I don’t think this is quite a Big Star SACD situation but from what you said about your setup it sounds like you made a good choice.
Not quite as anemic makes sense since it is Kevin Gray (whom I pester with praise after a purchase of his work, and who graciously always thanks me ), so yes, I getchya. Thank you so much for your input, sincerely. .
Today I played this 1997 Rhino compilation, mastered by Bill Inglot, and Dan Hersch, and while I wouldn't call it bright, there is an absence of drums and bass. Maybe this is how Todd sounds on digital ? Todd Rundgren - The Very Best Of Todd Rundgren I can put in a VHS of when Todd, and Bobby Womack were on Letterman, and get more bottom end than is on this CD ?
Thank God for an online database. Forgot I owned this : Various - Music From The Motion Picture - Untitled (Almost Famous Soundtrack) It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference as mastered by Bernie Grundman....whoa.
Yeah, but he's approved all of the not-quite-there remasterings and productions he's ever let out the door. He just needs somebody else whose ears aren't shot from being Todd Rundgren, to listen with him, and once they've got a good one but he wants to roll-off just ooonne morree thing, I think he needs somebody to set him down and tell him (in their "outdoor voice"), "NO - we finally got it right, this is what you hired me for, trust it!"
He has though, per Allmusic and Discogs : 12 Rods - Separation Anxieties Although, in 50 years, it's the only example I could find.
Do we know he has had any say in these remasterings? I don't know of course, but I'd be a bit surprised if he did as it doesn't strike me as something he would want to spend the time being involved. I guess like Big Star mentioned earlier, this may be a stronger case for how something is remastered really having "a keep it more like the tape", or "no this thing needs a pretty major mastering overhaul to save the masses" kind of a thing-- I don't necessarily feel that way for Todd, at least vs Big Star anyway; or I have found there isn't as big a difference in the S/A versions I have heard than say Big Star.
I've just always had this opinion that, since the late-'80s at least, every time a new album would come out, the first thing on the "con"-side of a personal musical evaluation is..."surely, he's heard better-sounding albums...and why isn't this one, one of those...?" I also have hearing challenges (heey, and he's in Radio, well, that explains a lot...), that are quite divergent from your typical, "by-the-time-I-was-bald-I-couldn't-hear-hummingbirds-fart-anymore" male pattern deafness. But by understanding where my quirks are, I've been able to at least "know" what I'm missing when it comes to my own studio experieces. But, this also makes me well aware of what Todd may be progressing through, and perhaps even more aware of why some of his productions have those little EQ-gremlins we tend to talk about here on occasion. I'm just saying, he's not necessarily better at the sonics when he is the final authority, for the same reasons I also am not. That said...sorry, I'm not better-versed on Big Star - just not in my wheelhouse.
I brought up Big Star trying to give an example of some SACDs vs, vinyl. In their case, on my 2 different setups, the SACD of Big Star's first two LPs is devoid of Jody's drums. The Classic Records vinyl, mastered by Bernie Grundman, puts the drummer in the room. It's just the most obvious example of this that always comes to my mind. When I first received the SACD, I thought my sub had shut down !
Please let us know how you like it. After you brought it up a few days ago and a few posts up, I pulled out my copy and played Side 4 with my "new" Pickering XSV/3000 setup. Total satisfaction!
Will do. I wish I could afford both, but I can't, though it sounds like for my tastes, the SACD would likely only be played once, then sit in a drawer until I die. I need more SACDs like Super Session, that rattle the fillings in your teeth.
Love it !!! Amazon actually used a proper album mailer, and the records are nice, and flat and sound exactly how I like them, plenty of bottom end, along with the clarity of the highs. Another fine job by Mr. Bellman. .
And my lesson in Todd continues. This arrived from a French seller on Discogs today : Todd Rundgren - Nearly Human , and wow, it barely has any bottom end, compared to what I normally prefer, meaning on another system, it'd likely be as bright as a sunny day in summer. For $11.00, I'll keep it, but have to wonder what the US Greg Calbi sounded like. @George Blair , I know you had a copy until recently selling it. How was the bottom end on that one Sir ?
The original USA release sounds similar. Super bright and bass-shy. I think I'll make my own EQ'ed "remaster" for everyday listening. The music is great, but it's kind of an ear-bleeder. I think of "Second Wind" and "Nearly Human" to be two volumes of one album, but "Second Wind" is much nicer sounding.
Thanks for the input @rednoise , yeah there's a bass guitar plunking right now, and I can barely tell it's a bass.
This, on top of a Facebook post about the local Kroger smelling like an ogre's ass have me in pain, from laughing.
That's bothered me since release day. It's a shame, but that's how he wanted it to sound. Here's some of the promo videos that WB released at the time: "State of the Art" digital 32-track tape. Of course, the problem here isn't that it was digitally recorded, it's the matter of his EQ and mixing choices. The tour for this album was great. I saw it at least 3 times. A live DVD from the Tokyo show was released soon afterwards: Todd Rundgren - Live '90 Japan, Nearly Human Tour Concert Maybe Analog Spark would consider remastering this fantastic album?
[QUOTE="Aardvark23, post: 17899478, me. It is probably very hard to polish a turd- Todd has stated somewhere that he futzed with the original tape a lot during it's recording so it ain't gonna get much better if we never see the original multitracks entirely remixed[/QUOTE] This. The various cd's of AWATS and S/A I've heard (latest Bearsville box and '99 Castle) both sound like they were sourced from high generation tapes on my rig.
True. The album is that of a mad scientists experimenting in his laboratory. It's not an audio-technically polished product. Too bad it's not both, but as they say, "It is what it is". And that's OK with me - it's creative and artistic and audacious and exciting, and that's more important than any clinical perfection. I mean, would Frankenstein's monster be "better" without the bolts in his neck? I don't think so!!
