Is DANZIG (1988/89 CD Def American) audiophle material?

I wonder what's your opinion about this CD release. Danzig came from a undergroung lo-fi background with The Mistifs, but on this release he paired with Rick Ruben to release a masterpiece.

The music and performance are amazing, but also, I feel this is one of the best sounding CDs on my collection. I have the 1989 US print (the original is from 88).

 

Haven't heard the CD but my 1st press vinyl sure is.

 

I have this cd issue and it is outstanding. Even my counterfeit LP is excellent.

 

I'm not an audiophile, so I usually don't post in these type of threads. But...I love the sound of this CD.

It has a raw, simple feel, but also a great ambience. The vocals and all the instruments are given equal weight, which befits the songs. Great album!

 

By the way, how would you define "audiophile material"? High quality, I know, but can you define it more precisely ?

 

I don't have an exact criteria, but something arround that

-will be on your list of best sounding albums
-suitable for test-driving new gear (or show-off your home system to friends)
-great dynamics, soundstage and EQ
-good music you actually enjoy listening to

 

I don't actually care for the standard debut CD sound. I find it muffled and dull. Especially compared to the vinyl. I had a promo stamped pressing years ago and even on a cheap turntable, I was blown away by how much better (and different) it sounded than the CD. There's a German CD with a totally different mastering to the standard one. Despite a glitch in the beginning of "End of Time" (which I was able to easily fix), I like the overall sound better than the standard mastering. It's not as good as the vinyl but is not muffled and more in line with how the vinyl sounds. There is a similar issue with Slayer's "South of Heaven". I find the standard mastering muffled and dull but the London Records CD to be appropriately brighter.

 

Is there really only one mastering of this CD in the US? I'm not familiar with Danzig, only knowing the song "Mother" when it was on MTV all the time. But I just listened to some samples from this album and it seems like I might like it. I see issued of the debut from different years, but no indication that it was ever remastered. Are they just re-issues with the same mastering as the original CD? Did Barry Diament master this? I see his name listed at Discogs for the CD. If so this would seem one of those rare instances where it was done right the first time and no ruined re-mastered later just for the sake of it.

 

just checked the liner notes

mastered by Howie Weinburg
cd mastering by Barry Diament at his NYC studio

from that I think it's confirmed the original LP and original CD have different masterings

 

Sure. What I was wondering was if the original CD mastering was used on the CD re-issues from 1994, 2002 and 2007. Looking at Discogs it seems those issues have Barry credited for CD mastering, but his mastering on the original Slayer CD's for Def American was NOT carried forward to later re-issued by the same label, so I'm trying to find out if his mastering is on the re-issued for this title.

 

From a quick scan of the DR database it might appear that the album was never remastered. I've been meaning to pick up solo Danzig for awhile. Never got into his stuff the way I did with the Misfits but I might appreciate it more now vs. years ago. I may try to get his first three in the next month or so...

 

For my musical tastes, everything music Glenn Danzig has ever done is great and a lot if it is exceptional. The guy is a real talent. Search for his music with confidence, never disappointing.

Muffled sound is probably a part of his taste in music, his records always sound a little muffled, some of them very muffled, specially his latest records. A bright mastering could destroy it, although it could sound better for some people.

 

There is only one US CD mastering. There is a slight difference in earlier issues vs later ones where the earlier ones have a slight rolloff on the high frequencies vs the later ones extending to the frequency cutoff but other than that, they are all the same mastering. Only other CD mastering I've found is a German CD (with silver center).

 

The debut vinyl isn't muffled, though. It has an exceptional sound. I wish there was a digital release which sounds like it.

 

I have doubts that Diament actually mastered this disc. Barry states that he never uses compression, and some vinyl versions go up to DR 13 while the CD has songs that are DR 9.

 

The DR tool isn't always accurate for comparing vinyl to CD. But I agree on the doubt. I have some doubt as to whether this and a couple Slayer masterings are actually Barry's. Slayer's Reign in Blood, South of Heaven and Danzig I all have two different early CD masterings credited to Barry.

Here's the DR for the Danzig I German CD, which is higher than the US CD (and actually the same as the vinyl):

Album details - Dynamic Range Database

 

Have more detail on the counterfeit version? I may seek this LP out...it was a pretty good record when it came out.

 

I bet that German one is Barry. The American one sounds too loud, but not bad.

 

bought it in 1988, a tremendous album with thunderous sound
I've been told that the LP is even better, but I never had the chance to hear it

 

My 1994 US Reissue says mastered by Howie and CD mastering by Barry.

 

Rick Rubin got it right in the early 90's. This album sounds insane on my rig. Another gem to check out from Rick is the album called "Trouble" by the band "Trouble", from 1990! Holy smokes, those mids and bass is just something to die for. The icing on the cake is that I like doom a'la Trouble. Highly recommended, extremely highly.

P.S.: This album has a vert high DR score for a metal release, so you might have to crank it up to reach sufficient audible levels but resist the urge and stick with the original, 1990 release.

 

The mix almost has no bass guitar ... so I would so no.

 

Who can blame this when you have John Christ playing lead guitars? The man is outstanding

I never missed the bass on this record, it sounds like a quartet all along. Maybe some EQing will fix this for you?

 

I can't really comment from an audiophile perspective, but one of the greatest, if not the greatest, metal albums of all time, and one of the best sounding to boot. The apotheosis of metal and blues.

 

There has never been an official reissue of this. Any newish looking vinyl copy of this album you see particularly on colored vinyl is counterfeit.

I still think it is odd how many blatent counterfeit record titles seem to arrive at record shops through normal distributors. Colored vinyl bowie anyone?