Looks to be a jewel case, according to uDiscoverMusic's stock photo. Linking instead of posting the image because it's massive and has 15 feet of blank space around it.
That Rhino reissue campaign was one of the best reissue series ever, IMO, and I agree they sound good.
This is all good to hear. Now why couldn't this mastering be the basis of a new box set or deluxe edition with all the applicable bonus material?
Most of the Rhinos sound okay, but This Year's Model is significantly louder than the rest (just the album, the bonus disc is fine). I would recommend this new CD for a sound quality upgrade for the album tracks themselves. If other reissues like this come out, you probably won't need to upgrade (or downgrade) if you have the Rhinos, but this is the big exception. I would desperately love for his first eleven albums to be remastered this way and released in a box set. Throw in Ten Bloody Marys and Out Of Our Idiot and I'd be in heaven. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that idea is Too Good, and record labels are scared to death of doing anything that's Too Good, for some reason. (Not being able to offer a marginal upgrade in a decade's time?)
I will say that, as good as the mastering of Armed Forces in the super deluxe download is, the bonus tracks are pretty loud and harsh, including the Taking Liberties/Ten Bloody Marys tracks. That's a bit disappointing. "Big Tears" escapes that fate on this new CD, judging by the Qobuz sample. And, fortunately, "Radio Radio" and "Peace Love And Understanding" are both mastered like the album. But I do wish "Tiny Steps" and the others had been done the same way on the download. Oh well.
The EC Rhinos really elevated CD reissues to a new level. CDs crammed with as much (usually excellent) audio as possible and booklets with so much informative text and great photos that you risk damaging them every time you take them in or out of the jewel case. The sound quality is the only thing about them that doesn't earn five stars (I'd give it three and a half). You'll have to pry my full set out of my cold dead hands!
Really? I love the sound of those discs. I'm sitting here listening to Get Happy! and it's amazing. I've worked my way through his discography recently, and I've loved all the Rhino's.
I’m a little surprised they didn’t do a remix for this edition, as they’d already done a full remix of the instrumental tracks for the Spanish Model album so most of the work & expense was already completed. Based on Spanish Model, a remix could’ve been a lot of fun though really there’s nothing particularly deficient in the original mix so I’m glad folks can get a remaster of it that seems to be getting widespread approval.
I love TYM. If there was a definitive Elvis Costello and the Attractions album, it may this one. I've already purchased this album something like 5 times( at least). I need a compelling reason to buy this again.
Most likely the best digital mastering (for CD, anyway), although the comment from @driverdrummer makes me a bit uneasy. I'm going to go listen to "Big Tears" and find out what happened.
Just listened to "Big Tears" and I don't hear anything wrong with it. The tom in the right channel with all that wacky processing on it sticks out a lot more than the other instruments, but that's the only thing that jumped out at me (I'm chalking that up to being used to hearing the ultra-compressed Rhino remaster which squishes it down). There might be some very slight tape degradation after the second chorus, the treble did seem to dip out for a few seconds during the organ section – or maybe I just imagined that. Either way, it sounds good to me, start to finish.
This Year's Model is one I've needed on vinyl for a while, so I went ahead and ordered. Looking forward to hearing it!
I picked up the vinyl release of this today (I have a UK original pressing to compare it to tomorrow).
I have so much coming this week that I can't handle another (the Dylan box, Golden Earring among others). But next week I'll probably order this to see what it's like. If you guys have lied to me and it sounds like trash I'll scream into my milk.
Just happened to be ripping my Get Happy cds. I have the Rykodisc release and the 2 disc Rhino. Ryko had better DR values(DR11 IIRC).
No pressure, but I’m awaiting your impressions with bated breath. I am in the position of not needing another copy of this album, but also, you know, possibly needing it…
Good news. Is there any information regarding who remastered, who cut the vinyl and where it was pressed?