Peter Gabriel rereleases So Us and Up on 45 rpm

That would be bizarre, to see a recording where the only information above 44/48 is vocals. I assumed the engineers mixed the vocals at whatever the highest sampling rate was for the digital portion of the recording, otherwise why would we have gotten 24/44 and 24/48 releases?

 

I ended up ordering So from Amazon as well because I'm a sucker for PG. The record was packaged fine but when I opened it, the outer plastic had been cut into and both inner sleeves had big rips in them. The vinyl itself seems fine but I'm giving it a listen to decide if I want to get a replacement or a refund.

 

To me, it would be a disgraceful choice, if a major artist ($$$) such as Gabriel, at the time this was recorded, when digital 24/96 was readily available, to record low res.

It's not like this is available for $15.99.

 

Too bad to hear about Us, as that's the one PG album I don't have on vinyl at all. Anyone have an extra 1st UK copy of Us they'd like to part with?

I have the Classic 45 So, and it doesn't have much surface noise so I'm weary about getting another copy. I am curious about the Immersion LP being sourced from the Classic. Is that confirmed anywhere? I'd think they'd use the digital high res from the box to master the LP.

As for Up, I have what seems to be a very rare Classic promo copy that contains an alternate version of Growing Up and the addition of the fine track Burn You Up Burn You Down. I've never seen it pop up anywhere else and last I checked on Discogs there wasn't an entry for this particular copy. I bought it sealed in a local shop maybe 5 years ago for $50 and it plays well enough with minor surface noise here and there. So I'm not sure I want to go for Up unless more people say it's really comparable to the Classic.

 

I decided to order a replacement for So. I think this edition sounds great, a little bass heavy but rich, with tons of detail and space. The vinyl is dead quiet too.

Still waiting on delivery of Us and Up.

 

Listened to UP today. The new 45 is an improvement to my Classic, especially for tracks like Sky Blue that suffer from inner groove distortion on the 33rpm format.
Also did a little comparison between my Don't Give Up '12 maxi single and the SO 45. I prefer the new issue. Very pleased with all three records, great to see good reissues available for an affordable price!

 

After a little search I finally found the quote I was looking for:

"With the 2002 remaster Peter asked Tony to make some significant changes from the original – much more bottom end and mid range plus more compression added. Ian’s 2012 version is as true to the original as possible, but with the use of improved technology of today’s converters, it is a genuinely superior sound.”

Remastering Peter Gabriel’s So »

I still have my copy of the July/Augus 2003 issue of Hi-Fi+ magazine which featured an extensive review of the Classic and SACD reissue program, including information about all the transfers that were done for this. If anyone reminds me of a website where I can post the pictures of these pages, I'll upload them.

 

Imgur is easy to upload to and share from.

Got my copies of Us and Up a few minutes ago. The packaging on these is superb. Beautiful packages.

Listening to side A of Us and it's not a sonic revelation from the original CD. Also bass heavy but I don't feel like it overwhelms the rest of the recording. It's warm and inviting though, a very full sound as the album was intended. A worthy presentation. I did hear a pop or two on "Come Talk to Me" but I didn't give any of these a full cleaning, just ran my In The Groove over them quickly and started playing.

 

Threw on side A of Us. This is the best release of the three. Dynamic, full of depth, detail, and impact; a million miles better than the CD release.

If I were ranking these by sound, it would be Up>So>Us. But I think all three are worth owning if you don't already own these albums on vinyl.

 

Confused. In your previous post you say: "Listening to side A of Us and it's not a sonic revelation from the original CD". Then in the post quoted above you say: "Threw on side A of Us. This is the best release of the three...a million miles better than the CD release"

Can you clarify?

 

Did you mean to say "Threw on side A of Up"?
therefore Up>So>Us as you stated?

that is consistent with what I heard



I have always felt if you haven't heard Up on vinyl, you haven't heard Up
it is so much more passionate and engaging
Sky Blue and Signal to Noise spine tingling

 

And of course now I can't edit the incorrect post. The second "threw on side A" is for Up. The new vinyl release of Up is a significant improvement over the original CD (I never heard the original vinyl). Us is the least improved but it still sounds very good and I'm glad to have it on vinyl without it costing me an arm and a leg.

@audiotom You got it right.

 

Glad you are enjoying these "thin white" Merrick

I am so glad they didn't do a major botch job for these three

 

Doesnt look like i will be buying any of these. Im fed up of compromising for vinyl at the moment. Im getting quite fussy recently but it pays off as im not accumulating sh1t sounding records....

Looks like ill have to stump up for the Classic records issues..

 

the "artist's preferred" track listing is part of why i wanted this so much. not only do the old LPs sound nasty to me but the sequencing doesn't feel right. this is the way i want to listen to and hear this album.

 

Boy, the hi-res (or 24/44 for Up if you're not comfortable calling that hi-res) are both fantastic. To my ears, they beat the pants off the SACDs and the original CDs for both Us and Up. The 24/96 of Us is what I was hoping the vinyl would be. Maybe it's the difference between my digital setup and my analog but I think the digital is how I've always wanted to hear Us, without tons of detail, depth, and space but no fatigue, no straining to hear the pieces buried in the mix. Not sure why the vinyl felt like a bit of a letdown to me, maybe the album is a bit too dense for the medium? Or maybe my setup isn't resolving enough.

Up basically sounds like the vinyl, which makes sense. And since the vinyl sounds light years better than the CD, it makes sense the hi-res does too.

 

The reason the vinyl for Us wont sound great is that its 24/44...Its that simple!

Why buy vinyl that uses poor sourcing?

 

Us is 24/96. And I agree it sounds great, much better than the CD. Can't speak to the vinyl.

 

I Love To Be Loved
even at low rez

 

I purchased UP, so looking forward to giving it a spin ! (passed on US and for So have several standard US copies that sound good enough)

 

Well, both things you said are wrong. Us is 24/96, and Up, which is sourced from 24/44 files, is the best sounding of all the PG 45 RPM reissues.

People need to stop worrying about numbers and start using their ears. Good god.

 

Well, i must have misread that. I have heard digitally sourced vinyl before you know...its not like its not ever happened before is it? People say...'how can you possibly know until you have heard it?' .....i tell you how...past experience! Analog sounds inherently better to me so sorry to insult you on that one but you can enjoy your digital records and thats fine. Also, you may be not able to decipher the difference but others can on their setup.

 

I've heard bad digitally sourced vinyl and bad analog sourced vinyl. I've heard great digitally sourced vinyl and great analog sourced vinyl. If you don't want to own any digitally sourced vinyl, no skin off my nose. But that's your personal preference, and your personal preference does not mean that digitally sourced vinyl sounds bad all the time or that it is inherently inferior to analog.

 

I didnt say that at all. My personal preference is for analog. I didnt say all digital sounded bad. But it has a better chance of sounding worse when done digitally...

 

I did listen to the 45rpm record The vinyl was a bit noisy, but I will concede that it sounds good, no doubt. Also. I believe it could have been better in......hi-res!!!!