LoVE's Forever Changes 50th anniversary celebration. Music, book...

The packaging really grabs you, eh?! Love it too!

 

Waiting down at the post office for me... pick it up tomorrow... can't wait!!

Any thoughts on the mono, folks?

 

Yes, it does! The vinyl sounds fantastic! Next up is the mono mix!

 

Someone sent me rips of the CDs. I must say, as someone who has Love Story, 2001 CD, 2008 2cD and 2015 HDtracks, there's simply nothing here for me. With the mono being a fold down, this is going to be a hard pass for me. Now, if I didn't already have the 2008 2CD and HDtracks, I'd be all over this.

 

So you prefer the HD Tracks to the Love Story mastering?

 

Is it really a mono mix though? I really enjoy this album and own several different pressings but haven't bought this set yet. Still undecided.

 

Yes. Love Story was my preferred mastering until hearing the 2015 HDtracks.

Of course, I still find Love Story invaluable for many other tracks. Great set.

 

I'm going to wait until the vinyl is available separately.

 

I listen to the entire box (except the vinyl) and I think it sounds fine. Good job Rhino/Bruce Botnick. Plently of interesting outtakes and other goodies. My go to version af the actual album continues to be the MoFi SACD. If you’re a fan of the album, I’d recommend both.

 

The mono mix is not exactly a simple or straightforward fold-down. It is created out of two stereo-channels that have both been altered in volume along with added EQ and compression depending on the track, whereas a fold-down would just combine the two stereo-channels as is without much hassle. Still, it is not a legitimate dedicated mix.

 

That's still a fold down. It's the same mix, now coming from 1 speaker instead of two.

 

I edited my post a bit, but I agree.

 

It is good and not a fold down per se....punchy. See analysis above

 

But it is a fold. Making some adjustments before folding doesn't make it not a fold. It's still collapsing a stereo mix into mono.

 

Have you by chance listened to the "Your Mind and We ..." and "Laughing Stock" rips from the new set, and if so, do they follow a very similar mastering approach as used for the 2015 hi-res download (also my favorite mastering of the album)?

As an alternative, do the Love Story versions of these two tracks sound nearly as good? I'm looking for the best sounding versions of these two tracks, but if the gap in SQ is small between the new set and Love Story, I might find it hard to justify springing for the new set.

 

Can you say a bit about how the sound compares for the common tracks between the two (Forever Changes)?

 

Unfortunately those tracks aren't a new mastering. They carryover the '01/'08 mastering which is too bright for my taste and has some limiting. Love Story is my preferred source for these 2 tracks. "Your Mind…" doesn't have Arthur's comment about the solo at the end either.

Some other observations on the masterings in the new set- The alternate mix of the album retains Steve's mastering. However, "Wonder People" alternate mix is the '01 mastering, but with some added limiting for apparently no reason as they don't increase gain, they just shave off some peaks. There was no Steve mastering for this track as this mix wasn't on the 2008 2CD. The new set tacks this revised '01 mastering onto Steve's alternate mix album mastering.

 

For that album, while I found Love Story to be my preferred digital mastering, it was still a bit too on the thin/bright side. The MFSL came out and I found it too far in the other direction - too dark. I missed the detail I was used to hearing. Then came the 2015 HDtracks, which imo is the perfect balance. Not too bright or too dark and with nice detail. To me, it sounds just right.

 

Wow, I feel the same about Love Story and the MFSL!

How do you listen to the 2015? I only have a CD player so I'd have to convert the files down to redbook.

 

Listening to the mono CD and finding it a hugely enjoyable presentation of the album. More so than my old mono LP copy. You can really crank this one up too.

 

That's actually how I mostly listen to it (redbook conversion from the 192/24 files). But sometimes I'll listen to the HDtracks files on my Macbook Pro via headphones (which does 96/24). I have just hooked up my blu-ray player to my tube amp, so eventually I'll burn a disc with either 192/24 or 96/24, depending what I can figure out. But I'm perfectly happy with the redbook conversion.

 

Agreed. Right, but maybe a bit better? Punchier? They tried to improve it just a bit over a straight fold-down, even if it is...it's all they had to work with.




I'm still glad they included it. What I'm waiting for is an earth shaking revelation by Elektra, a year from now:

My fantasy and nightmare revealed...that the LOST master tapes have been found.
AND we WILL have to buy the NEW box, once again! Yeah, dammit, I'd buy it!

The Lost Masters: or Forever Changes, Forever Changing
With the newly mixed stereo album; & for the first time, a dedicated mono mix from the lost master tapes.
Re-mixed & mastered by Steve Hoffman, of course (hey, if we're dreaming, why not?!)

Two 180 gram vinyl LPs, and two SACD all in a beautifully packaged Limited Edition Box, and 16 page book, with the complete story of the lost & found tapes, and mixing notes... and 5 large glossy photos of the "fab" five.



I've always thought that the boys look like they all burst out laughing after this fun photo was taken...just holding it in, barely long enough for the click of the camera.

 

I just didn't want anyone to think it wasn't a fold down. Some will like it as a different sounding version of the album and that's cool, but I'm only interested in dedicated mixes. If it's a stereo mix, I only want to hear it in stereo.

The tapes being found would be an amazing discovery. This is probably the #1 album I'd like to hear mixed in surround sound.

Hopefully along with the multi masters, they'd find some outtakes with vocals as well. If there ever were any ??

 

I like the mastering of wonder people on the alternate mix disc much more than the version on disc four (even if they did add limiting). I'll have to see if I have the 2001 version somewhere to compare. Thanks for the info!

 

Yes, good point about the fold-down, and thanks.



And about those "lost tapes"....All you said, AND THIS fantasy too...found! a complete live soundboard recording of Love at Bido Litos, or any Sunset Strip live gig recorded live, pre-1968!! Yes, soundboard -- if we are wishing...that is also my #1 fantasy!

I just know someone, somewhere, is hoarding one!!



Oh...and I just know someone is going to skim my fantasy post, misread it, and the rumor will spread like wildfire, that it is TRUE!
Lost LoVE found!