DCC Archive Regular CDs that don't s--k

"Aja" Steely Dan
"Love Scenes" Diana Krall
"Way Out West" Sonny Rollins K2 remaster
"Keb' Mo'" Keb Mo
"Live At Newport 1956" Duke Ellington

 

Hi,

Entire Acoustic Disc label
All Diana Krall cd's
John Gorka's last 2 cd's

Wishin' for more,
Jeffrey

 

I agree with Randy W. on his choice of Eric Clapton's "Uplugged" CD. It sounds great for a regular CD. However, I have a bit of a mixed feeling about it.

First of all: it has been played for about a BILLION times at shows and in audio eq. stores, so if you say to anyone that you just love the Unplugged album, people are reacting like they're fed up with it....and that's a damn shame! The songs are pure gems, they're very nicely performed and the entire concert has an atmosphere that can hardly be reproduced, given the time and place (and past events).

Secondly, I was VERY disappointed to see the tracks "mixed up" on the CD and most importantly, not all songs could be fitted on the CD (78 minutes and some seconds). Why not include the three (3!!) remaining tracks and stamp 'm on a 2-CD set? I estimate you'd have a good 45 minutes on every disc: that's still more than some Britney S. or other crappy CD's!

I've had this kind of conversations with many people (not on this board) and maybe one day one of my biggest dreams will come true:

A nicely packed DCC 2-CD Set of Eric's Unplugged album, remastered by Steve, with the tracks in the correct sequence, with as little cuts in it as possible...anyone interested??!!

[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Ivar ]

 

Grant, how do the '80s Prince CDs sound in general? I have been reluctant to check them out since I have the vinyl and like the sound on the LPs. Are the CDs an improvement?[/LIST]

 

jlomax, even when album/soundtrack "Parade" came out in 1986, the CD was hailed by audiophiles, audio magazines, and critics as having audiophile sound quality. Amazing, since Prince put it together on the run, between concerts and filming of the movie "Under The Cherry Moon. It is still easily one of the best CDs I own. It has never been remastered. No need!

"Private Dancer" has been remastered at least four times. The 80s CD and LP, which I felt were substandard, JVC's XRCD, a 90s remaster, and the latest remaster with bonus tracks. To my ears, there is no difference between the XRCD version and the latest remaster. Since the XRCD is no longer available, go with the remaster. You won't be sorry!

Since you never got the CD of "Private Dancer" you may be pleasently surprised that the songs are in their intended sequence. The gaps between the songs are right too. The LP didn't make sense to me until I got it on CD! The songs flow perfectly! Capitol rearranged the songs for the LP and cassette.

[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Grant T. ]

[ January 03, 2002: Message edited by: Grant T. ]

 

Speaking of Private Dancer, what happened to the original US cover on the LP and cassette? I prefer that shot than the current one.

Kym

 

Jeffrey, the Dire Straits' "Communique" I refer to is the 1980's Warner's issue. I do not like the 1996 Bob Ludwig remaster. It (the Ludwig remaster) sounds harsh, brittle, and edgy in comparison. I agree totally with Ivar that the remasters do not do justice to the band. In fact, I am not a Bob Ludwig fan at all. For some reason, his work seems to have the all-important "breath of life" missing from it. A good example is Dave Matthews' Band "Everyday". Something really went wrong in the mastering--the sound is harsh, constricted, and grainy. Perhaps he was a genius record cutting engineer, but his cd mastering lacks warmth and musicality.

 

What about the rest of the Prince catalog? Are his CDs, other than Parade, known for having good or acceptable sound? Are all his '80s discs from the same issue?

 

Kym, the CD cover you see on the Tina Turner CDs is the original British cover. Again, Capitol Records, in their constant meddling, choose to use a different cover for the LP and cassette because they thought it woyld be more appealing to American eyes.

As far as the prince catalog goes, what we have now is very likely what the master tapes sound like. Bernie Grundmun did most of the LPs and the CDs sound virtually identical in my A/B tests. Many were demo quality, and "Dirty Mind" WAS a demo.

I like the quality of "Parade", "Sign Of The Times", and "Diamonds and Pearls".

"Purple Rain" was recorded in an airport hangar with tons of leakage and reverberation, among other things. I'd still Like to see it remastered. "Around The World In A Day" was an example of Prince's studio experimentation, compared to what you find on, say "Sgt Pepper" or the "White Album".

 

Really? I like the current remaster of Houses of the Holy. I think it's one of the better ones out there.

On another topic, I wondered if Dylan's German CDs were any improvement over the US ones. I have the opportunity to get most of his German CDs for a decent price and wondered if it would be worth it?