Yes, I agree that was the original intention. I've just compared the UK original to the Japan Black Triangle and here are my thoughts. The Japan is definitely from a tape that is not as close to the original as the UK. I have to turn it up and up - nearly to 12 0'clock - and the sound is smooth as silk and the bass is prodigious. The UK is much more clear, with the vocals being almost too much in front, yet it has even more bass. The "clarity" or brightness is almost too much. The lower freq's, while big, are easily obscured by the brightness. When they first said this album would challenge your system, they weren't kidding. But that's just the way it sounds on my system. Using the Oppo 105. Your's may tell a different story.
I agree with your characterization of the sonics, absolutely. At the same time, the Japan CD certainly has to be turned up, but its ReplayGain value - and therefore its loudness/volume level - actually is the same as the UK/Holland Virgin/Charisma. (In fact, ReplayGain says the Japan is actually 0.2dB louder). So I would guess that the superior smoothness of the Japan makes it more crankable as a benefit, but also probably makes it need to be more cranked up for full impact. Conversely, the V/C's detail and transient impact makes it more impactful as a benefit, but also when cranked as much as the Japan it can sound louder because of the brightness you mention. Finally, I'm not saying I disagree with you about tape sources per se, but upon first listen I'm not sure I heard definitive signs of the Japan CD using a higher-generation tape source. I don't recall hearing extra tape hiss, distortion, or fuzziness in the sound. I get what you are saying - the smoothness of the sound can itself be a major sign of a copy tape. So you might be right. But I don't know - generally my CDs that are made from copy tapes have a dullness to them, and to my ears the Japan CD in this case has a lushness and cleanness to it that I don't associate with a copy tape. It could instead simply be attenuation of the upper midrange and other frequencies by whomever did the mastering job in Japan. Finally, the thing that I really love about the Virgin/Charisma is that "even more bass" that you mentioned. The Rhythm of the Heat has a rhythmic drive to it that no other CD version seems to have - the big but tight and narrow-frequency bass of the V/C version just drives this song forward.
Yes. And I think the UK orig is the most challenging of all the versions I've heard. Some might call it brightness, but if you have the system and speakers it just might be the best. My thoughts on the Japan are that it's just more soft overall. The whole thing. That makes me think it's from a higher gen tape.
Okay, great. I own the Black Triangle. Like it very much. I've only compared it to the 2002 remaster (I think).
I have a couple of early PG CDs with 'pictures' on the disc; PGCD1, for example, has the 'car' image on the disc itself, and says 'Made in Austria'. What's up with that? Was there an earlier release? Is this one remastered? It sounds virtually identical (to my ears, in my car) to the Atco disc.
Quick question, was there only one mastering of the old Shaking the Tree CD? I have the BMG club CD, but if I want an older mastering, is that the one to have (or rather the only one you can have)?
I think I remember a thread speaking about some issues with some manufactures. Mine was fine, an old 1990 US JVC It was remastered as part of the 2002 campaign. (to be avoided) IMO
I own a Virgin PGTVD 6 which is the oldest master dated 1990. I can't see your version on DISCOGS so I don't know how old your version is. Even if yours is an early master, if it was issued in the States then it could well be different to the Virgin PGTVD 6.
US-1990 DR13 0.00 dB -15.52 dB 4:21 01-Solsbury Hill DR13 0.00 dB -15.62 dB 3:48 02-I Don't Remember DR12 -0.64 dB -14.61 dB 4:56 03-Sledgehammer DR12 -1.61 dB -19.29 dB 4:25 04-Family Snapshot DR11 -1.23 dB -17.06 dB 4:44 05-Mercy Street DR14 -0.58 dB -16.63 dB 6:24 06-Shaking The Tree DR12 -2.01 dB -16.48 dB 5:56 07-Don't Give Up DR12 -0.82 dB -18.90 dB 6:41 08-San Jacinto DR15 -2.96 dB -22.37 dB 4:31 09-Here Comes The Flood DR10 -1.84 dB -14.40 dB 5:36 10-Red Rain DR15 0.00 dB -18.06 dB 3:57 11-Games Without Frontiers DR13 -0.55 dB -15.93 dB 3:57 12-Shock The Monkey DR12 0.00 dB -14.07 dB 3:45 13-I Have The Touch DR12 0.00 dB -14.62 dB 4:26 14-Big Time DR11 -1.41 dB -16.28 dB 2:59 15-Zaar DR12 -0.47 dB -15.68 dB 6:55 16-Biko --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes - except for Don't Give Up, for some reason: DR12 on the US, whereas the DR Database Virgin listing shows that track as DR11. If I had to lay odds, I'd bet the two masterings are indeed the same, and that 1dB DR difference on that one track is just some kind of quirk (rounding error/difference from a level-shift or something like that).
Matt wasn't there an indexing issue on some of these? I wish I could recall that old thread. I remember someone commenting about a problem.
Could be - I've never followed mastering threads about this CD. If there was an indexing issue, that easily could explain the DR difference there.
There are some tiny differences between c-eling's numbers and those listed for the US version too: Album details - Dynamic Range Database
Question that I have always wondered about - were BMG and Columbia House CDs inferior to standard retail. I assumed back in the day they were from inferior sources/masters. Is that true?