expanded AZTEC CAMERA remasters!

How does the actual remastered album of High Land Hard Rain sound? Any problems with it?

 

Bump

 

I am not really able to judge the detailed technical side of things but to these aged ears both HLHR and Love sound a whole lot better than the previous releases. If you got the cheapo Walk Out To Winter compilation then the sound quality is the same, IMO, as on that fine set.

Didn't notice any distinct improvement on Stray.

Dreamland & Frestonia are on their way so hope to have them at the weekend.

 

The sad part of this is that were they got it right with these re-releases has been diminished by some sloppy work especially evident on advertising one specific mix (Working In A Goldmine - Sax Version) being present when what is in there appears to be nothing more than a slight edit of the album track.

 

Oh, yes, I will most definitely be writing a review for HLHR on Amazon UK.

 

You should threaten them with the Trades Description Act.

 

I think the sound of the album is OK. It didn't sound particularly loud or compressed to me... but my ears are usually quite easy to please... I am definitely much more annoyed by glitches and errors than a little limiting...

 

I think I like the original Rough Trade UK CD better. The remaster is definitely louder and I have trouble going beyond 1 o'clock on my system before it starts to sound harsh. This was not true with the Edsel English Beat remasters. I believe somebody else remastered these Aztecs? The glitch on Oblivious remix sucks. I do like the packaging though.

 

Just checked and the new Aztec remasters were mastered by Phil Kinrade at Alchemy, just as the English Beat remasters were. Makes me think that Hard Rain was not well recorded......and especially in comparison to the Beat recordings.

 

I guess I'll just stick with my original Sire release.

 

Dreamland & Frestonia arrived today.

Haven't has a chance to properly listen yet but on Frestonia two of the tracks have been edited differently from the original UK CD release.

"Beautiful Girl" now has the the electronic prelude that was attached to "phenomenal World" now tagged onto the end of it. Difficult to believe it was intended that way as "Beautiful Girl" fades to silence before the electronic bit starts.

 

how's the sound on Frestonia? It is a great album, but the original CD sounds fine to me...
might pick it up for bonus tracks, idk

 

To these ears, it doesn't sound significantly different to the original release.

 

I have tried to contact Edsel to see if they intend to remedy some of the issues, particularly the glitch on HLHR but I haven't received any reply.
Perhaps ending my email with a list of almost ten of their cockups with various re-issues was not the best diplomatic move....

 

What a shame. I don't HATE the sound of the original CD release of HLHR but I really had my fingers crossed they would improve upon it. After The Beat reissues I was soooo hopeful.

 

And don't forget the Duran Duran disasters. Also, Edsel had a similar botched release with the Thompson Twins, but they corrected it... well, somewhat corrected, replaced an unlistenable vinyl rip with a better one (on the Into The Gap reissue).

 

They replied to my query... with an almost comical answer though....



Dear Andy

With regards to the problem with the Oblivious 12” mix, we are still trying to source a correct version – do you know of one on a CD? The only source we have found so far is on an 80’s 12” compilation, when this arrives it may have the same fault!

Thanks for buying the records!



Forget about remastering from the original tapes... they don't even know how to edit a few samples in a PCM file... I could issue a "corrected" version myself.....

 

cd

to these ears I like the sound of the remasters

 

...and one more to add to the list of Edsel follies:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Atlantic-...id=1348251767&sr=8-35&keywords=hall+and+oates

Hall and Oates - The Atlantic Albums - Whole Oats/Abandoned Luncheonette/War Babies...Plus

(the 3 cuts from "No Goodbyes" - the "plus" in the title - are in mono)

 

I appreciate you sending that letter - what a moronic reply!

There's now a corrected PCM version of "Oblivious" ready for download from The New Wave Outpost.

Meanwhile, I received my copy of "Dreamland" and prefer the fuller, more detailed sound to the murky original. It's a little bit louder but has a bigger soundstage and the DR is mostly left intact. The real selling point for me is the second disc though.

Not sure why the final track on disc 2 (a live version of "Just Like The USA") had to be a rather hissy and distorted version from a Barcelona gig, which again leaves a slightly sour taste.

 

I can't find the post, but Roddy apparently "tweeted" saying he had nothing to do with these reissues, and is in negotiations with a US indie label to do his own reissue project. Take it with a grain of salt though...

 

I have found the remaster of High Land, Hard Rain to be a noticeable improvement over the original CD (never heard the vinyl). It comes alive with a little bit of punch, but I don't find it aggressively loud...certainly more engaging in my own listening experience. Plus you get the 12" remixes of "Oblivious" and "Walk Out to Winter" and extra tracks all on the same disc (one-disc reissue), which I like. Great packaging too. A winner in my book. Bass is a little more prominent and the drum machines are vividly present, but that's the way it was recorded.

I haven't taken the plunge with the reissue of Knife -- pardon the pun -- but I just got into Aztec Camera last year and am still warming up to that one.

 

Now that the individual expanded titles are out-has anyone heard if Edsel plans a new best of compilation? I have the import "The Best of" from 1999 I believe and while it sounds ok with the hits it would be great for a new comp with some of the mixes of the hits thrown in..

 

I just received corrected discs of High Land Hard Rain and Love (disc 2) from Demon Music Group by contacting:

[email protected]

I mentioned that I heard there were replacement discs available and when and where I bought my originals (they were in my Amazon UK history) and they wrote back requesting my address (I live in Canada).

I stumbled upon this information on another message board and at the time (September 2012) apparently they were sending out CD-Rs. The ones I received this week were proper pressed and printed ones.

The corrections are a fixed glitch on Track 15 (Oblivious 12" mix) on High Land Hard Rain and the Sax Version of Working In A Goldmine on Love (disc 2).

 

For all you vinyl heads, could be bothered starting a thread

http://www.aedrecords.com