Confused about Genesis 2007 boxes

I've searched quite a few threads here. However, I have Gabriel era box from Atlantic which has the DVD's.
I was under the assumption that the DVD's were DVD-A's with high resolution 2 channel and surround tracks. But after reading a few things, they are regular DVDs with no high resolution 2 channel music?

Also, I did not realize these are REMIXES not just remasters. I'm glad I kept my original German single CD's from the 80's.

So i'm currently on a genesis kick, I thought about purchasing the other two boxes, however, I'm not a fan of remixes.
What are considered the best (digital not vinyl) versions on CD of original mixes?

 

You're right. The DVDs don't feature any hi-res audio, stereo or surround. The only way to get hi-res Genesis is on the SACDs from the European sets, or the recent BluRay audio sets.

Sadly most Genesis albums do not sound good on CD. The original CDs from the 80s sound pretty dull to me (bad source tapes used?) and the 1994 remasters have noise reduction. If you don't do 5.1 surround, it's a good thing to stay away from the 2007 sets. The stereo remixes are loud and sound way too different from the original mixes.

 

There's no straight answer to the best original mixes on CD. I would suggest you do it one album title at a time, search on here and see what falls out. You may be best off with your current CD stock, or find a Definitive Edition that gets a vote. I don't have a problem with remixes, but I do have a problem with the remastering of the remixed releases. Genesis missed a trick by not partnering the new remixes with good hi-res remasters of the original stereo mixes, but that's another tale that's been trashed to death here and elsewhere.

Save yourself the grief and play your existing CDs.
Maybe, one day before we all lose our marbles or go deaf in old age, someone at The Farm will re-issue the Genesis catalogue with care, attention and quality.

 

I'll have to seek out the blu rays mentioned in first response

 

One would think the Genesis catalog would get the Pink Floyd treatment. I was not overly thrilled with the Gabriel box set when I first listened to it. However, I was not disappointed as well. I do remember thinking my original German mid 80's Cd's had much more tape hiss on the early albums. I wonder if they are a straight transfer like some other early 80's cds I have. My original Bob Seger Against The Wind sounds superior to any cd reissue since.

 

The BlyRays (or I should say the one BluRay - as far as I know only Selling England By The Pound has been re-issued on BluRay so far) have exactly the same problems as the discs in the boxsets. They have the new mixes in PCM/DTS-MA files created from the stereo and 5.1 tracks of the SACDs.
So in short, if you don't like the remixes, don't bother.

 

There are a slew of Collins-era Genesis Blu-Ray Audio Discs on the way soon ... but they use the 2007 remixes as their respective sources.

 

The group seems content with the remixes and remasterings. They like the aggressive new sound. I, however, do not. We can only hope and pray that good taste returns and that a "Genesis - Discovery" type box set of all the albums with immaculate sound and original mixes gets released at some point in the future. We'll probably all be dead before it happens. Until then I like dem olde Virgin Charisma 80's discs (and am currently begging for a V/C Lamb in the classifies if anyone happens to have an extra one!). I can always play the vinyl if I really want to bathe in the magic.

 

I must be the only person that likes the Definitive Edition remasters (and the 2007 remixes as interesting alternate versions).

I guess I'm lucky that I don't feel the misery of everyone else.

 

Why isn't the DTS 5.1 on the DVDs considered hi-res?

 

Because it is lossy. However, it was created from the 96/24 lossless files.

 

From the band's perspective it did, they just weren't prepared for the fact that we would not like the results. It was a real missed opportunity. They had a Sonoma system in place the entire time Nick was working on the tapes, and could have easily done transfers of the original mixes to DSD.

Unless you are looking to complete a V/C set, you would be better off with the Atco, since it includes a reproduction of the original album artwork plus LP sleeves (with all the graphics and lyrics). I have an early (no barcode) V/C version made by Sanyo in Japan, and it has the most basic of inserts (just a single folded piece of paper) with no lyrics, no story, none of the photos/graphics from the LP inner sleeve and record sleeves. I know there were later versions with more pages, but I'm not sure those re-inserted all the missing photos and graphics. There is just a minor level shift between the CD1s of the V/C and Atco, while the CD2s are digitally identical.

 

You're not the only one. The DEs have their issues, and are not actually "definitive" by any means, but generally sound pretty good to me. I also find the remixes interesting alternatives in some cases. I actually go to the remixes more often than original mixes for the live albums.

 

I think I prefer the remixes of Trespass and Nursery Cryme. The remixes of the other albums have their moments, but the misses outweigh the hits on those.

 

The 5.1 remixes for Trespass and The Lamb are pretty great.

 

I have listened to snippets of the And there were three remix and I do like it better. The original vinyl I had and CD both sound weak on the low end and very trebly.

 

Im looking to have a complete V/C set. Im all about uniformity.

 

The remix of Visions of Angels bugs me because I cant hear the distant "ohhhhhhhhhh"s enough. Its the emotional climax of the song and its ruined.

 

It's just a shame that the Lamb 5.1 mix is currently made of unobtanium.

 

Does anyone find the whole Three sides live deal weird. Why not include the studio side on the re-issue. I'm not understanding the logic there

 

I think the original UK version was four sides live and the studio songs were published on a separate EP. For the boxsets they put those songs in the "extra material" CDs, those that you can only find in the boxsets.

 

I think that's fair. I figure that the earlier albums were made relatively cheaply and quickly, so had the most to gain from a redo.

 

I agree with Murphy13 on this one. No reason they couldn't have included both the UK side 4 and the US side 4 on the reissue--there is plenty of room on the CDs.

 

I think the idea was to have a live boxset and therefore those studio songs didn't belong there and were moved somewhere else. I am not saying I disagree with you but honestly those boxsets have so many problems that this one seems minor to me.

 

A great deal of ambiance, subtlety and light and shade was lost on the earlier albums with the remixes. Trespass even has missing sound effects that had to be extracted and flown in from the original mixes.