Elvis Costello on Rhino--time to reevaluate?

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

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  1. flashgordon

    flashgordon New Member

    I always thought Costello's Demon CDs were released in 1986. But resently an e-bay seller has insisted on 1993 release date for Demon's "My Aim Is True" CD with cat. # DPAM1. What is this? The second press by Demon or whatever? :help:
     
  2. His Masters Vice

    His Masters Vice W.C. Fields Forever

    This is the same as the Ryko "My Aim Is True". In other words, same bonus tracks and mastering as the Ryko. Demon (which Costello part owned) retained the UK rights to his early albums up until 1998 (when Demon was sold off) hence there were "90s Demons" which are quite different to the original editions.

    DPAM1 is the catalog number of the 1993 CD.

    The 1986 Demon CD has the catalog number IMP FIEND CD 13
     
  3. flashgordon

    flashgordon New Member

    Thank you, Paul! :) I didn't know that
    Thanks God i lost my bid on E-bay on a Demon's "My Aim Is True"/"Armed Forces" couple few weeks ago. They also had DPAM's catalogue numbers and gone for 8 bucks for a couple...
    Now i know the catalogue numbers i should focus on. :thumbsup:
     
  4. His Masters Vice

    His Masters Vice W.C. Fields Forever

    You're welcome, Andrey. Now you know why they were so cheap - there's no demand for the 90s Demons (or Rykos)!
     
  5. Togo

    Togo Same as it ever was

    Location:
    London UK
    Tim,

    I have both UK versions of the Demon Girls! CD's. I haven't done any detailed comparisons, but on first impression I suspect the mastering is probably the same, although, somehow the original Demon sounds a little bit warmer and fuller in the bass (but that may be my brain playing tricks on me)

    Anyone else know?
     
  6. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    Indeed, neither did I. Just learned it here yesterday in this? thread. Someone nicely posted an image of the original demon cd spines for all to see.
    Now I know what to look for, Demon and Imp on the spin. I have found four in my collection already, but they are Bert Jansch and John Rebourn cds... One day I'll find a demon costello (maybe two!) and smile on my way to the used store counter... thanks to you guys...
     
  7. beatlebum

    beatlebum Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hannover, Germany



    Track 1
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track01.wav

    Spitzenpegel 89.4 %
    Kopie CRC 894E9172
    Kopie OK

    Track 2
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track02.wav

    Spitzenpegel 92.0 %
    Kopie CRC 4D505345
    Kopie OK

    Track 3
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track03.wav

    Spitzenpegel 70.1 %
    Kopie CRC EC5FB6CE
    Kopie OK

    Track 4
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track04.wav

    Spitzenpegel 84.7 %
    Kopie CRC A740CB8E
    Kopie OK

    Track 5
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track05.wav

    Spitzenpegel 85.2 %
    Kopie CRC F45C34A2
    Kopie OK

    Track 6
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track06.wav

    Spitzenpegel 81.1 %
    Kopie CRC 25C6A05C
    Kopie OK

    Track 7
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track07.wav

    Spitzenpegel 64.3 %
    Kopie CRC EFBB06C4
    Kopie OK

    Track 8
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track08.wav

    Spitzenpegel 84.8 %
    Kopie CRC CE429542
    Kopie OK

    Track 9
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track09.wav

    Spitzenpegel 80.9 %
    Kopie CRC 30FC97F4
    Kopie OK

    Track 10
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track10.wav

    Spitzenpegel 92.8 %
    Kopie CRC 91438F91
    Kopie OK

    Track 11
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track11.wav

    Spitzenpegel 78.8 %
    Kopie CRC 3749972B
    Kopie OK

    Track 12
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track12.wav

    Spitzenpegel 97.5 %
    Kopie CRC 87C37977
    Kopie OK

    Track 13
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track13.wav

    Spitzenpegel 100.0 %
    Kopie CRC 0708F102
    Kopie OK

    Track 14
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track14.wav

    Spitzenpegel 100.0 %
    Kopie CRC 90B8DA03
    Kopie OK

    Track 15
    Dateiname D:\The Costello Show - King Of America - Fiend CD 78\Track15.wav

    Spitzenpegel 100.0 %
    Kopie CRC 86BC83D0
    Kopie OK

    Keine Fehler aufgetreten


    Ende des Statusreports
     
  8. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Hey, thanks for posting the EAC log, beatlebum. I missed when you posted this a couple weeks ago.

    Anyway, I recently got ahold of a Demon King of America, and the EAC log comparison confirms what I can hear sonically: The F-Beat KOA and the Demon KOA are in fact two different masterings. And I have to say I think I actually prefer the Demon version. The F-Beat CD is (as DrJ noted earlier) a bit on the bright side. The Demon has more of that flatter, duller sound like the other Demon CDs, and to me seems to have a stronger midrange that gives it more balls. As always, YMMV... I know there's some folks on this thread who feel the F-Beat is sonic nirvana.
     
  9. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    Thanks for posting your comparison impressions czeskleba, glad I wasn't totally insane in hearing a difference between the 2 discs initially, was starting to doubt myself.

    I also tend to agree with you in general about preference, after having longer to listen - the Demon versions of the KOA songs I have on GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS sound a little better than the F-Beat version of KOA, primarily due to less brightness and slightly better midrange.

    But I will also say that to my ears the F-Beat and Demon KOA are VERY close...these aren't huge differences, though they are audible on careful comparison listening - again they were close enough I was starting to wonder whether I could be imagining the differences.

    For practical purposes I'd bet all but the most picky out there would be happy with either they happened to come across first for a reasonable price.
     
  10. jstraw

    jstraw Forum Resident

    Just got my Rhino "TYM" and it has a Nice Price sticker and a dogbone. In 2002?
     
  11. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    I finally found myself a copy of the Rhino Get Happy!! and I think it sounds great. I'm very pleased with it. Now, I haven't yet compared it to my Demon or Ryko pressings, but I will probably do at least a little comparison soon. I like the sound of many of my old Demon CDs, but I've never been too excited about Get Happy!! and I expect the Rhino to compare very well.

    And the bonus disc is excellent. Several of the alternate versions are really fun and interesting. Maybe the best of the Rhino bonus discs I have heard so far.
     
  12. mrbillswildride

    mrbillswildride Internet Asylum Escapee 2010, 2012, 2014

    Yeah, there are some great tracks on that bonus disc Thirty more even!!! You were the guy looking aorund in the bay area for it right? Where did you find it finally? and if you don't mind me asking, how much? A great collection...

    fifty fine slices fo pure Elvis... enjoy
     
  13. akmonday

    akmonday Forum Resident

    Location:
    berkeley, ca
    aren't these the same mastering, though? why bother with the hip-os at all?
     
  14. akmonday

    akmonday Forum Resident

    Location:
    berkeley, ca
    haha, and I found that blood and chocolate you mentioned on another thread as welll... $8! sounds so much better than the ryko, I can't believe I stayed away from these rhinos for so long.
     
  15. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    That was me. Finally got it off eBay for about $13 + shipping. In minty condition too, which is nice.
     
  16. RayistaGeoff

    RayistaGeoff Forum Resident

    I don't know the Demon/Imp Get Happy!! all that well, but my impression when I heard it was that certain tracks were deliberately going for a sort of blurry, 60's Motown/Northern Soul kind of sound. So when first heard "Love For Tender", I was a little shocked at how bad it sounded given the reputation of the Demon/Imp discs (and the fact that I like all the other ones I've heard). But then the next track sounded great and I kind of went "oh, maybe the first track was supposed to sound like that." It did kinda sound like those old 60's soul records.

    Geoff
     
  17. RussellG

    RussellG Forum Resident

    I recently picked up my first IMP FIEND - Armed Forces. I think it's much better than the Rhino, which is too loud and bright. The Demon can really be cranked up without any harshness. I've got Demons of My Aim Is True and Get Happy!! on the way.
     
  18. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    When you get 'em, please post your impressions! If you have the Rhinos or something else, let us know what differences you hear.
     
  19. RussellG

    RussellG Forum Resident

    Good timing - My Aim Is True just arrived. It's the same story as Armed Forces - the Rhino is much louder, harsher, and has smiley EQ. I used to think the Rhino's weren't too bad - better than most modern remasters, but I've changed my mind. They're the same as most other remasters - made from excellent tapes but futzed out the wazoo...

    I also used to own the '93 Demon remaster of My Aim Is True, but I sold it when I got the Rhino (which is better), and can't really comment on the sound. My ranking for this album is:

    1) IMP FIEND
    2) Rhino
    3) '93 Demon

    I might add that I got Armed Forces for $12 in a local used store, and My Aim Is True for about $14 on Amazon UK (it was just sitting there clearly advertised as being an IMP FIEND - I was surprised nobody from here had grabbed it). A lot of people with these discs don't understand their value to the audiophile community (perhaps a lot of the audiophile community also don't appreciate how good they are!).
     
  20. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    I really have a tough time trying to evaluate the different masterings. To me, a lot of the Demons sound more like they have their highs rolled off. I've compared many of the notorious originals and remasters from other bands (e.g. Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin) and I just don't get the same pleasure from the E.C. Demons that I do from some of those other original pressings.

    My Aim Is True is a tough one because the source seems to be sketchy in a lot of places. In taking a quick listen just now, I actually find myself liking the Ryko more than the Demon or Rhino; it seems to land in between the other two and makes a nice compromise between the mellow Demon and the Rhino, which sounds a little crispy. Still, given all that, they each have their appealing qualities.

    I really do think most of the Rhinos have better source, so if they have more treble I tend to think it's from that, rather than their being EQ'd. For example, at the beginning of "Big Boys" on Armed Forces, you can actually hear E.C. taking a breath before he begins singing, whereas the Demon and the Ryko just start. Little things like that make the Rhinos appealing to me.

    In listening to Get Happy tonight, I noticed a minor defect in "Love For Tender" on the Rhino. In the first line, "You won't take my love..." the vocal track gets partially muted for a moment, right at the word "love". I can't hear it on the Demon or Ryko.

    Other than that, comparing the three versions of that album is about what I expected. The Ryko has a very bright high end. The Rhino is bright, but is much better balanced and has a nice midrange in most songs, and has more air. Interestingly, the differences vary quite a lot from song to song. For some, the Rhino and Ryko sound very similar. The Demon still sounds pretty bad to me, again, like the highs are just rolled off -- although "Opportunity" on the Demon and Rhino are strangely similar.
     
  21. RussellG

    RussellG Forum Resident

    On my system the IMP FIEND of My Aim Is True sounds pretty much spot on, while the Rhino is bright. I think the Rhino is mastered to sound more aggressive - loud with smiley EQ, which I dislike. I invariably find with modern loud remasters that I cannot listen at medium to high volume without nasty harshness creeping in, and these Rhinos are no exception. Mix the cranked highs and lows into the recipe, and you end up feeling like you're being beaten around the head with a baseball bat instead of simply enjoying loud rock music.
     
  22. dead of night

    dead of night Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern Va, usa
    Hi, I've emailed countless sellers for the times on their Columbia Elvis Costello CDs and the times they are reporting do not match these running times. If anyone has the secret remasters on Columbia for My Aim Is True or This Year's Model, can you post the running time that YOU have? Thanks, I really want to find these.
     
  23. Matty

    Matty Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Are the running times they're reporting off only by a second or two, or are they way off?
     
  24. dead of night

    dead of night Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern Va, usa
    Most were way off, even way off either reported time. However, I ordered one, This Year's Model, that was only two seconds off the "secret remaster" time. I hope it sounds good.
     
  25. DeeThomaz

    DeeThomaz Senior Member

    Location:
    In The Felony Room
    I think the "secret remasters" might be the biggest source of confusion and mystery in the EC discography. It'd be great if we could finally get definitive answers to all the questions that swirl around regarding them, the first being if they are simply clones of the Demon masters or something unique.
     
    jsayers likes this.
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