Adventures In Mastering: ALICE COOPER "Billion Dollar Babies" for Audio Fidelity..

Hands down best forum on the planet.

 

Can only agree.

 

Steve, you're missing my point.

Based on what I read here, I'm not sure what master you're working off of. Our album had crossfades (the "crossfade outtakes" referred to on the box are the left over tops and tails that we would edit out when we edited in our crossfades). If you have a tape that is missing the cross-fades then it's a later generation than our master.

If there are different tone levels on mixes then those are mixes from different places. Our album was mixed at the Record Plant in Studio A - always on the same machine, always with the same tones. The EQ master is the closest thing to what we wanted our album to sound like in the end. I don't expect you to use that. But I also don't expect you to dismiss it as not being the way we intended it. WE created it. So that's the closest expression of our vision at the time.

Of course I want it to sound great. Of course I'd love to hear it without the limitations imposed by vinyl. But while you're making something that wants to be sounding the way WE intended, I'd just like to know that you're actually paying attention to OUR master and that you're actually working off of our final mixes.

In the end, the easiest way to ensure that you're doing something that accurately reflects the intent of the creators would be to involve one of us in the process. As I said: we're not that hard to find.

Finally, I do appreciate all the time and hard work that you're putting into this and I'm not trying to quash interest in the new product. I just got a little worried when I read your original post.

Bob

 

Maybe bezrin and Steve could get together and do my favorite Alice title, Love it to Death in hi res.

 

I know...same thing I was thinking.

 

It would appear that Steve does not have the original master.

 

Sounds like.
Seems like Mr. Ezrin might know where to find it...

 

The two disc BDB had a bonus track: Son Of Billion Dollar Babies (Generation Landslide Outtake) [3:45]. The master Steve shows us also has Son Of Billion Dollar Babies written on it. Was this really what the song was originally titled? Wouldn't the title have been changed on the master?

 

Besides the recent Joe Walsh AF, this is going to be one of my favorites.

BDB is one album that has been with me since HS. Never tire of listening and ranks high on my album list.

I'm sure it will sound amazing and can't wait to get it.

 

It says "Formerly: Son Of Billion Dollar Babies" above the title, "Generation Landslide." As it is correct that GL was originally titled SOBDB, I don't see how we can necessarily deduce anything about the authenticity of the tape from that inscription.

I'm just saying: I don't know why anyone would have thought to include the former title on the tape box, but I don't find it all that significant. Now, if Bob Ezrin chimes in and says, "No, that's not the master, that's some other tape", then I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, but it isn't readily apparent to me that it's a problem just because it says, "Formerly: Son Of Billion Dollar Babies" on it.

Anyway, it's great to see Mr. Ezrin posting here and I'd pester him with questions but I'm sure he doesn't particularly relish the idea of being pestered with questions by a 49-year old Alice Cooper fan. So, I'll just tip my hat in salute to a great producer and musical genius.

 

I'm definitely in for this one. An Alice classic that I can't have too many copies of. Saw him a couple months ago and he's still got it, even with that little gut protruding these days….

 

Agreed seeing Bob on here. I'm just trying to figure out if there are any clues on the tape box that would lead us to believe it is not in fact the master. It appears from what Bob is saying is that it is not.

 

So Ezrin is lying? Re read his post.

 

I don't think that Bob said that definitively, I think that rather he was expressing some doubt based upon Steve's description of the tapes and what had to be done to them in the process of mastering. There could be several explanations for this that don't necessarily involve the wrong tapes being used. Anyway, I hope that Bob gets an advance copy and approves of it. That would be a good result.

 

He wasn't definitive but raised serious questions that have yet to be answered.

 

I really, really hope you don't end the 'Adventure In Mastering' threads. They are such a great read and very informative.

Pat

 

I really hope it does not come to that. The info is interesting and the teaser for what's to come gets us all excited and generates sales. I really hope this little misunderstanding can get cleared up quickly and amicably - little bs stuff like this should not put a damper on the enthusiasm we have for the forum and generally goodwill of the members here.

 

Based on what I read here, I'm not sure what master you're working off of. Our album had crossfades (the "crossfade outtakes" referred to on the box are the left over tops and tails that we would edit out when we edited in our crossfades). If you have a tape that is missing the cross-fades then it's a later generation than our master.

He is telling you that it is a later generation than his master. Could it be remotely possible that he might no what he is talking about being he produced the album?

 

Ok you mean Ezrin has it backwards. I was quoting him.

 

Wait until the The Wall obsessives find out !