Elvis Costello on Rhino--time to reevaluate?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by edb15, Oct 10, 2007.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    It's been almost 4 months since I posted in this thread, and I now have the Rhino remasters around 8 months. I still prefer them all, with the exception of Punch The Clock (as I mentioned earlier and still stand by) and now I can say I prefer the Ryko Blood and Chocolate as well.

    In both cases they are more compressed and bass heavy on the Ryko versions than the flatter Rhino versions, and to me they sound better that way. Maybe it's because that was the first way I heard them and am used to it, but that is my opinion...Rhinos all the way, except Ryko PTC and B&C.

    I have Girls Girls Girls, and haven't listened in years. Guess I'll dig her out for a spin.
     
  2. MichaelSmith

    MichaelSmith Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Great sounding comp - is the US set the same as the Demon set? The Demon still sounds great...
     
  3. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident


    Steve, be careful! That statement could be taken way out of context...
     
  4. The Keymaster

    The Keymaster Forum Resident

    Location:
    So Cal, USA
    Dynamically compressed is a good way to put it.
     
  5. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    Wow, I am surprised by the (mild) disdain for the Rhinos. I got the impression from earlier threads that they were generally the tops -- master tapes, flat transfer, etc.

    Would anybody care to opine on which of the old Demon CDs makes the best case for their greatness? (I recall that there was a problem with Armed Forces that was "fixed" in the Ryko release.)

    My need for a listening test is becoming more urgent!
     
  6. His Masters Vice

    His Masters Vice W.C. Fields Forever

    The problem was on the Columbia Armed Forces - also on the original Columbia LP, as far as I know - completely wrong EQ in one channel. The only problem on the Demon was that the original issue used the US tracklisting instead of the UK (ie, finishing with What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding instead of Two Little Hitlers and leaving off Sunday's Best). This was later fixed.

    Incidentally, that reminds me - Sunday's Best is quite distorted on my UK Demon CD of Girls Girls Girls.

    I can only endorse what chilab says (and I have also said on other threads) about the RCA/F-Beat King of America. In fact, it is to die for.

    The Demons are fine, the Rykos are not. The Rhinos are better than the Rykos and have the most bonus tracks, but you may well prefer the Demons in terms of sound. I have all the RCA/F-Beats, Demons, Rykos and Rhinos and I must say I never play the Rykos.

    No Spike CD sounds as good as the original vinyl, but as that's not exactly my favourite Elvis Costello album I don't get too worked up about it. Such a weird approach to production on some of those tracks...
     
  7. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    Okay, this is intriguing. Are the F-Beat CDs Japan issues? Details please! :)
     
  8. His Masters Vice

    His Masters Vice W.C. Fields Forever

    Germany and Japan, but the German CD was issued first, around the time that the LP was released in February 1986. The Japan pressing came out a couple of months later, so I'm referring to the German issue. It's possible that the Japan CD sounds different...

    F-Beat ZD 70946 is the German CD

    F-Beat R32-1042 is the Japan CD

    Good luck finding one, they were replaced about 12 months later by Demon IMP FIEND CD 78 which as I recall was manufactured in the UK.

    I believe that there was also a Columbia King of America CD released in 1986, but I do not have that one so I can't comment on the sound. It may well be very similar to the F-Beat

    If I recall correctly all my F-Beat Elvis Costello CDs were made in Germany (but I'd have to check Goodbye Cruel World as I don't have it in front of me). In fact the F-Beat Punch The Clock was the first CD I ever bought, in 1984! That one is F-Beat/RCA ZD 70026
     
  9. ATSMUSIC

    ATSMUSIC Senior Member

    Location:
    MD, USA
    what are these? Their are EC "Demon" CDs that sound better than the columbias?
     
  10. jstraw

    jstraw Forum Resident

    Way back before CDs or the Intertubes the word got out on how bad (relatively speaking) the Columbia vinyl was. It came to light, as I recall with "Get Happy." The smart money was on "buy the import," which was a revalation.

    On CD I mainly have the "broken tooth" Rykos. The '93s I guess. I never bought the next round with more bonuses. I think I'm ready for the Rhinos. I think I'd set sonics aside for all the bonus material I've not got.
     
  11. RoyalScam

    RoyalScam Luckless Pedestrian

    Well...you'd better get going then. They're technically OOP almost a year now.
     
  12. chilab17

    chilab17 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Niles, IL
    Lots of good information here!

    When we recommend Demon issues, we are talking 1980s versions (usually with the FIEND prefix). Demon re-issued the catalog in the 1990s (with a DPAM prefix) identical to US Ryko and again in the 2000s (on Edsel with a MANUS prefix) to coincide with US Rhino.

    Get Happy is probably the original Demon cd that differs the most from the US Columbia. My Aim is so bad on Columbia cd that almost anything sounds better.

    Girls Girls Girls seems to be the same mastering (and same tracks) in the US. It has been ages since I heard the US cd but I have the cassette (with different tracks, of course) and it seems to be the same.

    The RCA-distributed F-Beats are very, very hard to find. Thanks, His Masters Vice for the shoutout, but I probably picked it up because of your recommendation (and others on the Costello Album thread). I found a Japanese F-Beat King of America in our classifieds in the last year. Maybe we can compare German vs. Japanese somehow?

    Also, as His Masters Vice noted, "No Spike CD sounds as good as the original vinyl." I never noticed this one until the album thread and I pulled out the US promo vinyl and compared it. It has a nice, full sound - good midrange, not harsh at all.
     
  13. The Keymaster

    The Keymaster Forum Resident

    Location:
    So Cal, USA
    I dunno...I lived with the Rykos for ten years and thought the sound was--generally--fine. I never began to question them until I came to this forum and read some people's opinions of them. I have a couple of the Rhinos (the first five and B&C) and I have to admit that I still prefer some aspects of the Rykos over the Rhinos. :shrug:

    There's rarely a consensus around here on what the best sounding CDs are.
     
  14. The Keymaster

    The Keymaster Forum Resident

    Location:
    So Cal, USA
    Too bad he doesn't live in California. I see the Rhinos turn up used quite regularly at Amoeba. Usually for under $10.
     
  15. Derek Gee

    Derek Gee Senior Member

    Location:
    Detroit
    My recollection is that it had something to do with Dolby not being turned on in playback... Strange thing is, I don't like the "corrected" version. I prefer listening to my older Columbia CD copy of that song.

    Derek
     
  16. tfarney

    tfarney Active Member

    Location:
    Charlotte,NC
    Well, my ears suck. I listened to the US Columbia vinyl, then cds, for years and loved every minute of it. Yeah, My Aim Is True always sounded a bit thin to me, but I just figured that's the way it was recorded. I do have a US copy of Girls, Girls, Girls, but I have barely listened to it, I guess because I'm used to listening to the albums, not a comp. I guess I'm going to have to dig it out and do some listening so I'll know if I can still hear...

    Tim
     
  17. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    Thanks for that info. I'll be looking, but it seems I won't be finding an F-Beat release any time soon.

    Have you or anyone ever compared the F-Beat release to the original Demon (FIEND CD 78)? I have the latter, so I'm just wondering if I can expect a major difference with the F-Beat. I just went and re-read that section of the EC album thread and the Demon release wasn't really discussed.
     
  18. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    I quite like the Rhino 2 CD remasters. I think the Rhino "This Years Model" blows away the Ryko version (listen to Lip Service on the Ryko; it's at a lower volume than the track that precedes it and is annoying as hell) . I think the "Rhinos" were very well done and I enjoy them all with no apologies.
     
  19. 93curr

    93curr Senior Member

    Me too.

    The only complaints I have with the Rhinos are with the artwork (US cover on 'Armed Forces', missing color bar on 'Model', color tint on 'King Of America') and 'Blood And Chocolate' not including 'A Town Called Nothing (Really Big Nothing)'. I'm still missing a couple of 'em but, sonically, the ones I have sound more like the original UK vinyl than any other CD edtions I've owned.
     
  20. jstraw

    jstraw Forum Resident

    I thought the Rhinos were the current releases. What's current?
     
  21. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    I bought every Elvis Costello album on vinyl up to King of America. I bought the CBS and some Demon CDs. The Demons I kept the CBS I largely replaced with the Rykos. I did not care too much for the Rykos sound but they were generally an improvement.

    I did not feel like digging into my pockets again for the Rhino CDs despite the bonus tracks. I have close friends that bought the Rhinos and those that I've heard do seem to be an improvement. I can only buy the same material so many times. I have been buying ECs music since the beginning. I've seen him in concert more times than any other artist still I started to feel used by the whole marketing and remastering.
     
  22. GabeG

    GabeG New Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Have you compared to the rhino costello disks?
     
  23. GabeG

    GabeG New Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Indeed. King of America on rhino is the first pressing I've heard where Suit of Light DOESN'T have nasty distortion on one channel. And when I say first pressing, I'm talking about cd, original american and british vinyl.
     
  24. chilab17

    chilab17 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Niles, IL
    Hip-O/Universal for the 1977-1986 years.

    Search is your friend.
     
  25. jstraw

    jstraw Forum Resident


    How are they? How are they as far as bonus tracks are concerned?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine