Stones Catalog to be issued on SACD

Re: Re: Re: Re: Sound Quality

I can't say I hear what you're talking about, but I'll take your word for it. Either way, it sounds pretty great to me.

Don

 

Mastering *IS* EQ. If you discount EQ you discount most of what Steve has done...

As far as their ears go - I'm sure to some people noise reduction DOES sound good. They hear less hiss and are happy. NR wouldn't be around if nobody liked the sound of it.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Sound Quality

The first few tracks sound very "midrangey" for some reason. The rest of the tracks don't sound like that at all.

 

According to the article aceman linked to, they will be hybirds.

Like others here, I'm not going to get my hopes up too high over these planned reissues. The article makes no mention of bonus tracks or packaging upgrades, so I have a hunch we won't see anything along those lines. And the fact that a single release date (August 20) is given for all 22 titles leads me to suspect they're going to do a rushed, half-arsed job on them. If they really wanted to take the time and care to give these discs a top notch treatment, wouldn't it be more likely that they'd trickle the reissues out in smaller batches, or even one at a time?

Five'll get you ten these "remasters" turn out to be as bad, or worse, than the redbook CDs ABKCO has peddled for the last 15 years.

 

http://www.canoe.ca/JamRollingStones/may30_stones-can.html

This link was up over at Hi-Rez. Important parts:

"Improvements in technology had only been incremental since then so we didn't feel there was a compelling reason to go back to the market with these classic albums -- until now," ABKCO's Jody Klein said in a press release.

The new releases employ state-of-the-art DSD mastering technology, which digitally samples the music at a rate 64 times faster than standard CD audio. The company claims it also spent hundreds of hours in England and the U.S., searching for the truest possible master tapes.

 

According to Billboard all will be hybrids. There was also a Phillips press release today about a new hybrid SACD plant opening this summer in USA.

 

ABKCO Put UP New Site TODAY!!

Seems like Abkco is getting ready to promote something. They put up this "Under Construction" website just today.......hmmmm

New Abkco Site

 

According to the news stories the 22 Stones SACDs will be Hybrid Stereo SACDs (Stereo SACD and Stereo CD playback).

 

Oh man, do my eyes deceive me, or does that list really include the UK versions of Out of Our Heads, Aftermath, and Between the Buttons? YEEEEEE-HA!

(and for god's sake, please don't let Astley mutilate these...)

 

Re: ABKCO Put UP New Site TODAY!!

I *think* I've actually seen that before on their site. A long time ago, but...

 

No, you're right Luke. That "Under construction" has been on that URL since 2 years ago. No change.

What's interesting, they use an over-inflated "Under construction" logo, and their own is shrunk on the page 80% the size that's really there.

http://www.abkco.com/defaul2.gif

This ^^ is the normal size, as on that page.

Don't count on Abkco to do anything to this url.

 

You know what might be interesting is if these Rolling Stones SACDs sell really well (and they probably will), will the folks at EMI respond with the Beatles catalog. There has always been a bit of a rivalry between these two supergroups and I find it hard to believe that some executives aren't going to hear about all the hoopla (just look at how long this thread is getting in a short time) and think why can't we do these with the Beatles.

And of course this could be the push that Sony needs to sell SACD players that it so desperately needs to in order to make their huge investment pay off.

Let's see what happens.

 

lukepac,

On which release did the stereo version appear?

 

Sorry for ignorance, but is John Astley supposed to be good or bad? Too bad Steve didn't get the call

 

Sam, Jon Astley is best known for his remastering of the Who's CD catalogue in the last round of reissues. His use of no-noising techniques and volume-boosting EQ haven't exactly endeared him to most folks around here.

Matt, according to one of the articles linked in the other thread on this subject, the UK versions of several titles (Out of Our Heads, Aftermath, Between the Buttons, Metamorphosis) will be issued in addition to the stateside configurations.

 

Matt, Don't get too excited. I too read the list but wonder about it as ABKCO only has rights to the US versions. The UK versions are owned by Decca.

Guy, I agree completely and was about to post this when I noticed that you beat me to it. This seems to be a fact overlooked by most. Regardless of the post which states "The new releases employ state-of-the-art DSD mastering technology, which digitally samples the music at a rate 64 times faster than standard CD audio. The company claims it also spent hundreds of hours in England and the U.S., searching for the truest possible master tapes.", this is marketing hype by the folks doing the releases. Does anyone really expect them to say less. Personally, I'm going to wait until a few other members here listen to them and post their thoughts. I respect the opinions of most of the regulars here more than I do the circle-jerk bunch over at AA.

 

Beowulff, hopefully you and I will be proved wrong and the new reissues will be everything we've hoped and dreamed of. But I have the nagging feeling that the new discs will simply be repackaged versions of what's already out there. I can even see them retaining that red-lettered "digitally remastered..." notation that defaces the bottom of every front cover on the current discs.

 

That's why I will take the wait and see approach. I'm not a big Stones fan but I'd love to have some high quality copies of both Hot Rocks titles.

 

It hasn't, actually. I think it might have been lined up for a 70s best of, but it was never used. It is floating around trading circles these days.

 

Luckily, I was wrong!

As has been noted elsewhere, Bob Ludwig got the call.

 

lukpac, the stereo "19th" I've heard on bootlegs sounds terrible, with the rhythm track pushed waaaaaaaay over to one side and echoey vocals mixed way up in the center. If that's the version you're talking about, thanks but no thanks.

 

Just an FYI: I merged this thread with the "22 Rolling Stones SACD hybrids" thread.