cough removal? I can't really get with that.
    There is a known fixed Atlantic master that has a RE-1 in the matrix. This tells us that Atlantic did indeed fix the issue (remake the master) after the initial street date press run thus the many "original" versions with the cough. Now, if someone bought this on streetdate with the cough then there goes my theory.


    Looking at dates is interesting. According to Discogs, PG was first released on cd in May of 1987. I'm not sure if this is entirely accurate.
    That same year (1987) Barry left Atlantic to start his own company (BDA). It seems very possible someone at Atlantic did the cough removal and later on, the fix (RE-1) after Barry left the scene.
    This is in line with his memory of hearing the cough on his master but not remembering details about it's removal or the later fix.
     
  25. RK2249

    RK2249 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Jersey
    It would seem to me that the "removal" of the cough was probably accidental (i.e., they didn't know it was supposed to be there). Anyone familiar with Zeppelin from when the LP was first sold would know to listen for the cough. If, on the other hand, you were handed masters to be transferred to CD and you weren't familiar with Zeppelin, you might overlook the cough thinking the song had already ended.

    Assuming Barry (who was familiar with Zeppelin's music) would have known about the cough (or at least accidentally stumbled across it when he was mastering the songs) and didn't omit it, what's the next step in the process? Are there copies made of the masters that are sent to pressing plants? Is this done on a song-by-song basis or is, say, Side 1 sent intact? Even then it still might be difficult to pinpoint where the screw up occurred because IMTOD closes a side...an LP side anyway.
     
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