Low quality of early Pink Floyd albums

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by central616, Sep 24, 2017.

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  1. central616

    central616 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Rosario
    I have all the 2011 remastered albums, and for me they are pretty cool, but not a big difference from what I have previously.
     
  2. A Saucerful of Scarlets

    A Saucerful of Scarlets Commenter Turned Viewer

    What did you have previously?
     
  3. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I don't agree that they are "poor quality." The stereo mix on some of the tracks on Piper is not optimal ("Lucifer Sam" has silence in one channel for the first couple of bars), but overall I like the stereo mix of that album. A Saucerful Of Secrets is not quite as good, the stereo mix for that album has always seemed kind of wonky to me. I have no complaints about More or Ummagumma - the Gilmour and Waters portions of Ummagumma are delightful to listen to. Atom Heart Mother is pretty muddy but it's a very ambitious composition.

    The mono mixes of the first two LP's are fantastic. I wish they's release them on LP.
     
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  4. Bolero

    Bolero Senior Member

    Location:
    North America
    Yeah those were early days of stereo, lots of weird mixes from that era
     
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  5. cwitt1980

    cwitt1980 Senior Member

    Location:
    Carbondale, IL USA
    I think a lot of this probably just has to do with Norman Smith's production and mixing technique. The Pretty Things SF Sorrow sounds muddy too. I don't mind it at all. In fact I prefer these records to sound a little dirty. It adds to the spook!
     
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  6. MrSka57

    MrSka57 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, New York
    I had striped label Towers of the first three back in 1973 and eventually
    replaced them with the UKs. The Columbia 'More' was especially nice.
     
  7. AndyK235

    AndyK235 Forum Resident

    The stereo mix of "Corporal Clegg" is pretty wonky. A lot of left/right hard panning of instruments and vocals.
     
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  8. Exit Flagger

    Exit Flagger Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    I don't think they sound any better or worse than contemporary albums like Surrealistic Pillow, The Who Sell Out, etc.
     
  9. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    I love that clip of him. When he was still charismatic and full of life.
     
  10. the Atom Heart Mother Suite is a bit dense and muddy, though I never found this objectionable. The udder side of the album sounds very nice.
     
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  11. vudicus

    vudicus Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Where is this clip from? I don't recognise it.
     
  12. Leviethan

    Leviethan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Pink Floyd was a cult band during the period you mention. They didn't have the time or money to perfect things in the studio like the Beatles did. That came after Meddle, and also coincided with a big leap in the quality/clarity of studio equipment in the early 70s. That said, I absolutely love the sound of British recordings from 66-70. Lot's of grit and character. For instance, I don't think the Kinks Pye records would sound any better with super sonics. The tubey goodness and a little hiss adds to the magic. It's like a dusty old book with it's own smell. I think Piper is one of the coolest sounding records ever made. The sonics, the arrangements and the performances. The mono mix is the way to go though, as with Sgt. Pepper. That's what they were still focused on in 1967.
     
  13. Freedom Rider

    Freedom Rider Senior Member

    Location:
    Russia
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  14. The Ole' Rocker

    The Ole' Rocker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    A part of me would love a remix of Piper, much in the same vein as the 2010 remixes; those were great! Sadly, the Piper multi-tracks have been reported to be missing, and are believed to have been wiped by EMI...
     
  15. Tartifless

    Tartifless Forum Resident

    Location:
    France
    I think they sound better than today's music.
    Today's ears are less used to music with more variety, instruments, timbre, range.

    So what young people think sounds bad is indeed what actual music should sound like.

    Thise rythm boxes and electronic drums sure sound cleaner, but also more boring.
     
    Bolero likes this.
  16. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    Why do people denigrate the stereos by saying they are "wonky", it is just stereo effects, it was the time. I wouldn't want to hear early Floyd, Hendrix etc without those panned sounds.
     
    AlienRendel, andrewskyDE and kendo like this.
  17. Leviethan

    Leviethan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Some of those stereo effects are great, but having only vocals in one channel and everything else in the other channel just sounds kind of weak. I think that's what people are taking issue with, the extreme panning of elements.
     
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  18. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    There's a 2xLP version of the SF Sorrow and Parachute on UK Harvest - not muddy at all, in fact the sound is remarkably good.
     
    kendo likes this.
  19. Instant Dharma

    Instant Dharma Dude/man

    Location:
    CoCoCo, Ca
    He put the sibilance in rhe first string of Obscurred pressings.
     
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  20. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    The double album A Nice Pair is a nice way to get the first two albums on vinyl, the US copy is very good and the UK is better still. The early compilation Relics has remarkably good sound (UK copy, I haven't heard the US with its different cover).
     
    c-eling likes this.
  21. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    I think Saucerful sounds quite muddy. Piper sounds fantastic in stereo.
     
  22. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    The US Capitol 'Jay' cut 1975 Relics is surprisingly pretty good Marc. Found one at thrift for a few bucks. Nice sound stage, EQ etc..
    I expected it to sound like garbage :laugh:
     
    Marc Perman likes this.
  23. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Yes the "Jay" cut is really good, I was content with it until I found a UK copy (which unlike the US has the studio version of Astronomy Domine, thus making the 1st LP a complete Piper). Shout out to Flashback Records in Crouch End for pricing my NM copy at 24 UKP.
     
    c-eling likes this.
  24. aakko

    aakko Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    I wish that someday they would release mono Saucerful Of Secrets on CD and reissue the mono-vinyl.

    I've never heard the mono mix.
     
    andrewskyDE and Big Pasi like this.
  25. Strange but true; i LOVE the sound of AHM. Dont ask me why
     
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