1998 Steely Dan Remasters

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by audiodrome, Dec 24, 2009.

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  1. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    I know that the 1998 Steely Dan remasters aren't regarded very highly on this forum but I spent the better part of the evening listening to them and for the life of me I can't figure out what the problem is. To me, they sound tonally well-balanced, open and detailed. What supposedly is the issue with these remasters?
     
  2. evad

    evad Well-Known Member

    Location:
    .
    It's been a while since I compared them...but if I recall correctly, I found them to be too detailed.

    Try finding a 37xxx Japan for US CDs and you will dump those remasters.
     
  3. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Too much treble, and they have a sonic smear.
     
  4. Andreas

    Andreas Senior Member

    Location:
    Frankfurt, Germany
    They are brighter and thinner than the originals, and at least Can't Buy A Thrill is noise-reduced. Some issues of the remasters have the intro to Rikki Don't Lose That Number removed; this was corrected only later.
     
  5. vonwegen

    vonwegen Forum Resident

    "Black Friday" also is NR'ed, especially obvious on the fade-out.

    Go for the original CDs for the sound, & the 1999's for the liner notes.
     
  6. hodgo

    hodgo Tea Making Gort (Yorkshire Branch) Staff

    Location:
    East Yorkshire
    I have the "Citizen" Box are the CD's in this classed as ok soundwise or are these different again, I've always thought they sounded great, I seem to recall without looking at the mo to check that this set came out around 1993-4.
     
  7. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    I don't hear too much treble at all. The original 1980's MCA CDs sound lifeless to me.
     
    Doctor Mu likes this.
  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    I compared them with the older CDs and the original vinyl. The treble is jacked up on those remasters.

    Since you have a few others saying the same thing I did, perhaps it is that:

    You didn't compare them to anything else
    Your system is on the dark side
    It's time to check your upper frequency hearing
     
  9. audiodrome

    audiodrome Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    North Of Boston
    I think that some people actually prefer slightly bright recordings and some people actually prefer slightly dark recordings as a matter of taste. It's all personal preference. I have a whole bunch of CDs which some members here have called "ear-bleeding" that sound perfectly fine to me. I also have a bunch of CDs that are indeed "ear-bleeding" so it's not as if I'm not immune to treble jacking. :D
     
  10. evad

    evad Well-Known Member

    Location:
    .
    Case closed, shut down the thread and enjoy the remasters. :righton::righton:

    Don't let anyone convince you otherwise as long as you are happy. :wave:
     
  11. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Well, to me, "ear-bleeding" means that my ears literally hurt from all the treble. But, everyone hears differently.

    My opinion is that the albums in their boxed set are a bit bright like you like them, but are sonically clearer. You may wish to find that "Citizen Dan" box if you don't already own all of the remasters. At least I can tolerate that one.
     
  12. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    This is all that matters. I like the old MCA's just fine, but the couple of remasters I bought didn't tear out my soul either. So, you can enjoy what you have or spend God knows how much time and money tracking down 25-year-old Japanese originals.
     
  13. Or trip down to your local CD Warehouse / Disc-Go-Round and pick up the 25 year old
    DIDX-55 (Steve's transfer) of the 'Aja' album. Bloomy! This usually sets you back about $6.
     
  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Is the Citizen Box a nay, or a yay ?
     
  15. pdenny

    pdenny 22-Year SHTV Participation Trophy Recipient

    Location:
    Hawthorne CA
    You missed the point. He likes what he has. Let him enjoy it.
     
  16. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    It's just an OK!:D
     
  17. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    If he likes what he has, why did he start a thread about it? Perhaps he doubted himself and wanted some reaffirmation?
     
  18. The remasters have a bit of a "sterile," in-your-face sound, and nary a hint of tape hiss, leading me to believe that Roger Nichols used some sort of digital NR. The remasters don't sound bad, but they sound a little lifeless compared to the original plaid back CD's.

    Nichols himself has said his 1990's remasters do not sound as good as the original digital masters he and the band worked on for 18 months in the early 80's, although he chalked that up to deterioration of the analog masters.
     
  19. jjay

    jjay Forum Resident

    Location:
    MN United States
    PHP:
    It's time to check your upper frequency hearing
    Not a nice thing to say at this time of year.
    I have 4 of the remasters and the Citizen box set. IMO Aja and The Royal Scam remasters sounds better than the box set but I prefer Katy Lied and Pretzel logic from the Citizen box set. The SACD of Gaucho is one of my favorite sounding cd's. IMO it is system dependent on which cd's sounds best to you.
    Jim
     
  20. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Roger Nichols has had quite a bit to say about the history of the Steely Dan catalog on CD over the years. I can't find it now, but there was a great article he wrote about the history of the remasters. Perhaps it was on someone's fan website.
     
  21. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    I take that as a nay then! :D
     
  22. Really, all of my favorite 'Dan albums are available in non-CD versions that I prefer: Can't Buy A Thrill (Speakers Corner LP), Aja (Cisco LP mastered by Kevin Gray), and Gaucho (SACD mastered by Bob Ludwig). As for the rest of the albums, I am generally OK with the remastered CD's, although I prefer the original issues.
     
  23. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    Bright and thin are good descriptors, especially when compared to the original MCA discs and the MFSL gold version of Gaucho.
     
  24. John Carsell

    John Carsell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Northwest Illinois
    :rolleyes:

    I don't think Nichols is telling us everything either.
     
  25. Is this what you are talking about? The history recounted here ends circa 1991 (i.e., it does not deal with the later remasters):

    http://www.granatino.com/sdresource/18crime.htm

     
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