Best sounding ‘early’ CDs you own. And also the ones you think benefited from a subsequent remaster.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Bobby Morrow, Feb 17, 2019.

  1. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I bought my first CD player in April 1985. I realise that many of you here started earlier than that.:) I spent a great deal of money on not only the player, but the CDs too. You’d didn’t get them for pennies like you do now! Anyway, here is a list of some of the best sounding CDs I bought in 1985:

    David Bowie - Let’s Dance
    Barbra Streisand - Guilty
    Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
    Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (the best of the lot?)
    Nik Kershaw - Human Racing
    Elton John - Greatest Hits
    Wings - Greatest
    Pat Benatar - Tropico
    Fleetwood Mac - Mirage
    Hall & Oates - Big Bam Boom
    Sade - Diamond Life & Promise
    Cyndi Lauper - She’s So Unusual
    Madonna - Like A Virgin
    Billy Joel - GH Volumes 1 & 2
    Diana Ross - Swept Away
    Michael Jackson - Thriller
    The Cars - Heartbeat City

    Now, I’ve bought remasters of a lot of the above over the last 34 years, and have to conclude that for the most part they were a total waste of money! They really did get it right the first time. I realise many people don’t like the sound of early CDs, though... They could sound thin, treble heavy and were often sourced from poor quality master tapes. For those who feel like this, let us know what remasters of your favourite albums are an improvement and and if you’d recommend them over the original CDs.
     
  2. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Most of mine are listed in George's '25 best sounding CD's' thread Bobby :)
    For a 'run of the mill' remaster (non audiophile label) I enjoyed the latest Curve-Doppelganger over the old mastering, think that's it :laugh:
     
    Stephen J, George P and Bobby Morrow like this.
  3. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Oh, there's just too many for me to list, just on a first list there would be hundreds.
     
  4. OptimisticGoat

    OptimisticGoat Everybody's escapegoat....

    I have and agree with about 50% of your list Bobby. Though I bought the CD player a bit later. Some of the other early discs that sounded great in that era were The Bridge -Billy Joel, Back In The High Life - Steve Winwood, So - Peter Gabriel, North And South - Gerry Rafferty, Dancing With Strangers - Chris Rea, Diesel and Dust - Midnight Oil, Crowded House - Crowded House, Listen Like Thieves - INXS, and Raised On Radio - Journey.
     
  5. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Best-sounding:
    Duran Duran - Rio ('84 West German pressing in smooth-sided case w/o barcode)
    Dire Straits - Communiqué ('87 WG red swirl)
    Heaven 17 - Penthouse & Pavement ('83 Virgin UK pressing)
    Sade - Diamond Life ('84 Japan-for-EU pressing in smooth-sided case w/o barcode)
    Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. ('87 DADC pressing)
    Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms ('85 WG Vertigo)
    Genesis - Invisible Touch ('86 V/C UK)
    Kate Bush - Lionheart ('84 EMI UK pressing w/o barcode)
    Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome ('85 WG Island)
    Alice Cooper - School's Out (late 80s pressing done by TELDEC in Germany)
    Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation ('89 EU A&M)

    Profitting from later re-releases:
    Genesis - Genesis ('83 WG Vertigo): Very flat-sounding early CD. The '07 remix is my go-to CD of this album.
     
  6. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    Kick by INXS is a great sounding disc too.

    No ‘remaster’ has bettered that WG CD.
     
  7. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Most INXS albums are absolutely gorgeous in their initial CD releases - thinking 'Listen Like Thieves' in particular. I need to get that disc again...
     
  8. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Two early Rio Germans. The PDO or Sonopress?
     
  9. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Oh yes, forgot to mention: the PDO.
     
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  10. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    INXS-Underneath The Colours, US JVC
     
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  11. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Agreed. Prefer it over the old Japan Triangle :)
     
    LeBon Bush likes this.
  12. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Never heard the triangle, but over in the 1st-pressing-CD thread, the WG disc was also the preferred one when I asked whether to get that one or the BT. Got it a few days ago and cranked it up - absolutely fantastic disc, indeed :righton:
     
    c-eling likes this.
  13. Sluggy

    Sluggy Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Red Centre
    My original CD of Pete Townshend's 'White City' is a superb sounding CD. Picked it up sometime in 1989 I think.
     
  14. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Also, mind the fact that old CDs don't get to show their qualities on most portable listening devices. I think the common suggestion that many newer remasters were/are made specifically for streaming on smartphones, notebooks and the likes has quite some truth to it.
     
  15. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member Thread Starter

    I also find that many of my early CDs sound far better on my more recent CD players than they did on that (expensive) one I bought in 1985.:)
     
  16. Albiegator

    Albiegator Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I was never a fan of the original Decca CDs of the Rolling Stones but I always loved the sound of the releases from the 'Rolling Stones' label, particularly the '86 Sticky Fingers. I've subsequently got the 2009 remaster and the 2011 Japanese SACD of Sticky Fingers and they' re both too harsh and loud to my ears.
     
  17. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Especially titles like the old US Fleetwood Mac-Mirage, you really need some amperage to get the benefits out of that one :laugh:
     
  18. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Many early CDs sound bad, but the most remasters do not sound better.
     
    kundryishot, Jarleboy and BrentB like this.
  19. Galactus2

    Galactus2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    Couldn't agree more about the more recent Sticky Fingers releases on CD. Way too harsh to the point of some distortion on the Japanese SACD. Such a shame for such a great album.
     
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  20. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Same goes for ZZ Top - Eliminator. But to me, that's part of the joy :)
     
  21. LeBon Bush

    LeBon Bush Hound of Love

    Location:
    Austria
    Exactly - even those small and relatively cheap all-in-one stereos really deliver on CD sonics these days.
     
    Bobby Morrow likes this.
  22. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    The old US DADC stamper 'Sticky Fingers' :righton:
     
  23. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    The Target of Fleetwood Mac's MIRAGE is gorgeous sounding, easily the best I've heard it on digital.

    Another early disc that still sounds terrific is Gregg Allman's LAID BACK.
     
  24. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Propaganda-A Secret Wish (US PDO), Uses the LP mixes.
     
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  25. Eric_Generic

    Eric_Generic Enigma

    Location:
    Berkshire
    Of my early CD purchases, I especially like the 1986 DDD pressing of Notorious by Duran Duran. I played that on my current Denon set-up a couple of years ago and it sounded incredible. Running In The Family by Level 42 is another great-sounding 80s CD (you could probably throw in World Machine as well).

    David Bowie's Black Tie White Noise (original 1993 on Arista) is the absolute dog's bollocks too. I think if I ever need to test out a new system, I'd use that disc.
     

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