Astley's Abba - not bright?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by AudioEnz, Jul 5, 2003.

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  1. AudioEnz

    AudioEnz Senior Member Thread Starter

    Given everything I've heard about the remastering efforts of John Astley, I was anticipating having my ears audibly syringed out while listening to Abba - The Definitive Collection. Instead, two of us found that, instead of being bright, the Astley Abba could sound a little thickened and cloying.

    So, Astley detractors, what gives?
     
  2. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    He used noise reduction on it until the life got sucked out of it, then he grafted a spot in "Dancing Queen" to get rid of a slight dropout. :shake:

    I don't know what you guys played it on, but I found it to be edgy.
     
  3. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Michael, I haven't bought Astley's version because of the prevailing opinion here. It just didn't seem like something I should throw $20-25 at. Based on comments here, however, I did track down the old Atlantic ABBA compilations, and they are wonderful. They sound better than ABBA Gold, which I always found to be harsh. It seems to me that you should get a hold of the Atlantic CDs and then see what you think of the Astley version.
     
  4. AudioEnz

    AudioEnz Senior Member Thread Starter

    I've been comparing Abba - The Definitive Collection to the earlier, non-Astley box set Thank You For The Music. Comparing track for track, I've found that the box set sounds a little leaner in the midrange. On Astley's Definitive, the voices sound warmer but somewhat muddled and murkey.

    My expectations were that I'd find Astely's work thin and bright!

    I bought the box set second hand, as it was the only pre-remastered Abba I could find!
     
  5. shucky ducky

    shucky ducky Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona
    I compared a few tracks off ABBA - the Album (W.German Polydor -821217- probably 1995) to the 2001 Definative Collection. Mainly the track, The Name Of The Game.

    Well thanks, now my head hurts !!

    My first impression was the older disc sounds more natural/musical then the Definative Collection. The older version, while having narrower stereo image, has a better dynamic range then the Definative Collection.

    Athough the vocals do sound pretty good, The Definative Collection is much louder overall. Every instrument seems to be enunciated in the mix (with the exception of the bass drum- not as loud for some reason), to the point of being fatiguing after several songs.

    In my older version, the instruments and vocals all stay at relatively equal levels in the mix, letting you focus on which ever instrument or vocalist you want to hear at any particular point... where as the Definative seems to force you to take notice of a particular instrument or vocal within a certain point in the song.

    Too much Astley for one night, I have to put on Waiting For the Sun now to clear my head. Spanish Caravan, here I come.
     
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