Cocteau Twins LP 2019 reissues Four Calendar Café / Milk & Kisses

Comparing the visual's between formats gives a really good clue Gordon.
The old Milk and Kisses CD while loud (dB's pumped up), still contains peaks and valley's as does the old FCC. The FCC remaster, especially (using Pur as an example) is a shaved re-leveled log.
You can see these type of picture trademarks when looking at the needledrops as well.

 

I'm fairly certain that the remasters are used for the 2019 Vinyl releases for the following reasons
1. Milk & Kisses - extra vocals and guitar parts on Rilkean Heart match the remaster. You can hear these on the sample I posted above.
2. FCC - the waveform for Pur from my needledrop is very compressed, especially given that it is vinyl
3. The digital downloads that you are able to redeem are remastered albums

I'm leaning towards thinking that the 2017 Vinyl versions also use the remasters because the downloads you get with the 2019 vinyl contain the same bonus tracks that were part of the 2017 2LPs. I would love to get confirmation of this though so that I can accept that what I have with the 2019 releases are the best I'm going to get (not hunting down originals for that $$).

I still think these (FCC in particular) are an enjoyable listen but as I noted above, my system seems to be quite dark and I think that helps.

 

Yeah the old FCC has been out of my reach for years. The only clue I have that it may be somewhat analog is the Evangeline 12 inch which shows no freq cut-off.

 

Interesting. I have the Evangeline 7". It would likely be similar, but you are supposed to be trying to convince me NOT to shell out for an original!

 

If it helps someone here posted years ago that it's nothing special...

 

Thanks for the clarifications. I will take a listen to your Rilkean Heart sample and compare with my CD. I hadn't paid enough attention that I could download those samples so I can load into audacity and take a look.

 

Yes indeed - I have compared against my original CD and there is clearly a (lovely) vocal part and perhaps an answering guitar part (to the left) which I don't hear on the CD. Does this count as remix? My CD is really maxed out for the entire track!

[Edit] I have done a quick comparison with my 1993 FCC CD. I have always liked the sound of this CD and loudness levels seem sensible. It is brighter than your sample but your sample is appears stereo reversed compared to my CD. I had not noticed this with the M&K sample.

[Edit2] My FCC LP concurs with your sample regarding stereo. So, my Capitol CD is reversed with respect to both. Not sure what to make of this at this point.

 

Neat find Gordon!, sure is!
My old US/Japan CD (Squeeze-wax) Guitar-Right Channel
Remaster CD Guitar-Left

 

After some listening to various tracks I have concluded that the FCC album tracks are all stereo reversed with respect to the US Captitol 1993 CD. The track Evangeline is also stereo reversed with respect to the same track on the US Capitol 1993 CD EP of the same.

This also applies to the FCC album tracks included in the download. However, the downloaded tracks Mud & Dark and Summer-Blink are not reversed with respect to the tracks on the Evangeline US Capitol CD EP. These three CD EP tracks are also on Lullabies to Violaine 3CD compilation and the downloaded tracks are not stereo reversed with respect to the three tracks on that compilation.

Also, Frosty the Snowman as downloaded is not stereo reversed with respect to the same track as it appears on the "sharks patrol these waters" 2xCD compilation (where the track appears joined on to the end of the first track on CD2!)

I did not listen exhaustively, but all I listened to of the FCC album tracks on both the 2019 LP release and the downloaded versions are stereo reversed with respect to the other sources I have to hand, whereas the non-album tracks in the download are not. I wonder whether the same applies to the 2017 2LP release and the 2006 remastered release. If anyone else can confirm any of those or add some further data points that might be interesting!

 

This is amazing, Gordon. So in summary for FCC the remaster (original track list) has reversed channels and thus the 2019 vinyl has reversed channels because the remaster is the source?

 

The is certainly a conclusion, but we are joining a limited number of dots - factually all I am saying is that both the download album tracks and the 2019 LP are channel/reversed relative to the earlier source I have access to and, it appears, to the US/Japan CD @c-eling has access to.

If someone was able to compare to the original UK Fontana CD or to compare the 2017 2LP or the 2006 CD remaster that would help bolster or maybe undermine the conclusion!

As an aside, I made my own needledrop to help with comparison. I would say mine sounds a bit different to yours, no doubt down to equipment. I think mine is brighter (but my levels are also less).

 

I asked in the 2017 RSD thread if anyone has these releases.

 

Can I just preface by saying that this (channel reversal) in no way affects my personal enjoyment of the album! It's ethereal after all!

Anyway, you can hear on Spotify. There are two versions of FCC. Listen to Squeeze-Wax (Remastered 2006) and the guitar part after the vocals start is in to the left. Now listen to the other version (non remastered), the same guitar part is to the right. Choose whatever track you like - e.g. Know Who You are at Every Age. Remastered 2006, opening liquid chord is far left channel. Non-remastered version, right channel.

'Something' happened when this album was remastered in 2006 which has (edit: probably) affected all reissues thereafter - although we have yet to have this confirmed for the 2017 vinyl.

 

Since these were labeled 're-cut's' I doubt they'd spend the money doing them over again.

 

Agree with this. As I say, it is a mix-up which doesn't affect my personal enjoyment. That said, it would have been nice if they could have picked it up and corrected it for the 2017 and 2019 reissues. I'm glad I have my 1993 CD but will still listen to the 2019 LP.

 

The 2017 vinyl of FCC has the guitar chord on the left at the start of Know Who You are at Every Age I presume it's the Guthrie remaster, it certainly sounds like it probably is.

 

Thank-you. This matches the FCC 2019 LP. Both appear to be the remaster.

 

I would be embarrassed if I made a needledrop with the channels swapped, let alone a commercial release.

Anyways, I swapped the channels for the download but does this actually fix the problem? What if the channels were swapped before remastering and some additional processing was done during the mastering process. At least for Milk & Kisses it seemed like Guthrie wasn't just doing a remaster, but it's not as obvious for FCC.

 

After feeling disappointed with the sound quality of both these albums as included in the 'Treasure Hiding' Fontana Years
box set, yesterday I bought 'Milk & Kisses' vinyl. I also have a rather dark home audio system, and this helps give the
music a less harsh quality. I am sorry to say that the vinyl sounds metallic, even if less so compared to the 1996 original pressing CD,
and a million times better than the remastered CD.

Is the sound quality of 'Milk & Kisses' good on vinyl? NO, IMHO it is only slightly better, but nothing really GOOD.

I think these albums need to be REMIXED to start with, and then a proper REMASTER.

 

Any other opinions on how these sound?

 

All that I can add is that I gave the FCC and M&K CD remastered to a friend (as I wouldn't
have listened to them) who couldn't care and know less about sound quality:
he was SHOCKED about how bad these sound, especially M&K.

As for the vinyl, I think I will also buy FCC on vinyl sooner or later... I'll let you know....

 

this 2019 press is totally different than the RSD?
yes, I see the MPO on the deadwax of the 2019
a guy offer me this two originals for $150 but maybe this 2019 are good.

 

Same mastering Stenway.
The 2019's just lose the b-sides, which are best served on the old singles.
If I ever find a descent deal on a 93 Cafe I may bite- a member a few years ago told me not to waste my money so I haven't been actively searching one out.

 

Good, I don't need those b-sides on a reissue and due the "low" price now on the 2019 right now, I'll possibly buy both.

 

I just got my copy of Milk & Kisses and had a good listen. With only my 23yr old CD for comparison, I'm impressed. The cover, insert, and platter appear to be of decent quality. The listening was a nice experience, vinyl was quiet and let the music shine. I actually like the album better after hearing it this way; there is much more nuance. FCC will be arriving any day, I'm cautiously optimistic.