Kinks Deluxe Editions 2011-2014 (Part Five)

Well I've just come to discover that the Essential set uses the Anthology masterings. Probably a cost-cutting method.

 

It's on my 2014, yes.

 

I love Andrew and all that he does with archiving. He does tend to make things a little 'bright.' Whether that's really him or not in the mastering process, I don't know. It's usually on his remixes I notice this the most. In a way, it adds clarity to things that were buried in the mixes before but I still have to turn the treble down. I would just like to hear some flat transfers of these titles if they are 'hi-res.'

 

These were recorded poorly and I believe a flat transfer would be disappointing sound wise. We need someone like Steve who knows how to tweak flawed recordings to make them sound better and not just "brighter."

 

Aren't the PRTs somewhat flat? I personally think they were recorded just fine. I know that's everyone's go-to (they were recorded poorly) but I can't imagine them sounding any better if someone like George Martin produced them. I wouldn't want them that way one bit. The recent vinyl reissues sound good, so if they were to use whatever masters for those, I think it would suffice for the high-res folks.

 

If these were recorded at EMI believe me they would sound better than they do. The PRT's are the best of the lot and I really don't know if they were recorded flat or not - still the sound is flawed on the PRT's - audiophile these are not. Are the PRT's the best that can be done with the tapes? Maybe - but I'd love to hear someone try to improve on them.

 

I meant MASTERED flat or not, not recorded of course.

 

These recordings are really rough. The "ugly pink" is thought to be either a flat transfer or close enough, and Mr. Hoffman himself suggests some EQ changes to make it better.

Vic Anesini has done a good job on the Legacy sets. However the recording quality of the '70s albums is much better than the '60s stuff, so it's kind of apples-and-oranges. The "Essential" set could have shown Vic's style on the older stuff, but it uses the Sandoval/Hersch masters for some reason (doesn't credit them). Missed opportunity in my opinion - although the Sanctuary remasters aren't utterly horrible. They could have been much worse.

Then again, Anesini uses more compression on compilations versus dedicated projects (Legacy editions, etc.) and his compressor is really bad. Good thing he doesn't use it too often.

 

back on a Kinks Kick and i have the deluxe editions of all of their albums up to Lola/Percy and Muswell Hillbillies.

at one point, i had seen a list of stray tracks that are not on the deluxe editions. i know there were a small handful of alternate mixes etc. on the 2004 editions not on the deluxe editions and i'd like to know what those are if any other completist type would be so kind, but i'm also interested in stray tracks from that time period (1964-1971) that may have been included in Picture Book, Anthology, BBC Sessions that are NOT on the deluxe editions. i need to see what else i need to get to sweet up that period!

any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

thanks in advance!

 

Listening to One For The Road for the first time in a couple of years. Marvelous energy but wish they had tackled a bit more diversity in terms of songs.

 

Andrew Sandoval on Twitter

Wonder how this will sound and what the content will be. 'Course, lossy only.

 

I opened a thread on this because I figured it's not part of the deluxe editions: The Kinks 2018 digital (streaming/download) remasters

 

Didn't Sandoval go loud last time with the Kinks?

 

Thanks. Didn't see that.

He supervises the Legacy editions, which sound like they could be flat transfers. Sanctuary, IIRC, is a Universal subsidiary, and of the "big three", Universal is by far the worst in terms of mastering. Of course, it varies from album to album and artist to artist, but in general.

FWIW, and I'll add this to the other thread, the un-mastered version from that video sounds way better. I would have assumed the first sample played was the remaster and the second the untouched tape, just based on clarity and definition.

 

I'm sure that Vic probably tweaked these a bit to improve the sound and bring out the best qualities for the recordings. They sound as good as they are because they are mastered by someone who's really on top of his game. I could be wrong of course.

 

Sandoval, while he supervised these, I believe the mastering was probably not completely in his control. How else to contrast the work done on the Legacy Editions and the Sanctuary reissues?

 

I agree. Andrew supervised both the Pye deluxe reissues (which sounded horrible) and the RCA/Arista reissues (which sounded fantastic). The difference was the label releasing the product and the mastering engineers involved. Though of course, Andrew was fully aware that some audiophiles were less than thrilled with the Pye reissues, but that didn't stop the crappy product from continuing, and actually getting worse. So it's hard to say exactly what's going on there. Perhaps Ray's influence?

 

People who have spent 50+ years playing loud-as-hell rock 'n' roll are not the people who should be approving sound quality.

 

Both Other People's Lives and Working Man's Cafe on CD are loud and fatiguing. I'd say Ray's taste's must have had a lot to do with the sound of the Pye-era deluxe editions.

 

Well look at Paul Weller, one of Ray's disciples. Dude puts a ton of effort into every aspect of his music, IIRC he had a hand in all of his productions (not positive though), and all his CDs sound like lifeless crap. My hero, Mike Scott, has all of his CDs cranked so loud it hurts - including a 6-CD, 8-hour box set of Celtic folk-rock. He has stated in interviews that it "sounds better". Erm... when the quiet guitar on the remaster is louder than the crashing drums on the original, something's fishy.

On the flip side, there's Richard Hell, who naively asked in 2005 that his remasters be "as loud as possible"... by which he meant "make the loudest peak digital zero", and was then disappointed by an awful, brickwalled remaster series (corrected, by Richard himself, in 2013, albeit download only).

 

Woah! Are the Legacy editions really good? I didn't bother because I've bought them all several times before.

 

Which ones are the Legacy Editions? Are there any others apart from Muswell Hillbillies, Everybody's In Show-Biz and Essential?

 

Yes, horribly loud.

 

I believe Andrew mentioned that Ray is in full control of the sound of the discs. Guess what he wants with his 70 old hearing?

 

Definitive, IMO. They finally got it right.