I own both the original WB CD of The Eternal Idol as well as the deluxe version. To be perfectly honest, I was disappointed with the sound on the 87’ WB CD.... a bit surprising actually, but the clear winner here is hands down the deluxe remaster. Better sound (imho), plus you get the cool second disc!
Thanks for the feedback! It is appreciated. Can you give more details regarding what it was that you didn't like about the original WB CD and what makes the Deluxe better? (I will also quote your responses in the other thread so everything's in one place.)
I got the Mob Rules 2 cd set. Super cool. Great booklet and info. Love Ronnies singing on the Ozzy songs on the live thing. The song Black Sabbath was so cool the way Ronnie tore into it. And the story on the song Mob Rules from the movie being the demo i didn't know. Really enjoying this.
You're right, the US WB sounds awfully bright, similar to CDs with pre-amphasis that lack the flag and are thus not de-emphasised when playing. Meanwhile we got some new comments here: Best CD version(s)/mastering(s) of Black Sabbath's The Eternal Idol??? On another note, I just ordered the Never Say Die 1993 Germany Spectrum 550 131-2 CD: Black Sabbath - Never Say Die It was recommended by Jeff and Kevin and several others, see quotes below. I liked the files I heard and just decided I want to have the disc. I hope the shipping won't take too long.
Listening to SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH first german CD release on Intercord right now. I remembered this to be good, but it has been a long time since I played it, and it‘s a stunner. Outright amazing. ‚Full-bodied‘ is a word that comes to mind.
Continuing with another not so common version: SABOTAGE Vertigo Japan CD from 1991. It‘s fairly high priced on Discogs and I can‘t see why: This album has a somewhat metallic ‚harshness‘ to it that always annoyed me. I bought this when it came out, and even after all those years, and several system upgrades later, I can‘t get used to it. On the other hand, while Symptom of the Universe is one of my all-time Sabbath favorites, the rest of the album is not, so I never really bothered to look for a better version.
Indeed. I bought the Rhino limited CD when it came out, I forget how many copies were made. I know mine is numbered I’ll have to look.
Interesting, thanks! I agree it sounds good, but I believe I also hear a little tape noise etc. - maybe the tapes used were a little higher gen than the Castle and/or SACD? Have you compared the Intercord to any of the latter to? Thanks again for sharing your test results! I believe it was 5000 copies. Sold out extremely quickly. I am happy when it was re-released as disc 2 of the Mob Rules Deluxe.
Not sure if I was trying to say that I was happy when it was re-released or that I am happy that it was re-released. Both is true anyway!
I have got a question regarding the Heaven and Hell West German Vertigo 830 171-2: is it from 1986 or 1987? Discogs has a 1986 listing, but also a few 1987 listings with the same cat# (but different matrix /runout). I guess those are sonically identical reissues, and we just say 1986 because that was the first date?
The one I have is the PDO pressing with the solid silver hub and I'm not certain exactly which year it was released in. The only difference I can see is that it says Made By PDO in the matrix where the other doesn't. That would suggest it's the same exact mastering just done at a different pressing plant with the rest of the matrix being identical. Sorry, I'm not an expert in identifying Europe release dates of these Orange swirl Vertigo pressings. All I'm certain of is that I really like both H&H and Mob Rules mastered by Gert Van Hoeyen. I just wish they had kept him on payroll for later Sabbath albums.
I do. But it has some pretty bad dropouts in "Iron Man". I ended up patching them with the Japanese 2fer CD.
This is my first time hearing about this Intercord CD. I assume it's this one on Discogs: Black Sabbath - Paranoid . Aside from the dropouts, is this your preferred digital version? Even over the 2016?
I agree that the 2016 is brighter than it should be, but I thought it was still better overall than the others I've heard for varying reasons. Admittedly, the only ones I've heard were the 1996 remaster and the Vertigo two-fer that also had the debut.
Yes, that's the one. I prefer the 2016 (aka 2012 aka 2016) but as-is, it's very bright. I have plans to re-eq it and expect that to be my definitive digital version. The Intercord is not from a great source whereas the 2016 is. However, the Intercord has the best balance between muddy and bright of the CDs. I find the Castle '86 very muddy and the 1st Japanese to have kind of a weak sound I don't care for and the rest of the CDs have all been too bright and not full enough bottom. The Intercord was a great one to happen upon at that time. Except for the chewed spots in Iron Man. Now with the 2012/2015/2016, I've moved past the Intercord, but the complaints of being too bright are very well deserved. The whole 2012/2014/2016 lot are way too bright. However, Paranoid is the one that I find to have never been treated well in digital and because the 2012/2014/2016 is such a clean source and full sounding, it's the one I like best. But like I said, I'll be EQing it at some point to tame that high end. If Paranoid had been treated like the other first 4 albums in 2009 or on SACD, I have no doubt one of them would be the preferred digital mastering. I don't know why, but Paranoid always has something goofy going on with it. With the 2012/2014/2016, it's just that it's too bright and I can fix that.
Very interesting discussion! Yep, that's the one. Personally I'd rather try and 'correct' the EQ of an otherwise great mastering (which the 2012 remaster, released on HDtracks 2014 and Rhino CD 2016, is IMO) than try and repair some serious drop-outs on a well-EQed version from an inferior source (which is what I heard about the Intercord). But I admit I haven't listened closely to the Intercord, will have to do that sometime. EDIT: LOL, I just noticed that one short sentence in RNR's and my own response were 99% identical.
Yes, I like the 2012/2014/2016 for all the reasons you said despite the brightness. It really sticks in my craw that what was supposed to be the Andy Pearce mastering in 2009 was somehow "accidentally" (?) swapped for the 1996 one. Of all the albums that had to happen to, why did it have to be Paranoid? Really rankles me.
I really wish we could know if he actually did a Paranoid mastering in 2009 and why the released version was the '96. It's also the album that got shafted in the SACD series by being done before they started with the UK master flat transfers. I kept hoping they'd return to it and redo it (as has been done with some other artists) but when the 2012 masterings were done, I knew that wasn't happening. Especially once they started using them for digital releases. I also wonder why Andy's EQ style changed so much on the same albums from 2009 to 2012. It's literally night and day.
I too wish the 2016 of Paranoid had been remastered closer to the way that the 2009’s were.... it is Black Sabbath, after all - a bit of darkness is to be expected! Lol. I do remember that the WB cassette tape I had of Paranoid back in the 80’s sounded pretty good. As a side note, the cover had the wrong date stamped on it... 1975!! Haha... someone wasn’t paying attention.
Good point! LOL, if I were into conspiracy theories, I wouldn't start with 9/11 or the moon landing or whatever. Instead, how about a theory explaining who is preventing any good-sounding digital release of Paranoid, and why? I mean, reportedly the 1986 Intercord sounds just right but has some bad drop-outs; a remaster was done in 2009 but mysteriously disappeared; a little later, some stellar-sounding SACDs were released, but Paranoid was done completely differently and much worse; and in 2014/2016 we finally get a release from a really good-sounding source, but it is badly EQed. All coincidents? C'mon, isn't it obvious that someone systematically undermines, and has done so for more than 30 years, any attempt to get this album digitally released with proper sound? As for the 'who', that's always easily answered with Sabbath - of course it must be Sharon (who is somehow responsible for any bad thing that anyone within or around the band has ever done or suffered), and I am sure there are lots of people out there who will find some great explanation why she doesn't want Paranoid to sound good. Joking aside, yes, I agree it is mind-boggling that Sabbath's most well-known album never sounds just right on any digital release. I have no idea why they keep screwing it up!
The Intercords are hard to find, but that doesn't make them the best sounding. For Paranoid, the Intercord isn't that different to the 33PD, and both are smiley faced vs the '86 Castle. The Intercord has more low end than the 33PD too, but some people might think that balances the brightness better. (I don't. Still like the '86 Castle the best for this one, and then the 33PD. I think the '86 Castle is the smoothest, and most crankible. I do wish Paranoid had been done as well as the other good SACDs though.) For Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, the Intercord actually isn't that different to the '86 Castle or the SACD. Here, it's kind of like whichever one is your personal preference. But none of them are that different than the others. There's nothing "magical" about either Intercord.
I was also disappointed in the Warner Eternal CD, had no "body"... I had the cassette as a kid and that sounded great to me. The old cassette of Heaven with the yellow bit on the card (possibly an Australian local release?) was awesome, the deluxe CD is the closest I've heard to that cassette.
Does anyone own this? I like this disc. Supposedly made in 1983? Possibly made in Japan? Can anyone confirm?? Black Sabbath - Greatest Hits
