Bee Gees' Reissues On the Way!

Well guys...I wish I could say you now own the very best copy of Main Course. But I can say you almost do...that’s saying a lot considering how many pressings of this there are, between US and other countries I have imported from. Capital did a good job, but did make one stupid mistake that should have been caught, and it would have made a big difference.

If I could only own one album, this is the one. I’ve heard so many copies I couldn’t even guess. First presses, Japanese, lots of random RSO copies as you never know which will be that needle in a hay stack. All that to say, this is an album I know very well. My desert island album, not a bad track on it and it was my gateway to the Bee Gees before all the SNF nonsense.

Got the reissue today. Well pressed, though you can sure hear the sound of the vinyl as it isn’t exactly quiet, but there were no pops or clicks either, so it’s about as good as it gets for a standard issue album. I do have a colored on the way, but in my experience I will be lucky if it isn’t simply more noisy as colored vinyl is all over the map. That one I didn’t buy for an audiophile experience, but this one I did. The dumb issue that could have been avoided is that it is mastered quieter than the original, by at least 20%, which makes you turn it up louder, and in turn makes you hear the vinyl material all the more. Why? Huge mistake. The album is not long, so there was no reason to do this. Did you guys notice? You might need an original to compare.

That aside, it is well mastered, my gripe above is just a basic tech issue. But I do have one copy, and only one, that is clearly better. Part of the reason is that it is simply mastered louder (as all the original pressings would be) but in a good was (ie, you don’t have to turn it up as much to play it loud) so it plays quieter if that makes sense. You hear the music and only the music, not the noisy vinyl with the music in quiet passages due to having to turn it up too much. But I will say other than my one magic early pressing, which shows using a new tape gives you better dynamics, I think this beats everything else! So, huge victory. But this does convince me of something others have said: tapes do lose some of their dynamics and detail after many years. Someone said Barry allowed the master to be used. I heard nothing to doubt that. But my early magic pressing has a bit more of everything! Sparkle in the high end, more natural low end and more than anything, sound staging! Could I tell if I didn’t have the original press? I doubt it. And on my simply “Nice” vinyl rig, it sounded fine. It was only on my high end system where these things became obvious, and I hate to say it, but it wasn’t even close really.

But...I looked for at least 40 years before I found this copy, and I doubt anyone would want to go to that much trouble. For the vast majority, the reissue will deservedly be the final copy. Had they just bumped up the overall level a bit, it really would have made a material difference. And, a theory certainly proven for me: an excellent original pressing of a classic album is probably going to sound better than a repress if all things are equal. Mobile Fidelity and others have proven they can make an old album sound stunning, but for a standard rerelease, certainly labels like Capital are not going to go to the trouble for a $18 album. Oh...and to those that wish Capital used a RSO label, I couldn’t agree more. It just looks weird with a Capital label. I find the cow much better. But I’m nitpicking!

I will play the others shortly and report back, but my initial impression of the live album is that the reissue is so much better it is hardly worth even discussing.

 

I’d be interested in your thoughts on the live album. I remember being really disappointed in the sound quality of the original release back in ‘77 (and I was a teenager then who normally cared little about sound quality and I was listening on a pretty cheap Panasonic setup). It wasn’t that it sounded muddy; it just sounded thin and weak and distant — not like a live concert at all. The CD release resolved some of those issues and I’d say the new tangerine-vinyl release is even better. The sound is more “in your face” and there’s more punch or dynamic range. It’s still not an audiophile recording but now it sounds much more inviting. Glad I bought it.

 

So, just a quick word on Children Of The World. I had said up thread this would likely finally give all of you a great version of this album because, quite frankly, every stinkin’ last US version I have ever had (20 or more) were at best fair, and most pretty lousy. You Should Be Dancing never sounded right to me. Trumpets that never sparkled, and the rest pretty lifeless compared to what I suspected was on the master. About four years ago I was proven right when I stumbled on a Japanese copy that was labeled as an Audiophile release. That it is! Wow. They used the master, clearly, and the US presses were clearly mastered using copies way down the line in some cases. What a shame.

Well, the reissue sounds like it used the same master as my audiophile copy. It sounds just as good, meaning spectacular!!! I am very happy for you to all hear how well this was recorded since no domestic copies I have heard bear this out. Also...it was mastered at the right volume, unlike Main Course, where in my opinion they need to go back and do it right! This mastering shows how much better Main Course would sound if they just turned up the mastering volume up about 20%. So...congrats guys! Grab this one before it’s gone. A stunning listen compared to all US original pressings.

 

I probably won’t play it on my high end system until tomorrow, but I played two sides on my regular system earlier today. I had only planned on playing one side. My opinion about the original mirrors yours exactly, to the point I never, ever play it. I was so thrilled with it today I played side two. Hardly sounds like the same recording. Full of dynamics and it now sounds the way the tapes likely sounded...beautiful!

I am very disappointed in how little respect RSO showed the American market. First they dumped lousy copies of Children Of The World on us, while the Japanese got great copies, and now today I find out how much better the live album really sounded. Anyway, I’m pretty certain I will be blown away with what I hear on my higher end system based on how it sounded on my Technics MKII table (I use a very expensive cart with my VPI Prime table so of course it is far more revealing) but if I were you, I wouldn’t hesitate to order a copy. Oh....and both Children and the Live album were well pressed! The noisy vinyl on Main Course wasn’t the plants fault, it was mastered too low in volume. I don’t understand how it got out that way considering how well these sound. My copy of Spirits has not shown up yet but my money is on you are all in for a treat based on how well these were done (I have a well earned fantastic copy already but ordered one none the less).

 

Since I will be out of town for a few days, I listened to the Live album on my higher end system for a few minutes. My original wasn’t as bad as I remembered it, but it’s far from an audiophile experience, as is the case with most live albums. The original on my system was too bright and thin, not dull like I remember it on my regular system, but kind of a mess as far as the mix and/or mastering.

The new copy is much more balanced. Trumpets sound great for a live album, and for the first time I may have noriced Andy singing back up on You Should Be Dancing. If it wasn’t him, it sure sounds like him. Much more presence in this mastering. I wouldn’t want to go out on a limb and say Barry allowed a remix, but it’s miles away better than my original copy that I think is an above average pressing when recalling how bad some of these sounded (as Clark described above, that is how most pressings of the live album sounded....ironically, lifeless). This copy isn’t bright, and full of dynamics. An unhesitated recommend....and guys, I didn't even like this album before! I will absolutely play it now. Thanks to those early reviews above from those that also said it was good. I don't know how long I would have waited to open this otherwise. Boogie Child just started....nice sounding indeed!

I think we should be glad everyone held off on reissuing these. While Rhino did an outstanding job reissuing the first three albums, clearly they decided to stop. Capital is doing this right! No compression, these sound straight off the master tapes as it should be. I really hope these sell well and that they pick up with Living Eyes and keep going. Though Living Eyes, ironically, all seem to sound good. Too little too late as they say. Maybe start with One since Living Eyes is easy to find.

 

The two HeeBeeGeeBees albums were reissued on CD in 2011. (AS "ALL THE HITS AND MORE". The second album is missing two songs, but the Bee Gees parodies are both included.) And yes, they are lovely!

 

thanks for all your reviews!

 

Thanks for all your detailed thoughts! I'm really tempted to just order the full set while I can, but I already messed up by getting a few colored vinyls and the rest are no longer available. I might wait a bit to see if those re-stock so I can have a full set of one or the other. But if not, I'll at least pick up the regular Children of the World since I don't have that one vinyl at all yet!

 

It isn't.

 

That is absolutely correct! Because by the end of 1976, when the shows for "Here At Last..." were taped, Andy was still in the process of launching his own career and was more than likely elsewhere at the time those shows were recorded. I do think that JRR may be confused with the footage for the TV special of the 1979 "Spirits" tour, where Andy does in fact come out to join them on "You Should Be Dancing".

 

Didn’t think so, but it sure sounds like it!

 

Well, I would say if some are limited on budget, the one to get is Children Of The World if only because it’s next to impossible to get a good copy, and it by far benefitted the most with the update. Encouraging to see some of these are selling out. I wonder if anyone knows how many copies were pressed? That was why I ordered everything twice from two vendors. However, being on Capital, I am sure they will press more copies. Also, I would bet they were very conservative in how many copies were pressed. With all the pent up demand for vinyl it doesn’t surprise me they are selling. We’ll have to look at the Billboard charts and see if any of them debut next week.

I hope my copy of Spirits arrives today. Odd it wasn’t with the others. Most of those sound good, so I am not expecting a big jump in quality. The difference between my early press, which is excellent, and the worst US copies, isn’t really that great, it’s more the quality of the vinyl itself.

 

I was pretty sure it wasn’t him based on the timeline, but on this copy the voice jumps out towards the end and it has that low register he would use sometimes. So, I just wasn’t sure. I assume it is one of the brothers, which is why it sounds exactly like him.

 

The sold out versions have a new release date of July 17, so I wonder if they are going to put it back into regular stock then. The rest were all pre-orders, I believe, though I think most of the colored vinyls were not available to even pre-order after a certain point. The delay in production makes it kind of hard to read what might be going on.

 

I often get Barry's lower register and Andy confused, such as on the Bee Gees recording of "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away," so it was probably just Barry!

 

I don’t “need” any of these, but I treated myself to Best Of and COTW, the latter since my original is very worn out and skips!

 

Oh man, I went to get the magenta Best of Bee Gees and that's sold out now too.

Do I want to get the remaining in the regular black when I have two colored ones, hmmm. I messed up, ha.

 

Let us know what you think of COTW, since you must know it well!

 

Just bear in mind you probably have a better chance of getting a quiet copy if you get black. However, I did treat myself to the colored version of Main Course (But I also got a black) and I’ll probably open it to see if it was mastered any louder than the regular, though I really doubt it. And, I did get Spirits Having Flown (And a back up copy of COTW) today so I’ll let you all know what I think on that tonight.

 

I disagree about the pressing plant. My copy of Main Course arrived the other day It was very dusty and very noisy even after a clean up on the VPI RCM. It sounded gritty with random pops and a scratch on side 2. This is totally the fault of the pressing plant. I do agree it was mastered at too low of volume as well. I haven't got a new piece of vinyl that bad in quite awhile. On the bottom of the shrink-wrap on the back it said "made in Canada" FWIW. It's going back for a replacement.

Not impressed.

 

The decibels are low on Spirits, however she runs about 24 minutes on side one.

 

Listened to Spirits Having Flown. I would say this one has benefited the least of the four. The master tape has lost some of the high end and imaging compared to my best original pressing, I’m sorry to say. In fact, I would prefer an original IF the vinyl were quiet. It has lost some high end sparkle. The pressing itself is excellent. This is my third best, first being an original early press by Specialty, next being the excellent Nautilus, which is second only because the mastering is a touch subdued compared to the original, though better than other early pressings I’ve heard, and then this new one. It isn’t bad, and an average system would likely not pick up on it, but it is obvious on a higher end system.

I mentioned above that one of the others suffers from a bit of high end being gone because, I suspect, the tapes are simply a lot older. Still, they are all very good to excellent, and Capital did as good a job as I think they possibly could have on a $18 retail album. I am very, very pleased over all and won’t hesitate to support them with any other rereleases!

 

I need to check my second copy! Well, at least you know others got excellent copies so you likely will too. Definitely get the exchange! I wonder if your’s was pressed somewhere else. Frankly, being a major label I was concerned your experience was going to be normal.

By the way, your post reminded me that my copy of Spirits was also pressed at a lower volume than the original, though it didn’t effect it negatively like it did with Main Course as the difference wasn’t as much.

 

Yes, I forgot to mention it but did in the above post. However, I don’t think it effected it negatively to the extent it has on Main Course, to the point that it distracted me do to the high noise floor of the vinyl. They need to fix and repress it. No excuse to ruin an excellent mastering effort due to a mistake. Unless they are trying to hide an issue with the master...who knows.

 

Same here with heavy, annoying surface noise between Nights on Broadway and Jive Talkin’. The rest of the album and my copies of Best Of and Children of the World sound excellent though.