Grateful Dead Vinyl Re-Issues

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by wags, Mar 19, 2003.

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  1. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    By whom? (What label, in other words?)
     
  2. Mike V

    Mike V New Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Rhino (there's a tidbit about these in the latest Music Direct flyer)
     
  3. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    It sounds like it's one of those Scorpio things. Scorpio is the distributor of all those Sony stereo reissues, plus some Warners issues. Most of them come from 1980s production masters. There was a thread about them earlier. How these Dead editions sound may depend on what the 1980s editions of the LPs sound like.

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11500&highlight=dylan+180

    Except for two issues on its Handmade label, Rhino hasn't done any new vinyl itself in years.
     
  4. Mike V

    Mike V New Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Yes Tim, that's right. The pressings range from acceptible to awful, but the mastering on the Rhino reissues through Scorpio have yielded some great stuff. Namely, Capt Beefheart's Clear Spot is a great sounding LP. Those lousy Columbias are another matter entirely :rolleyes: .

    For every good pressing, expect 1 to 2 defects (warps, scratches, etc). As far as mastering is concerned, I would expect these records to be mastered very well! Especially if Mickey Hart gets involved, which he did do for the DVD-A releases, if I am not mistaken.
     
  5. Mike V

    Mike V New Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    I don't believe this is true. I have a couple Beefheart records (and I've seen some other titles including Richard Hell & The Voivods, etc.) with a sticker on the back indicating they are Rhino reissues either distributed by or manufactured by Scorpio, so they have been reissuing vinyl on and off in recent years.
     
  6. MikeT

    MikeT Prior Forum Cretin and Current Impatient Creep

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    I can't comment on what the quality of these releases will be, but Rhino is going to be releasing more than just "Workingmans" and "American Beauty".

    On April 22 they will also be releasing Live/Dead (a 2 LP set).

    In addition, if I remember an e-mail I got from Rhino/Warners, over a period of time they will release quite a few Dead LPs - more than the three listed above.
     
  7. MikeT

    MikeT Prior Forum Cretin and Current Impatient Creep

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    What is even more curious is that Sundazed has released quite a few vinyl issues which state right on the back of the album:

    "2001 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured under license by Rhino Entertainment Company. Produced under license from Atlantic Recording Corp."

    That quote was from the Sundazed issue of Otis Redding "Otis Blue".

    Then on Otis Rush "Mourning in the Morning" it states:

    "2002 Sundazed Music, Inc. 2002 Atlantic Recording Corp. Manufactured by Rhino Entertainment Company. Produced under license from Atlantic Corp."

    I could keep going on and on with more Sundazed vinyl releases - but I won't.

    So even though these albums are on Sundazed - it appears that Rhino is credited as the Manufacturer. Interesting.
     
  8. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    MikeT you beat me to it. I was just going to point this out.
    BTW, who has been manufacturing Sundazed LPs all along?
    Also, I believe in 2001 Acoustic Sounds was selling a bunch of Mingus and O. Coleman Atlantic re-issues (they sound very good to me) probably also pressed by Rhino.
    Rhino and Sundazed have had a close relationship for a long time. Monkees, Rascals, etc. and soon to come Little Feat.

    BC
     
  9. David Powell

    David Powell Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Atlanta, Ga.
    I'd say that the odds are that the new Dead LP reissues use the same digital master used for the new CD reissues, although one would hope that Rhino did a simutaneously analogue transfer. Hang on to those green label WB LPs!
     
  10. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    Rhino hasn't done any *on its own label* in years.

    The thing that both surprises and bothers me is that most of the time, these vinyl repressings just show up in the stores with little or no advance warning. You don't even know they exist until you see them in the racks!
     
  11. David Powell

    David Powell Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Isn't Rhino releasing the Dead LPs under its new "Handmade" imprint, pressed on 180-g vinyl, like the recently reissued "Last Waltz"/Band set?
     
  12. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    If so, they wouldn't be available from Music Direct. Handmade is an Internet-only label.
     
  13. Mike V

    Mike V New Member

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Well, this I knew. Absolutely right about the advance warning issue - I keep seeing surprises from them once in a while, but finding more info on the web for these is not easy (if possible at all).

    I just didn't know if you were aware of the issues I pointed out, especially that Rhino, regardless of how they label the finished product (and some are stickered) is releasing vinyl. Have you heard many of these? I'm curious how the rest stand up, as I only have the Beefhearts and Velvet Underground Loaded to reference (Loaded, IMO, is awful!).
     
  14. ChrisM

    ChrisM Reclusive Enabler

    Location:
    SW Ontario, Canada
    A couple of years back, I was on a tour of the Sony facilities in Don Mills, Ont.. When we got to the warehouse, I spotted a rack with a bunch of copies of the Sundazed presing of the MC5 "Kick Out the Jams". When I asked the Sony rep about them, he said that he was ticked off when Canadian retailers sold them at a huge mark-up as "imports" since they were not imports. He was implying that they were actually done at the Canadian plant. Hmmmm... beats me!

    Cheers,
    Chris
     
  15. SteveSDCA

    SteveSDCA Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego
    What are the odds the Dead LP's will be better than the original pressings though? It would be cool if Steve or Classic Records did them.
     
  16. Steel Woole

    Steel Woole Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Them there Dead albums are coming out via "RhinoVinyl" with T. Rex's "Electric Warrior" & "The Yes Album" by Yes following shortly.
    These are mastered from the pure-analog two-track masters, tapes pulled by Bill Inglot and lacquers cut at Capitol Studios. Pressed on 180-gram HQ vinyl.
    FWIW, the reason you see those stickers on Scorpio vinyl is because Rhino actually has those albums manufactured and then shipped to Scorpio for distribution. Scorpio, in effect, requests and then buys the whole run of pressings.
     
  17. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Hey Steel, question for ya.

    It's my understanding that Capitol is not set up to cut directly from analog without going "digital" first. In other words, they must use a digital delay which defeats the purpose, even when using an analog tape.

    Have they changed their tune finally? All they would need is an analog mastering deck with a proper preview head to be in business. Have they revised their setup? Hope so, or why else would anyone want to cut records there when studios like Bernie Grundman and Kevin Gray's AcousTech can actually cut analog to analog?


    I'm corn-fused!
     
  18. Steel Woole

    Steel Woole Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    You're confused! I'm puzzled!
    When I was consulted about this series, I was very adament that these stay analog from tape to turntable. It seemed like they listened and I hope that they are.
    I gotta check this out.

    Gimme a few...
     
  19. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    I really hope it's done right. We don't need any more junky vinyl from good labels with prestiegous titles. Here's hopin'!
     
  20. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Capitol Mastering does have a Studer A-80 analog mastering tape deck in house. I hope they have hooked it up finally.
     
  21. sgraham

    sgraham New Member

    Location:
    Michigan
    Steve,

    There's always the possibility that they did it the old fashioned way, and cut the grooves with constant spacing. (Ah, what's an occasional breakthrough...kthrough...kthrough...kthrough....)
     
  22. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    I spoke to Kevin Gray today and he thinks Capitol can cut analog to analog records without the digital channel. They must have fixed it up since the last time I was there.......
     
  23. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    Folks interested in Grateful Dead LP re-issues,

    The latest ICE has an advertisement for the GD re-issues on CD AND LP.
    It looks like BAD NEWS if you want analog to analog transfers: re-mixed and re-mastered versions!!!!!

    HOLD-ON to your green label Warner LPs.

    BC
     
  24. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    My Red Trumpet newsletter mentioned them, too. I guess these are more "real" than the fomer Rhino/WB/Scorpio reissues. (Not that the others were not legitimate, it's just that they trickled out without a sound of promotion, and as mentioned earlier, were "made to order" for one company.) Who knows; perhaps the experience with The Band's The Last Waltz convinced Rhino that there is indeed still a market for reissue vinyl on its own label rather than through a third party.

    Of course, if they sound bad, this experiment will end as fast as Capitol's did several years ago.
     
  25. -Ben

    -Ben Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington DC Area
    I think so.

    I have the feeling the GD LPs are going to be done like the Last Waltz re-issue (using new digital mixes) except for general distribution instead of exclusive Rhino Handmade.

    BC
     
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