Umm.. You might want to read that article again. It was NOT mixed in digital. It was mixed from the 2" tape on a neve console. Quite far away from digital....
From the S/A forums: "Some interesting differences in this version of the album, in addition to the different mastering: The version of Californication has the synth line after the intro like the one on Greatest Hits. The version of Easily has the extra 'easily' vocals towards the end that are on the unmastered version. Savior has the extra 'all in a hand' vocals that are on the unmastered version. The countout at the start of Right On Time has been removed. More info if I notice any. I wonder if these changes were deliberately done to make it different to the original, or if they used the wrong versions by accident? The cutting off the count-in was likely a mistake. I think the extended Easily being on the album is awesome as it should have been originally."
Contact Soundstage Direct and they usually provide customers with a 11% off discount card to use on all purchases. Also free shipping so that's $32.93 shipped!
I have ordered this from Amazon UK, looking froward to my first listen, this is in my top 3 RHCP albums. Fingers crossed its a good one.
The good people at Stadium-Arcadium.com have discovered that this pressing (or at least the takes/edits) of "Californication" seems to be identical to an "Unmastered / Unsequenced" version of the album described at this link: https://sites.google.com/site/rhcpsessions/californication-unmastered-unsequenced Interesting that this could have happened. Also strange that after over a decade of this album being a poster boy for the "Loudness War", the new vinyl has received zero fanfare or promotion by the band or the label. I would think that alternate versions of songs and the "limited edition" status would be marketing aids, but who knows what Warner is thinking. Anxious to pick up my copy at the local record store later this week! Thanks for all the feedback and info about the release, too. I signed up for the Forums just to track this thread
The way Warner Bros. has promoted all the Chili Peppers reissued catalog is a bit strange and inconsistent. BSSM - First announced that it was mastered by Bernie Grundman Mastering from the original analog master tapes, then Grundman's name is removed from press release. Elusive disc says pressed at Record Industry (Netherlands) while Music Direct says pressed at RTI. Verdict: The lp sounds amazing and the definitive version of this album. It was pressed at Record Industry not RTI. OHM - First announced Bernie Grundman Mastering by Chris Bellman but this is removed from the press release at Elusive Disc but remains on the one at Music Direct. For some reason it's mastered to 1 LP while a current German reissue exists on 2 LPs mastered from the original tapes. Verdict: The old reissue sounds really good and analog. I can not comment about the newest remaster. I'm sure Bellman could have knocked this one out of the park with the original tapes spread across 2 LPs. Cali - Elusive Disc simply states recut by Bernie Grundman. Most other retailers are more vague. It's been stated in this thread that it was indeed recut by Bernie Grundman mastering but by Chris Bellman. Music Direct says this one is pressed at Record Industry but insert done at Furnace. I'm not trying to be picky but is it that hard to compose a consistent press release that is sent out to all the retailers? This type of promotion just seems sloppy by Warner Bros. Maybe it's just harder than what I envision. I will say that I am glad that they have made a good effort to reissue the Chili Peppers back catalog and I hope they continue with By the Way and Live at Hyde Park. I hope that the master tapes are used for By the Way as well. I look forward to picking up Cali. The only one I've skipped so far was OHM and I went with the "320" German remaster.
Where have you found the 320 remaster, if I can ask? Been trying to find it because I imagine it must sound amazing and the "Grundman?" remaster is bad. I really want that in my life. Also, now that we've got Californication mastered as well as anyone could have hoped for, I'll say that I'll be the happiest boy alive if By the Way gets the same treatment. I'll be jumping with joy. Wtf were they thinking to make OHM a single disc?
Gotta get Californication soon. It should be my next pickup, if all sounds as well as these reports. I love this forum.
I got mine from an Ebay seller get_importcds for $27.32 with free shipping. It's the cheapest I could find it around. It's typically listed for $34.99 and Soundstage Direct would be the second place I'd check with their discount and free shipping. If I'm not mistaken all the current European pressings are the "320" pressing. I think he had mine listed as UK pressing but it was just an incorrect listing. It's 180 gram pressing as well if that helps in searching it out. Not sure why WB released OHM as 1 LP, I guess red vinyl and fancy cover gimmick for $50 would sell records. Just stupid if you ask me but record labels make some weird decisions. I have the current BTW lp and it is acutally cut by Kevin Gray but source material seems the same as a cd master but I'm not sure what it is really. A reissue of this would be nice and I'm sure Kevin could work some magic with those tapes. It will still have a compressed sound that I think John wanted in the mix but it could still sound really good.
Have you read any of the last two pages? From everything everyone has said so far and from the samples, it sounds as good as Californication is going to get. MUCH better than the CD, better than the bootlegged alternative master, better than the original LP, better than the itunes remaster. What more could you want?
If it's OK to be greedy, I'd like John Frusciante to rejoin the band and for RHCP to re-record the entire album. Or play it live, start to finish. I hate the way the album sounds with or without the "Loudness Wars" issues. If all their music could be made to sound like the "Stadium Arcadium" vinyl I'd be in heaven
The spirit was there in '98 and '99 and for better or worse it's the document we have. To me it's easily their most soulful album. There is something there that the band captured that they have never captured before or after. I'm not saying it's a better album than BSSM, I'm just saying it captured something else. BSSM did this as well but in a different way. They were all better players on SA but that doesn't make it a better album but still a good one. The vinyl versions of Stadium and BSSM are the best recordings and masterings of their catalog. I would imagine if Cali is being remastered by BGM to vinyl from high or analog, then we are going to get something legit. We just can't expect it so sound like SA or BSSM.
Hmmm...I've meant to check out the original vinyl for that title actually. It's the only one I'm missing besides Cali and IWY. I'm not too found of the production techniques used for MM or UMPP. I do have the original cd of FS somewhere though. Yeah, that statement sounded too absolute. It's close but not absolute.
Freaky Styley is a different beast entirely than MM and UMPP. Those latter two were produced by Michael Beinhorn, FS by George Clinton. Some tracks aren't mixed very spectacularly (particularly the punkier tracks like "Catholic School Girls Rule"), but the first four tracks, for example, sound absolutely stellar, better even than the original BSSM CD in my opinion. It's got the dynamics of BSSM and the bass of the S/A vinyl, so to speak.
