what i want to know is what bozo decided to issue a "special abridged version"??? What is special about this???
I just wanted to chime in and say that I have the 1991 CD mastered by Larry Walsh, and while sounds decent, the best way to hear this album (by far) is on original vinyl. This has been one of my favorite albums for years, but I only recently picked up a vinyl copy and it blew my mind. Here was my post about it in the other thread.
How does the 2008 UK Box remaster sound? It is "dry"? Is it a good digital alternative to the vinyl unlike the original CD?
Lol. That's what I meant. I was half asleep when I posted that. Is the disc "dry" like the vinyl or like the original CD?
I think the new HD Tracks 192/24 download is excellent. It is dry, no echo. Better than the Walsh CD and without the groove damage distortion present on most original pressings...
Thanks Steve for reopening it. Is the current 192/24 version still considered the best available? I heard a clamor from other folks about a new remaster of "In the Wee Small Hours" after "Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely" 60th anniversary edition was released today..
UK CD, from the big UK Capitol Sinatra 21 CD box, many times over. The only one which uses the correct dry master tapes, and sounds like it should have. On LP, very simple. Get the best Gray Label original LP or a side logo in either variation (pre 1962) in the best condition you can find. Or get the 2014 Capitol reissue LP, which is the closest you otherwise get.
What's wrong with the HDTracks? I think it's very comparable with the '98 CD. In fact, I might have something to report on the '98 CD, but need to verify. Something amiss with it.
'98 CD in the US is a Norberged horrible travesty. NR abuse at it's worst. 2014 LP and HDTracks download close call (prefer physical media).
The HDtracks "dry" remaster is my to go version now. Very lifelike and smooth sound quality. Gray label is good, but virtually impossible to find a clean copy. Even decent looking examples have groove damage due to the heavy arms used back in the day...
What color are the labels of the desirable vinyl releases of WSHOTM? Are they unique or are there some colors that were used for both the original desirable version and the later undesirable one(s)?
Grey labels are typically the best. They’re the un doctored originals. But the 2014 vinyl is said to sound great too and is much easier to track down.
Clipped note aside, is the 2014 HDTracks version and the 1998 UK CD on par in terms of sound quality?
Apparently the high res version is a "dry" transfer, and a few years back it was touted as the best version available. I don't know if it has stood the test of time. Sounds good to me though...
Note to all scrolling: My friend and forum mentor @MLutthans in his exhaustive review of Sinatra’s release catalog, once wrote an aside that in pursuit of the perfect copy of the masterpiece we lose sight of the masterpiece itself as we split hairs. So I do encourage anyone reading this to just enjoy this beautiful, astoundingly strong LP and the work Sinatra and Nelson put into making it. Their work has most certainly stood the test of time, and I don’t think the legacy of this LP is going anywhere anytime soon. I’m a Larry Walsh partisan when it comes to my CD mastering preferences. Some folks say ignorance is bliss. There’s a guy on this forum (the guy with the Mr Rogers profile pic) who likes the Bob Norberg “Only the Lonely.” The mere concept of such a thing makes me vomit internally, but there’s also no wrong way to enjoy Only the Lonely cause it left the factory perfect. So find a copy of this album that you enjoy and just cherish it. And I say that as a 98 UK owner. It’s good but it didn’t change my view of this record, nor does it make a song like “I’ll Never Be the Same” any more or less of a flawless banger. Remember, the best sound system is the one between your ears! happy listening, friends!
I have not, but those are EU non-copyright releases, mastered from "whatever" sources (no access to masters). Usually that does not bode well, but there are exceptions. I tend to not support those labels, FWIW.
Can’t tell if this is a joke but FYI they removed one song, “Last Night When We Were Young” to meet the 15 track maximum that Capitol had for their CD releases at the time. That’s the only song not recorded from the same sessions as the 15 others, so that may be why.
