Hendrix- Cry of Love 2014 vs First Rays 1997*

It sure seems that way, but.....why?
The idea is to put together the best sounding album. And yet, the release an inferior sounding product for compact disc.

 

Any release post Electric Ladyland is a guessing game at best. I have most of the releases including Cry of Love, First Rays, Voodoo Soup, War Heros, Midnight Lightning, etc. I like the material on them but don't put too much credence in any of them because who knows what Jimi Hendrix would have actually released as an album had he still been alive. Most of that remaining material was the record companies trying to cash in on the Hendrix legacy without any regard for cohesive albums. Kind of tragic really.

As far as sonic treatment goes, I am sure much of it could be improved, but without the direction of the artist, it's just a sound engineers guess. Although it consistently gets panned, I find myself listening to Voodoo Soup more than the other releases from that era. There is a lot of complaints from Hendrix purist regarding that release, but I got use to the running order of that record and it works for me.

 

The mastering on LPs is usually superior.

It's true for the recent Stones/Metallica/Beatles releases as well.

In the case of the Hendrix LPs, the laquers are cut from the original 2 Track mix downs by Bernie Grundman, who is simply one of the best in the world at what he does. They sound amazing.

I don't know what they do to the CDs, but they're fuzted with - weird EQ choices, Noise reduction, Dynamic range compression, hard limiting...quite frankly, they're a disaster. 4 seconds into "Freedom" when the bass kicks in and clips the soundstage and I'm like "wtF!!?? Eddie Kramer, you can't hear THAT!?? John McDermott, Janie Hendrix-Wright..."

Yeah the CDs are out. LPs are in.

It's all about the mastering.

 

The 2010 First Rays Vinyl is stunning as are most of the 2010, EH Sony vinyl pressings along with South Saturn Delta (2011) . I have never heard the 97 Vinyl.

The 1997 First Rays CD should be banished from circulation as should most of the EH 97 issued CDs,

The 2014 LPs of Rainbow Bridge and Cry Of Love are great and so is the Rainbow Bridge 2014 CD. My older vinyl pressings of both of these are great too (slight different than EH 2014)

While EH vinyl has been genuinely great since at least 2010 (The MCA pressings prior to that are hit and miss to me) their CDs did not start to cut it for me until People Hell and Angels.

Here is my scorecard on EH CD sound quality of the original 3 albums

1. 97 CDs most if not all should be banished. If you only listen at low volumes these can be enjoyed but who wants to not be able to turn Jimi up!
2. 2010 Cds a marked improvement over 97 but still not where they need to be
3. 2014 CDs very slight improvement over 2010

I still prefer the non RE-1 Reprise and West German Polydor CDs to EH CDs but at least I can at least listen to the 2010 and 2014 EH versions and get some enjoyment out of them. I simply cannot listen to the 97s at all. Hopefully the SACD versions 2018 versions will blow us away.

 

"Did my left speaker just blow a mid range?"

 

So people will pay $29.99 for an LP or SACD of a title they've likely purchased more than twice already?

 

Unfortunately yes. People do this for a variety of reasons I believe. When you love certain music you want to hear it the best way possible. So someone may buy something they already have because they believe they have an inferior pressing. Alternatively someone may buy another pressing because they believe the new or alternate pressing may be better than what they already have even if they are satisfied with the pressing they already have. Personally I try to only do the former unless there is something I know is truly unique or better about a new or alternate pressing. (Newer and advertised as "improved" is not always true! )

When a version advertised as an "improvement" is actually worse than the original (aka 1997 CD releases) it tends to piss one off. The original albums have never been done justice in Digital. The closest to acceptable are the Non RE 1 Reprise and first run West German Polydors, I have never heard the Japanese Polydors but they get praise as well. I feel there is room for improvement on those as well so I will probably be sucked in to buying the upcoming SACDs as well.

 

I have heard the non RE-1 Cry of Love cd. Excellent sounding.

The Polydor Jpn P33P ain’t no slouch. No cutting off of Freedom with nice bottom end and IMHO just slightly warmer to me than the Reprise disc.

These 2014 cds are very well done!! The 1997 First Rays cd is loud, and clipped!! If only Bernie Grundman were to remaster the entire catalog!!

 

The 1997 cover is horrible! Jimi would've cringed.

 

He's done quite a lot of it and by early next year, the three core titles will be done. After that, both versions of Smash Hits and War Heroes would be high on my Bernie wish list. Once (If) we get WH, First Rays will essentially be obsolete except as a template for those who wish to use it.

 

I've never heard First Rays although I have SSD and it sounds loud and brittle. 'm pretty satisfied with the sound of Voodoo Soup but it's weird the songs he left out. So, I ordered a 1997 First Rays for $5. If it really stinks I'll go for the 2014 reissues. I still occasionally play the old records but I want CD's.

 

Where did you find one for $5?!? Ezy Ryder and Freedom have flaws in them, you'll need a CoL CD for those at the very least, or download the mp3s, they have been corrected.

 

Ebay, free shipping too. I just wanted to hear how bad it is.

 

Indeed. I bought both the Grundman Rainbow Bridge (at last!) and Cry of Love. I kept Rainbow Bridge. The Cry of Love CD went to the used CD store. The Polydor P33P is still the undisputed champ at my place. It sounds warmer and has some serious *thwack* that the later disc just didn't/doesn't deliver.
.

 

Yes, to Smash Hits!! The remaster is loud and hurts my ears. All Reprise cds are no noised and the Polydor has intros cut off a second or so on four songs: Stone Free, Fire, The Wind Cries Mary and The Stars That Play With Laughing Sam’s Dice.

 

Oy! I remember somebody mentioning the cut intros on the Polydor. The Reprise one didn't come out with the first wave in the mid 80s, it came out in 89 with the no noised ones so there's not even an option there. After we get the AYE SACD and vinyl next year, we'll REALLY want them to go take care of the rest of the tracks.

 

The non-RE1 Reprise CDs are not no-noised.

 

You are not alone, My Friend.

 

And Steve Stills, no?

 

Wait. So does SSD have a decent remaster on CD?

 

You are right. But not with Smash Hits which I mentioned. No Reprise Smash Hits have RE-1. I was mistaken. This has been documented. Check out Dave’s comment here:

Jimi Hendrix Smash Hits Reprise cd revisited

Only difference is one has CD+G in matrix (a graphics feature) and mentions Joe Gastwirt in booklet and a JVC in matrix and no mention of him in booklet. None have RE-1 in matrix. My error. Sorry. There are threads discussing this showing both pressings are identical

To quote: “I found out you are correct and apparently there is no Reprise Smash Hits without NR. There's discussion about it here. “ (Click on that last word for the thread discussing it)

 

Possible. I'm not sure that I would recognize his voice.

 

Supposedly Stills is just playing the piano at the beginning.

 

No, same as 1997. The errors on First Rays were fixed on the 2010 reissue but only the vinyl version of that album was remastered.

 

As mentioned, the first round of Reprise Hendrix releases on CD had AYE, Axis, ELL, CoL, Crash Landing and Kiss the Sky. They revamped the catalog in 1989 with No Noise reissues (I don’t believe Crash Landing was reissued) and Smash Hits, Essential and Concerts releases on CD for the first time.