Elvis Costello & The Attractions - This Year's Model - 2021 remaster

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by C6H12O6, Sep 10, 2021.

  1. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I hear a tiny little catch at about 1:54, where it sounds like either the tape slows down for a beat or two or there's a loss of high frequency data. But the chorus itself doesn't sound problematic to me. I'm going by the posted YouTube video, what was the source you listened to?
     
    driverdrummer likes this.
  2. driverdrummer

    driverdrummer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Irmo, SC
    The new remaster via Apple Music
     
    InStepWithTheStars likes this.
  3. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I'll give a more thorough listen when my CD arrives, which is supposed to be tomorrow. I can't imagine why Apple would receive a different digital master, so maybe your gear is more revealing and/or mine is more forgiving (Sony MDR-7506 studio headphones). Or just the quality, or lack thereof, of a lossy YouTube video obscuring the problem.
     
    driverdrummer likes this.
  4. Ephi82

    Ephi82 Still have two ears working

    Location:
    S FL
    Just listened to a couple of the tracks on this. The songs are wonderful, the performances great, but they didn’t exactly record this stuff with an eye to high end sound quality. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
     
    driverdrummer likes this.
  5. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    According to Elvis's liner notes in the Rhino reissues, Nick Lowe's mix requests included "Make the drums sound like one big maraca" and "Make it sound like a dinosaur eating cars". These albums are all very unique-sounding and often abrasive, and that's (part of) what makes them so great. Seldom is great music made by sticking to every rule outlined in the Music Production For Dummies™ guide book. :agree:

    On the flip side, I am very happy that the mastering of this particular edition went by the old-school, play-it-safe method. I'm really looking forward to the CD, because I'm enjoying the YouTube samples so much! I've been used to the Rhino CD for so long that this new one, even in lossy video format, sounds like a revelation...
     
  6. Doctor Worm

    Doctor Worm Romans 6:23

    Location:
    Missouri
    Does anyone know if the vinyl includes a download code? I didn't see anything listed when I placed my order.
     
  7. Innocent Smith

    Innocent Smith Always crashing in the same car

    Location:
    Minnesota, USA
    I doubt it. It’s not listed and there wasn’t one with Armed Forces.
     
  8. HLTJDM

    HLTJDM Active Member

    Location:
    California, USA
    This sounds rather good streaming from Qobuz on my modest system. Better than the Ryko and Rhino versions I have on CD. I've heard this album hundreds of times and I'm hearing things I hadn't heard before.
     
    Lance LaSalle likes this.
  9. Willowman

    Willowman Senior Member

    Location:
    London, UK
    Got the Apple Music version streaming now. Sounds good.

    Whatever your definition of 'new wave', this LP must be slap-bang in the middle of it. Awesome record.
     
    Electric Sydney likes this.
  10. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    An album of no-holds-barred rock 'n' roll slap-bang in the middle of a bunch of weirdos in spandex with synthesizers pretending to be either robots or aliens? Uh, well I'm glad it's there, even though it's definitely the odd one out...
     
  11. Jack White

    Jack White Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    There is a companion Spanish language album of covers by 'Latin' artists you can purchase separately. Apparently this cover version sparked the re-issue of EC's original album at the same time. From the UM web store (udiscovermusic.com) there is also a double gatefold vinyl edition of both albums.

    My guess is that the 'Armed Forces' vinyl deluxe edition of a year or two ago did not sell as well as the label expected. (It only sold through the UM website store and was relatively expensive. There were no simple, scaled-down individual versions offered - only two deluxe vinyl versions.) 'Armed Forces' is EC's best selling album and maybe their logic was, "If that can't sell very well as a deluxe edition, why bother with this one".

    https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Mode...s+model+spanish&qid=1631618048&s=music&sr=1-1
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2021
  12. Lance LaSalle

    Lance LaSalle Prince of Swollen Sinus

    Maybe if they had sold it on CD it might have sold better.
     
    frightwigwam, tms766 and TheLoveDrags like this.
  13. footstomper

    footstomper Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    I'm getting so fed up with pre-orders not arriving on release day.
    I pre-ordered two albums a while ago that were due for release on the 3rd and 10th September. The Jazz Passengers with Deborah Harry was already pushed back from 3rd September to 10th September but now the release has been pushed back to October. I also pre-ordered the double vinyl version of "Spanish Model" and "This Year's Model" and here we are four days after release and it's still not arrived.
    Earlier this year I also pre-ordered the 40th Anniversary vinyl of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" only to read the small print later that it is due July 2022 - a whole year after pre-ordering just in time for it's 41st Anniversary. Infuriating stuff!
     
  14. Chris Bernhardt

    Chris Bernhardt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago IL
    There's preorder of a new pressing of the box which I believe now is its third.
     
  15. 7solqs4iago

    7solqs4iago Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto

    listening with amp and headphones too loud for my sanity shows me that there was simply way too much going on each song to get it beyond death :D
     
  16. Doctor Worm

    Doctor Worm Romans 6:23

    Location:
    Missouri
    That's what I suspected. I'm a huge Elvis fan but it's definitely frustrating that he seems to detest any format other than vinyl.
     
  17. Vaughan

    Vaughan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Essex, UK
    Well, it would have sold +1, I'll say that much. *I'd* of bought it!
     
  18. Jack White

    Jack White Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Are you referring to the gatefold collection of both LPs? (My copy is suppose to be in the mail its the way to me.) Third pressing? - forget it being a "limited edition".
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2021
  19. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    It is cut by Ryan Smith and no download code
     
    mikeyt likes this.
  20. MD2000

    MD2000 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Here is the HDTracks DR

    foobar2000 1.5.5 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
    log date: 2021-09-14 09:22:59

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Analyzed: Elvis Costello & The Attractions / This Year's Model (2021 Remaster)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DR Peak RMS Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR9 -4.14 dB -16.11 dB 2:02 01-No Action (2021 Remaster)
    DR12 -2.93 dB -16.81 dB 3:23 02-This Year's Girl (2021 Remaster)
    DR12 -2.14 dB -18.01 dB 3:49 03-The Beat (2021 Remaster)
    DR12 -2.77 dB -16.13 dB 3:18 04-Pump It Up (2021 Remaster)
    DR14 -2.30 dB -19.45 dB 2:44 05-Little Triggers (2021 Remaster)
    DR15 -2.06 dB -19.18 dB 2:26 06-You Belong To Me (2021 Remaster)
    DR13 -0.98 dB -17.23 dB 2:38 07-Hand In Hand (2021 Remaster)
    DR14 0.00 dB -16.01 dB 3:10 08-(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea (2021 Remaster)
    DR13 -1.14 dB -16.20 dB 2:40 09-Lip Service (2021 Remaster)
    DR13 -0.59 dB -16.67 dB 3:47 10-Living In Paradise (2021 Remaster)
    DR12 -2.17 dB -17.48 dB 3:34 11-Lipstick Vogue (2021 Remaster)
    DR10 -1.57 dB -16.02 dB 2:46 12-Night Rally (2021 Remaster)
    DR12 -1.74 dB -16.50 dB 3:12 13-Big Tears (2021 Remaster)
    DR11 -1.38 dB -15.94 dB 3:07 14-Radio, Radio (2021 Remaster)
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Number of tracks: 14
    Official DR value: DR12

    Samplerate: 96000 Hz
    Channels: 2
    Bits per sample: 24
    Bitrate: 3052 kbps
    Codec: ALAC
    ================================================================================
     
  21. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I just noticed it has the UK front cover (but without the colour stripes on the right like a photo) and the whole words in the title/artist but uses the photo from the back cover of the US release. I'm playing it now so will update after and compare. So far it sounds great.
     
    Juggsnelson likes this.
  22. Juggsnelson

    Juggsnelson Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island
    Mine is out for delivery....looking forward to cranking it up!
     
    kouzie likes this.
  23. Storytime

    Storytime Forum Resident

    Looks like this is getting positive reviews, so I just ordered the two-LP version with both Spanish Model and this remaster from uDiscover Music. I didn't even know this two-LP version existed until Jack White mentioned it above. Thanks!
     
    theholygoof likes this.
  24. Michael Macrone

    Michael Macrone Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    First impressions after one dedicated listen:

    This is a de facto remix, regardless of what it's called. And from one angle, the songs have never sounded better. Greater clarity, greater separation, less distortion. (Steve's parts especially are far more exposed.) Seems like the recipe for a great reissue.

    But this pudding fails the taste proof. The pervasive layer of edgy, after-hours haze has been sucked out of the tracks, and the album's unique mood and power along with it. Nick's unifying overdrive is gone, and now everything's too distinct. It sounds more like Armed Forces and less like This Year's Model.

    So the album is a more fragmentary listen, and some tracks fragment themselves. The transition to the bridge in "Night Rally," for example, is jarring. It's like we've switched to a different song.

    In isolation some tracks might stand up pretty well on their own, but I'm not sure any of them has more impact. The improvements in general weren't worth the cost.

    But if we regard this as an alternate mix, it's definitely interesting to hear all the elements with fresh ears. And the dynamic range is terrific. If this release picks up new listeners or gets more tracks on more playlists, that's a win.
     
  25. Innocent Smith

    Innocent Smith Always crashing in the same car

    Location:
    Minnesota, USA
    I hear this. I preordered the double LP w/ Spanish Model and This Year's Model. Last Thursday I got an email saying it had shipped... today tracking is still at the dreaded "Shipping Label Created, USPS Awaiting Item". I seriously don't understand how this works. Why are they creating labels and then not giving the package to USPS for more than 5 days?
     
    footstomper likes this.

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