I have the (European release) Hybrid SACD's of I (Car), II (Scratch), III (Melt), IV (Security), Us , Up and they sound very good so I have had no reason to seek out the originals. Had the 'So' Hybrid SACD as well and sold it when I got the Black Triangle. The 32VD of that title sounds a bit better on my system than the SACD did, both the redbook and SACD layers.
First the early albums Peter Gabriel 1,2,3, and 4(aka Security), the late 80's Virgin/Charisma UK CD's all the way. Peter Gabriel V (So), I believe has the same mastering worldwide(My fave) except for some level shifting on some pressings. The SACD's are a a bit over EQ'd and slightly compressed in comparison.
One comment on the SACDs. They sound mastered. Things are sonically tucked and tidied up. Not a stray edge is left. Technically they were very well mastered discs but what do they do for you emotionally? I prefer the old Virgin/Charisma CDs.
Hmmm, well maybe I'll have to check the VC's out then. There was enough of a difference with the SO disc. The SACD's sound nice and tight, don't hurt my ears if turned up loud. Up rocks in surround.
IV and Up are maybe the best SACDs sonically. I was not as happy with I or II. I don't have III. So is very good.
I've never heard the VC of peter gabriel. I can compare the original US to the SACD and the remastered cd. I like the remaster and SACD better As for Shaking the tree, the original cd is better than the sacd. And I like the west German target of Security. Never felt a need to get the sacd.
All the V/C's sound fine to me, except Security, where I found the WG Target to be considerably better.
I have the first three albums remastered in 2002. I haven't listened to them in a sometime, and not since coming here, and learning how much I didn't know regarding mastering.
Isn't it time to do this properly? There have been many threads started in the past, here are just a few: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=87608 http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=126562 http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=148295 http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=161108 There are different masterings of several titles for the pre-2002 editions, so we need to determine exactly how many variants there are, and which ones people are referring to when expressing a preference for an earlier mastering. So, someone wake up Jeff Carney, Dr. M., Raf, etc. and let's sort this all out. Should we go album by album, or just post up everything we have and have someone sort it all out at the end? Anyone want to volunteer to keep all the data organized?
I am wondering if the I and II you have are USA pressings or European. I found the Euro disc of I (PGCD1) was infinitely better than the USA disc I had. The US was very muddy in comaprison. I have the Black Triangle discs and the Japan first pressings of I and II if numbers are needed.
I bought the import hybrid of So and was disappointed. I prefer the original non-remaster CD. I have Up for the surround, and I got the import so it wouldn't "rot" (Crest Cracker - bad hub).
I'm in! I'll even keep score. (Though this'll likely cost me a ton of money when I find out what I'm missing.) Peter Gabriel I US ATCO 36-147-2 "Made in USA by WEA . . . " Blue perimeter ring Track 1 - Peak level 93.0 % Track 2 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 3 - Peak level 99.5 % Track 4 - Peak level 77.1 % Track 5 - Peak level 95.8 % Track 6 - Peak level 88.6 % Track 7 - Peak level 73.6 % Track 8 - Peak level 80.3 % Track 9 - Peak level 77.2 % Peter Gabriel II US Atlantic 19181-2 "Made in USA by WEA . . . " Red perimeter ring Track 1 - Peak level 89.2 % Track 2 - Peak level 99.6 % Track 3 - Peak level 46.7 % Track 4 - Peak level 98.0 % Track 5 - Peak level 95.3 % Track 6 - Peak level 74.3 % Track 7 - Peak level 99.5 % Track 8 - Peak level 75.2 % Track 9 - Peak level 62.5 % Track 10 - Peak level 99.7 % Track 11 - Peak level 77.0 % Peter Gabriel III US Geffen 2035-2 "Mfg. by DADC" DIDX 001873 Track 1 - Peak level 78.9 % Track 2 - Peak level 75.7 % Track 3 - Peak level 28.1 % Track 4 - Peak level 76.4 % Track 5 - Peak level 58.8 % Track 6 - Peak level 82.0 % Track 7 - Peak level 86.0 % Track 8 - Peak level 86.4 % Track 9 - Peak level 34.7 % Track 10 - Peak level 73.8 % Security US Geffen 2011-2 WG Polygram silver/black Target Track 1 - Peak level 95.5 % Track 2 - Peak level 80.5 % Track 3 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 4 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 5 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 6 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 7 - Peak level 94.2 % Track 8 - Peak level 99.9 % So UK Virgin PGCD 5 "Nimbus England" Track 1 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 2 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 3 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 4 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 5 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 6 - Peak level 90.4 % Track 7 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 8 - Peak level 100.0 % Track 9 - Peak level 100.0 % (OK, muffled, this one is not!
Here are the peak levels for: Peter Gabriel II PGCD 2 Virgin (Made in France MPO) 1. 97.7% 2. 97.7% 3. 58.7% 4. 97.7% 5. 97.7% 6. 92.0% 7. 97.7% 8. 96.5% 9. 97.7% 10. 97.7% 11. 97.7% Peter Gabriel III PGCD 3 Virgin (Mastered by Nimbus, UK) 1. 95.5% 2. 95.5% 3. 37.1% 4. 95.5% 5. 95.5% 6. 95.5% 7. 95.5% 8. 95.5% 9. 43.5% 10. 95.5%
Here are some peak levels (taken from existing threads) for other Peter Gabriel CDs: Peter Gabriel 1 PGCD 1 (Nimbus): 91.2 % - 97.7 % - 97.7 % - 87.1 % - 93.3 % - 97.7 % - 97.6 % - 89.7 % - 97.7 % Peter Gabriel 4: Geffen 2011-2 (matrix = DIDX-1012 1 MANUFACTURED BY DADC) [US original CD] 96.4 % - 49.2 % - 67.0 % - 58.2 % - 89.3 % - 78.3 % - 57.9 % - 100.0 % Deutsches Album - Virgin/Charisma XPGCD 4/0777 7 87220 2 1 (matrix = 787220 2 @ 1) [disc made in Holland] 100.0 % - 85.1 % - 90.9 % - 75.4 % - 86.1 % - 73.3 % - 93.0 % - 78.3 % (NOTE: songs 2 and 4 are swapped on Deutsches Album relative to PG IV.)
In reading another thread, it's indicated that the IV target and original V/Cs are different masterings. A forum member posts his peak levels for a Made in Holland PGCD 4. However, all the other V/C masterings have a lot in common with the IV target mastering (all having high, consistent peak levels). Is there anyone who has a V/C of IV made in the UK or France to check against the Holland disc? Here are the peak levels for the Made in Holland disc: Virgin/Charisma PGCD4 Track 1 Peak level 97.7 % Track 2 Peak level 53.8 % Track 3 Peak level 71.0 % Track 4 Peak level 67.9 % Track 5 Peak level 90.7 % Track 6 Peak level 85.6 % Track 7 Peak level 60.8 % Track 8 Peak level 91.3 %