Elton John - Your favorite CD Mastering of each of the First Eleven Albums

I'd like to ask you all what your favorite masterings of each of the Elton albums, up to "Rock of the Westies." I'll list them chronologically below.

Also, are the "Made in Japan" and "Made in USA" MCA CDs the same mastering?

Empty Sky
Elton John
11-17-70
Madman Across the Water
Tumbleweed Connection
Honky Chateau
Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Caribou
Capt. Fantastic and the Dirt Brown Cowboy
Rock of the Westies

 

Here's a post from Dave R. Modny on this very subject made about 6 years ago:

I've been using this as a guide, and he has yet to steer me wrong. The Captain Fantastic MCA CD really is something else.

 

I'll do it for the ones I have:

Elton John - DJM (I have the Polydor US version. Should be the same as the DJM UK)

11-17-70 - Light blueface MCA

Madman Across the Water - MFSL

Tumbleweed Connection - MFSL

Honky Chateau - MFSL

Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player - DJM

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - MFSL

Capt. Fantastic and the Dirt Brown Cowboy - DJM

 

Thanks very much evan and Jason!

 

I have not heard all of the versions in David's excellent post.
** indicates it is the only version I have

Empty Sky - DJM WG (DJM UK is different)
Elton John - DJM WG
11-17-70 - DJM Germany **
Madman Across the Water - MFSL
Tumbleweed Connection - MFSL
Honky Chateau - MFSL
Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player - DJM WG
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - MFSL
Caribou - DJM WG
Capt. Fantastic and the Dirt Brown Cowboy - DJM WG
Rock of the Westies - DJM WG

I should try out that MCA Capt. Fantastic I guess.

 

Here's a good thread. http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=106439&highlight=Elton+DJM

 

My picks for the ones that I have:

Elton John - only have the MCA

Madman Across the Water - only have the MCA

Tumbleweed Connection - Have MCA Japan, Polydor and MFSL. I prefer the Polydor.

Honky Chateau - Have the MFSL, MCA Japan. I prefer the MCA.

Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player - only have the MCA.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Have the MCA and MFSL, I prefer the MCA.

Capt. Fantastic and the Dirt Brown Cowboy - Only have the DJM, but love it!

 

Just so this question doesn't get buried, I am reposting it here by itself:

In the case where titles have both a "Made in Japan" and "Made in USA" MCA CD - are they the same mastering?

 

Meh. Not really. I have both.

If you just heard the MCA you'd probably say it sounded great, but the DJM is one generation closer and has less analogue compression.

I get everyone liking the MCA Capt. Fantastic for it's analoguey-ness, but if you think that, you might as well prefer the MCA Madman over the MFSL.

 

Here's a sample of "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" from the MFSL and the MCA CD for those who haven't heard these masterings yet:

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=45732805cf458166e1caf6e8a41594784cb1598a3332d56e

 

Mucho love for the Honky Chateau MFSL here, which I expected, based on past threads. This was the only version of this album I'd heard until I listened to George's MCA sample. I thought it sounded much better than the MFSL. Any chance of a snippet from "Hercules" George?

 

Sure, they (MCA and MFSL sample of Hercules) are both in the same folder as before. Click here.

 

Thanks George. It does sound like there's some top end boost from that sample, although I wouldn't describe it as "unlistenable", as mentioned in Dave R. Modny's post. It sounds more like upper mid boost than actual treble to me. The MFSL again sounds flatter, duller, with the vocal somewhat recessed. Judging by these samples, I'd prefer the MCA with a bit of that upper mid EQ'd out. The bass sounds fine to me. Now I'm curious to know what the DJM/Polydor mastering sounds like!

 

do any of the SACD's better the ones just listed above?

 

Yes, as I told you earlier, I think they are both flawed. I just find that the MCA is easier to tweak with my tone controls. Of course, the DCC Elton Greatest Hits is how I wish every Elton CD sounded.

Would be sweet to some of these classic albums on AF.

 

I had the SACD's of Tumbleweed, Madman and Captain Fantastic, and preferred the old CDs in every case. The SACD's do have their fans here though.

 

If they did don't you think we would have listed them instead of the ones mentioned above?

 

I konw that the West German and U.K. "Elton John" are different, but what's the difference in the WG and UK "Empty Sky"?

 

This Forum inspired me to reaquire all the old MCA / Plaid backs which for the most part sound great compaired to most of the current remasters. I did buy the SACD's which are interesting for what they are worth. I still pull out the originals CD's for listening.

 

Mine are:

Elton John - DJM

Tumbleweed Connection - DJM

Madman Across the Water - DJM

Honky Chateau - MFSL (although likely to now get chucked in favour of MCA or DJM/Polydor)

Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player - MCA

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - MFSL

Caribou - DJM

Captain Fantastic - MCA

Rock of the Westies - MCA

(and sneaking in) Here and There - Polydor

 

I hope this won't be considered a thread crap since it was comprised of songs from this time period of albums, but how is the compilation "The Superior Sound Of Elton John" viewed here? I had it for a few years, then ended up selling it because over all I wasn't happy with the new mixes done for it. Love Lies Bleeding had all the heavy guitar grit sucked right out of it. Some of the other songs sounded strange to me as well. I'm sure it is a rare disc now, that I probably could have made good money on.

 

I haven't compared all the early masterings for Elton's catalog, but here are my preferences where I have heard more than one mastering. Note: For purposes of this discussion I am ignoring the Rocket remasters. All I have heard are inferior to the earlier discs (although they are not as bad as some forum members would have you believe).

Elton John I prefer the Polydor to the first MCA mastering (but note that I have an MCA disc that has the Polydor mastering. Apparently MCA "upgraded" at some point . .)
Tumbleweed Connection--I like the MCA better than the Polydor
Captain Fantastic--I prefer the Polydor to the MCA
Rock Of The Westies--I prefer the MCA to the Polydor, but these are very very close
Yellow Brick Road--I prefer the MFSL to the MCA
Don't Shoot Me--MCA and Polydor sound the same to me (and I think it has been confirmed in another thread somewhere that they share the same mastering)

 

I'm right there with you on this one. While the Polydor & the MFSL both sound very good, my preference is for the Polydor. It is a bit warmer sounding than the MFSL. The treble seems to be tweaked a bit to much on the MFSL, IMO. Perhaps another "smiley-faced" MFSL release?

For "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" however, I have both the MFSL & Polydor again, but definitely like the MFSL in this case.

 

Number one preference for me is the original vinyls both for sentimental as well as for audio quality reasons.

Then here is my preferred versions from what I have on cd.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - DJM then MCA

Madman Across the Water - MCA then MoFi

Honky Chateau - MCA then Mofi

 

I don't know how many times we need to go over this but all the Elton MFSLs are flat.