Best Dylan Remasters

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Scott6, Mar 7, 2017.

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  1. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

  2. If you've been able to compare them, how does it compare to the 1985 CD?
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2018
  3. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    I no longer have the '85 CD. I did compare it to the remastered version in the Complete Albums box set. It is the same mix, and it sounds a bit better--these Blu-Spec CD2 releases have an "ease" to the sound that the same mastering in non-Blu-Spec CD2 don't seem to have. It's a subtle difference but on my system it's there.
     
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  4. Musicisthebest

    Musicisthebest Exiled Yorkshireman

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    I've no longer got a vinyl rig but looking at the DR figures it's easy to see how compressed the CD is in comparison to the LP. For CD lovers the Blu-Spec CD2 does sound better than the standard CD, but it's just as compressed, only easier to listen to.
     
  5. Richard--W

    Richard--W Forum Resident

    Street Legal in the Complete Albums box. They rescued it. Then saved it. No other remaster or remix comes close. The Street Legal in the Complete Albums box is the only Street Legal because it's exactly and precisely the 1978 vinyl with the fogginess removed.
     
    kiddo4, Maddin61, Plan9 and 2 others like this.
  6. Isn't this simply a reissue of the 2003 CD though?
     
  7. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    No.

    From Searching for a Gem:

    Instead of including the 1999 remixed/remastered release of the Street-Legal album in The Complete Album Collection Vol. One, it's one of the fourteen titles newly remastered by Steve Berkowitz. In this case Berkowitz went back to the original 1978 master tapes and remastered the original album. This means there are now two significantly different versions of the album on sale! Changing Of The Guards has reverted to a shorter length of 6:41, instead of the 7:06 version on the 1999 album. It does however, have a final drum beat that was missing from the 1978 version (which is still on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. 3, 1994, and even on the 2007 3CD set Dylan, which should have had the 7:06 version from 1999), timed at 6:36. Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) again fades into True Love Tends To Forget, on the 1999 version they're separated, and the prominent mandolin from the original mix has been restored.
     
  8. But wasn't the 2003 remaster also the original mix? Thanks!
     
  9. Musicisthebest

    Musicisthebest Exiled Yorkshireman

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    No. It was a fresh remaster of the remix.
     
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  10. Wugged

    Wugged Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw, Poland
    Some of these Blu Spec discs contain newer remasterings that were done for the Complete Albums box set, and are worth checking out.

    Careful though, some just contain the older (usually the 2003 Sony) remasters.
     
  11. Lonson

    Lonson I'm in the kitchen with the Tombstone Blues

    The only new remaster from the box set that wasn't used for the Blu-Spec CD2 releases is "Street Legal," it uses the previous remix. Darn.
     
    Flaming Torch and Musicisthebest like this.
  12. That's an oversight, surely? So the 1999 is the first remix, the 2003 SACD and 2004 CD are a remaster of the remix, the Complete Album Collection contains the only re-remaster of the original mix, whilst the new Blu-Spec 2 CD still contains the remix?!!! Does anyone know what they used for the vinyl LP reissue from 2015?
     
  13. Wugged

    Wugged Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw, Poland
    The new remaster in the complete album box set is the original mix.

    They used the first remaster/re-mix (1999?) for the Blu-Spec. I don't think they remastered this remaster !! It can get a bit confusing :agree:
     
  14. Any idea what mix was used for the Sony LP reissue from 2015? There is a Music On Vinyl / Legacy reissue from Dec 2015.
     
  15. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    I love the first album Bob Dylan 2005 "narrow-stereo" remix CD.
    I think it sounds the most balanced of all the mixes, including original stereo and mono.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2018
  16. Musicisthebest

    Musicisthebest Exiled Yorkshireman

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    As I don't collect vinyl I don't know.

    However you might be able to tell by looking on Discogs & checking the track length timings which are listed.
     
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  17. When In Rome

    When In Rome It's far from being all over...

    Location:
    UK
    Wait... Stop...
    Did anyone hear that?
    That was the sound of my head exploding trying to comprehend the re-re-remaster of 'Street Legal' and where we are now up to!!
    This is what I've got so far...
    The original vinyl mix
    The original vinyl mix appeared on the original CD.
    A new remix appeared on CD in 1999.
    The new remix was remastered in 2003 for SACD.
    The original album mix was remastered for the complete Album Collection.
    Wait... Stop...
    Did anyone hear that?
    That was the sound of my head exploding etc... :D
     
  18. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
    You've got it!
    It's easy:
    1978 -> 1998 = original mix (vinyl, CD...)
    1999 -> 2012 = remix (CD, SACD)
    2013 -> now = original mix remastered (CD, download)
     
  19. Wugged

    Wugged Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw, Poland
    Don't do vinyl so I can't help. Discogs doesn't show anything either. Maybe surf 'Expecting Rain' website ?
     
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  20. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    They don’t know jack over there.

    Try Searching for a Gem instead.
     
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  21. Do you know what I've just heard? The sound of a door closing on my interest! If it's this much of a headache, I'll just pass on it and move on to the next easier thing. I had the LP and it sounded awful but I bought the 80's CD and that sounded better (at the time with my equipment back then) but that's not saying much. I bought the 1999 remixed CD which was a revelation back in 99 and I still have it but it sounds a bit loud and harsh now but from what I'm seeing I cannot get a better copy of the original mix in any format without buying the CAC which isn't going to happen any day soon as I have all the albums already (some in multiple copies / formats) apart from the 80's albums I no longer care for. It should be so much easier but it isn't.
     
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  22. bward

    bward Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA USA
    Is the remaster Street Legal only available in the big box?
    Did it ever get issued on its own?
    Asking for a friend. :)
     
  23. stepeanut

    stepeanut The gloves are off

    So far, yes.
     
  24. Plan9

    Plan9 Mastering Engineer

    Location:
    Toulouse, France
  25. When In Rome

    When In Rome It's far from being all over...

    Location:
    UK
    I bought the Complete Albums Collection and sold all my old CD versions (except the debut album in that crude stereo mix and the 1999 version of 'Street Legal'.) Together with my late eighties re-issue vinyls I'm good now; the constant searching for the ultimate sounding version can wear a little thin sometimes, especially when the waters are muddied...
     
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