This resembles my first impression upon listening to the vinyl. Occasionally some details are put forward too upfront for my taste (compared to the original stereo mix). But not disturbing. Overall the vinyl appears a bit bright, but maybe this is simply due to the new remastering from the 3-track session tapes.
I got the single CD stereo disc today and I'm slightly disappointed. Only because I was expecting 14 tracks including Lush Life. This is because I saw a track list for the deluxe set and it listed 14 tracks on the stereo disc. I wrongly assumed the single disc edition would be the same. Strange. I would have opted for the deluxe set had I known this. So for those of you waiting for reviews before you purchase, keep that in mind! It sounds good to me, however I can't find my older CD copy to compare.
I'm more referring to the fact that live studio recordings are prepared and executed differently than a live performance. This is a professional production and the sessions are scheduled to produce a product carefully designed for commercial release/consumption. There's far less room for spontaneity with a live studio recording. Everything is extremely well-rehearsed, and if someone flubs a note, they can start over. Levels are closely monitored and there is no audience for the performers to emotionally interact with. Reverb is added, and there is EQ and post-processing. All that, and splicing of course. Still, I agree with your assessment that the art of live studio recording is mostly lost to history. It is no coincidence that I rarely listen to music that was not recorded between 1942-1968 or thereabouts. It's just too expensive to do things that way today, and it's also perceived as inefficient due to the tech available in this day and age.
I've got the stereo CD on now & I think it's pretty wonderful. It certainly beats any other CD version that I've heard, but IMO nothing can beat Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely for stereo or mono. It's one of the best-sounding records in my collection. That one's a stunner. This one is merely great.
Thanks! It needs a good two hours of warm up to sound its best. And I find the sound is better late at night or early morning. Probably because of the neighbors RFI laden modern gadgets polluting the AC during the day..
*sigh* So, now I've not only got this one to compare to the MFSL, but also In the Wee Small Hours '98 CD to compare to the HDTracks version. Will it ever end? (rhetorical question. No, it never ends ) EDIT: @George P, do you the vinyl MFSL or the CD? I have the CD and I just did a comparison to the HDTracks. I also have the vinyl MFSL that came in the silver box, but I don't have any way of hearing it at the moment.
I like my music and films as close to original release version approved by the Artists involved as possible. There has always been a movement to “improve” works when new technologies are introduced into the workflows, so I do agree with your opinion on many levels. However, I can say sometimes the improvements make the work better than what was possible when originally released, and knowing how iffy the original pressings were like back in 1958, maybe this release is closer to what Nelson and Frank heard in the studio? I know, Ouija board Remasting....lol! The 2018 release is overall very nice and the changes are done with care—it’s not a hack job—-I’ve been privately very critical of some of the recent Sinatra reissues (I literally took the CD of the last remastered “The Concert Sinatra” and flung it into the garbage on the first listen—hated it that much—sorry Frank Jr.), but this stereo remix is a loving complement to the wonderful engineers and technicians at Capitol back in 1958.
DR of the 24-48 download: foobar2000 1.4 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1 log date: 2018-10-19 21:13:14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analyzed: Frank Sinatra / Sings For Only The Lonely (Deluxe) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR9 -2.15 dB -15.66 dB 4:08 01-Only The Lonely (1958 Mono Mix) DR11 -1.62 dB -16.56 dB 3:44 02-Angel Eyes (1958 Mono Mix) DR10 -1.67 dB -16.22 dB 5:10 03-What's New (1958 Mono Mix) DR9 -1.71 dB -14.78 dB 4:15 04-It's A Lonesome Old Town (1958 Mono Mix) DR11 -2.34 dB -17.18 dB 4:47 05-Willow Weep For Me (1958 Mono Mix) DR10 -1.62 dB -16.30 dB 5:43 06-Good-Bye (1958 Mono Mix) DR10 -1.64 dB -15.27 dB 4:43 07-Blues In The Night (1958 Mono Mix) DR9 -1.60 dB -15.10 dB 4:00 08-Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (1958 Mono Mix) DR10 -1.64 dB -16.18 dB 3:15 09-Ebb Tide (1958 Mono Mix) DR10 -1.82 dB -16.34 dB 4:45 10-Spring Is Here (1958 Mono Mix) DR9 -1.63 dB -15.18 dB 5:13 11-Gone With The Wind (1958 Mono Mix) DR12 -1.93 dB -18.36 dB 4:25 12-One For My Baby (1958 Mono Mix) DR10 -0.20 dB -12.48 dB 4:08 13-Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Mono - Alternate Take - May 5, 1958) DR11 -0.20 dB -14.68 dB 3:42 14-Angel Eyes (Mono - Alternate Session Takes - May 5, 1958) DR10 -0.20 dB -13.31 dB 5:08 15-Only The Lonely (2018 Stereo Mix) DR10 -0.20 dB -13.20 dB 4:14 16-Angel Eyes (2018 Stereo Mix) DR10 -0.20 dB -13.75 dB 4:45 17-What's New? (2018 Stereo Mix) DR11 -0.20 dB -14.47 dB 5:42 18-It's A Lonesome Old Town (2018 Stereo Mix) DR10 -0.20 dB -13.50 dB 4:42 19-Willow Weep For Me (2018 Stereo Mix) DR10 -0.20 dB -13.85 dB 4:00 20-Good-Bye (2018 Stereo Mix) DR9 -0.20 dB -12.71 dB 3:14 21-Blues In The Night (2018 Stereo Mix) DR10 -0.20 dB -13.08 dB 4:44 22-Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (2018 Stereo Mix) DR11 -0.20 dB -14.59 dB 5:11 23-Ebb Tide (2018 Stereo Mix) DR14 -0.20 dB -17.74 dB 4:24 24-Spring Is Here (2018 Stereo Mix) DR11 -0.99 dB -16.17 dB 5:10 25-Gone With The Wind (2018 Stereo Mix) DR14 -0.20 dB -17.35 dB 17:03 26-One For My Baby (2018 Stereo Mix) DR12 -1.57 dB -18.61 dB 4:03 27-Lush Life (Mono - Session Takes - May 29, 1958) DR14 -1.62 dB -20.78 dB 4:09 28-One For My Baby (Mono - Test Track - June 24, 1958) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks: 28 Official DR value: DR11 Samplerate: 48000 Hz Channels: 2 Bits per sample: 24 Bitrate: 1357 kbps Codec: FLAC ================================================================================
I have the recent MOFI Mono. Picked up the new stereo LP on the way home from work. Listening now. (with a shot of whiskey) Frank is somewhat more upfront in the mix. Not in a bad way. I do not find it all that bright on my system. question- are the stereo tracks completely different performances than the mono? Or I'm just hearing so much I never heard before. I'll admit the soundstage is not as wide as I expected, but it is a totally different listening experience overall. Never no need to choose one over the other- enjoy both. "Set em up Joe"
Fixed it Artists had little influence over a finished product in 1958. I doubt that Sinatra would be an exception. He may have been consulted, sure, but the final decision was the producer's to make.
I'm mostly a solid state boy. Stupid question, and off-topic, but what happens when a valve (tube) wears out? No output, or noise and distortion? Does Frank sound even moodier or does he develop laryngitis? Do you unplug the microwave and refrigerator to get optimum reproduction? I've considered it.
Same performances, totally different recordings due to independent microphone setups. This can yield very different results, to the point where I've often been tricked into believing that I'm listening to albums filled with alternate takes even though they are the exact same performances.
I used to unplug everything, but now I just make sure I have the little cellphone charger in my listening room unplugged. I noticed that if I place my Galaxy S8 close to the preamp, it picks up the RFI quite easily. I also think that listening to music immediately after a long day of work doesn't yield the best results. I prefer to rest a bit or listen to music on a Saturday morning. When a valve wears out the sound supposedly gets weaker, softer with less detail. The Marantz 9's biasing scheme lets you monitor each tube individually, and I have never encountered a case where the tubes cannot be biased anymore. I usually replace all output valves before this happens. As long they bias ok, the amplifier meets specs and sounds great.
This is not bad at all. Suffers a bit compared to the original stereo mix and the MFSL mono but nothing compared to the DR8 of last years Sgt. Pepper's release.
I did that to my 1998 "Entertainer of the Century" copy of Only The Lonely after my listening session last night. So, I'll be needing a new copy. Either the deluxe CD edition or the MFSL mono. Jury is still deliberating.
Hahaha. I gave my EOTC copy to my girlfriend at the time after the first couple of listens. My battered old 1987 CD is still with me. It's got the "Made in USA Digital Audio Disc Corp." in the hub, so it must be an early one.
