SH Spotlight The Official "Steve's Recommended CDs & LPs He Did Not Master" Thread*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ec461, Dec 14, 2006.

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  1. Joseph

    Joseph Senior Member

    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Give the man a cigar! I used to hang a bit with Peter in Toronto. Unfortunately he's closed all his stores in TO.
     
  2. GP

    GP Senior Member

    Location:
    Lynbrook, NY
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Phil Elliott mentioned awhile back that Dark Side may have been recorded with an IEC and a NAB curve (can't find the post). If MFSL weren't equipped with that switchable EQ, then it would've sounded odd, even if it was not futzed with, I'm assuming. The UD certainly sounds much different, IMO.

    The only article I could find on this was in Acoustic Sounds:

    http://news.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?sector=news&page=read&newsid=21

    "By hunting and pecking we derived that the master tape has an NAB high end and an IEC low end. After playing the tape correctly, we then EQ'd the album to sound more open and punchy than the original release ever did. (NAB is the American standard for tape equalization, and IEC, also called CCIR, is the standard for Europe and actually most of the world. Some machines have switchable EQ. The Studer at AcousTech does. Very few machines allow switchable top-end and bottom-end EQ. Obviously, Doug's custom machine has this capability.)"--Doug Sax
     
  3. RZangpo2

    RZangpo2 Forum Know-It-All

    Location:
    New York
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Thanks for the link. The article is very interesting. Sax says they compared the master tape to early test pressings to figure out the weird EQ curve used to record the master. Doesn't this raise the possibility that the Toshiba disc is also wrong? Or do you think Toshiba happened to have the same wonky tape deck that was used to create the master tape?
     
  4. trucker

    trucker Member

    Location:
    DC Suburbs
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Thanks, misterbozz!
     
  5. Paul K

    Paul K Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    But if the Toshiba tape was a dub of the master (like Abbey Road) then it stands to reason that this tape was made in 1973 at Abbey Road and sent to Japan...therefore it would have the proper curves on it...since the consideration for playback on Japanese tape machinese would be existant.
     
  6. RZangpo2

    RZangpo2 Forum Know-It-All

    Location:
    New York
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    So if I understand you correctly, you're saying that the dub sent to Japan would have used an EQ curve corresponding to Toshiba's playback deck. Therefore it would have been flat when played back by Toshiba. Is that right?

    Doug Sax certainly makes it sound like his team was the first and only to ever transfer the original master tape using the proper EQ curve, making it come out flat. But then he says he goosed the EQ to make it sound more "punchy" and "open". I guess that means more upper bass and more top. Has Steve ever given an opinion on Sax's EQ choices?

    Gee, it would be interesting to hear the original master tape of DSOTM transferred flat. I guess that's beyond hoping for now. *sigh* It's the old, old story. A flat transfer of a 2nd-gen tape vs. a tweaked transfer of the original master. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice!

    Steve: have you ever heard the master tape of DSOTM? I envy you, if so.
     
  7. Paul K

    Paul K Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    What I'm saying is speculation....perhaps Steve or an authority could help me out with whether I am offbase or not....
     
  8. ec461

    ec461 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Somewhere
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    As of today (in alphabetical order):

    Abba - All CDs on Atlantic
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=78914&postcount=4

    Animals - Singles Plus
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=933285&postcount=6

    Beach Boys - The Best of the Beach Boys - Capitol CDP 7913182 (It has the boys singing in the studio on the cover)
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1218176&postcount=6

    Blind Faith - S/T - MFSL
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1553519&postcount=2

    Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding - Original Columbia CD CK 9604 70097
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=705847&postcount=1

    Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees - MFSL
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=4939&postcount=5

    Cannonball Adderley in San Francisco - OJC CD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1431554&postcount=14

    Carole King - Tapestry - Stereo & MC SACD (the stereo program is identical)
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=804804&postcount=1
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1588306&postcount=1

    Cream - Disraeli Gears - MFSL
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=227950&postcount=15
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1771890&postcount=11 - Read to post 13.

    Crosby, Stills & Nash - CSN (couch) - Original 80s Barry Diament mastered CD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=2201922&postcount=11

    Derek & The Dominos - Layla - MFSL & Original Polydor CD
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=117758&postcount=2
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=118064&postcount=35

    Dionne Warwick - Anthology 1962-1969 Rhino CD RNCD 75898 Released 1986.
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=54352&postcount=6

    Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! - Verve 835-646-2
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=47276&highlight=Charlie

    Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard - MFSL
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=91279&postcount=2
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=91284&postcount=4

    Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Target CD
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1380335&postcount=2

    Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits - Polydor/Mercury Nashville
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=67916&postcount=3

    Henry Mancini - Greatest Hits
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=59491

    Jerry Lee Lewis - Classic Jerry Lee Lewis - Bear Family Box Set
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=55826&postcount=2

    Love - Forever Changes - Rhino R2 76717
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=21933

    Michael Jackson - Thriller - SACD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=17852&postcount=39

    Miles Davis - Kind of Blue - SACD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=974952&postcount=36

    Otis Redding - Otis!: The Definitive Otis Redding
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=358674&postcount=13

    Phil Spector - Christmas Album - Old 1963 LP
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=852092&postcount=7

    Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon - 1983 Toshiba CD (Black Triangle? Don't ask me about TO/non-TO! :laugh:)
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=210229&postcount=150

    Pretenders - S/T - Target CD
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1380335&postcount=2

    Procol Harum - MFSL silvers
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=20736&postcount=11

    Queen - A Night At The Opera - MFSL Gold
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1659294&postcount=141

    Ray Charles - Birth of Soul - 3 CD Atlantic Boxset
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=341255&postcount=2

    Rock Artifacts Series
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=17024

    Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story - MFSL CD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=124085&postcount=4

    Rod Stewart - Never A Dull Moment - Dennis Drake Polygram
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=124085&postcount=4

    Rolling Stones - Aftermath - WG London CD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=27679&highlight=rolling+stones+aftermath+steve
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1942854&postcount=4

    Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers - old Columbia/Sony CD (pre Virgin remaster)
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=19794&postcount=3

    Santana - S/T - Mastersound Gold
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=882549&postcount=25

    Santana - Abraxas - MFSL Gold
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1659294&postcount=141

    Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends - MFSL Gold
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1659294&postcount=141

    Sonny Rollins - Way Out West - MFSL Silver
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=2149766&postcount=2

    Stevie Wonder - Innervisions - MFSL
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=272929&postcount=2

    Stevie Wonder - Love Songs
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1793988&postcount=5 - Read to post 7

    The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man - original Columbia CD
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=2148253&postcount=7

    The Hollies - 20 Greatest Hits (with the smokestack cover) (stereo)
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=38983&highlight=hollies+hits

    The Hollies - All The Hits and More (2 disc set) (mono & stereo)
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=38983&highlight=hollies+hits

    The Kinks - Greatest Hits - CDKINK 7251 - PRT Records, 1985
    http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=801339&postcount=39

    The Rascals - The Ultimate Rascals
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=70351&postcount=44

    The RCA Living Stereo SACDs.
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1573475&postcount=8

    The Searchers - The Hits Collection (for those looking for the mono mixes)
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=1177605&postcount=8

    Toto - IV - Stereo/MC SACD
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=27213

    Traffic - Smiling Phases
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=666760&postcount=5

    War - All Avenue Gold CDs
    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=169783&postcount=12

    I haven't included the ones without any links. Let me know if you want me to continue with these lists. I do it so that people don't miss any discs...
     
  9. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Look, a nice accurate list but I just recommended those listed above because the subject came up at the time. This makes it look like those are the only CD's I recommend in the history of music or something..

    I have hundreds more but really, who wants a big list of what I like? Seems rather self-indulgent...
     
    monoboy likes this.
  10. trip1

    trip1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint John, IN
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Yes, please continue.
     
  11. BIG ED

    BIG ED Forum Resident

    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Steve,
    (no reply necessary)
    It's only "self"-indulgent if you did it (the thread)! :laugh:
    It's "self-indulgent" for us, butt we "need" a thread where your previous posts have made a CD a "SHA" release.
    This is just fodder for the SHF masses. Nothing for you to worry about.
    [unless of coarse, your poorly or misrepresented, and/or you feel the subject matter is inappropriate for YOUR forum]
    Me, I'm just enjoying it!
    Thanks.
    (again, no reply requested or necessary, for me)

    I'll have to start searching for Mahogany Rush "SHA" CD's! ;)
    or
    maybe some of Steve's dear late friend Randy California. :angel:

    Peace out! :o
     
  12. pig whisperer

    pig whisperer CD Member

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
  13. shokhead

    shokhead Head shok and you still don't what it is. HA!

    Location:
    SoCal, Long Beach
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Giives me some more stuff to look into,keep it going.
     
  14. ec461

    ec461 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Somewhere
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    It does -
     
  15. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Guys, read my words. I said they spent months getting the Queen tapes. I said nothing about how the CD ended up sounding.

    What I mean is, uh, gee, get the DCC (ya think?)
     
  16. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Steve wrote to me saying he personally recommends the 1985 mastering of "The Unforgettable Glenn Miller" a few years ago.
     
  17. pig whisperer

    pig whisperer CD Member

    Location:
    Tokyo, Japan
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Sorry. I missed that part. However, there is another. . .
     
  18. barzzz

    barzzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    rochester ny
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    I have msn-web tv, and I don't think I can do links, so I will describe exactly where I found this quote by Steve concerning Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: " Mo-Fi is to me the best sounding version of ROAD. It'll be buried with me"
    I did a search for "Elton John", and on page 7 is a thread called "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Steve's entry was post no. 11, on 7-19-2004, and the last entry on the thread was 19-27-2004.
     
  19. Danny

    Danny Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    :agree: The list is great, thanks for compiling it.
     
  20. Danny

    Danny Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve



    Here you go:

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=679823&postcount=11

    and later in the same thread...

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=680785&postcount=28
     
  21. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Please be more self-indulgent. Because of you, I've acquired many great sounding cds.
    And feel free to add to this list, Steve. You do not have to provide links.:)
     
  22. shokhead

    shokhead Head shok and you still don't what it is. HA!

    Location:
    SoCal, Long Beach
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    I want a list of what steve likes. If nothing else its interesting.
     
  23. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    Steve, are there any other DCC CD's that you recommend? I was thinking of starting a collection. Thanks in advance! :righton:
     
  24. RZangpo2

    RZangpo2 Forum Know-It-All

    Location:
    New York
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    I think there is an important distinction to be made here. We may not all share your tastes in music, but we all respect your opinions of proper mastering. I'm not particularly a fan of Procol Harum, so I'm not going to rush out and buy their MFSL CDs because you say they sound good. But if I were looking for the best mastering of, say, DSOTM, I would be sure to check out your advice first.

    For that reason alone, I think a thread collecting all the recommendations you've made over the years - random as the selection may have been - is still a really valuable resource.

    And besides, it can't be "self-indulgent" because you're not doing it yourself!

    I thought "MFSL" in the original post was a typo for "DCC"! :D
     
  25. clairehuxtable

    clairehuxtable Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Re: Discs recommended by Steve

    My copy (Dionne Warwick Anthology) was made in Japan.
     
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