It's still under construction, but I have a start to the "sound samples" page for the album. Please see here. [MOD: Dead link removed. 2016 link here.] Also, if anybody has 12:00 rainbow pressings, the UK 1984 Alan Dell LP, or a mono SM series LP, I'd love clips of those. Thanks as always, Matt
Oops! I see that I forgot to credit stevelucille with sending along two of the clips that I posted. I will be sure to correct that overlight later today. Thanks, Steve! Matt
This computer won't play the samples without my installing some sort of 'plug-in', so I have to ask what song are you using. I have a disc which another member recommended as being the best sounding and I'd like to send a sample.
The Walsh is a decent CD, I played that quite contentedly until I got grey label LP, now that's my preferred version. Probably there isn't a ton of stuff to draw comparisons from. 'Close To You' is kind of a sleeper album amongst the Sinatra Capitols. It had a long time out of print on CD, at least in the U.S. And I'm not sure that during the LP era, it was always available either.
Sadly, I think all the CDs are just "decent," which is pretty sad for such a classic album. I've wrapped up the sample pages, by the way, unless somebody has more to offer. Click here. As always....let's hear what YOU think! Matt
One more thing: I think this one could really benefit from a proper tube-based mastering, be it LP or CD. My two cents. I suspect that some of the problems I heard were due to solid state electronics being used.
I could be swayed. I've owned the Walsh since I bought it new in 1987 (or whenever it came out), and I enjoy it, but it's far from "as nature intended" for that title. When I actually sat and listened to all three versions, I didn't hate any of them; didn't love any, either. Matt
1. Ron Furmanek’s 1990 work, with engineer Larry Walsh, from The Capitol Years, which is known to have used the correct, “dry” original tapes, in true mono. 2. Larry Walsh’s earlier 1987 mastering of the same material, again using original tapes, but with a fairly heavy dose of stereo reverb added. 3. Bob Norberg’s 1998 Entertainer of the Century mastering, with less reverb, but with heavy EQ and fake stereo processing. Courtesy SHF member stevelucille.) 4. The 21-disc British The Capitol Years box set. (Also courtesy stevelucille.) 5. One of those legal-(supposedly)-in-the-European-market discs from Av*d, courtesy a non-USA-based member of the SHF forum. #################################### Matt, my name is Sean Keane.
I have yet to check my CDs again, but could this be the only CD (along with "Tone Poems") in the Norberg series that has fake stereo?
For some reason, that first CD clip[/URL] was not wanting to play correctly. I've re-uploaded it from scratch; it seems to be fine now. Matt
'Songs For Swingin' Lovers' has pretty significant stereo-izing. 'Songs For Young Lovers/Swing Easy' also does, but not, I think, to the degree that SFSL does.
Yes, I too think the MFSL LP is the clear winner amongst the vinyl. Even if one might like to do a little reverse EQ on it. It sounds a kind of jacked in the bass and treble. Very nice though. And velvety smooth, more than original pressings. (Based on the clip.)
All the mono ones have some use of widening, some more pronounced than others. Some of the stereo ones even have this processing done to them - you can hear the center image breakup, lose solidity, and some phasey issues.
I put the Walsh 'Close To You' CD on my hi-fi tonight. It does have too much reverb, which is especially annoying on a song like 'At The End Of A Love Affair' where the music starts get a little swallowed up in it.
Mu new stylus arrived today, so I'm doing a needledrop of the MFSL "CLOSE TO YOU" LP, and there's a dropout in the first couple of seconds of track 3, Love Locked Out. I had never spotted that before. EDIT: Also a very obvious one at the start of track 9, "It Could Happen to You." EDIT EDIT: Track 12, too! Matt
It should be noted that the late 80's Japanese reissue of Close To You is in reprocessed stereo. In general these reissues are pretty good. But not in this case. It actually doesn't sound bad for reprocesssed stereo but that's not saying much. I can send a clip to Matt if anyone is interested in what it sounds like.
I have various pressings on this one and various cd's on this one and have always chosen the MFSL vinyl BECAUSE the vinyl is basically SILENT, and my originals have various surface noise, wear sound, etc. issues and the MFSL is terrific in every way for me. I've got the UK CD on my ipod..., yes I admit it, in mp3 form too...its for my "fall to sleep" with frank nights...horizontally that record is great to be lulled to sleep...but the times I'm going to focus on it, its MFSL. the first time i heard it was via the MFSL so to me, it's always been the one. I got a kick out of how nice the Norberg sounded after you summed it Matt. Again, thanks for these and I'm going to have to do a search for the other discussions you've been busy and I've been missing some of these listens.... really great stuff and to me your Sinatra comparison series is just about the best threads in here.
Thanks for the nice comments, guys. I do appreciate it! Next up: A Swingin' Affair! I have a 9:00 rainbow (N10, I think), the MFSL, and Walsh CD. If you have clips, please send them my way. Let's use NIGHT AND DAY for the samples. Matt
I've added a Japanese pressing to this page and a rather interesting (and lengthy, confusing) update to this page. Matt
Very minor quibble, Matt: "Don't Like Goodbyes" was recorded March 8, 1956. The one done a week earlier was unreleased. Incidentally, that earlier date was Sinatra's first vocal recording session in the Capitol Tower. (See here.)
