Dire Straits: Remastered CDs vs originals ?

Does it have the full version of Sultans or the early fade like the original Vertigo cd?

 

They may have longer versions but my ears prefer the "over easy" masterings on the first four albums plus Alchemy. If you want slightly extended versions you can seek out the vintage Japan for US Sanyo silver stock or Japan for US Sanyo Targets.

I probably said this upstream, but to my ears none of the original masterings of Dire Straits are less than superb ear candy.

 

PS I just checked and the track times on Making Movies Vertigo Blue Fan, Orange Fan and Sanyo Silver stock Japan for US are identical.

 

Neil Dorfsman, the album's producer, didn't want "Walk Of Life" on the album. But he was outvoted by the band.

 

2013 Pt/non-Pt SHM-CD release of DS-DS album has a full-length version of Sultans of Swing track.

 

Did they tell him to take a walk?

 

The band was right

 

Neil was right. WoL remains an oddity, just like Twisting By The Pool.

 

I don't know about every US variation. My US WB matches my Vertigo. The 96 SBM remaster has the longer tracks.

 

I'd toss Industrial Disease on the list of oddities too...but it still is a great song.

 

Get the SHM Platinum ones.

 

I'd rather have an SACD hybrid so I can sell my CD versions. I could play the SACD downstairs but can't rip it.

 

If you have a newer OPPO 103 or 105 then you CAN rip SACDs

 

Unfortunately I don't and with two kids in college it's not the best time to buy one but thanks. I will keep an eye out. Maybe for Xmas!

 

No they exchange harsh langauge and called him a doofmans.

 

I do own two Australian CDs, both SBM, both mentioning 1996 Remaster on the case, Mercury Records London. On both CDs I can read "Made in Australia". Love over gold is actually non-remastered, but it has the new case and graphics. Brothers in Arms contains the new remastered CD. I am now wondering what CD I will find inside the S/T and Making movies albums. Would they contain the non-remastered versions? Does anybody know? I double-checked the song lengths on the cases back covers at my local JbHIFI store, and they report the short versions of some songs, with early fades (for instance Sultan of Swings says 5:34). Should I spend these $14.99 and see if I get a new sealed non-remastered CD? That would be cool, even if I don't mind the remasters, especially for BiA.

 

I agree, it's a great disc. Also, the 1996 remaster of BiA sounds almost like the new Mofi SACD (Apart from So far Away, and especially Money for Nothing, where compression is audible in the 1996 remasters, not in a bad way at all!). They are both better versions that the CDs from the 80s, IMO. I've posted here a more detailed comparison of these two editions.

 

I guess I found an answer from another thread: Dire Straits Self-titled »
The Australian 1996 CDs are actually non-remastered, exception made for BiA. Funny.

 

I always thought the remastered BIA is far inferior to the original. It sounds nothing like the MFSL to me, yes the treble is not as hard, but the MFSL BIA manages is to give the album a round and yes still detailed and punchy sound. It sounds more like there previous albums. While the '96 remaster sounds just blunt and boring to me, no kicking drums whatsoever. It sounds like the atmept to control the 80's treble a bit more, but in return it just sounds undetailed

 

Initially, I also thought that there were audible differences between the Mofi BiA and the 1996 remaster. Then, having done a proper volume matching and A/B listening with Audacity, I realised there were no major differences, and that the 1996 remaster is very similar to the Mofi SACD. Vocals and treble are a bit more pronounced on the 1996 remaster, I can agree with that, but with volume matching the difference it's almost inaudible. There are only a couple of exceptions - "Money for nothing" is audibly different, it's compressed in the 1996 version, and it doesn't sound bad, it's actually more dynamic (I am not talking about DR values, but the internal dynamics of the music). Also the fade in of "Ride Across the river" is different in volume between the two versions, just for the first 30 seconds. You can try with a mute test, where two identical songs would result in hearing silence (invert the channels on one of the two songs, then play them together with Audacity, for instance).
It's amazing how my initial subjective feeling was then negated by objective tests.... said that, both versions improve the '80s CD (I only know the British version of it).

 

While you're in your objective mood take a look at the EQ difference graphs for several DS - BIA tracks of 1985 US WB CD & 2013 MFSL SACD (BTW, 1985 WB & Vertigo CD masterings are extremely close to each other)...

 

Thanks. That's cool and confirms what I was saying - our/my subjective ideas might be negated by facts! Hehe
Bytheway, if you get the same delta graphs for '96 vs. Mofi I suppose you will almost get a flat line

 

Sorry, but I don't have any interest in 1996 remaster of DS - BIA...

 

Fair enough, no problem. Just one last thing. It's strange you have no interest in the '96 remaster, because it sounds exactly like your Mofi SACD (in most tracks, strange but it does!). Have a look below, at the frequency analysis of "Your Latest Trick". I didn't plot a delta graph, but it would be practically flat (for the SACD, I've used the CD layer here, frequency range 80Hz to 22KHz).
Differences are higher between the '80s CDs and the Mofi SACD, I would say.

Thanks for your graphs though, they clarified a few things to me!

 

In all honesty, no real interest in either MFSL or 20th Anniversary SACDs (DSD stereo area), FTM... Just leave that 1985 final mix captured in 16/44 LPCM alone already!..