Who's Next!!!!!!

The Who's Next Deluxe Edition is on sale this week at BestBuy for $19.99.

 

John, I saw the sale price in the Best Buy flier this morning. I am eager to read reviews of this latest version of Who's Next. I am set with the Canadian Hoffman version and a US Hoffman that is coming in the mail, but I wonder where the Deluxe Edition will fall. It's an Astley production, right? That concerns me.

 

Yes it is, the liner notes say "Remastered from the original master tapes by Jon Astley"

Under the clear plastic trays that hold the 2 cds are two photos of the boxes that held the "master reels" from Olympic Sound Studios. In these photos you can see all the tracks and notes for each song.

Obviously many people here do not like the way Astley remasters the Who's music so I'm sure the sound of this collection will be debated for many weeks for those who care.

Personally I like the way these discs sound but I'm not over critical so I will defer to the Who experts.

Supposedly this is the first time these tracks have been remastered using the "original tapes" for cd (other than Steve's famous version which is very good). Again all that is still very confusing and hopefully they did get it right this time. We shall see

This new package also contains some great Who photos from that era that I have never seen.

JohnG

 

I have the new 2-disc Deluxe set as well. I was gonna compare it to Steve's version which was when I learned I didn't have Steve's version! Oh well.

Anyway, from the little I've heard of the deluxe set (so far), I have to say I think it's pretty good. It's much less hissy than the non-SH Japanese MCA that I have (as well as the tracks on the box set), but it's also a touch louder, so It'll be interesting to see what the graphs look like. I couldn't hear any obvious signs of NR even through headphones, but then I'm not sure if i could detect any but the most blatant NR. (I rarely listen through cans, anyway).

I also realized that this may be the first Astley-mastered CD in my collection. Hard to believe, but I didn't notice any others on the list posted the other day. I guess that might make me unbiased, but at the same time just knowing how everyone feels about Astley on this site could color one's perceptions.

Anyway, regardless of how WN sounds, the discs contain over 100 minutes of other music, little of which I've heard before. Who's Next is one of my favorite rock albums of all time, so I think this is still an exceptional package if only for the bonus stuff.

Ray

 

If Astley is involved, I wouldn't count on it.

 

John,

Thanks for all the info. I am not a Who expert, but I'm sure some of the experts here will post a review of the Deluxe Edition in relation to Steve's version. Should be interesting.


RDK said:

Doesn't that suggest the Deluxe Edition has been "no-noised" or at least "less-noised"?

 

Not necessarily, since the SH version doesn't have that much hiss either.

 

Holy Zoo, thanks. I didn't really listen for hiss in my Canadian Hoffman disc. Perhaps the non-Hoffman Japanese version is just louder than other versions.

 

This is from memory, but I don't think it was - but it did have more hiss. I assumed this was likely caused by the use of a second (or worse) generation master tape.

 

Yes, the hiss is omnipresent in the Hoffman Who's Next, but it doesn't seem to matter when the instruments sound so alive. As John said, the opening of Getting In Tune sounds like Nicky Hopkins and John Entwistle are right there in the room with you. This disc sounds so wonderful, I still can't believe it's from the dark ages of digital sound(ie the eighties)!

Even if I do end up getting the Deluxe Edition, this disc will never leave my collection.

 

I just received a second Hoffman version of Who's Next in the mail yesterday (I already had the current Canadian pressing). Here are the particulars of the latest version:

* Catalog number MCAD-37217.

* Pressed in the US.

* The plastic ring says "Made in USA * Digital Audio Disc Corp."

* Columbia House version. The back insert and CD say "CRC", plus the inserts and CD say "DIDY-1530" and "DIDY 001530", respectively.

* There is no barcode on the back insert.

* The total time is 43:25.

I gave this disc a listen last night and was thoroughly impressed with it. It is simply excellent. I hope to compare it to the Canadian Hoffman version over the weekend.

 

Keith, are you sure about the catalog number? Steve's is 37217, not 37214. The timing is correct, so I'm sure you do, but just wanted to make sure.

Thanks,
Evan

 

Evan, you are correct. Thanks. I have edited my post. I was thinking of Steely Dan Aja. The original MCA catalog number for Aja was MCAD-37214. I've been posting about Aja a lot lately, so the catalog number for it is engrained.

 

Evan, where'd you get the idea that the number's wrong?

 

Oops! Missed the edit note.

 

Have been listening to the Steve MCA Who's Next Canadian CD and it's phenomenal. Only gripe about it is the blackening between tracks and the click in Won't Get Fooled Again. But it's so hard to find one of those Japanese made original editions, I think this will have to do for now...

 

I, fortunately, do have the original Japanese Who's Next. Love it love it love it!

Evan

 

Speaking of Who's Next...

I was listening to Pete Townsend's 6CD Lifehouse Chronicles last night.
Holy Sh!t....there is some cool outtakes and different demo versions of material from Who's Next as well as other albums. I'll admint that I had a couple beers in me . ....regardless, this was still some exciting stuff. There was a cool acoustic version of Behind Blue Eyes among many others. The stuff was sounding wonderfull with tube stereo gear and a pair of Klipsch 4.2's. If you haven't got this set, you might wanna check it out. {edit - SAS} Definitely....

Charlie

 

I have recently compared the MFSL, Steve's Canadian CD, the Gold MCA, and the most recent remastering - the Ultimate package. I have the utmost respect for Steve, and I know this borders on blasphemy on this site.... but to my ears (and on my sytem/listening room) the Ultimate CD is the best sounding CD of Who's Next that I have. I have listened to this album in one form or another over 1,000 times (it was "the" record for my friends and I our senior year), and this latest version sounds more to me like The Who performing these songs than anything else. I also have original Decca, Track, Japanese, MCA 1/2 speed, and MCA heavy vinyl on LP and IMO this version is as good as any of them.