The Who - 2014 Remasters (HDTracks/iTunes)

I did some searching, and this post from 2011 seems to confirm it. The 2004 DVD the poster found to be identical to the HDtracks version also used the PCM version of Jon Astley's 2003 mastering done at Close To The Edge for the DSD SACD/CD edition. Another poster in the same thread notes that it comes with a PDF based around the 2003/2004 artwork, making the choice of front cover and copyright information in the store even stranger.

(For those wondering, this is in reference to the first (listed as 1996) HDtracks version of Tommy me and Luke were discussing. The second version, labelled "2013 Remaster" is the version found on the 2013 Blu-Ray according to this post. The "Super Deluxe" can be seen as an expanded version of that, with all the bonus tracks found in the box, only in 24/96).

 

The HD MONO My Generation is also missing a track present on the iTunes edition, namely the French EP version of "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere". We know that a tape could not be located for this track, so maybe this tells us something about the other bonus tracks that were omitted in the HD versions too?

 

Very well spotted!!! Just purchased this on iTunes.

 

Dear Rob.
could you please check this link for me [as you're also in the UK].
https://www.highresaudio.com/artist.php?abid=310927

as i keep getting the pop up message stating:


I‘m sorry!
Dear HIGHRESAUDIO Visitor,

due to territorial constraints and also different releases dates in each country you currently can‘t purchase this album. We are updating our release dates twice a week. So, please feel free to check from time-to-time, if the album is available for your country.

We suggest, that you bookmark the album and use our „Short List“ function.

Thank you for your understanding and patience

Yours sincerely, HIGHRESAUDIO

 

I get the same message mate. Try here: http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/whos-next-the-who/0060253794600?qref=dac_3

Edit: the whole list of available 24bit Flacs - http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/interpre...ions_smr]=24+bits+/+96.0+kHz+-+Stereo#results

 

How on earth does a Canadian get the hi-res Live At Leeds Deluxe as, HDTracks have blocked this baby because of country restrictions.

 

did you try Prostudiomasters? 15% off with code: JOY. I've downloaded Leeds and Numbers with no issues and WN will be my next purchase!

 

Caved on trying a couple of these finally. Bought the mono MG and AQO. This is my first experience with HDTracks and I used the first time buyer code for 15% off that you get when you sign up for the hi-res sampler. Anyway, listened to MG this morning and it sounds very good. My 2008 Japan MG Mono CD is in storage, but I do have the mp3s to compare, which I will do later.

IIRC from this thread, there are stereo versions of these albums that were newly remixed and remastered in 2014? HDTracks offers a stereo MG but no stereo AQO to U.S. customers.

 

Only My Generation and Live At Leeds are remixes. The stereo A Quick One is only on iTunes at the moment and is the vintage 1966 mix.

 

For those joining us - here's where we are at

All releases have been released between Nov and December 2014 and have bonus tracks. There are differences between the various Hi Res vendors and iTunes.

My Generation (Mono) - available in HiRes and iTunes (iTunes has additional track - the mono AAA French EP version)
My Generation (2014 Stereo Mix) - available in HiRes and iTunes
A Quick One (Mono) - available in HiRes and iTunes (iTunes has two additional tracks - Man With Money and My Gen/Land of Hope & Glory)
A Quick One (Stereo) - iTunes only at the moment
The Who Sell Out (Mono) - available in HiRes and iTunes (iTunes has a lot of additional tracks - mirrors the 2009 deluxe. The HiRes version has 3 bonus tracks)
The Who Sell Out (Stereo) - iTunes only at the moment
Tommy - available in HiRes and iTunes (both have either single disc or the 2013 Deluxe version with demos and the 1969 Ottawa gig)
Live At Leeds (2014 Stereo Mix) - available in HiRes and iTunes (available in two different track listings, the complete concert or the 1995 track listing (no Tommy except for Amazing Journey/Sparks)
Who's Next - available in HiRes and iTunes (mirrors the 2003 deluxe edition on both sites - new mixes for Record Plant and Young Vic tracks which are also more complete and nearly unedited! A different version that mirrors the 1995 reissue track listing is available on HD Tracks and is the only place to get the 1971 vocal version Too Much Of Anything)
Quadrophenia - available in HiRes and iTunes (both have either single disc or the 2011 Deluxe version with demos)
The Who By Numbers - available in HiRes and iTunes
Who Are You - iTunes only
Face Dances - iTunes only
It's Hard - iTunes only
Who's Missing - available in HiRes and iTunes (no bonus tracks)
Two's Missing - available in HiRes and iTunes (no bonus tracks)

 

And I mentioned the new listings for vinyl reissues - could the Who be going the way of the Beatles with all analogue pressings?

http://www.amazon.co.jp/Whos-Next-Analog-The-Who/dp/B00AY0JCNW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

Thank you for the clarification. I hope that stereo AQO will be reissued on CD or HDTracks...

 

Two's Missing is on iTunes too, it's just not on the main Who page.

 

Amended, though I don't think its out over here in the UK. Consistency across the ponds!

 

thanks.
and it seems to be a bit cheaper the the one i previously used.

 

Start spending that Xmas money....

 

Where are you finding a Hi-Res version of Quadrophenia without the bonus tracks?

 

Ahh bugger. Messed that one up.

 

Thanks for putting the listing together Rob. It really clarified a bit of the mess made by both itunes and hd tracks (providers)

 

Here's everything I've found on the vinyl front:

Allmusic lists new European vinyl reissues coming on February 24th, 2015:

My Generation • Polydor 3715603 (same cat. # as the 2012 reissue)
A Quick One ("Digitally Remastered Studio Recording") • Polydor 3715608 (same cat. # as the 2012 MONO reissue)
The Who Sell Out ("Digitally Remastered Studio Recording") • Polydor 3715609 (same cat. # as the 2012 MONO reissue)
Who's Next ("Digitally Remastered Studio And Live") • Polydor 3715614 (same cat. # as the 2012 reissue)
The Who By Numbers ("Digitally Remastered Studio And Live") • Polydor 3715627 (same cat. # as the 2012 reissue)
Who Are You ("Digitally Remastered Studio Recording") • Polydor 3715630 (same cat. # as the 2012 reissue)
Face Dances ("Digitally Remastered Studio And Live") • Polydor 3715712 (same cat. # as the 2012 reissue)
It's Hard ("Digitally Remastered Studio And Live") • Polydor 3715713 (same cat. # as the 2012 reissue)
Endless Wire ("Limited Edition Studio Recording") • Polydor 3715751 (same cat. # as the 2013 reissue)

Amazon are indeed listing (US?) vinyl of My Generation, A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Who's Next, Face Dances, It's Hard, Endless Wire for March 3rd, 2015. The intriguing bit is that the Japanese vinyl listed as "Analog" are also set for release on March 3rd.

The Danish store iMusik also operates with a March 3rd, 2015 release date, and they've posted the EAN codes (and different cat. numbers), which is handy, because this will make it easier to find info on those as it comes along. They lists these as being 200 gram records.

My Generation • Polydor IMT5008229.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537156030)
A Quick One • Polydor IMT5008228.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537156085)
The Who Sell Out • Polydor IMT5008227.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537156092)
Who's Next • Polydor IMT5008226.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537156146)
The Who By Numbers • Polydor IMT5008225.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537156276)
Who Are You • Polydor IMT5008224.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537156306)
Face Dances • Polydor IMT5008223.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537157129)
It's Hard • Polydor IMT5008222.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537157136)
Endless Wire • Polydor IMT5008221.1 (UPC/EAN: 0602537157518)

The Who Hits 50! will be (re)released on vinyl through Interscope on February 10th, 2015.

UPDATE: The UPC/EAN codes listed on iMusik are the same as on Japanese Amazon.

 

I just got My Generation at iTunes, it's great

 

WHO'S MISSING​

Since there hasn't been a lot of discussion about the new Who's Missing, I thought I'd do a little shoot-out between the 2014 UMG 24/96 HD version (bought at HDtracks), the 2011 Polydor UICY-94786 SHM-CD and the 1985 MCA MCBBD-31221 CD (mastered by our host). It escalated into something that might be of interest to those considering buying the HD version of this title. Things certainly didn't look good for the 2014 UMG HD when I ran it through the TT Meter, but I was to uncover some even more unpleasant secrets as I went along. I'm only going to discuss the 12 album tracks, and not the bonus tracks on the 2011 SHM-CD.
​

First of all, here are the TT Meter results:

MCA (1985):

DR Peak RMS Filename

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR12-2.08 dB -16.33 dB 01 Shout And Shimmy.m4a
DR11-3.70 dB -17.78 dB 02 Leaving Here.m4a
DR11-3.67 dB -16.31 dB 03 Anytime You Want Me.m4a
DR12-5.55 dB -18.85 dB 04 Lubie (Come Back Home).m4a
DR10-4.65 dB -17.16 dB 05 Barbara Ann.m4a
DR9-4.92 dB -16.22 dB 06 I'm A Boy.m4a
DR11-5.14 dB -17.26 dB 07 Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand.m4a
DR12-3.39 dB -16.28 dB 08 Heaven And Hell.m4a
DR12-3.26 dB -17.08 dB 09 Here For More.m4a
DR11-1.08 dB -14.46 dB 10 I Don't Even Know Myself.m4a
DR12-1.18 dB -14.68 dB 11 When I Was A Boy.m4a
DR11-2.54 dB -15.80 dB 12 Bargain [Live].m4a

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 12

Official DR value: DR11

Polydor (2011):

DR Peak RMS Filename

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR11-0.01 dB -12.82 dB 01 The Who - Shout And Shimmy.m4a
DR11-0.47 dB -14.27 dB 02 The Who - Leaving Here.m4a
DR10-0.02 dB -11.61 dB 03 The Who - Anytime You Want Me.m4a
DR10-2.16 dB -13.93 dB 04 The Who - Lubie (Come Back Home).m4a
DR9-0.22 dB -11.42 dB 05 The Who - Barbara Ann.m4a
DR11-0.01 dB -12.88 dB 06 The Who - I'm A Boy.m4a
DR10-0.08 dB -11.17 dB 07 The Who - Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand.m4a
DR10-0.01 dB -10.35 dB 08 The Who - Heaven And Hell.m4a
DR10-0.02 dB -12.39 dB 09 The Who - Here For More.m4a
DR9-0.01 dB -11.63 dB 10 The Who - I Don't Even Know Myself.m4a
DR10-0.01 dB -11.56 dB 11 The Who - When I Was A Boy.m4a
DR9-0.01 dB -10.78 dB 12 The Who - Bargain (Live In San Francisco 1971).m4a

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 12

Official DR value: DR10

UMG HD (2014):

DR Peak RMS Filename

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR11over-12.81 dB 01 Shout And Shimmy.m4a
DR11-0.50 dB -14.27 dB 02 Leaving Here.m4a
DR10-0.00 dB -11.61 dB 03 Anytime You Want Me.m4a
DR12-0.00 dB -13.43 dB 04 Lubie (Come Back Home).m4a
DR9-0.19 dB -11.40 dB 05 Barbara Ann.m4a
DR7-0.94 dB -9.46 dB 06 I'm A Boy.m4a
DR10over-11.15 dB 07 Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand.m4a
DR10over-10.70 dB 08 Heaven And Hell.m4a
DR10-0.21 dB -12.90 dB 09 Here For More.m4a
DR9over-11.65 dB 10 I Don't Even Know Myself.m4a
DR10over-11.55 dB 11 When I Was A Boy.m4a
DR10-0.00 dB -12.32 dB 12 Bargain (Live).m4a

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 12

Official DR value: DR10

As you can tell, I was quite shocked to find that the TT Meter detected some clipping on the 2014. I decided to go track-by-track, and do the shoot-out while I investigated.

Shout And Shimmy [Mono]

The 2014 HD version of "Shout And Shimmy" is the exact same mastering as the 2011 SHM-CD, but the volume is raised slightly (by about 0.01db). Both the 2011 SHM-CD and the 2014 HD are mastered at a louder volume than the 1985 CD, as is the rest of the record. While the dynamics are not bad (DR 11 for the 2011/2014 vs. DR 12 for the 1985), I couldn't believe that the TT Meter detected some clipping on the 2014. I ran the song through AURoundtripAAC, which is usually good for picking up even inter-sample clips, but while it peaked at −0db, there was no clipping detected. I suppose TT struggles with high bit/sample rates sometimes. Sound wise, it does sound like a veil has been lifted to a degree on the 2011/2014, and it is quite a bit clearer and detailed. It is less crankable, though, and sounds slightly harsh on loud volumes. The winner is the 1985 MCA CD here. I also think it was unnecessary to raise the volume of the 2011 mastering for the 2014 HD version, but at least it is not actually clipping, as the TT Meter said.

I've used this track to do a bit of analysing. Here's a few EQ snapshots from Izotope. As you can see, the 2011 (yellow) and 2014 (white) pretty much cancel each other out completely.



Here I've added the 1985 (red):



Spectrograms of the three versions:

1985:



2011:



2014:



Winner: 1985 MCA

Leaving Here [Stereo]

Again, the 2011 and 2014 are identical, with the volume on the 2014 being raised by 0.03db. Tonally, the two masterings are very similar. The 2011/2014 bites more, while the 1985 is smoother. This tracks benefits more from the slightly more energetic presentation on the 2014 than "Shout And Shimmy" did. I'd say both of these have their merits.

Winner: Draw (1985 MCA/2014 Polydor)

Anytime You Want Me [Mono]

Yet another twin mastering 2011/2014, with the volume on the 2014 being raised by 0.02db. The cymbals and snare are more pronounced on the 2011/2014, but while the presentation is more open and three-dimensional, it is also more aggressive. This, being a ballad (by Who standards anyway), makes me appreciate the smoothness of the 1985 more. At the same time, the 2011/2014 feels like the band is playing a bit closer to me, so I wouldn't want to be without either version.

Winner: Draw (1985 MCA/2014 Polydor)

Lubie (Come Back Home) [Stereo] / Lubie (Come Back Home) [2002 Stereo Remix]

This is the first real difference between the 2011 and the 2014 version. Both the 1985 and the 2011 have the vintage 1965 stereo mix, while the 2014 has the 2002 stereo mix, which sounds insanely good here. The 2002 and its 2008 reissue were loud (DR 8), but this is much more dynamic (DR 12), and sounds just right. The new STEREO My Generation has a 2014 stereo mix, which is a compromise between the 1965 and the 2002 mix. It is quite dynamic too (DR 11), but for me the 2014 remaster of the 2002 stereo mix is my "go to"-version. As for the original mix, the 2011 is louder, and lacks the coolness of the 1985. Granted, it sounds quite powerful during the crescendo, and is worth checking out, but I prefer the more laid-back sound of the original mastering here.

Winner: 2014 UMG (but you need the 1985 MCA for the original mix)

Barbara Ann [Mono]

Again, the 2011 and 2014 are as good as identical. The 2011 is supposedly ever so slightly more dynamic, but it's not audible. The 2011/2014 mastering is actually very similar to the 1985, but the 2011/2014 is more detailed, and in this case more punk rock. The smoothness of the 1985 is definitely great, but during the instrumental parts the drums go for a slightly deeper swim. I appreciate the extra energy here, and it is not really that louder (DR 9 vs. DR 10 on the 1985).

Winner: 2014 UMG

I'm A Boy / I'm A Boy [Alternate Long Version]

Here, the 1985 and the 2014 share the same version (the original single mix), while the 2011 has the alternate long version, as featured on Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy. It is definitely a needledrop, but not a bad one at that. For the original mix, it's hard to pick here, because while the 2014 feels quite a bit louder, and maybe a bit too aggressive overall, it is definitely closest to the original 45. The 1985 is very smooth, and I can understand why some might find it too restrained, but it is a more pleasant listen - depending on your mood. If you want more bite and spark, go with the 2014. You need both here.

Winner: Draw for the original mix (1985 MCA/2014 Polydor), but get the 2011 Polydor for the alternate version

Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand [US Single Version]

The 2011/2014 masterings are as good as identical again, but the 2014 has been boosted by at least 0.08, which was unnecessary, and once again, TT reported clipping, so I ran it through AURoundtripAAC again, and the results were the same as with "Shout And Shimmy". It peaks at −0, but no clipping. Sound wise this is a similar situation to "I'm A Boy", but this track has fewer thunderous crescendos, and thus the added clarity of the 2011/2014 is welcome to me. It sounds more vital and less drowsy. Or should I say less San Francisco and more Houston? John's bass has a wonderful presence in the beginning on the 2011/2014.

Winner: 2014 UMG

Heaven And Hell [Stereo]

The 2014 has evident tape damage in the beginning, which the 1985 and 2011 don't have. My guess here is that the 2014 is pretty much a straight transfer of what was used to tweak the 2011 with, because they are otherwise pretty much identical sounding. The 2014 is ever so slightly more dynamic, but the volume has been raised again, and the TT Meter reported clipping, so I ran it through the AURoundtripAAC-plug, and it detected no clipping (-0db). I've always liked the 1985 here, but everything just breathes a bit more on the 2011/2014. It sounds more (a)live, and the guitars and the snare drum in particular have more attack. The solo has more bite, and it is a more involving listen overall imho. When you crank the 1985, it feels a bit too mushy. The 2011/2014 has the upper hand here, and I would choose 2011 to avoid the tape damage.

Winner: 2011 Polydor

Here For More [Stereo]

The 2011/2014 are again pretty much the same, but the 2014 is slightly more dynamic. It's hard to decide between that one and the 1985. The silky smooth Hoffman-magic of the 1985 definitely works wonders here, but the 2014 breathes new life into it, and the guitars have a lovely attack to them. You can almost reach out and touch them. That being said, the 1985 has DR 12, and the 2014 DR 10, so the former is more dynamic. I call a draw on this one. You need both.

Winner: Draw (1985 MCA/2014 UMG)

I Don't Even Know Myself [Stereo]

The 2011/2014 are once again pretty much identical, but this is where the 2014 gets controversial. The TT Meter showed clipping, so I ran it through the AURoundtripAAC-plug. This time there was again no clipping at 24/96 (-0db), but guess what: It detected no less than 31 clipped samples (0.2db) in the left channel and 87 clipped samples (0.3db) in the right channel at iTunes Plus (256kbps AAC), which is what is being sold in the iTunes Store (or so I thought). That states "Mastered for iTunes" in the UK, and thus UMG have broken Apple's rules for this program by submitting this mastering. This had to be investigated further. Back to the sound, the stereo spectrum is a bit different in the beginning here. The acoustic guitar sounds more natural on the 1985, and when the band kicks in, the 1985 just wins. Yes, there's more clarity and detail in the 2011/2014, but it sounds too harsh. The 1985 sounds beautiful, and just has that certain magic. No competition here.

Winner: 1985 MCA

When I Was A Boy [Stereo]

Again, 2011/2014 are as good as identical, with the volume raised a bit again on the 2014. And again, the TT Meter showed clipping, so I ran it through the AURoundtripAAC-plug. This time there was again no clipping at 24/96 (-0), but 2 clipped samples (0.2) in the right channel at iTunes Plus (256kbps AAC), which is what is being sold in the iTunes Store (or so I thought). Again - this is unacceptable, and I had to double check. More on that later. But back to the mastering, these both have qualities. The 1985 just sounds more relaxed and pleasant overall. This is evident already from the intro. I generally feel that the drums are slightly to big and forward on the 2011/2014, but when the chorus comes the guitars really shine. There's a definition there that adds a lot to the music there imho, although it can be argued that the silky presentation on the 1985 creates an even better blend. Wouldn't be without either of these, really.

Winner: Draw (1985 MCA/2014 UMG)

Bargain [Live]

In this case, all three editions are slightly different. The 1985 and the 2014 have pretty much the same edit (the 2014 is 4 seconds longer), while the 2011 has a spoken intro by Pete, and is 14 seconds longer than the 2014. I have to say that both the 1985 and the 2014 rock. It's just that the 2014 rocks a tad bit more. It again feels like I'm a bit closer to the band, and the guitar just bites a bit more. The 2011 has slightly squashed dynamics compared to the the 2014, not to mention the 1985, but still sounds pretty great to me. The 2014 sounds more unfutzed with, though, so that is my winner here. But completists will need that dialogue, so you should consider the 2011 too. Strangely, the 2014 edition credits the track to being from The Young Vic, London, while it is definitely from San Francisco Civic Auditorium.

Winner: 2014 UMG, but get the 2011 for the extra dialogue

That was the shoot-out. When there were identical masterings on the 2011 and 2014, I let the 2014 win because of its high resolution. So in conclusion, the 2014 UMG won on 4 counts, the 1985 MCA on 2, the 2011 Polydor on 1, and there were 5 draws and 3 instances where you definitely need at least two versions for different reasons imho. I could safely say that the 2014 UMG is a good investment after this shoot-out, but so is the 2011 Polydor, and never let go of your original Hoffman CD/LP!

BUT - then there are the clipping incidents. I couldn't believe that UMG would cheat Apple's MFiT system like this, so I bought Who's Missing from UK iTunes. First I ran it through the TT Meter, and my jaw dropped:

UMG iTunes (2014):

DR Peak RMS Filename

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR12-0.93 dB -14.16 dB 01 Shout and Shimmy.m4a
DR11-1.57 dB -15.56 dB 02 Leaving Here.m4a
DR10-1.00 dB -12.83 dB 03 Anytime You Want Me.m4a
DR12-1.06 dB -14.77 dB 04 Lubie (Come Back Home).m4a
DR9-1.56 dB -12.70 dB 05 Barbara Ann.m4a
DR7-2.08 dB -10.79 dB 06 I'm a Boy.m4a
DR10-1.17 dB -12.54 dB 07 Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand.m4a
DR10-0.93 dB -12.19 dB 08 Heaven and Hell.m4a
DR11-1.51 dB -14.26 dB 09 Here for More.m4a
DR10-0.63 dB -12.95 dB 10 I Don't Even Know Myself.m4a
DR11-1.00 dB -12.96 dB 11 When I Was a Boy.m4a
DR11-0.83 dB -13.72 dB 12 Bargain (The Young Vic, London 1971).m4a

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 12

Official DR value: DR10

Now, this didn't make any sense to me. Could it be that this iTunes release had a different and more dynamic mastering than its HD counterpart? To find a definitive answer, I upsampled these files to 16/44.1 (which is what TT Meter prefers), and downsampled the HD version to the same. Here are the results:

UMG HD @ 16/44.1 (2014):

DR Peak RMS Filename

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR11over-12.81 dB 01 Shout And Shimmy.wav
DR11-0.50 dB -14.27 dB 02 Leaving Here.wav
DR10over-11.61 dB 03 Anytime You Want Me.wav
DR12-0.00 dB -13.43 dB 04 Lubie (Come Back Home).wav
DR9-0.19 dB -11.40 dB 05 Barbara Ann.wav
DR7-0.94 dB -9.46 dB 06 I'm A Boy.wav
DR10over-11.15 dB 07 Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand.wav
DR10over-10.70 dB 08 Heaven And Hell.wav
DR10-0.20 dB -12.90 dB 09 Here For More.wav
DR9over-11.65 dB 10 I Don't Even Know Myself.wav
DR10over-11.55 dB 11 When I Was A Boy.wav
DR10over-12.32 dB 12 Bargain (Live).wav

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 12

Official DR value: DR10

UMG iTunes @ 16/44.1 (2014):

DR Peak RMS Filename

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR12-0.93 dB -14.16 dB 01 Shout and Shimmy.wav
DR11-1.57 dB -15.56 dB 02 Leaving Here.wav
DR10-1.00 dB -12.83 dB 03 Anytime You Want Me.wav
DR12-1.06 dB -14.77 dB 04 Lubie (Come Back Home).wav
DR9-1.56 dB -12.70 dB 05 Barbara Ann.wav
DR7-2.08 dB -10.79 dB 06 I'm a Boy.wav
DR10-1.17 dB -12.54 dB 07 Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand.wav
DR10-0.93 dB -12.19 dB 08 Heaven and Hell.wav
DR11-1.51 dB -14.26 dB 09 Here for More.wav
DR10-0.63 dB -12.95 dB 10 I Don't Even Know Myself.wav
DR11-1.00 dB -12.96 dB 11 When I Was a Boy.wav
DR11-0.83 dB -13.72 dB 12 Bargain (The Young Vic, London 1971).wav

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 12

Official DR value: DR10

So there you have it. Both match their initial results, and this proves that these are not identical masterings, and the iTunes version is actually more dynamic. I gave it a quick listen, which confirmed it. I'm not going to bring the iTunes version into the shoot-out (maybe I should, but the files are lossy, after all), but let me just say that I think it's really unfair of UMG to sell a less dynamic mastering in high resolution.

 

Needledrop? What?

This is mono, not stereo. Also, I haven't heard the 2014, but the 1985 uses what I believe is the original single mix (?), while the 2011 uses what's apparently the BBC mix, which has an additional acoustic guitar strum at the end of the song and fades a bit early.

The 1985 is taken from a dub meant for vinyl cutting, with reduced stereo separation. The 2011 is apparently taken from the master, with correct stereo separation. The 1985 sounds dull and mushy in comparison.

 

Spent!
but on WBN..................i'll get WN soon.
it's been such a long time since i've heard the original mix.
regretted getting rid of the old Polydor CD versions.
i was a sucker for the '90's reissues,mostly due to the vastly improved artwork and essays/liner notes.
now to find the original 10 track jewel case/inserts as i think i will leave the Swansea tracks off the disc.

 

I have the original German CD but no scanner at the mo. I think my dad has one though and I'll be seeing them over the Xmas period. Might be able to help.