Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow Stereo/ Mono CD

I never knew there was a stereo/mono on one cd? It's BMG release from 2001 audio restoration by Bill Lacey, digital transfers by Mike Hartry (mono) Eddie Tallia (stereo). Can someone tell me about this release and how the stereo and mono sound?

 

Forum consensus was not too favorable. Do a search.

 

Does anyone recall what Jeff Tamarkin thought of it?

I was initially excited to obtain the mono version but I discovered I didn't really like the claustrophobic feel. They felt dead somehow and even "White Rabbit" didn't seem exciting.

 

I loved the stereo version on this disc, especially on How Do You Feel.......but I got clobbered for sticking up for the disc on here....

 

Oh that's to bad if you dig the stereo on that disc more power to you it's your choice. I'm trying to get a consensus on this it cost me one dollar at a thrift store. And how it compares to the 03 remaster?

 

You have every right to like any disc you want but so to do others have the to dislike the sound.

The important thing on a forum like this is to learn what other members tastes match your own before spending good money on a disc. Inexpensive purchases are the best way to test those waters. Posting what is in effect preemptive whine is not very productive. Then again so too are many of my posts

As mentioned that the best way to learn who's taste in mastering matches your own. But dude do you really need "consensus" for an $1 item that you already purchased? Just listen to it and form your own opinion as that the only one that should matter at all to you.

BTW: IMHO the recording is sonically challenged.

 

There's a gold cd version as well with the same mastering credits, I have a copy.

 

Sorry to say that the vinyl I bought in the summer of '67 still sounds better than any compact disc I have bought since.

 

The gold CD came out first, then it was reissued a couple years later as an aluminum CD. If I recall correctly, they are the same mastering but the aluminum CD has a layer of NoNoise that is not on the gold CD.

 

To your comment do you need a consensus hell yes that's why I'm a member to get other peoples opinions. I never knew there was a stereo/mono of said album so I want to get as much input as I can it's fun to hear what other forum members think. If I spend one dollar or 300 what does it matter? It's my choice and my time can you dig it?

 

Now that's nice to learn - thanks!

 

The gold disc has different and better mastering. It still has issues on the mono mix unfortunately, the few mono tracks on the Bob Irwin remaster are superior.

 

I made a needle drop of the DCC and Sundazed vinyl that blew the sox off the gold.
Have heard so many horrer storries about RCA mastering gone bad that I dont think I have even have 5 cds of theres!

 

I have it and it sounds good to me. Should I stop liking it now because more here don't ?

 

I also have this. And I also prefer the stereo mixes. The mono mixes sound dull and flat to me. I've always loved that reverb. Its also one of the oldest cds I have held onto in my entire music collection.

 

Does anyone know of a full list of different CD versions?

Most all of my Jefferson Airplane CDs are the 1996 versions....where Takes Off is also stereo/mono. I could've sworn that I bought an aluminum stereo/mono Surrealistic Pillow around this time well before 2001......I think it was OOP at the time, and I bought it on Ebay. (Of course, I can't find it right now - CD collection disorganized).

Does anyone know one way or the other if the 1st group of (1996) remasters actually skipped over Pillow (aside for the gold CD).

 

jeff was more involved in the liner notes on all that stuff. we never talked about the differences on the mixes. of course after doing all of the notes on those releases, that's when the idea came about for his j.a. book. i helped out on that project.
jeff is my brother by the way.

 

I have this cd. I prefer the stereo versions by a lot.

 

to be honest this album needs a remix. The quad version of Worst Of that has the pillow tracks shows that the multis aren't drenched in echo.

 

I had the stereo/mono BMG CD for a few years but got rid of it. It was cool having both the stereo/mono versions on one disc but the sound just wasn't that good. The stereo CD with bonus tracks (mastered by Bob Irwin of Sundazed fame) is much better. I have the mono version on Sundazed LP.

 

The mono is also not drenched in echo, that's what makes it cool!

 

i "can dig it"... can you dig though the search engine tho?!?! Plenty of info for less than a dollar!
Make sure you don't ask Steve bout the original mastering my "Master of the Stratocaster" brother.

 

The gold CD came out in 1995. I remember that because I was listening to it in my car the night the Grateful Dead played their final show in Seattle in May 1995 (I'm not a Dead fan but I got caught in the big traffic jam of folks leaving the stadium after the show was over). Anyway, yeah, the 1996 remasters did skip over Surrealistic Pillow. The gold CD went out of print after a year or two, and from then until 2001 the only SP CD in print was the old Grunt CD. The aluminum remaster of the stereo/mono remixes came out in 2001.

 

I found this a while ago. The stereo seems worse on the aluminum cd but the mono may actually be better:

http://forums.lukpac.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1206&start=30

 

Good advice I will heed.