Abba Forever Gold / Gold Mastering

Considering either the 1996 Forever gold mastered by Michael Tretow-

http://www.discogs.com/ABBA-Forever-Gold/release/617690 or

the 2008 gold mastered by Henrik Jonsson @ masters of audio-

http://www.discogs.com/ABBA-Gold-Greatest-Hits/release/1820195

Which sounds best? I've downloaded dancing queen from each CD, the 2008 Jonsson sounds clearer, more detailed and louder to me, is this just due to more compression or is it a superior mastering from better source tapes?

 

I have to say that the latest ABBA "Gold" 40th Anniversary Edition 3-CD set released this year sounds better than any other previous incarnations.

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Greatest-Hits-Abba/dp/B00IERJQTC/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1416355244&sr=1-2&keywords=abba - gold

 

No, it sounds horrible. I sold my 3 CD set the same day I purchased and listened to it. Compressed to death, very similar sound to the Complete Studio Recordings mastering from 2005.
If you want to listen to the best sound of all tracks, you have to go for early Polydor and Polar CD releases.

 

I bought the Forever Gold set (to replace the Definitive Collection [2001], which sounds airless). The mastering is the same as the original 1992 / 1993 GOLD and MORE GOLD CDs, before they started being further compressed in 1999.

 

I eventually purchased the 40th Anniversary "Gold" and it definitely is the best sounding version I've heard!

 

Agree about the early polydor-discs. I bought a few a while ago and gave them a spin recently.

Sounds good to me, analog punchy sound to them. Haven't heard any others except the gold from early 90's i think. Prefered the early polydors to that one.

 

Found a GHII target recently for a song. Are you familiar with the phrase "cold dead fingers"?

 

I think my ABBA gold is from 1992 ( Polydor 314 517 007-2
Sound quality is great
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR12 -0.74 dB -15.16 dB 3:52 01-Dancing Queen
DR12 -0.32 dB -14.91 dB 4:02 02-Knowing Me, Knowing You
DR15 -0.42 dB -16.71 dB 4:04 03-Take a Chance on Me
DR14 -0.45 dB -16.87 dB 3:33 04-Mamma Mia
DR15 -0.19 dB -17.08 dB 4:34 05-Lay All Your Love on Me
DR15 -0.15 dB -17.66 dB 4:14 06-Super Trouper
DR14 -0.67 dB -18.08 dB 4:44 07-I Have a Dream
DR13 -0.50 dB -17.05 dB 4:56 08-The Winner Takes It All
DR13 -0.38 dB -15.98 dB 3:08 09-Money, Money, Money
DR12 -0.29 dB -14.98 dB 3:21 10-S.O.S.
DR13 -0.15 dB -17.34 dB 5:26 11-Chiquitita
DR12 -0.64 dB -15.36 dB 4:14 12-Fernando
DR14 -0.61 dB -16.01 dB 4:22 13-Voulez-Vous
DR14 -0.64 dB -15.93 dB 4:49 14-Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
DR13 -0.29 dB -16.04 dB 3:15 15-Does Your Mother Know
DR15 -0.89 dB -18.90 dB 3:58 16-One of Us
DR15 -0.46 dB -17.61 dB 4:00 17-The Name of the Game
DR12 -0.54 dB -16.31 dB 3:51 18-Thank You for the Music
DR12 -0.80 dB -13.39 dB 2:43 19-Waterloo

Number of tracks: 19
Official DR value: DR13
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Aren't Gold 1 and 2 no-noised? I may be mistaken and I don't have the albums to listen, but I seem to recall someone saying they were.

 

Love those early Polydor and Polar CD releases.

Darryl

 

The original pressings from 1992 and 1993 were never denoised.

 

All of these Abba threads sent me off on finding the best sounding versions. The Gold CD's from 92-93 are good. The Thank You For The Music versions are slightly less compressed sounding. But the one to search out is the Greatest Hits II Versions. Or anything before 92. I'm completely shocked at how much I like Abba. The ones to avoid are anything after 94. In their defense you can say the listening esthetic changed but man o man are they flat.