Brian Eno 1973-1986: Definitive CD Comparisons & Advice Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by BlueSpeedway, Mar 21, 2014.

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  1. hutlock

    hutlock Forever Breathing

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    Ha! Thanks for the reminder!

    I just checked it and my copy is good!
    Turns out mine is a European copy (it says made in Holland on a sticker on the plastic slipcover) rather than an Astralwerks version so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
     
  2. BlueSpeedway

    BlueSpeedway Curated Iconic Half-Speed Picture Disc Thread Starter

    Location:
    England
    It was all first pressings worldwide of Another Green World digipack remaster that had the mastering fault / missing chunk of song. Presumably all versions came from the same faulty master.
     
  3. Sprocket Henry

    Sprocket Henry Forum Resident

    The Fourth World release with Jon Hassell was recently reissued (via Glitterbeat) as a gatefold sleeve, 180 gram vinyl with a CD.

    I have a copy and it's excellent.
     
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  4. hutlock

    hutlock Forever Breathing

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH, USA
    Good to know but as I reported, my copy is fine, thankfully!
     
  5. JP Christian

    JP Christian Forum Resident

    Hi, a bit late to the party, sorry!

    I mainly have original EG CDs of most of the early Eno work - are the 2004-5 remasters a vast improvement over the originals?

    I don't have Thursday Aftenoon, and have the choice between buying an original 1985 and 2004 editions, both new and sealed - should I just go for the 2004?

    I take it the 2004 remasters aren't overly-compressed like most re-issues from that decade...
     
  6. The_Windmill

    The_Windmill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    If you wanna believe Eno's words, they aren't even remasters, but re-transfers (which, ok, it is still remastering but you got the point). They ran the tapes, and that was it.
    (Don't ask me where I read it though, it was so long ago ;) )
    I have Thursday Afternoon and Ambient 1 & 4 and never had a reason to complain.
     
  7. JP Christian

    JP Christian Forum Resident

    Well I have the choice of a new (unsure if sealed) 1985 for £8 and a 2004 (new, assume sealed) for £5 -considering there was some talk of 'CD rot' on originals, perhaps I'm better off going for the 2004 after all....
     
  8. JP Christian

    JP Christian Forum Resident

    ...and not that I want to get them all again - but do you think the 2004's may actually be an improvement over the original EG CDs due to better converters...?
     
  9. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    I have most of the 2004's and original EG cds.
    The 2004's are better across the board.
    One of the biggest improvements is Before And After Science.
     
  10. The_Windmill

    The_Windmill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    My guess is that for this peculiar album (that if I recall correctly was a digital recording) there's no real benefit into going for the original.

    I'm no expert about the other albums: better converters but older tapes, especially the Seventies' ones.

    Oh, wait... HiFi Guy 008 answered you already ;)
     
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  11. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    Regarding the mastering, it does appear that most of the DR values virtually match the original cds.
    Album list - Dynamic Range Database »

    Thursday Afternoon is exactly the same in DR, but not sound.

    I believe these were initially transferred to DSD, but the SACDs (except for a very rare Ambient 1) never made it out of the studio.
     
  12. JP Christian

    JP Christian Forum Resident

    Great DR numbers on the whole, really positive news - the only dud seems to be the remasters of 'warm jets' DR 9 on the remasters, DR13 on the original.

    I was looking at the back photo of the 2004 Thursday afternoon, yes transferred to DSD - I wonder why the SACDs never saw the light of day?

    So assuming the 2004 Thursday Afternoon is a no-brainer - a rare case when a remaster really does improve on an original?
     
  13. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    A DR of 9 isn't bad at all! Check out some of Steve's work. The Jets reissue is louder, but the original cd (and my US vinyl) are comparatively weak and murky.

    Thursday Afternoon is the only reissue I don't have! But I'm willing to guess the reissue is better.
     
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  14. audiotom

    audiotom I can not hear a single sound as you scream

    Location:
    New Orleans La USA
    I have great poydor, sunshine rim Island, and Japanese pressings of the early lps

    I also had the Working Backwards EG boxset but I had to give it to my friend
    it sounded dreadful (too bright) on my system
    he seems to be happy with it
     
  15. uzn007

    uzn007 Pack Rat

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Just a quick shout out to Fourth World Volume Two. I don't think Eno's on it, but if you like Vol. 1, you'll probably like Vol. 2.
     
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  16. Summer of Malcontent

    Summer of Malcontent Forum Resident

    Belated follow-up to this, since I recently did a lot more work figuring out the highways and byways of Eno's discography:

    The above tracks are indeed currently available on the CD of More Music for Films, but they bumped a number of different tracks from the original LP of Music for Films Volume 2, specifically six tracks that were also featured on the Apollo album. But of those six, all but one is unique, being either an extended or truncated version:
    Matta (2.25 edit)
    The Secret Place (3.00 edit)
    An Ending (3.45 edit)
    Always Returning I (4.30 extended version)
    Signals (4.00 extended version)
    Under Stars (4.25) - same length as Apollo version

    Which brings us back to the original subject of which tracks remain unique to the two box sets, as the Instrumental box contains those two extended versions of 'Always Returning' and 'Signals', even though they're credited as coming from Apollo, not from Music for Films Volume 2. I believe this is the only digital appearance of those two tracks to date.
     
  17. richard a

    richard a Forum Resident

    Location:
    borley, essex, uk
    "Always Returning I" is not simply longer than the Apollo track but it's different all the way through with more prominent piano amongst other differences. Admittedly the differences are slight, nothing really obvious, but if you play the MFF2 version followed by the Apollo you'll notice what I mean.
    Likewise I think that "An Ending" is noticeably different on each album, which makes it all the more annoying that MFF2 remains a hard to find rarity.
     
  18. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    I need to clarify something regarding my comments on Thursday Afternoon.
    I have heard the 2004 remaster and it is very different from the original despite the same DR numbers.
    I don't not own it.

    Just goes to show you can't judge anything by DR alone.
     
  19. The_Windmill

    The_Windmill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Italy
    Can you describe how they differ?
     
  20. Rodney Toady

    Rodney Toady Waste of cyberspace

    Location:
    Finland
    I don't know if it's my ears or my systems (or both, which probably is the most likely scenario, come to think of it), but I have never heard a significant difference between the early and the 2004 CD editions. I think whatever sonic anomalies there may be, they are inherent in the original tapes, which is why there's only so much that can be done if the aim is also to preserve the integrity of the original masters.
     
  21. mikaal

    mikaal Sociopathic Nice Guy

    I've been wondering about BAAS.
    The original EG cd of this was slightly muffled if I recall. Always knew it could sound clearer as Eno never used noise reduction.
     
  22. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    The first track, No One Receiving's opening guitars do sound a little mild. But I guess that's the way Eno recorded it.
    The remaster is a little better in this respect. I never found the original EG cd to be muffled, and the remaster is much better.
     
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  23. HiFi Guy 008

    HiFi Guy 008 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    That's correct. The track was Everything Merges With The Night (arguably the best song on the album). It was missing the first few seconds and started abruptly with the vocal. Virgin/Astralwerks replaced my disc with no question after I called them.
     
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  24. mikaal

    mikaal Sociopathic Nice Guy

    My friend had a Japanese pressing on cd (not sure which mastering) but it was "clearer" at the "top end". That's more or less what I want.
     
  25. BlueSpeedway

    BlueSpeedway Curated Iconic Half-Speed Picture Disc Thread Starter

    Location:
    England
    It's hard to pick, as the thing was always a real whole for me, but Sky Saw and The Big Ship are my favourites.
     
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