Perhaps it is this tendency of getting everything in HD that destroys the essence/soul/core of the music. That is my understanding of what you describe as too analytical. So over remastering/remixing can end up in disappointment from a listener perspective. I listen to a lot of classical music and can tell you that I seldom complain about the recording quality. Yes, there was some engineering limitations in the last century but they do not prevent the listener from enjoying stellar performance.
So you can wait until boxing day, Doug Sax cut of the Division Bell is excellent. Should not run out anytime soon.
I already have the two last vinyls (the 20th and the reissue). I just need the 25th anniversary blue edition.
Regarding the Wish You Were Here reissues, I apologize if this was discussed earlier in the thread, but does anybody have any strong opinions on which recent reissue is better between the 2016 Bernie Grundman and the 2011 Doug Sax one? I bought the US reissue around 2016 only recently to find out that it's actually just a repressing of the 2011 Doug Sax remaster. Is the UK true Bernie Grundman better, different, inferior? Probably my favorite Floyd album, so hoping to get a great newer pressing without spending an arm and a leg. Keeping an eye out for good condition OPs, just curious as to the sonic differences between these two reissues. Cheers,
I'm in the UK. I have both and did play both fairly recently. I found very little difference between the two. In a blind test I might be hard pushed to tell which is which.
There are some major differences here, regarding classical v rock music. 1) Classical discs are recorded live performances (as you say), i.e. not ‘assembled‘, studio-recorded tracks as with rock music that don’t seek to replicate a ‘live’ situation. Using a recording studio as a tape recorder, with all the players in one room at the same time (mostly), is very different from using a studio as part of the composition process. 2) Classical recording is usually good, as it is only the performance that you’re hearing (save for some mixing of the parts). If anything it’s more analytical. 3) The same with the mastering, which, as with jazz music, hasn’t suffered from the loudness wars.
Just to add to this: Classical and Jazz audiences are different to those of Popular music, so there isn't the same demand or market pressures to master those recordings as hot. But as @Solace pointed out; Classical and Jazz recordings are about capturing a "live" feeling. It's about dynamics and using as little compression and limiting as possible. Popular music is all about pushing the limits of what the studio can do. The current Loudness Wars, combined with streaming being the majority way people listen to music (i.e. being about to cross over to different artists and albums without noticing a drop in volume) are simply dictating how music is now mastered. One advantage of vinyl is the limitations the medium has, compared to digital, on how loud you can make a recording prevents albums from being brickwalled (although the 2000's saw a lot of brickwalled masters being "de-mastered" for vinyl - but that's another story). And vinyl albums being an isolated listening experience, compared to streaming, means mastering engineers don't have to limit as hard (if they don't want to - of course).
The BG is definitely warmer in tone. The 2011 Sax (& 2016 repress) is a little more analytical. I really like both. Just FYI the currently in print version in the US is the BG, so if you buy it today this is what you will get. I still have to track down a copy of the OG UK one of these days
Cheers! Thanks for letting me know! Good to know. Appreciate the input. So, on the US Amazon site, there is a 2011 and a 2016 posting for this album. So, you are sure that the 2016 one (here: https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Were-He...ish+you+were+here+vinyl&qid=1596022479&sr=8-3) is the true BG pressing?
They may as well do a completely new (and better) mix of The Wall live and include the good film of the concert on home video. There is a big box set there no doubt.
I do have both, and don't rate them high. I would've given a slight nod to BG cut. if it wasn't for some weird whooshing on Side 2. Its most noticeable during the intro to WYWH. I tested 4 copies and its on all of them. Mastering issue or pressing defect? I don't know.
Interesting. I don't have that whooshing on my copy. Sounds like I will be keeping my eyes out for a good US, UK, or JPN OP then!
Now I'm up and running with my hi-fi I need to pick up some Floyd LP's. I have the 2014 Division Bell Box and the recent blue vinyl of that. Also have the MOFI DSOTM which my dad gave me. In a nut shell are these recent reissues up to standard? I actually wouldn't mind WYWH but the reviews aren't glowing for it. Then just Animals and AMLOR would be a priority for now.
Yeah. I have posted two short clips on page 390 of this thread. DS and BG intro into WYWH. You can hear a consistent low rumble/whoosh effect in BG. If your BG don't have this, then it must be a bad batch and I'm an unlucky son of a gun. Regards
Which one specifically? I'll have to check it out, thanks. The one I have is the DS cut. I checked the deadwax last night and to my dismay it had TLM. I have always thought it sounded great to my ears, but as this is my favorite Floyd album, I've started looking into which copies of it I can get for reasonable prices that sound superior.
