Dionne Warwick 23 Japanese Mini-LP Sleeves of Scepter/Warner Bros. catalogue in 07/2013

I have had my first listen to "Make Way For Dionne Warwick" and "Here Where There Is Love" from this series. The good news is that the source materials sounds far better than the comparable CCM releases from a few years back. But I did notice some compression compared to my preferred CD sources (a mixture of the 1986 Anthology, From The Vaults and the Sequel CDs from 1995), which was a bit disappointing to me.

 

Nope. No compression at all on either disc. They're loud alright - especially the stereos, and with no headroom, but there isn't any clipping. I've has a lot of these on vinyl over the years, and for the most part they've all been thin and tinny. I've always thought they could actually use some compression, but I guess that would have been getting away from the original producer's vision.

 

They are not brickwalled and the effect is moderate, but the compression is audible and it creates a harsher drum sound, for example.

 

"A harsher drum sound" (whatever that means) sounds like a subjective opinion about EQing, rather than a description of any form of compression. Again there is no visual evidence of any added compression whatsoever on the wave forms, and I'm not hearing any. I'm hearing masters which are good relatively flat transfers.

Now can you back up your compression claims, and tell me specifically what form of compression has been applied as it relates to the drums?

 

My post was indeed subjective and from pure listening. But since you asked for backup, I added waveforms. Top is Reach Out For Me (stereo) from the new series, bottom is the same song from the 1962-1969 Anthology. In my opinion, this is a good indication for compression.

 

Well your opinion is wrong because it's not a good indication of compression at all. As I stated earlier, and although you've changed examples, the new remasters are simply louder. In the case of this track, the R channel is substantially louder than the L and it's the channel on which the drums are found. You are probably mistaking it for compression but it's not. I'm betting you don't even know whether the Anthology version or the new best represent the original master.

Here's what the track would look like if it had only very light classic soft-knee compression - any more aggressive compression would be even more obvious:



People around here really need to get their facts straight about what compression is.

 

Peak limiting is a form of compression, and it was used on the new remasters. Fact.

 

Now Edsel will be reissuing a large bulk of her material.

http://theseconddisc.com/2014/01/02...s-sixteen-dionne-warwick-albums-in-four-sets/

 

Just to be clear: band or buss compression doesn't cause brickwalling. Limiting, another form of compression, does. In your posted example, it is not obvious if compression was used, and there is no evidence that it was or wasn't. There are also a few ways to make a file louder without actually using band or buss compression.

 

Just got my hands on this set finally, and all I can say is it's a Dionne lover's dream come true. Other than the terminally bad sounding In Paris pseudo "live" LP, everything sounds great, and it's wonderful to have all the mono mixes, singles and bonus tracks - both live and studio.

Don't know why this isn't getting more attention out there - the scope and comprehensiveness of this set marks it as a seminal, absolutely essential acquisition for any fan of American popular music.

 

I agree! Her recorded contribution is absolutely seminal and unique. It's never had the attention it deserves. Apart from being an American treasure, she's just damned important.

 

It's been a few months but a few of the later mono 45's sounded like needledrops.

 

Seeking thoughts from Dionne fans/experts:

I have several of the Japanese reissues and really like them. I'm wondering if I should pick up more of them before they disappear.

Here's my Dionne CD collection. I have three questions:

(1) Are the Rhino Handmade versions used on the Japanese reissues? In terms of sound quality or song selection, is there any reason for me to get the Japanese reissues of the albums I have on Rhino Handmade?

(2) Based on what I already have, is there any reason to get any of the other Scepter period reissues? Are any must haves?

(3) I'm not very familiar with Dionne's Warner Bros. period. I picked up We Need to Go Back because of the Bacharach material on there. Are any of the Warner albums especially good?

Japanese 2013 reissues:
Presenting Dionne Warwick
Anyone Who Had a Heart
Make Way for Dionne Warwick
The Sensitive Sound of Dionne Warwick
Here I Am
Dionne Warwick in Paris
Here Where There Is Love
On Stage and In the Movies

Rhino Handmade:
Soulful
Windows of the World / Valley of the Dolls
Very Dionne
Promises, Promises / I'll Never Fall in Love Again

Other collections:
Walk on By: The Definitive Dionne Warwick Collection (UK 2000)
The Definitive Collection (1999)
We Need to Go Back: The Unissued Warner Bros. Masters (2013)
Hidden Gems (Rhino 1992)

 

I have a question about a the compilation From Within. Where do the tracks "Our Ages or Our Hearts" and "If You Let Me Make Love to You Then Why Can't I Touch You" come from? They weren't included on the Rhino Handmade Soulful reissue so I suppose they're not from the Moman sessions. I can't find them on any other album. Were they released prior to From Within?

 

Could someone please explain track 11 on disc 1 of From Within. It's listed as MacArthur Park written by Jimmy Webb, but is completely different to the song I know by Jimmy as recorded by himself and Richard Harris. What's the story?

edit: I figured it out. It didn't sound familiar because the song starts with the lyrics that come after the interlude. Just seemed to go right over my head.

 

Isn't it actually just the middle section of the looong Webb / Harris hit? The "There'll be another song for me. . ." bit, also known as 'the bit that nobody remembers'!

Edit: replied before your edited comment appeared!

 

You've got things reasonably well covered. For us Dionne obsessives though, I would also consider her surprisingly solid gospel LP The Magic Of Believing. Also, A Decade of Gold (actually a live comp) is IMHO a must - a much better and more comprehensive live overview than the earlier Live In Paris (notwithstanding some surprising lapses in taste during the "Impersonation Medley"). There's also some interesting things on the From Within Scepter comp, though some of it is covered on the Rhino Handmade Soulful set.

While none of her Warner Brothers records are especially good, none are particularly bad either, and all include some interesting tracks. Certainly prefer this era of her career to the later Arista period, big commercial comeback notwithstanding...

 

I don't own any Dionne. Should I go for the Edsel reissues? Seems the most new user friendly.

 

Are these titles available individually?

 

I've been spending some time with these releases and I have to state that they are marvelous. I cannot even believe how well done these are, the sound is terrific, it is really nice to have the mono mixes and I have every mono Bacharach file on my phone, just cause I want to .

Seriously, worth getting some titles if you are a fan. I have to mention a beautiful album I'd never heard before just called "Dionne", what a nice surprise to find more great Dionne music to enjoy.

 

Is anybody able to translate Japanese?

I am wondering the if the two Disc Union promo boxes [containing 12 and 11 CDs respectively are still available?