Jethro Tull - Benefit

US.

 

The clarity. The punch. The fact that it no longer sounds like it was recorded through a cotton ball.

I know everyone here thinks the old Chrys' sound better. Maybe they do in a technical sense. If you want to get 'flat' about it.

But hearing the remasters makes them sound fresh and new again. Like a brand new album.'This Was' sounds especially nice! For the most part I love all the Tull remasters. Sure, some of them are a bit on the ear bleeding side (Songs, Horses, Minstel) but others sound fantastic (Thick, Passion Play, This Was). But really I think they all sound great.

Really, it's all about the music to me.

 

I know what you mean by "its all about the music".... whatever it takes to get into the music. My question is based upon having read that the main complaint specifically with the Benefit remaster was that the original's dull/hissy sound was was made even duller (albeit quieter) via NoNoise. Glad to hear that you don't feel that that is the case.

 

Hmm...well, I haven't listened to the Chrys since I got the remaster. I'll have to give a second listen. All I know is with the Chrys, which I have had since about 1996 or so, would only get a few listens a year.

The remaster sounds so fresh my wife and I put it in regular rotation for the past 2 years!

 

I have this pressing. I'm not sure what pressing this is. It sounds better than any of the cds and I've heard them all.

 

A ca. 1970-75 US pressing based on the label. The best sounding US copies have the Artisan mark/stamping on each side (looks like a record or plate with two chop sticks on it).

 

That's it! A plate with two chopsticks on it. I just opened a sealed one I had and it also has the Artisan mark/stamping on it.

Thanks for the info. I guess my ears told me the right pressing.

 

Gosh the Benefit remaster is soaked in no-noise. I don't know how anyone can stand that. The only post-Thick remaster I've heard so far is Too Old... and it is a massive ear bleeder, mostly from crazy jacked EQ. That bummed me out.

 

M

 

Revisiting Benefit the first USA CD:
I've been listening to the first USA Benefit CD a lot recently and I'm starting to believe that this is the best it's going to get on CD.
Comparing the remaster at the same level is torture. Sad...

 

This thread made me pull out my Artisan mfg'd LP. Sounds great.

later, chris

 

Regarding the brief reviving of this Jethro Tull, Benefit thread . . .

I've decided to go back through my CD collection, and try to rebuy certain older issues in light of the information contained SHF threads.

I am basically looking for CDs that are 1) reasonably priced and 2) easily found, if such an animal exists.

I read Roland's recommendations on Jethro Tull. My favorite Tull albums are Stand Up, Aqualung, and Benefit, in that order.

Fulfilling those two criteria, one can search for the U.S. Chrysalis on Stand Up (yes, his favorite is still the MFSL!), and the U.S. Chrysalis on Benefit.

Off to Amazon and its resellers. In the last two weeks, I have obtained

1) Stand Up: U.S. Chrysalis (VK41042; DIDX 442: please tell me what is difference/significance, if any, of these two numbers?). This copy is pristine. Even the jewel case was in fairy decent shape. Cost: 7.00 + 3.00 shipping. Yes, you can easily get a less expensive copy, but I paid more hoping to get a fairly clean copy; I don't like CDs that are dirty, filthy, scratched, scuffed, finger-smugged, etc.

2) Benefit: U.S. Chrysalis (VK41043; DIDX 443). Again, this copy is pristine, and cost was almost exactly as with Stand Up: 10.00 delivered. Jewel case was a little dirty, so I exchanged it out w/ the Benefit remaster jewel case!

Now I also have both the Stand Up and Benefit remasters. I've done some comparisons, but I really need a set of headphones (which I don't have but plan to buy) to better compare.

I was 18 in 1971, so I grew up in classic rock. I owned both these albums (& Aqualung, TAAB) on vinyl. My friends and I would listen to side one, flip it over on the turntable, and then side two. Regardless of sound, I prefer these original issues for another reason: Stand Up begans w/ "A New Day Yesterday" and ends w/ "For A Thousand Mothers." The songs on albums are sequenced and have a progress. Bonus tracks tacked on the end just don't fit. YMMV.

The remasters may eventually be sold to the used CD store. I'll listen to both versions for awhile and then make a determination.

 

Stand Up: U.S. Chrysalis is a fine disc. Again this could give the MoFi a run for the money on any given system.

 

That's the second pressing the first was on the two tone Reprise label.

 

Bought Benefit and War Child for $3 each at Half Price Books. WC sounds decent enough so far, a little to much on the low end, but Benefit doesn't sound terribly great, but for whatever reason "With You There to Help Me" sounds worse than the rest of the album, more muffled and compressed than the other tracks.

 

To me, the original unremastered US CD can't be beaten!

 

Love the Benefit DVD mostly for the 5.1. For the flat transfer of the original mix, I prefer the DVD now. Cool stereo remix too.