Al Green on CD..

I had purchsed all the Al Green 2003-2006 remasters of the albums I was interested in prior to reading this forum. (i.e. Call Me, Let's Stay Together, Explores Your Mind, Gets Next to You, I'm Still in Love with You, and Green is Blues). Luckily I have the Belle album in the 1990's version and never bought the recent remaster.

Now I have learned how poor these remasters are from reading threads here and have just now forced myself to order the older recommended 1990's Right Stuff CD's. I am looking forward to comparing the releases. It all begs the question of why do artists/record companies allow such hack remastering jobs? I know they want remasters to re-sell them and make money but why allow a catologue to be ruined? Surely it can't cost any more for the label to do a proper job remastering.

 

I assume that the people involved (and that doesn't necessarily include anyone originally involved in making the recordings) honestly believe that their work is an improvement over what came before.

 

From reading the threads, the 1990's Right Stuff Cd's were noted as the best option for the individual albums. Probably not perfect but they were reported as superior to the 2003-2006 remasters.

 

unfortunately, I have not made the leap to a turntable. I was looking for the best versions of the Al Green individual albums on cd. From what I read, it appeared that the 1990's Right Stuff cd's were the best option and better than than the most recent 2003-2006 remasters. Am I wrong?

 

I've asked about this several times... barring the DCC seems the mid 90s Right Stuff CDs are the best for digital. Avoid the current issue CDs at all cost!

I ended up following Steve's advice and got the original LPs... I find plenty used and they sound great!

 

If I remember correctly, the new versions have copious amounts of noise reduction in addition to that treble boost... so YIKES is right!

Those "Right Stuff" CDs are not amazing but they are listenable and definitely the best CD option.

 

If you're looking for a decent compilation (besides the DCC) I have the "Compact Command Performances" on Motown and pressed in Japan which don't sound all that bad and can be picked up very cheaply on ebay.

 

I'll back up what Steve says about the Right Stuff discs (even though I don't have to). Every time I put "Let's Stay Together" in the car, I have to hack the treble down so much, it's insane. The massive amount of tape hiss should give it away that this is not how this album sounds.

Jake

 

It is really a shame that great albums like "Call Me" and "I'm Still in Love with You" exist in this condition on CD. Wonder if HipoSelect or Rhino could ever get a hold of Al Green's catalogue and release proper sounding CD's?

 

I'm actually a huge Al Green fan, and after plenty of A/B'ing, settled with the '90's Right Stuff remasters on CD.

I think that Livin' for You -- a contrarian favorite of mine -- especially sounds pretty terrific.

At least in terms of CD's, they're the closest thing to the DCC, imo. Which I used as my point of reference, of course.

 

I agree with Steve about the original Hi LP's. In fact, I can't think of any other way to listen to "I'm Still in Love With You."

 

Original Al Green Hi LPs easy to find and cheap???
Not here in San Diego. I'll keep looking though.

The DCC greatest hits rules of course. I think the Right Stuff cds are ok and the next best digital option (the treble knob does come in handy).

I'm really looking to the new Questlove produced album from Al.

 

I have a "Best Of" from Japan that sounds good. It is currently on loan and I don't remember the catalogue number and track listing.

 

The worst part of the new reissues is the peak-limiter use.
The bass is completely hard and fuzzy on these tracks. It's a criminal shame too.

 

Maybe you need to move to (or shop in) a city where "soul" music was a
bigger deal in the seventies, like LA. This is not meant to be a joke suggestion.
I live in the Atlanta area, used r&b records are out the yin-yang here.

 

Good point. San Diego is hardly a hot spot for urban culture. I was in Amoeba Hollywood a few weeks ago and I forgot to check for Al vinyl. Next time I will.

 

Nice point. I myself grew up in Virginia, and have lived in L.A. since college.

Both locales are steeped in soul/African American culture. And the richer for it, imo.

I literally cut my teeth on Al Green as a kid in the '70's. I've got vivid early memories of her driving me to my grandmothers' house in the mornings. And Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Sly, etc. were all staples on the radio.

My mom instilled in me a deep love of this music, and I'm sure it will be with me as long as I live.

 

Anybody know the sound quality of the DVD-A best of ???

 

I've got a cheapo comp on the UK Crimson label - anyone else got this one? Great track list, so-so sound.

 

At least the Right Stuff CDs are fixable. I think it's more of that Rhino type eq. The new ones have been processed to hell.

 

What's the opinion on "Hi and Mighty - The Story of Al Green (1969-78)" found as a two disc set in the UK on Cream/Hi Records?

 

I used to just make do with the UK Hi (Demon) "2 LPS ON ONE CD" issues from the early 90s but I recently found three "2 ALL TIME GREAT CLASSIC ALBUMS NOW DIGITALLY MASTERED ON 1 COMPACT DISC" CDs issued on Motown in the 80s and they sound AMAZING!!!

MCDO8018MD - Let's Stay Together/I'm Still In Love With You
MCDO8040MD - Call Me/Livin' For You
MCDO8048MD - Al Green Is Love/Full Of Fire

Really, these sound much closer to the masters than the Demon CDs. Comparing directly with Steve's disc these Motown discs sound very good - just not quite as perfect.

I've never heard the "Right Stuff" versions but never fancied them somehow - now I've found these old 80s Motown CDs I am happy as can be

I just wish they had issued the other 70s albums in that Motown series - so far I haven't found evidence that any others were released

If you know of any more Al Green in that Motown series then let me know!

 

Mal, I've got The Belle Album and Call Me in the Motown Series. (Neither are twofers, but I like it that way.) I agree, they sound nice and unfutzed with.

But again, I never owned any of this stuff on vinyl, so my only benchmark is the DCC Greatest Hits.

Last night I A/B'd Livin' for You (the song), using the Right Stuff remaster and Steve's DCC disc. Of course, Steve's version blew the doors off of the Right Stuff version. Much more warm and rich -- breath of life, all the rest -- and it withstood cranking the volume in a way that the Right Stuff version resisted.

But again, imo, the Right Stuff versions best all the other conventional CD versions out there. The most recent remasters, especially, are extremely sibiliant, imo.