Kinks Deluxe Editions 2011-2014 (Part Five)

Thought so. I'd have sought out the SACD boxes of RCA and Arista had they been surround. I often try to imagine how awesome "Celluloid Heroes" would sound in surround sound.

 

I remember reading that Ray said he wasn't a fan a surround (maybe it was quad) and that the Kinks albums would never be released as such.

 

Give it time. In the year 2042 will be the Muswell Hillbillies Super Duper Deluxe Edition Blu Ray audio!!!

 

@rstamberg already per-ordered the extra special uber Japanese version with the book, extra disc and shirt!

 

How does the new vinyl Muswell compare to the old SACD? Yes, I know they're different formats. Just wondering about mastering.

 

Ever so often, I tune back into this thread. I basically grew up (born '53, that is -- 1953 -- not 1853) in the classic rock period, and we used to play "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night" in the rock group I played in. The Kinks had such great singles -- Till the End of the Day is probably my favorite "singles" type song. And though I owned the record of Lola in college, I really didn't dig back in their catalog at the time.

So I first purchased (over several years), Face to Face deluxe; then Lola deluxe, then Arthur deluxe, and about two weeks ago, Something Else deluxe edition. It is ridiculously cheap, the last double CD was 3.73 + 3.99 shipping from one of those British sellers (e.g., zoverstocks, or oxfordshire). It is almost unbelievably, but it actually took about a month to get here. Over the years, they have changed their shipping, I think they are now using a "row boat."

At any rate, Something Else is just full of killer material. I really am not sure the Beatles' song writing duo can compete with the output of Ray Davies, when judged by creative diversity. To be sure, Lennon and McCartney were extraordinary at writing pop tunes, but the core of the Kinks catalog isn't pop tunes, but more sophisticated "rock", (like, e.g., Abbey Road. Do you (or does Lee Michaels?) "know what I mean"?

I know, I got to get them all. I will probably get Village Green Preservation Society next, and probably not get Muswell Hillbillies. Sorry, but listening to the sound samples, I still haven't warmed up to Muswell. But the four albums mentioned above, are killer. Just killer, no filler.

 

Oxfordshire is where I got my copy of SEBTK. Showed up in two days, but it did have a Prime option. Wonder why it doesn't anymore.

Yes VGPS is a must for anyone who likes the Kinks. The golden ticket from the run between 1066-1972. The Deluxe is packed with bonus material.

Dave Davies' Hidden Treasures is also a worthy addition, I've always considered it a part of that great run of albums.

Muswell took me a few listens to grow on me, but one day it clicked and I can't imagine life without that album now.

 

I prefer Harold Versus William and the Normangoround, Part One.

 

Darned typos. Maybe I should write the Liner notes for the Preservation Deluxe...

 

It's a shame, though, that the Deluxe Editions are mastered so badly:

Album list - Dynamic Range Database »

 

EQ wise, while there may be some liberties, I think they mostly sound great. Less compression would have been nice though. At least once sound quliaty actually starts to matter we get Vic Remasters.

 

Vic? Anesini?

Hasn't he done just the one? Muswell Hillbillies?

Are you implying that for all their previous albums sound quality doesn't matter?

I beg to differ!

 

I believe Dan Hersch mastered all of the Deluxes and the Anthology box. While I don't care for the compression on these recordings that were probably very compressed to begin with, I always commend his decision to use the purest sources possible (i.e. First generation master tapes or very good second generation copies). He used the original masters for the excellent Faces' Five Guys Walk Into A Bar box set.

 

When The Kinks' 1971-1985 catalog switched over from Koch to Legacy, Anesini supposedly remastered all the recordings from Muswell Hillbillies to Return to Waterloo in hi-res. These masterings were subsequently released via HDTracks. His masterings for Muswell and Showbiz are the only ones so far that have made it to CD, but select tracks from this period appear on Essential Kinks.

 

They sound better than the previous 1998 Castle remasters, though.

 

They're better than the 2004 Sanctuary remasters. I have no idea who remastered the Pye tracks for Picture Book, but they sound atrociou, too. I read (on this forum actually, can't remember where or when, though) that they may very well be the Castle masterings.

 

the 2004 Sanctuaries are the same as the 1998 Castles, no? Anyway, don't even try to argue with the militant anti-deluxe edition people. They have dug their heels in to the extreme position that these releases are complete disasters. They cannot be happy that all this bonus material is now available, when the original album has a bit of compression added. There is absolutely no middle ground with them.

 

I do agree. I love the deluxe editions excessively, and are without a doubt my go to CD versions.

 

I am very happy with the bonus material and I don't think the deluxe editions are "complete disasters" (please don't presume to speak on my behalf) but, in my opinion, they are badly flawed.

I trust my ears. This proves I am right to trust my ears (can you see the red that I see?):

Album list - Dynamic Range Database »

 

The 2004 Sanctuary discs are the same as the 1998 Castle Essential discs, except for the Deluxe Village Green and a fix to "This Man He Weeps Tonight" on Arthur.

I wouldn't say, as a rule, that the Deluxe Editions sound better than the 1998 masterings. The first few do, despite the compression. I can't say the same for Lola/Percy.

 

The 1998 Castle remasters/2004 Sanctuary remasters are the same (except for the 2004 Village Green Preservation Society deluxe, which was a new remaster). The catalogue just moved label because Sanctuary bought the Castle catalogue.

The pye era tracks were not newly remastered for Picture book - they are the Castle remasters.

 

What are your go-tos for stereo? 1989 PRT?

 

I won't speak on your behalf, but a simple search of the thread will show that you posted around 10 times just to complain about the loudness, and no comments or anything about the bonus material, until just now.

 

And your point is?

 

For Lola and Percy? The 1987 PRT for Lola sounds nice, but it's missing the drum roll at the start of "Top of the Pops," so if I had to choose a single CD I'd go with the 1998 Castle Essential, which is surprisingly similar. (What I've actually done is to rip the PRT and graft the drum roll on myself with an audio editor.)

For Percy I'd take the 1998 mastering, no question. The PRT sounds like they used a copy tape.