I do exactly the same thing with my Roxy B-sides and Dylan box. I don't know how they ever got them all in to begin with. I know I struggled like hell to get them out.
I do not know but certainly fitting all of them back in the box would be pretty difficult. I got my box on the release date.
I'm just excited I procured a copy of "The Complete Studio Recordings" - 9 CD box set on eBay. It was in "Excellent" condition - slightly used. Got it from a seller with a 100% reputation, so there's that. Outbid 3 or 4 other bidders. I saw a couple up on amazon at over $300, and even though I love Roxy Music, no way I wanted to splurge $300+ even if they were new (one was, the other was used - near mint).
Raising the dead here, but I'll have the following releases in my paws within a couple of weeks: 2012 version from the complete studio recordings 1984 release 821 522-2 1984 release EGCD 6 I'm looking forward to seeing which, if any, I prefer.
My favourite FWIW for the debut is my EGCD6. The 821 522-2 I like but found slightly less open and slightly darker. The slightly brighter EGCD6 suited the album more for me.
Me too! I bought the box nearly four years ago brand new from amazon UK for around GBP 40.00 shipped, I admit I only listened to the first four discs once. I should give this one another chance and spin, for some reason the albums haven't clicked right away as I thought. Worst case scenario, it's a great investment, but I need to give this one another chance for sure.
It still boggles my mind that 2 releases of the same album in the same year can end up sounding differently. I mean, I understand how it can happen, but it still causes a little cognitive dissonance for me. haha
If anything it's the music because I never gave them more than one or two spins of the first four albums or so. Then I got into other bands and music, so I never was too fair to the band themselves. The production and sound of the albums themselves are some of the best I've ever heard, but I haven't compared or listened to other pressings of these albums so my opinion is largely subjective to me and can't give a fair verdict. One step at a time, first a more thorough listen of the catalog and then the fun part!
Well... without wishing to complicate matters further .... in my experience with Roxy and Eno solo there’s slightly different masterings on later EGs to earlier ones, at least in Europe. There’s not much in it, but the later Made in Holland non Nimbus pressed ones sound slightly different than the earlier Nimbus pressed ones to me. I’ve never checked the wave forms or analysed, rarely do that, just an ears-feeling I always had about them.
That would be a similar situation as with the King Crimson catalogue. The early E'G CDs had in certain cases 3 or 4 different masterings before even the first official remaster.
Mmm, interesting. I recently re-bought an EGCD of Eno’s Warm Jets for 99 pence, and it doesn’t sound like the EGCD of it that I bought in around 1989 and gave away some years ago. I think the whole EG thing is a bit of a minefield as you say!
I just got the 2012 box set - for far too much money but I had to have it (you snooze, you lose) - and am going it through it now. I have also caught up with this whole thread and I have to say I agree with others that the debut album doesn't sound very good here. Was it poorly recorded - i.e. is that how it came out back in 1972? - or was there a bad batch of the 2012 box? It's a real shame they didn't include Steve Wilson's stereo remix of it in the recent Deluxe Edition.
A little of both...if you're referring to the random drop out and foggy sound of 2HB, I think they had a slightly less clean tape used, because the Japanese SHM that came out after that doesn't have that issue. It sounds much cleaner and consistent with the rest of the album. At the same time, it still isn't the best recording, because the Japanese SHM sounds just slightly better everywhere else. I love the 2012 box set though, I'm actually almost done going through it myself. I've been listening to the solo material too. All I have left is the B-Sides set which I'm excited to hear.
The bottom line is that the tapes probably aren't in the best shape although the drop out could have been fixed in the digital domain by pulling from a tape copy. The SHM sounds ever so slightly better but the debut also sounded wonky to begin with from the very beginning. Things improved when Chris Thomas (and briefly John Anthony) came on board to produce them as 3, 4, 5 and 6 albums (the last being the live album) sound quite exceptional for the most part. There are some previous issues that do sounding better for example, I prefer the Warner-EG release pre-remaster (which clearly was remastered for that release as it didn't have the volume drop out on "All I Want Is You" which IS repaired or, at least, dealt with on the box). "Siren" on CD from E.G. had, for some time, an issue with the opening to "Whirlwind" that I recall (compared to the vinyl pressing I had) in terms of the sound of the drum attack opening it. It sounded better on the vinyl, later editions sound similar to the vinyl so I can only surmise either some tape damage, mistake in mastering or some such issue. Then again, maybe I was imagining it (it was missing a couple of beats of Paul Thompson's drums as well which robbed it of its power). On the whole I am pleased with the box but it's pretty clear that as far as mastering moves, there was minimal work done just trying to make it sound as good as possible. "For Your Pleasure","Stranded", "Siren", "Manifesto", "Flesh + Blood" sound exceptionally good. "Avalon" I prefer the U.S. Target for the sound (I don't have the 5.1 SACD as, to be honest, I was waiting for all of them to be released this way--you snooze you lose). I had considered buying the SHM box but, honestly, I'm tired of buying the same stuff and just replaced the few titles here that sound better elsewhere. Back to the debut, according to all I've read over the years, Pete Sinfield just stood in the studio and helped the band make decisions for things they largely self produced so he isn't totally to blame for the sound. It's a mixture of Roxy, Sinfield and the engineer. So, to a degree, it's always sounded like that just age has played to the weakness of the sound on the tapes. For the debut, I just listen to the remix that Wilson did (although WHY it wasn't in the set is still perplexing as it would have been something else unique to the set).
I would also add that Warner also did their own remaster (or requested it) for the catalog for the most part as many titles sound different. I think the Warners are pretty decent.
By the way, if you go looking for the SHM or SACD's make sure to check the obi to see if it states HDCD. If it does, it's the Ludwig remasters. I do kind of wish I had ponied up for the SHM box as a huge fan but I've had so many versions of these albums, I just couldn't see paying that price for (again) music I've had and I just put up with the little imperfections now.
Lucky you listening to a remix that's not actually in the Deluxe Edition.... How can I get that lucky? And, if I can't, is it worth splashing out - again, unfortunately - on one of the SHM versions? (non-HDCD? I presume you are advising against the HDCD versions).
The Wilson remix is on the DVD. It isn't, however, on CD. I'm listening to the DVD. Hence, of course, my (confusing comment) about listening to it from the set but it not being in the set (without mention of it being on CD). As far as the HDCD versions, while I don't care all that much for the Ludwigs, decoded, they sound better but they are compressed and aren't ideal. If you want something truer to the original sound of the album, I would probably recommend something other than the Ludwig remaster.
