New Leonard Cohen Album “Popular Problems” To Be Released Sept 2014

I think we should move on.
And MichaelCPE. You keep referring to our host and imply that members prefer sound mastered by him. Who stated that in this thread?

You have gone on and on about DR values, it seems no one else in this thread is complaining but you.

Please accept that others here DO like how the album sounds, and maybe start another thread elsewhere if you want to continue on about Loudness wars.

And back on subject, I love this album more and more as I continue playing it. Amazing work for a man his age. I was somewhat surprised when reading the liner notes to read that Sharon Robinson was NOT one of the female back up singers. I was sure it was her after listening.

 

This forum started out as a place where most members did prefer sound as mastered by Steve. This was a music forum. And it was also an audiophile forum.

Unfortunately I agree with you. Most members who post these days are happy with compressed sound. Hence my post saying that the loudness wars have won - even here.

 

How many dang posts do you plan on injecting into this thread saying exactly the same thing in exactly the same way ?
Get a life.

 

I be thrilled.
In fact, maybe I'm amazed.

 

I don't think it's a terrible mastering job, though it doesn't really do any favors to the overproduction.

 

It's a really good album. I just listened to it one more time, all the way through, on my Macbook Air's laptop speakers, via streaming Amazon Music, in a hotel room with poor wifi speed, 834 miles from home.

The music in this format - compressed, stripped of highs and lows, and un-dynamic it may be - stirred my heart and inspired my mind way more than the tiresome drivel about "DR," and claims of what Steve Hoffman is all about (has he commented yet in this thread about his opinion of the album?!?), and implications that Steve is the only one capable of mastering an album worthy for an audiophile to listen to.

Sometimes the wonder of the music comes through in spite of imperfect presentation. I believe that's what is happening here, with this new Cohen CD.

And it's something that's happened for me many times throughout my life. The wonder of music came through that single mono AM radio speaker in the back of my parents' 1972 Buick LeSabre (when the "oldies" station meant the Supremes, Elvis Presley, recordings by Phil Spector, and Bill Haley). The wonder of music came through scratchy hand-me-down late 1950s 45 RPM singles on my first record player, a light gray Emerson portable player with a plastic handle and cheap Radio Shack needle. The wonder of music came through my parents' old tube-based console stereo with red-and-gold embroidered fabric speaker covers, behind faux-wood sliding doors, even on that rebellious day I stayed home from middle school with faux-illness, and cranked up a cut-out LP of Yes's Tormato for all the neighborhood to hear.



I don't let the machines predict what music I will enjoy listening to.

Craig.

 

What that guy said. Wonderful words for a wonderful album.

 

...you will always find me in the kitchen at parties.....

 

What an incredibly well pressed piece of vinyl this album is. I was flipping it over just now after listening to side 1 and I noticed how perfectly flat the outer edges of the record were. I don't see that in a lot of newer 180 gram pressings.

 

Isn't this a bit harsh? When deciding what is "best", isn't there an amount of "wiggle-room"? What I mean is, while I don't doubt for a moment that we all want the best sounding version of the music we buy - we have to allow for the fact that we don't all hear in the same way, nor do we all value the same attributes. An example would be bass guitar. I like a tight, controller bass sound - as reflected in my choice of equipment (Linn). But others prefer a more booming bass, something to hit you in the chest. My setup simply won't do that. But I hesitate to insist mine is the "right" choice, because honestly I know there is a certain amount of subjectivity.

I've heard the new Cohen album, and there's a lot of detail in that voice.

I don't think the Loudness Wars have won. There are plenty of examples of instances where we will all agree something has gone very wrong. But as you move to the center, you have to allow for personal taste to one degree or another.

 

I've got an extra copy of the CD if anybody wants it (free). Shoot me a message.

 

I don't think some here realize that an album by album thread has recently been started for Leonard Cohen's career.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/leonard-cohen-album-by-album-thread.389516/

 

I hope everyone knows about the upcoming Live In Dublin release, coming December 2nd. It comes in a couple of different configurations, including a 3 CD and Blu-ray package. The UPC code for that Blu-ray set is 888750355928, which should help out bargain seekers.

Set 1
Dance Me to the End of Love
The Future
Bird on the Wire
Everybody Knows
Who By Fire
The Gypsy's Wife
Darkness
Amen
Come Healing
Lover Lover Lover
Anthem

Set 2
Tower of Song
Suzanne
Chelsea Hotel #2
Waiting for the Miracle
The Partisan
In My Secret Life
Alexandra Leaving (Sharon Robinson)
I'm Your Man
Recitation w/ N.L.
Hallelujah
Take this Waltz

Encore
So Long, Marianne
Going Home
First We Take Manhattan
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will (Webb Sisters)
Closing Time
I Tried to Leave You
Save the Last Dance for Me

DVD Bonus songs
Show Me The Place – Halifax, NS, Canada – April 13, 2013 – Halifax Metro Centre
Anyhow – St. John's, NL, Canada – April 20, 2013 – Mile One Centre
Different Sides – St. John, NB, Canada – April 15, 2013 – Harbour Station

 

Ditto.

This sucks, as I'm in NZ and have to get a replacement yet again!

Are all the pressings stuffed, as I just hate that tick throughout the first few tracks.

Has ANYONE got a clean sounding vinyl copy!?

 

Yes

 

Please tell us where you got your copy - I returned 4 to Amazon - all had that same ticking problem on side 1.

 

Yes! We'd love to have more people in on the conversation. We're about to turn to New Skin for the Old Ceremony, but there's still plenty to say about the first three albums!

L.

 

Silver Platters a store in Seattle but that shouldn't matter.maybe write to Sony Columbia records.

 

Did email Sony and United since they did the pressing. Never heard back from either company.

 

Like Mazzy, my queries have now gone unanswered, including the store that sold me the LPs

Those ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, ticks, on the first few tracks are really annoying!

 

I just cleaned my copy with VPI 16.5 and listened to the vinyl 4 times now. Vinyl is flat, but has random ticks thru-out the LP on both sides. The ticks are not loud, but since this is a quiet album even low level noise is apparent. Debating whether to return this copy or not. Has anybody got a perfectly clean copy with no noise at all?

 

It appears the lp is slightly off center causing this slight but repeated noise. I'm not sure it's worth returning, I wish I knew how to fix off center but I just don't get it.

The vinyl mastering sounds good. It was cut by forum member Cameron Henry 'Welcome to 1979'.

 

I finally got round to cleaning and playing my copy. Vinyl.
Firstly, the pressing is dead quiet, not a pop or click.
I really like it, it's a great work from Cohen. The vinyl sounds pretty good, it's a good, but not great sounding record.
I didn't put the CD on to compare, but I've played it over the computer with harmon kardon stick speakers using a dragonfly DAC, it sounds pretty good.
In my opinion, not knowing the DR value, I would say the vinyl is also squashed. Which for something like this is a real shame. The sound that I am getting indicates how much better it could have been. Had it been done by someone with some sensitivity.
Stephen Marcussen (and people sharing that compression philosophy) should not be allowed near the work of artists like Leonard Cohen. Everything I have heard from him is squashed. What he did to Exile on main street was a disgrace. He's lucky in this case because this version is the only one that exists so there is no previous or other version to compare it to. Unfortunately. When it's the only version, you can't compare to hear just how ****ty his mastering is. Unlike the Rolling Stones 1971 - 2006 reissues where it's easy to hear how loud (****ty) it is.
"Masher" Marcussen should stick to doing stuff for Britney Spears, and other bubble gum pop. He should - IMO - never, never have been allowed to do do a Leonard Cohen project. What were they thinking?

 

I think they thought they were making a great album. Which they were.

 

Do we really need to go around with this again? Great album. Could have been mastered better, but hardly unlistenable even so from that perspective. End of story.

L.