Several titles in Pat Benatar’s catalog are musical, well produced and rock hard. Her voice was huge and a string of hits seemed to always be playing on the radio when I was a kid. For someone as influential as Pat, how can we promote an audiophile reissue campaign? Thank you to our host for the DCC of Pat’s first release. @stevehoffman and other mastering engineers of influence, what would it take to entice backing for such work? I’m dreaming of spinning some lovingly remastered 45 RPMs of her first six studio releases.
So something interesting...several hard rock and metal acts have Japanese re-releases out (on CD) and Pat is among them. I went for two discs I needed/wanted/whatever! Seven The Hard Way, which appears to be a wonderful original master (Big Life): and Precious Time which seems to be an oddly smashed version from when I don't know (Fire & Ice): Credits on both are given to their original mastering engineers...so again no clue how one is so good and the other so bad. Since I didn't pick up the others and have no intention of doing so I can't comment on what they are like.
Perhaps you could have Bernie, Kevin or Steve hit it with their best shot Then go do David Bowie’s sadly mastered catalog - AAA
I am not a big fan of Pat Benatar's, but I do appreciate her, and have several of her albums, including her foray into the blues-True Love. I think she has a marvelous voice. How well does her catalog sell? Usually to have titles remastered and re-released in cleaner forms is because the catalog sells enough copies to warrant it. The industry is a business, and there has to be a return on investment. I know several of her earliest albums reached the RIAA level of multi-platinum, but I am curious if she still moves albums beyond greatest hits compilations. I genuinely like her and her husband based on interviews I have seen and read, so I would certainly like to see her catalog thrive.
Exactly...who pays for such treatment? Do Pat & Neil own the masters? Does a record label (Universal?)? Who stands to gain, besides listeners, from such releases? And, as stated above, is there enough of a significant market to justify the work?
I guess I didn't notice that when I hit order...it seemed like this series was all re-releases of original mastering's. I just checked two others I bought; Cold Sweat Break Out is awful and Femme Fatale's debut is wonderful.
I was looking into them awhile back out of curiosity. Odd though they would use a hodgepodge and not just be consistent. Was hoping they'd be new 'flats' like the 38 Specials or Elton's.
Since creating this post I purchased two Japanese LPs to upgrade from US LPs and have been happy with the upgrade. They are: Crimes of Passion WWS 81342 Precious Time WWS 81440 I’m curious regarding existing sales influencing the decision to reissue a title. My guess is that the success of a reissue campaign requires some degree of promotion. I’ve heard artist complain about the label not providing sufficient promotion when facing less than expected sales and I wonder how much of the market for reissues is existing demand vs speculation by talented promoters and marketers.
the longer they wait the harder it gets...I miss the glory days of the remaster! especially DCC, AF, and the old original MFSL...
I just watched Pat and Neil last night on HBOMax as part of this years Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I’m hoping that exposure might spark some renewed interest in their music. Their story is inspiring. I’m also hoping they write a biography at some point. Spinning the Best Shots compilation as I write this.
Sorry @Drummer2468 for leaving the link without any explanation I read the kindle version years ago and, quickly browsing through the comments on the goodreads page, I thought that there wasn't much I could add to them: in my teens I had a crush on Pat since seeing the video for "All Fired Up" on TV for the first time. I then started collecting her albums (most of them wete cutouts or otherwise cheap, which suited me just fine) and going deep into her music, with Seven the Hard Way probably still my favourite album of hers - her first 3 albums were impossible to find in Italy, sadly enough. So yeah, always been a fan. Her memoirs is, as you would expect, a little bit "oh, look at me, so talented and yet so unrecognised" but all things considered (as a man, I am conscious of the fact that I will never be able to fully understand how difficult life can be for a woman) I enjoyed reading about her struggles in the industry and about her success as a musician in those heady times.
Here is the wave file from an old CBS era CD. So it was mastered pretty loudly (for that era) to begin with.
I find it almost impossible to believe that anyone who buys Pat's music gives a rat's about marginal gains in the sound quality, let alone waveforms. Far more likely they buy 'em for the pics - vinyls obvs, as the pics are bigger - and rarely if ever listen to the actual music. YMMV
Yeah I was looking for a way to respond to this without being an ass. I will say this. Regardless of what you feel about Pat singing , and there are a lot of times I didn't like it, it was pretty obvious that Neil Giraldo was the real deal from day one.
I have all of Pats Japan for America CD’s and have never had issue with the sound. Wave forms aside does this new remaster sound much different?
