DCC Archive The Dylan remasters or lack of....

Any Dylan authorities here??? What happened to the remasters--we get "Street Legal" and Vol 1 and 2 Grt Hits and then the pipeline closes and I haven't seen much info since.

Steve--when DCC worked it out with "Hwy 61" did you have access to choose any other titles at that time if you had wanted to do them?

Also would anyone know why Sundazed would NOT put the mono versions on CD? Thanks.

 

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Why not 'Blonde'? Cause they wanted to do their own gold CD?

Steve: Blood on the Tracks. Please!

To the original poster: I think Sony won't allow mono CDs, for reasons I don't understand.

 

I don't think many major labels think it's financially sane to release Mono-only Cds [of titles more popular in Stereo of the late 60's]. Sundazed may be showing some interesting numbers. On a vinyl front, they're doing something that certainly Sony would not do...The Mono revival on LP, as it was released.

 

Sony announced over a year ago they were overhauling the Dylan catalog. Cross your fingers and we might get more SACD titles as a result.

 

I recently picked up the DCC version of Highway 61 on eBay (sealed in the longbox - and I didn't pay a fortune! )

This is one sweet CD. There is such a three-dimensional sound to it, you can hear real depth in the mix, not just left to right, but front to rear as well. Really incredible soundstage, Steve.

I second that emotion, Patrick - Blood on the Tracks on DCC. I'm ready to preorder now!

 

What I meant was - I don't think Sony will let anyone put out a mono CD (Sundazed, DCC, Classic). I think Steve has said this in the past, and it's consistent with what we've seen. As for 'why,' I'd love to hear that explanation.

 

There were several remasters completed a couple years ago by now. I think they were The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited, Blood On The Tracks, and Oh Mercy. At least some of them included bonus tracks of unreleased performances. Blood On The Tracks supposedly was 2 discs, one of which was the original unreleased version with 5 alternate performances. That would be an unusual release, if true, because that would mean the other 5 songs would be released twice on the two discs exactly the same way.
The original delay was waiting for Dylan to write the liner notes. I don't know if he's ever completed the new ones.
Then no more word on the whole project and schedules came and went and disappeared entirely. The mastering was done anyway--that isn't the delay. Maybe by the time they come out they'll be released on SACD hybrids

 

According to Clinton Heylin's Dylan "Recording Sessions" book, Sony had planned a gold CD of "Blood on the Tracks" similar to their "Blonde" issue ... but cancelled it when they discovered the master tapes had been lost.

Made me cry when I read it ...

For what it's worth I'm thrilled with Sundazed's mono LPs, and anxiously await the next one. They sound fantastic.

 

When I ordered "Royal Albert Hall" from Classic Records, I asked the guy on the phone what was coming down the pike. I was told "The Freewheelin" sessions were ready to go...but it never materialized. I asked Bob Irwin at the NYC show in May. I understood him to say that Sundazed has exclusive vinyl rights to the Dylan catalog (mono and stereo) as well as unique/exclusive (unreleased ?) compilations of their own creation.

 

If ever a catalog deserved DCC treatment, this is it...I share the "arrrrgh" of a previous poster. So close, and yet so far.....

 

The Blood On the Tracks masters are no longer lost. So cry no more.

 

I don't know where Paul L. got his information. I do know that there were rumors that the first batch of reissues would include Freewheelin, Blood on the Tracks and Oh Mercy (one album from each decade), but I never heard anything about bonus tracks. I spoke to Bob Irwin a few months ago about the Dylan reissues and he couldn't give me any specifics. He did say that Dylan had approval over EVERYTHING, and I think this is probably the main reason for the delay. I'm sure that Irwin would love to include bonus tracks, additional photos, liner notes, etc. on all of the reissues. I wouldn't be surprised if the reissues were handled much like the latest album, with there being a limited edition version that has special packaging and a bonus disc. And perhaps mono versions of the mid sixties albums will be available on CD via the Sundazed web site. That's probably the best we could hope for. And remember, these reissues take a long time -- the Byrds reissues didn't come out until years after the project was first announced. Ditto for the Simon and Garfunkel reissues. And Dylan is arguably the single most important rock catalog Sony has -- PLUS he's experiencing something of an artistic renaissance lately. So I'm sure that Sony and Irwin want to put out some great reissues, and sooner rather than later.

 

Let's hope you're right, David!