Yep, that seems correct. On the Perks soundtrack "Heroes" is cranked up to match the overall level of the rest of the CD, but otherwise sounds just about exactly the same as the '99 remaster.
So glad we have a forum full of non-hysterical and level headed contributors with a strong grasp on the rights of employees.
So Parlophone and all concerned can continually throw out rubbish but I can't throw out a flippant comment in response? No wonder we live in a world where incompetence in the workforce is tolerated.
Yeah, strange isn't it ? And as you mentioned he did have time to do all sorts of BTS interview stuff about relatively unimportant tracks ... well take this one for example : Erin probably couldn't gather the courage to point out the mistake, like those junior co-pilots on Air Crash Investigation
Think the Low vinyl sounds pretty good even with the extra bass. However, the drop out on Heroes is as absolute bag of ****e! Guess I can't complain to Amazon about that though......at least I can listen to it at the correct volume in both German and French!
I was raised to believe that it it is not flippant to wish misfortune and death upon someone. What a terrible world, eh?
Just listened to "Heroes" (from the vinyl set). Because some of the folks who praised the CD version had the opposite response to me with the other albums, I put it on with some trepidation. As feared, it sounded rather harsh overall. There was probably better instrument separation than on Scary Monsters, but as much or more of the shouty, hashy, harsh tonality and texture. I was initially comparing the effect to low-res digital sound, but upon reflection I don't think that's the right diagnosis, as plenty of CDs sound a lot better than this on my system. What it actually sounds like to me are typical non-audiophile new releases on CD, or vinyl mastered from recent CD sources--i.e., victims of the loudness war. So while I'm not sure exactly sure what produces the sort of harsh, "ragged" sound I'm hearing (especially on "Heroes" and Scary Monsters), I'm starting to think it may be the effects of compression/limiting, as I can't recall ever having heard it on any pre-'90s records or CDs, including those with less-than-ideal sourcing or tonality. Of course, I also noticed the sudden volume drop in the title track. Since I'm not particularly familiar with the album, I wouldn't have assumed it was an accident. It's interesting in that it occurs precisely at the point where the track would seem to become more assertive--I wonder if it could have been intended to question the very "rousing" effect it would otherwise have, much like the quotation marks do around the title? I would be very curious to hear from Mr. Visconti about whether or not it was intentional. If it was indeed an accident, it is a pretty surprising one.
I don't think it's unreasonable for people on an audiophile forum to discuss issues with sound quality, if that's what you're suggesting? The fact is, yes, the RCA discs are the best we have but they're not perfect (issues on the fade in's of the WG Low, for example). Prior to this box set series, I was seriously hoping to finally supplant the RCA discs as the digital holy grail. With the technology that's been developed since the mid-80's when those discs were created, the possibility existed to FINALLY get it right. But they didn't. Not with their mastering choices, and definitely not with the egregious artifacts and other glitches that have plagued each of these boxes. "Stick with your RCA's" is a more disrespectful mindset than those of us who were actually hoping for better, only to be disappointed yet again.
I would be a horrid employer, I would be sacking everybody. Best I stay away from the bosses office. To be fair to TV he was actually answering questions from people who weren't worshiping him but it was annoying that my question about a genuine error in the case of God land was falling on death ears after I had had no response to 3 emails to Parlo.
Well I was raised to be sarcastic and flippant and I am not wishing misfortune on anybody, it is not unreasonable to want the best people putting together the best products. The people putting these sets together are not the best people to be putting them together and therefore I wish for them to not be putting them together. That is not wishing them misfortune in any way but rather that the right people are working on these boxes.
Thanks to everybody who responded to my question about the quality of the pressing. My version of Stage is perfect -but together with the Heroes EP its the only on in my box with no issues. The B-Side of Low and Heroes have some annoying crackles Lodger Remix has very few - I could live with that Scary Monsters plays perfect but the hole is not completely centered - the arm of my turntable moves left and right all the time. Its not audible but just looks wrong. ReCall also has some crackles especially on the Baal side but I haven't washed this record yet. So overall it doesn't look very good and I wonder why some of the LPs had dust on them when I took them out of he box. I am gonna wash the records again but if most of the remaining crackles don't go away - the box will...(and get replaced) I have to say: This is really something that bothers me. Sure afew crackles are okay, I mean we still listen to vinyl - but issues in this amount in a box this pricey is inexcusable.
Are there no true "fans" or "aficionados" of the music that head up these major labels (or have in their employ a "resident freak" or "OCD quality control maniac") that could and would take the time, effort and interest to see that the music on these major canon encompassing box set/reissue projects were once-and-for-all presented in their within reason finest possible quality? I honestly can not believe that truly doing these projects right would take that much of a McGruff the Crime Dog sized bite out of these companies bottom line.
You can always treat yourself with an original 12" Baal at bargain price. Discs are probably mostly in great shape since folks didn't line up to hear the Baal tracks.
You know, I can't believe this, but this is gonna have to be the first set of remasters that don't replace my Virgins (I still have all those at home, but I've been replacing them on Google Play until now). After comparing some songs: Low is much louder and more muffled, "Heroes" seems about the same, so what's the point?, Lodger is waaay too muffled, and Scary Monsters is more fatiguing to listen to. This was the box I was most excited about because I thought the trilogy would sound way better with a more analogue sound, but nope...at least not like this. Also, I don't think "Heroes" is suffereing from a lowering of volume as much as it is from the volume getting louder for 5-10 seconds, then going back to its normal level. That's how I heard it, anyway.
I think a big part of the problem is that our audiophile perceptions of quality truly are minority perceptions. Sure, there may be some issues that are purely related to quality control, like drop outs, etc. But I think the bigger issues for most of us here have to do with sourcing, dynamics, and EQ, and the general public (including many musicians and label executives) seems to react very differently to these things. I've seen studies showing that most people seem to prefer less dynamic, crunchier, lower res sounds when given the choice. I don't know exactly why--probably some combination of what people are used to and what sounds "modern," and those sonic characteristics being perhaps more "in your face" and suited to quick, initial preferences rather than longer-term listening. It may also have something to do with most people listening most of the time via earbuds and car stereos. In any event, my point is just that those making these decisions are probably thinking that they really are putting out the product MOST people (though not most of us) want, in the most efficient way possible. And the tragic thing is that they may be right.
The crackles on side B of Heroes - I’m also getting this on both versions of Lodger. The crackles are all just in the right channel. Anyone else hearing this? I don’t get it on any other LPs so I don’t think it’s setup related.
To be honest, I already own a original copy of Baal. I found it in the cellar of my father and never heard of it before and I of course I immediately was intrigued. When I listend t it for the first time I had three thoughts: 1. Bowie really had a very strong voice when I wanted to. 2. Finally he can be as theatrical a he want to 3. Wow this sounds like the darkest Disney movie ever made. I really like the E.P. by the way and would love to see the film properly remastered on day. My complains about the crackles on my Recall Pressing is more from principle.
It wouldn't be that difficult to make a flat analog transfer available for all box set purchasers via download. I suppose that would thwart future milking opportunities though.
I haven't heard any notable surface noise on any of the albums I've heard so far, but I did take a long time to brush off most of the dust/debris from some of them. I don't think they came with more surface debris than most new records, but they were very staticky (enough that my record mat sticks to them when I lift the record from the turntable), which make the debris much tougher to brush off.
Page said - way back at the time of the first Zep re-do (remember the giant orange crop-circles box? Pretty much the same time that the Rykos appeared) that he resisted temptations to "improve" what he found, and leave lay what lay. But elsewhere on the board recently there's another disscusion - artists who cringe at what they did X years ago. Turns out Linda Ronstadt hates the sound of her own voice on everything from her previous life pre-1980 or so, when she took some formal training to do "Pirates of Penzance". Now, she has a solid event to point to as changing her outlook, but she's not the first artist/musician/actor/whatever in the world who doesn't want to look at something they performed/sang 15-25 years ago. Visconti's version of the "Lodger" story made me wonder if the goosing provided by the vocal reverb was something he knew would be necessary: the "clincher" on the deal, something he knew would be appealing to DB in the proposal phase, and get him the thumbs-up from the top he'd need to continue.
Well said Sir. For a release baring the iconic Parlophone label to have such continued lapses in quality control is simply staggering. It reveals perhaps their lack of respect for the artiste's catalogue and the people who buy it. I mean it can't be that hard can it? Other artistes on smaller labels, without Parlophone's huge resources, have much better curated catalogues that are not hindered by woeful errors.
I think this is absolutely the case. Although we can debate that a lot of box sets and such shouldn't be targeted to the "mainstream" unfortunately, they often are
The UK ebayer I bought the CD book from shipped it Friday, and ebay's notification would like me to know that I can pick up a 1999 CD of "Heroes" for $2.68 - just an additional $14.68 in shipping.
