Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime, what's the best sounding version?*

Cut to the chase! 1990 cd or 2003 remaster? Or what is the best sound out there? I'm all ears

 

between those 2 options , the original , the Original pressing actually had Dr. X on it (printed on the actual cd itself) .
I find the QR remasters to be pretty poor , allthough i have to say allthough Mindcrime is a great album , i never Myself thought it was an amazing "sounding album" I remember the band talking about this , it was the 1st time they really were going all digital & they were not happy with the end results .
But yeh , i have the original & remaster & the original allthough not stellar sounding , it's far easier on the ears , there may be some better Japanese printings of the cd ?

 

Original vinyl all the way.

 

I traded in the original for the remaster many years ago. The remaster sounded better.

 

The only way I can really enjoy O:M.
Not typical of me, but I guess the pops and crackles on the ultra thin Emi Manhattan pressing are part of my perception of the album by now.

 

The remaster sounds horrible.... shrill without any warm midrange.

The original isn't very good either, but pleasent to my ears.

 

The original CDs are pretty good. I've recently re-bought a couple on vinyl.

 

I have the original vinyl, but it is not much to speak of in terms of sound. At about 60 minutes it was to long for the format. Although, the Direct Metal Mastering helps it out, I'm sure.

 

Stick with the original CD.
I was suckered for the last time when the Queensryche RM's came out. I bought the first 4 in one shot & regretted it ever since. The compression is terrible & crushes the life out of them. Never again have I bought anymore 'remasters' without reading up on them first.

Specific to Mindcrime, I've always thought this otherwise great album never did have great audio quality. It lacks the low end impact & the highs are pretty lackluster. A bit of 'smiley' EQing based on the original CD certainly helps IMO.

I confess I got duped into buying the RM yet again. I found a 2006 2 disc edition in the used bins recently & snagged it for $7. Worth it only because the second disc is a live performance of the album from Hammersmith & recorded before the sessions for the Livecrime album. Nice booklet too.
Capitol/EMI 09463-60129-2-6

 

This is one album where I've never heard a good sounding version.

Stick with the original CD for the lesser of two evils.

 

I don't get it, would that not be good news if the one you traded for sounded better than the one you traded in?

 

That surprises me pressing over an hour onto the vinyl , is there any level to it ??
I know the re-pressings are awfull from all i've read .

 

I have the original vinyl , the original US cd and the Japan first press... the japan cd is slightly better than the EMI usa one...

Remaster SUCKS !

 

I can only comment on the U.K. original, 'repressings' sourced from remasters are not for me, I don't see the point if originals can be found.

I understand the reservations, but it really does sound fantastic, having been used to the original cd right from release up to earlier this year.

 

Agreed. I never liked the sound of this album, but at least the original CD doesn't hurt the ears like the remaster does.

I've never owned this album on vinyl. Was Mindcrime ever issued as a double in any territory? Better to have 15 minutes of music on each side than 30! I always figured the record would sound like dung considering the length.

 

It does. I have the original LP and it's not great-sounding, which can hardly be possible when you press an hour's worth of music on two vinyl sides.

Besides, as others stated, this is an all-digital recording to begin with. That shouldn't be a bad thing in itself, but it's my opinion that a DDD release hardly ever works when it comes to metal. The recording is pretty shrill by itself, your typical late 80's fare. I think the original CD is your best bet. The Queensrÿche remasters were terrible (overly bright) and should be avoided.

 

I don't know, I remember Empire and The Warning sounding worse on vinyl.

 

Original U.S or Japan CD!

 

If you read the liner notes in the remastered CD, you'll see where it is actually mentioned that the album was recorded bright and shrill (not sure if they used those exact words), on purpose. There is even mention that the album label at the time, was concerned the album sounded too "harsh" for most buyers liking. My how times have changed.

 

I've only ever heard the original CD and the CD remaster. Both sound horrible. There's no clarity or distinction between the instruments, it's just a big digital MUSH of sound. I can barely even listen to this album because it sounds so bad. Too bad; the material itself is quite good.

The live version might sound better.

 

Best sounding version was on cassette, believe it or not. I think the album is too long to sound very good on vinyl, unless it were split (which would hurt continuity). I was shocked when I got the CD in about 1991 that it sounded colder, not as good. The remaster was too squashed to improve things.

This would be an excellent candidate for Audio Fidelity given Steve's success with "Empire."

 

Another vote for the cassette.

NJB

 

A better sonic version of this is via the "Operation:Livecrime" CD. I only have the original one from the early 90s, I think it has been remastered.

Yes, it's live, but it sticks to the original content pretty well. The live version has more dynamics and is not as cold/dead sounding as the original CD.

 

Regardless of sound quality, is there a better metal concept album out there?

I wish I could go back and hear it for the first time all over again!

 

Whatever you do, do not buy Queensryche:Mindcrime at the Moore. This might be the worst performance ever committed to video. The editing is laughable, performance overly theatrical, just terrible. The 5.1 sound is a very poor mix. You can waste a rental, just to laugh, but I would caution against dropping your $25 bucks unless you're a completist (where I'm sure you already have this).