Led Zeppelin cds: Steve's Picks? Please Help!!!

I remember an older thread wherein Steve was saying that the original Led Zeppelin discs were sonically superior to the box set and the remasters. I just picked up a stack of old Zeppelin cds and I'm wondering if anyone can help me figure out if these are the best versions to have and the ones Steve was talking about. They are: "Houses of the Holy" ATLANTIC A2-19130, "Led Zeppelin II" ATLANTIC 19127-2, "Led Zeppelin" ATLANTIC A2-19126, "Physical Graffiti" SWAN SONG SS 200-2, "Presence" SWAN SONG SS 8416-2, "In Through The Out Door" SWAN SONG 16002-2, "Led Zeppelin" ATLANTIC 19129-2, and "Led Zeppelin III" ATLANTIC SD 19128-2. Are any of these THE correct ones??

 

Sorry, I guess I misread or misunderstood. If I could find that thread, I would look it up. I could have sworn you were praising the original Zeppelin cds. Which do you think are the best??

 

prix, I prefer the current remasters to the original Zeppelin CDs. It's been awhile since I listened to the original CDs or the box sets, but I remember the original CDs being rather poor. I recently purchased a West German first pressing of Led Zeppelin "IV" ("Zoso"), and I think it sounds awful. It's a collectible CD, so I'll keep it anyway.

 

There's some chitchat here that might have formed your impression.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/s...5631&highlight=Zeppelin+AND+flat+AND+transfer

Interestingly, several people on that thread are also looking for the "Steve H recommends Atlantic Zep" thread.

I'll look forward to the Full Atlantic Zep Report from da man when he gets done listening to a whole lotta Zep.

FWIW, I have the Atlantic II and I think it sounds pretty nice. It has that "elements locked in place and palpable" sound that I associate with good, unfutzed-with transfers from master tapes.

Steve's techniques are able to preserve that feel even with the EQ tweaking he does. Often his tweaking enhances that feel. A few other mastering engineers are also quite good at this, though most of us here have found that there's almost always a little something extra special about the Hoffman Version.

 

If I were more into vinyl, I'd buy the Classic Records Zeppelin LPs. They are supposed to be excellent.

 

Now that's what I call power

 

Vote: CD Remasters, some Classic Records, some original pressings.

 

Cool! I look forward to your opinion/review. Thanks Steve!!

 

Some more early Zep chitchat here, with awesomely authoritative contributions from Grant (aka vinylrec) and Ed Bishop:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9187&perpage=20&pagenumber=2

Again, most posters say the original transfers are closer to the masters, but Ed opines that the remasters have their place, too.

And finally, I'd like to ask if anyone else has noticed that "The Song Remains The Same" is muffled on the box and clear on the remaster of HOTH? Or do I have a defective box set?

 

I vote for the current CD remasters for me too. Jimmy Page and George Marino put in a lot of love & care into the current remasters. The original CD pressing of Physical Graffiti has the last minute or so of In My Time Of Dying chopped off. Stay away!! The box sets and current individual pressings are all the same masters BTW.

 

Maybe I am reading too much into the post, but could a possible Zep project be on the horizon or are you just in a the mood to listen to their complete catalog?

 

The EQ boost on the "remasters" is startingly repugnant! Stay away!

 

I purchased the "remasters" through the (2) boxed sets (and I lament the loss of the original running order). I really have no opinion on the original Atlantic versions, as this was the first digital versions I ever purchased. Since they "supposedly" duplicate the latest remasters, something becomes apparent when listening to them in the "jumbled up" order (when compared to original US vinyl):

The tracks from "I" and "II" seem a bit compressed. More prominent on I - but that is mostly because II was always compressed. I think II was recorded that way - Whole Lotta Love always was over the analog redline, and always sounded that way.

The tracks from III and IV seem a bit thin. Maybe it's just me...........

Houses, Out Door, and Presence tracks have more .... presence. Everything seems a bit more focused, and the bottom end seems MUCH richer.

Physical Graffiti tracks sound screechy and thin. It probably is the worst recorded of the lot - but I recently played my old scratchy Swan Song lp, and it trounces the most recent remasters easily. Even an old cassette dub of the original Atlantic CD sounds better, but not much.

The Coda tracks vary (no surprise), but the "sound check" version of I Can't Quit You Baby sounds pretty good. I understand that the actual concert this was recorded from will comprise disc of the upcoming DVD. I hope it sounds as good.

 

Here's an article from Guitar World where Page & Marino talk about remastering the catalog:

 

Yup,....... you did, you did say dat!!! In any case, please let us know what the final word is when you get all the discs. I just found your quote from an older thread as per the links provided by Gardo and SamS:

"All depends on your playback system and what you like.

I (of course) like the first issue Atlantic discs. They sound the most like the analog tapes (warts and all).

I'm probably the only guy in history to look at a Playboy and wish that the girls were NOT airbrushed..."

 

I tried posting the article I had. I scanned it but I can't get it to here. Anyone know how.? I'm computer illiterate. Anyways, Page says that he heard horrific stories on how they were "mastered" the first time, 80% of the original tapes were used for the remasters, etc. If I can figure out how to post this article I will. It's from the Jan 1991 issue of Guitar World.

 

Righto. Gotcha.

 

Just cut and paste the text if you can. I think that would be just fine.

 

I can't since it's a scanned picture it's not from a website.

 

I'm still torn. When played at medium volume, I've found some of the remasters to work just fine. Yet when I want to really crank up the volume and get the thrill of pure hard, punchy rock, or the most delicate acoustic guitar, the original CD masters play better. Might just be my ears, but the old discs, when played fairly loud, offer the same even dynamics I can get from the old Lp's. The remasters aren't lousy--far from it--but so obviously Eq'd in places there are moments that can be jarring. Worse, something like "Immigrant Song" becomes, for me, almost unlistenable remastered, yet seems naturally harsh and dense(I know, makes no sense)on the old disc.

But then, I am old. I could be totally wrong.

Steve, we await thee results.

ED

 

The Zep cds were the first time I noticed that a remaster could sound better than the earlier cd. I remember listening to Zep 3 and really digging the improved sound.

BTW, isn't it time for Zep to be remastered once again? How about some DVDA 5.1 from Zep 2?

JohnG