DCC Archive Paul McCartney Collection Remasters

How do the UK "Paul McCartney Collection" series remasters sound? Are they better than the standard US releases? I have read in the Paul McCartney FAQ (http://www.mccartneyfaq.com/macca-faq6.html) that some of the UK remasters sound better than DCC's. Opinions?

 

jlomax,

I have all of the Paul McCartney Collection CD's (I grabbed them all when they came out in the UK) and I really dislike them (bad purchase). They were heavily doctored with NR/EQ and they're rough to listen too. The DCC versions are night/day in comparison.

Let me try to explain with the track "Kreen-Akrore" (from "McCartney"). I can hear the precise timbre each drum head Paul is hitting or tapping. It's amazing. The tone just trails off into "the room" and it sounds real/exciting. Wow, Paul's home drum kit!! From the start and build up of the breathing, I can hear human passion/intensity (I think it's Paul having fun with this) being created. It literally has "the breath of life". This doesn't exist in the Collection CD. The sound recording obiously is there but it seems dull, dead and never inviting. The other Collection CD's are more or less just as dull (a shame).

"Junk" is create example about how important it is not to use noise reduction. The DCC version has the hiss (This is Paul's home recordings for punk-sake) but the music lives in that environment. It's incredibly powerful/beatiful when the kick drum comes in and then the bells (what instrument is it??). Again wow! NR and eq destroy that relaxed organic feel. The recording is there but dead.

I remember when I got the DCC's of "Ram" and "Redrose Speedway". I say them in Tower Records and I thought "why not". I was blown away...

I suggest getting a favorite title on DCC and the same on the Collection (they usually go for very little $$$ on Ebay) and decide which you prefer before getting all the titles (like my mistake many moons ago). I think you will hear the difference too.

Todd

 

Haven't heard the DCC versions, I'm afraid (can you please repress the DCC gold disc of RAM?).

I have "McCartney" and "Ram" in the collection editions. I must say, they do sound lousy. Very compressed, or something. I would imagine the DCCs would sound way better.

 

I concur with Todd. They are bad. They sound like someone tried to remove the hiss by filtering it out. Perhaps it is a sign that they didn't use the best tapes.

The DCC CDs blows all else away, IMO. But, even the old EMI CDs from the 80s sound better than the Collection CDs.

[ November 23, 2001: Message edited by: Grant T. ]

 

AFAIK, last year Japanese versions (the ones in mini sleeves) used the same 1992 remasters as "The collection" (except for Wings over America), but for some reason they seemed to sound better than their European counterparts. Sadly, the extra tracks were dropped.

 

Here's a differing opinion, I have most of the later releases ("London Town", "McCartney II", "Pipes of Peace", "Tug Of War", etc)

I don't mind them.

I also have the DCC Gold of Speed Of Sound and Venus & Mars.

 

I only purchased the 1993 UK remasters for the sake of getting some of those hard to find bonus tracks. "Give Ireland Back To The Irish" Oh Woman, Oh Why" to name a few. The DCC discs blows them all away in every case. I Never really heard "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" until I purchased the DCC "Ram" CD.