Time And Love: The Laura Nyro Album By Album Thread

If you're interested in picking up Christmas and the Beads of Sweat, put your money toward the 2008 Japanese remaster. I know it's almost cliche around here to recommend the expensive disc over the commonly available one, but there's a HUGE difference between the two. It's not even close.

 

I received a Sony Japan SRCS 5322 copy of The First Songs today. Although I've always liked the Rev Ola More Than A New Discovery CD, I must say the SRCS disc is clearly better. The difference is very obvious, the SRCS has a much better bass sound and the overall feel of the sound is much more natural. I'm afraid it's again the more expensive disc that is clearly the best...

Here are the wavforms for "Wedding Bell Blues", the Japan SRCS above and the Rev Ola CD below (both normalized at -0.1 dB):



It's also clear that the SRCS has a longer fade.

The EAC peak levels are as follows:

Mastering 1: 83.7/66.7/86.7/94.3/78.8/84.0/91.3/79.6/79.0/84.5/75.0/80.8
Rev Ola CR REV 233 (original pressing, incorrect tracklisting) Matrix: Sony DADC IFPI LY33 CRREV233 01

Mastering 2: 69.3/45.1/71.4/92.7/63.2/76.0/79.4/61.0/64.5/69.4/55.0/64.0
Sony Japan SRCS 6322 Matrix: DP-3381 2

If anybody has more EAC levels for different pressings post them here.

 

Mono is the ONLY way to go (and I have the Japanese card sleeve cd of the stereo remaster); it is absolutely a revelation.

Years ago, when I lost one on ebay, someone emailed me unsolicited and said that if I ever wanted one, I'd better be prepared to bid high because all the copies were being bought by Japanese collectors/dealers and they were taking all the good copies out of the US. Well, you know what he was right--I bid high, got one, over two Japanese bidders. With very few exceptions, every mono copy I've seen in the ensuing 3+ years on ebay is going overseas. Odd, for sure. Anyway, I', passing on my advice if anyone decides to go after one.

 

Peter is right--no distortion. Another plus for the mono.

 

OK, got the Rev-ola "More Than..."

The song order on the disc now matches the order on the back artwork.

I haven't a/b'ed it against the Jp first press, but the Rev-ola sounds great.

 

Please report back when you do the A/B. I love the initial Japan press but would have to consider getting the new mastering if it compares favorably as this is one my favorite albums.

 

Columbia CK 31410 has same levels.

 

I've did an A/B comparison, check out post #27 for details and wavforms.

 

So just to be clear. You are telling me that I already own the best sounding digital version?

 

At least, these are the 2 masterings I own. Yes, of these to the original Japan is clearly the best, so if you own that one I shouldn't bother getting the Rev Ola disc. Unless of course you're a collector or want the album in its original 1966 running order.

 

If one can't find/afford a good Forecast mono or even a stereo,
I'd say the CD of the Columbia 'First Songs' may be the way to go.

There's still distortion, but not to the degree as on my red/orange label Columbia LP, that thing is a real dog.

 

Is there any chance that we could get a sample of the "The First Songs" CD? I would gladly post the corresponding sample from the Rev-Ola CD.

 

.

 

Planbee's commments regarding the Japan Mini Lp's has me wondering if the 2008 Mini Lps of Eli etc feature the same mastering as the earlier (2002) Japan discs (SICP series) in jewel cases?

Or do those 2002 discs have the same mastering as the US remasters?

 

I'm new to this waveform stuff, so please bear with me.

What do these two sets of WFs indicate? What do you see that would lead you to believe that the Jp Press would sound better? I can understand when I see brickwalling, but I'm not sure what I should see between these two.

I'm not challenging you, just trying to learn.

Thanks!

 

I think I read in the Japanese remasters thread that the 2008 Eli wasn't remastered. Smile and Christmas... sure were, though.

As far as that SICP series from 2002, I happened to be on CD Universe a couple weeks ago when they had a temporary glitch with their prices. The import New York Tendaberry was priced at only $1.97, so I grabbed it. Turns out the SICP 8052 is identical to the Sony Legacy remaster, both done by Mark Wilder. So, I ended up paying $1.97 for an OBI strip. Of course, many people around here would consider that money well spent...

 

Here's 0:33 to 1:03 of 'Billy's Blues' from The First Songs CD. No volume normalizing, straight rip.

http://www.box.net/shared/p5b7c0ilji

 

I just found a post in an earlier thread that all of the first batch of Mini Lp's except first songs are the same as the Mark Wilder discs (and 2002 Japan SICP CD's) . First Songs however is a new DSD remaster and sound nice to my ears.

Congrats on the Obi strip. Put it on a more expensive CD and sell it.

 

Here is the same section from the "More Than A New Discovery" Rev-Ola CD.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/5e2ith

 

It's trade off for me. The Rev-Ola has fuller sounding upper lows/midrange, but it also has high end roll-off that the Columbia does not.

Pick your poison.

 

My favorite Laura album, besides First Songs, is Gonna Take a Miracle. Awesome. Then, probably Christmas and the Beads of Sweat.

 

Tho, she didn't write any of the songs on 'Miracle.'

If you like her as interpreter, that's great.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVpoe-znKMM

I posted a minute sample of a 128kbps needle drop of the VERVE FOLKWAYS 1967 non-promo stereo pressing of Billy's Blues onto youtube.

The differences in the pressing from other Stereo versions:

1. The Left/Right channels are reversed meaning the "band track" is in the left channel and the strings/horns/harmonica are in the right channel.

2. Wedding Bell Blues got a remix post 1967. Heavy reverb was added to the track & the tracks were "balanced" meaning the channel with the harmonica was raised to the level of the other track.

Here's WBB 1967 Stereo Verve/Folkways. Notice the channel placement, the "dry" backing vocals, & the hamonica in the mix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtVdFv6OWyw

Here's WWB 1969 Stereo Verve/Forecast. Notice the brightness, channel placement, heavy reverb, and the gosh darned loud harmonica.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Fender1980#play/uploads/1/oxl6bcz5q6c

And the MONO version.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Fender1980#play/search/0/06S8g9L-fUY

 

I know. I used to feel guilty about liking a cover albums so much. I usually hate covers albums. But 'Miracle' just has something about it that makes it far and away my most listened to Nyro album. Flawless.

 

On the Laura Nyro yahoo forum, Al Quaglieri (who produced the 2002 re-issues) stated that he searched the Sony vaults for everything related to the album because of distortion on a song (probably Stoney End). Here's his post from 2005 regarding Laura Nyro:

1. The original flat 2-track mixdown master of FIRST SONGS is in the
Sony vault. it was used for the early tracks on the TIME AND LOVE
collection. I remember one of the tracks was pretty distorted on the
original tape, and I wanted to remix it from the original
4-tracks...I turned the library upside down and found one reel of
4-track multis for FIRST SONGS (which in itself was pretty amazing),
but not the song I wanted (I'd check to see which one that was, but
I'm too lazy to start rummaging through my files at 1 a.m.). I had my
friends at Universal triple check their holdings for any stray Laura
remnants, but there were none. I've been meaning to call Milt Okun to
see if he has anything in his closet. But you're right, that album
needs a re-do.

2. I'm still digging for an acceptable master of CHRISTMAS. I think
the album always sounded raggedy...considering the session players
and producer, it should sound great, but I've yet to find any tape
that comes close, and I've called in the masters from the UK, Holland
and Japan. I may have to pull the multitracks and mix to match the
original, minus all the crud...in any event, there's little chance of
this escaping before next year, sorry. This will also delay the other
two titles, because I'm certain they want to issue all three at once.

3. The bonus tracks on ELI were just demos, which preceded the first
incarnation of that album. All the original session reels for the
first studio run of ELI still exist (this was before Laura got into
the habit of erasing or destroying her outtakes). I've never had the
chance to put them up even for a listen, and I seriously doubt we'll
ever release them. I know that Laura absolutely hated those first
sessions, and that were she still with us she would toss a grenade
into the CD press rather than let them escape; even in her
absence, I have to respect that, and so, probably, should you.

4. Lou Adler sent us copies of the complete Monterey performance,
which I had never heard. I always found it hard to believe the
oft-repeated tales of Laura being booed off the stage, how wacky she
was, etc. So From the moment she hits the stage, it's painfully
apparent that the backup band is a bunch of sloppy stoners who hadn't
spent two seconds preparing her music, which was intricate and tricky
even for a good sight-reader. Laura struggles to hold her tunes
together, while behind her, a musical trainwreck ensues. After a few
noble attempts to pull of a performance, she does the only thing she
can under the circumstances and cuts her set way short. She even
extricates herself from the stage with grace (under the
circumstances, I'd have picked up a handful of bongs and chucked them
squarely at the players' heads).

I do hope this clears up some of the speculation. I'm always hesitant
to make an appearance in online fan forums, because most of the time
it turns into a hassle after the fact. Fortunately, that's never been
the case with Laura's admirers, who've always been humane and smart
enough to tacitly acknowledge my limitations within the corporate environment.

Cheers,

Al Q.


I prefer the sound of the 1967 Verve Folkways releases over all other versions. Both Mono & Stereo sound pretty good. There are so many variations of the album on vinyl. There are versions with the "More Than A New Discovery" title on the front and a "The First Songs" record inside.