Led Zeppelin: Original CDs vs Remasters

A quick search suggest that we haven't yet had a poll for one of the most controversial debates on this forum! Forum member curbach's impression was that opinion is pretty evenly split on the Zeppelin catalogue between the original Atlantic CDs and Marino's 90s remasters, so I took on his suggestion of having a poll to see.

Choose whichever one you generally prefer more, so if you're opinion is, for example, "I love the originals but I find Diament's Physical Graffiti unlistenable and prefer the remaster", then choose the originals and leave a comment. If your opinion is split and is on a case by case basis, then choose the third option.

 

Case by Case:

I - original
II - original
III - original
IV - I probably could like the remaster more, but the early fades ruin it for me
HOTH - original
PG - no preference, I like both even though they sound very different from each other
Presence - remaster
ITTOD - remaster
Coda - original I guess, but I couldn't really hear much difference.

Now recently I picked up nice vinyl pressings of I and IV, and both of those absolutely kill both CD masterings.

 

^^What he said^^


~with the exception of Physical Graffiti...I like the Barry Diament "fatboy" version (must have cough though...the worth of the entire dbl-album rests on that cough)

 

Originals, preferred version are the 32XDs (55XD for PG).

 

Originals:
I, II, III, HOTH, PG

Remasters:
IV, Presence, ITTOD

 

Case by case

 

The only remaster I like better than the original is IV....the original apparently uses a subpar master and is dicey sounding.

Evan

 

On some tracks on IV I prefer the remaster, MMH and GTC for example even with the unforgivable early fades. However on the remaster the drums on Levee sound like pure crap 4 Sticks as well but to slightly lesser degree. Since those are my favorite tracks on the album I always reach for the original [with the correct channels].

the original apparently uses a subpar master
I have never read that before. Your source?

 

Yes the best would be a combination of tracks from both:

Remaster:

The Battle of Evermore
Misty Mountain Hop
Four Sticks
When The Levee Breaks

Original:

Everything else

The line about a subpar master is just my own opinion.

Evan

 

My only problems with the original IV are the dropouts... but that's enough of a reason (a distraction, actually) for me to choose the remaster over it.

 

Originals. I loathe the remasters for many, many reasons. Barry Diament and Joe Sidore got it right.

 

You prefer the bad Levee drum sound on the remaster? Compare it to the original and any vinyl you can find, its totally off [and greatly for the worse] tonality-wise.

 

Of course the the early fades on the remaster make it a horrid representation of the album. You'd think given the significance of IV it would have been treated better on CD. Oh well there is always vinyl I guess?

 

Originals Led Zep 1-HOTH, SHM for PG, original for Presence. They didn't do anything worthwhile after that.

 

Yeah, I think you're right; scratch that off of the list.

Evan

 

Except PG for me.

 

Ironically, I can't vote in the poll my remark inspired as I've never heard any of the remasters

 

Originals for me. As a caveat, I have that rare three-disc set from a few years ago that is very well regarded, but I haven't listened to it critically yet. I can't even remember the name of it at the moment. As I recall, it was limited to 2500 copies and given away to people in the music industry.

 

Case by Case

 

Nothing for me to add here.

 

Which tracks on the remaster fade-out early, and by how much? (I know there are probably threads dedicated to this, but I'm feeling a bit lazy!)

 

Your honesty is refreshing.

 

Two that spring to mind (although not on the same album obviously) are Ramble On and Going to California. I couldn't tell you by how much although I'm sure someone will oblige, but I could barely believe my ears when I heard the original unremastered LZII as Ramble On seemed to last for ages (and I mean that in a good way).

 

The original CD Led Zep I and HOTH are the best, IMO. The others are case by case even when you include some of the better vinyl rips out in the wild.

 

It's been a long time (been a long time.... been a long time) since I heard the remaster, but Going To California fades about 10 seconds early. I loved the way song ended originally so I was terribly disappointed by this.

Stairway to Heaven also fades at the end on the remaster - "and she's buying a stairway to heaven..