Is the audio on "Glass Spider" exactly the same as the discs that came with the DVD or have they tried to improve things, mix wise, this time?
A clear win for 'Let's Dance' remix. So much more detail and space. Bowie's vocal sounds bloody marvelous on China Girl and Ricochet.
They should have made all the box exclusives available for individual purchase after six months or so. Although why anyone would ever want the remix of STS is beyond me.
"Glass Spider [2018]" sounds like it could have come from the Leon/Outside sessions. Blasphemy, I know. Doesn't mean it's as good (I'm still undetermined myself), but that seems to be the overall effect they were going for.
I have not really liked any of the NLMD 18 songs that were pre-released, but on my first play of Day In (streaming on TIDAL and not on my home system) I was really into it. It had a menacing quality that works with the lyrics and Bowie's performance, and with the horns not really matching the menace made the song uncomfortable, which again really works with the lyrics. Time Will Crawl also sounds great. Too bad I know three clunkers are inevitably coming. These two are what I said earlier, just clean up the heavy 80s production and give us some real instruments. We don't need reinvention or "Philip Glass" inspired strings.
Copy you. Not my favorite Bowie record but the remaster sounds terrific to these ears. There just seems to be more room and detail throughout. I can hear so much more nuance in both the vocal and bass tracks. As someone who knows very little about the process, I find it fascinating - just compared to the original vinyl and the new remaster is so much more enjoyable.
I know I’m a broken record here, but I’m gobsmacked by this new version of NLMD. This turns Bowie’s worst album into a really good one. It’s obnoxious that they aren’t selling this version individually, as every Bowie fan should get to hear it.
Why does Shining Star 18 sound like an early/mid 90s white artist's attempt at an R&B record? (Like, say, Black Tie White Noise?)
No - it's a remaster. The DVD/2CD set audio on the cds was too loud - almost brickwalled. This new remaster is much better with more dynamic range.
You seem to be mistaking me for someone who is desperate to get stuff on release day, if I was I wouldn't be buying from Amazon in the first place. Enjoy your music, maybe we can sync your listening to my listening on lossless tidal?
To paraphrase Mr Bowie “Where the **** did the dynamics go?!” Loved the remix of NLMD, genuinely impressed. Onto the ‘Dance’ remix album now. Great stuff (and very nostalgic, as it’s the era I first got into Bowie as a kid), but yeah... it’s all mixed very hot! With these deluxe editions, why not give us deluxe mastering instead of evidently for iPods on the move and car use?! Really pisses me off to the extent I would give serious thought to returning it, but musically I’m enjoying it. Fortunately I’m using a Benchmark DAC3 which is better than most at replaying hot remasters (google ‘intersample overs’ for a description of how mastering up to the max can create distortions on many DACs) but it’s still very ‘squeezed’ sounding. Grrrrrrr! But the NLMD alternative version is extremely good. I’m very pleasantly surprised.
I wouldnt expect you to, I regularly visit my local indie (Banquet records) and a great job they do too. If I have to order online I try and use HMV, they are better on delivery and more reliable on packaging than Amazon. What I'm not going to do is spend 25% more to buy the product from a local record store - luckily for me (and them) Banquet are generally very competitive on indie stuff, they just struggle on these big box sets. My original point was valid though, you could buy the product 20% cheaper elsewhere online if it was available (even from the dark side) and assuage your guilt or conscience if that is the case by donating the money saved to a good cause, or hell even go and buy some more records from that little shop.
I suppose it's possible they might break this out as an individual release next year once box set sales decrease. It would make sense. also, the whole thing is on streaming services which is where a significant number of people listen to things anyway now.
