Best Dylan Remasters

Track peaks for the 1999 CD:
100/88.8/90.2/88.4/85.4/84.2/86.3/79.2/89.9

Peaks for the 2004 CD:
99.8/99.8/99.8/99.4/99.8/99.6/99.8 /99.8/99.8

PS: why would you test the 1986 and 2004 Slow Train CDs? They are different masterings from analog tape and therefore can't be exactly identical track-length wise. It's not because the track durations are the same on the back cover that they are the same on the discs.

 

Trying to digest what those figures mean.

Well I assumed that both copies are from the same master and therefore would be identical length?

 

These figures indicate the highest volume levels reached. If the masterings were identical, the figures would be identical, or, in the case of a simple level shift, would be similar across the board. This does not seem to be the case.

Two playbacks of an analog master are never at the exact same speed. Only digital masters are always the same exact length.

 

You might want to apply Occam's razor Occam's razor - Wikipedia

Applying this would suggest that the most likely outcome is that how your Oppo player reacts is a red herring & that they are 2 different masters.

 

Bob Dylan - Street Legal

The remaster of the original 1978 mix that can be found in the 2013 box, "The Complete Album Collection Vol. One". My favourite digital version of my number one Dylan album.

 

Would somebody remind me which individual edition of Street Legal
is the same as the remaster in "The Complete Album Collection Vol. One"

 

Wasn't the 1999 remix and remaster the only attempt at remastering this album? I don't see why it would be necessary to do it again, unless someone wanted to remaster the original mix.

 

As far as I'm aware this is the only place you can obtain this remaster. Somewhat frustrating for many folk no doubt as to my ears it's the best sounding Street Legal there is.

 

Is it a new remix? If not, which version was remastered?

 

The 2013 version in the "The Complete Album Collection Vol. One" box is a remaster of the original 1978 mix. It is NOT the 1999 remix.

 

I think there's:

Original CD (LP mix)
1999 remix
2003 CD/SACD - a remaster of the 1999 remix
Complete Columbia Albums version - remastered LP mix.

This is off the top of my head, though, so take it with a pinch of salt.

 

I enjoy the new mix on the Japanese mini-SHN or whatever it's
called and listen to it occasionally. No complaints. But the 1978
LP mix surpasses it.

Agreed. It's the best-sounding and true to the 1978 LP, which I love.

I thought there was another CD edition of the 1978 remaster.
Perhaps my memory fails me.

It's the 1978 LP mix remastered for CD. It sounds magical to me. I
just wish it could be bought outside the box-set. We'll see what mix
Sony re-releases on the new LP tomorrow.

 

That all sounds familiar now. A couple years ago someone gave me their mint copy of the original LP, and I like the mix as well.

 

Just checked out Street Legal on Tidal. It’s definitely the ‘78 mix. I am also pretty sure it’s the 2013 remaster as it has the extra drumbeat at the close of Changing of the Guards. Sounds slightly more detailed and less muddy than my original cd. It is definitely not the 1999 remix. I hope this is the mastering used on the new vinyl release. We will know tomorrow.

 

Not that I know either way, but this site has credits for remix engineers, which points towards the 1999 mix:

Street-Legal (LP) (Upcoming Release)

 

4. Bob Dylan Remastered | Bob Dylan ISIS Magazine

I am a fan and get confused by the whole Street Legal thing. Derek Barker the longstanding editor of Isis has looked at all Bob's albums on cd. Lots of detail and Derek knows his Dylan.
To summarise there are 4 cd versions. First cd release original mix, 1999 cd - remix, 2003 hybrid sacd - remaster of 1999 remix, Complete Albums box new master of original mix.
I do not have the new We Are Vinyl Street Legal yet so I cannot say which cd version it is closest to.

 

speaking of the 2013 box set, I also use it's Budokan as my go-to

 

Yes Budokan is also an improvement I think but on cd there was only one version before I believe. The one thing I have not done is go through all my blu-spec mini sleeve versions from Japan (they are lovely packages and well worth getting if you are a fan of mini sleeves) of all Bob's albums up to Tempest and check they match the albums box.

 

He does mix up his remasters/remixes sometimes though.

 

Unfortunately so do I! Derek's piece is a great starting point and maybe one day he will revisit it.

 

Also, the timing of Changing of the Guards is listed as 7:04, which if true means it is definitely the 1999 mix.

 

That explains it. Many thanks for finding this.

Everybody, scroll down to near the bottom of the page for the write-up on Street Legal.

He does? How so?

 

I'm pretty sure all Blu-Spec CD2 match except for Street Legal.

 

For myself I like these CDs. The difference isn’t massive for some or even most of these. Sony generally did a good job. The ones which aren’t so good, in my opinion, were ‘John Wesley Harding’ and the current cd of ‘Street-Legal’ which is a good remaster, but it’s the 1978 mix and personally I think the 1999 remix is better.

All early albums - the Sony Mono Box set is essential. In terms of Stereo:

1st album - Sony
Freewheelin’ - MFSL
Times - MFSL
Another Side - MFSL
BIABH -MFSL
Highway 61 - DCC
Blonde On Blonde - MFSL
Basement Tapes - Sony
JWH -1st CBS/Sony non-remaster + MFSL Stereo & Mono
Self Portrait - Sony
New Morning - Sony
Planet Waves - Sony
BOTT - MFSL
Desire - MFSL
Street-Legal - 1999 Remix
Slow Train - Sony
Everything else from then on...Sony.

I also have the ‘Oh Mercy’ MFSL which is nice but not massively different to the Sony remaster.

In terms of packaging and presentation, the Japanese Blu-Spec2 discs which perfectly replicate the original LPs are the best presented and highest quality Bob Dylan CDs made.

The Japanese Blu-Spec2 Of ‘Hard Rain’ doesn’t have the glitch that was present on early copies of the Album Collection Box set. Likewise the Blu-Spec2 of ‘Self Portrait’ doesn’t have the glitch which was present on the remaster that came with the ‘Another Self Portrait’ remaster. (Not sure if the glitch was on the Album Collection as well.)
Before anyone asks, I can’t remember what the glitches were. Some noise on Copper Kettle and something similar on one of the tracks on ‘Hard Rain’.

 

There are a few factual errors on which albums are remixes or just remasters. For instance the first self-titled album is a narrow-stereo remix on the 2005 Sony, while the MoFi use the original mixes. To be more precise I'll have to read the articles again.