DCC Archive Monkees Arista CDs – worth getting?

Is it worth picking up the Monkees' Greatest Hits (orange cover) and More Greatest Hits (green cover) CDs on Arista? They were mastered by Bill Inglot and Ken Perry of K-Disc.

I have the Japanese Arista import CD of Headquarters, and I really like the sound on it, although I hear that they were taken from lower-generation tapes or something. I really think the current Rhino versions, especially the Music Box set, sound horrible.

I'm wondering if the hits CDs have better sound...

Kym

 

Kim, the Arista Monkees CDs of the first two Lps are a mixed bag.

I dont like the Cd of the first LP, half of it is in MONO!! They couldnt find the stereo two track of side two when the CD was made, so they used a mono tape. EECCHHH

The Arista "More Of" Cd is remixed, but it was mastered badly. No great improvement.

The Rhinos sound better in my opinion.

The multitrack tapes of the first LP, lost for 30 years were found last year, and I think a remix of the first two Monkees LPs is a MUST. Both are on 4 track, I believe.

How about a DCC Gold of these two?

 

I'm borderline ashamed to know this, but...

The reason the Headquarters CD sounds so good is because it's actually a remix. And as, presumably, the Arista hits CD borrows audio from the other Arista entries, one can expect a mixed bag at best.

-D

 

I read somewhere, I thought on this board, that the Monkees Arista CDs were the best ones, and that the Greatest Hits CD had different mixes? Did I imagine that?

 

My very first CD which I purchased in 1986 was a German import by the Monkees titled Hey-Hey-It's The Monkees 20 Smash Hits by Platinum Music c.'85? I recently compared 'Theme From...' and 'Last Train...' on this disc with both the Arista and Rhino versions of the same two songs. The Arista and Platinum both sounded identical (and reasonably good). The Rhino sounded somewhat better, for example the finger snapping in 'Theme From..." was much more noticable and the vocals sounded smoother. I don't have the ears that many here have but I like the Rhino versions of these albums. Gave the Arista to my Sister, (hope she doesn't see this)!

As far as doing a gold DCC on this group I'd have to say hands down (monkey paws?) the album should be their 4th one, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

 

jlomax,
Yeah I seem to remember that posting as well.

I've got 2 versions,Then And Now The Best of The Monkees (Arista) and The Monkees 20 Greatest Hits (Audiophile Legends Gold disc Made In Portugal) and other than being a bit smoother in the top end as well as less grainy, no super dramatic difference.

Just MHO

 

Good idea, but isn't remixing a big no-no with Steve?

 

I know I put this up way back when on the old board...courtesy of Andrew Sandoval, in a brilliant interview by Mark Easter, regarding source tapes - starting with the Rhino CD's.

"The Monkees" - Side 1, stereo German tape. Side 2, first generation American tape.

"More of the Monkees" - Stereo British tape.

"Headquarters" - "I think we used an American tape. We wish that one had sounded better; the remix Bill Inglot did for the Arista CD [in 1989] was very good, but we decided to stick with the original."

"P,A,C& J" - "a stereo German tape and part of an American tape."

"BB&M" - "New York Master" - first generation tape.

"Head" - first generation stereo master tape.

"Instant Replay" - Protection copy.

"The Monkees Present" - Protection copy.

"Changes" - "we have a first-generation tape, but "Oh My My" has some dropouts, so we used a stereo German tape for that song".


Sandoval also notes that with the earlier Arista CD's, although remixes were used for a good portion of the tracks, "Headquarters" is the only one remixed from start to finish in its entirety.

Finally, this is what is said about the Japanese Arista CD's released in the early 90's:

"All of those were mastered by Bill Inglot, and he did them for all the different countries, since Bill not only works for Rhino, but has done work for Arista and many others. Japan ordered the first seven LP's, Bill did them and "By Request", which came out before the individual discs, was taken from those tapes by Japan. Bill didn't assemble that, but he did put those tapes together. As I recall, he sent [tapes for the singles not on the albums] separately; that's why you get the first-time stereo on something like "It's Nice To Be With You", which was an original stereo mixdown from 1968, when the single came out."

 

Many thanks to you all for your input!

So, am I to assume that the orange Greatest Hits amd green More Greatest Hits on Arista will be a mixed bag sonically? It sounds like these compilations are a mishmash of different sources.

And how about the Then & Now Arista CD, the one with "That Was Then, This Is Now"?

Kym

 

I've been considering the recent 2-CD hits collection (with the 3-D cover), how's the sound on that one?

 

I recommend the Monkees Anthology. If memory serves, ICE magazine had a small snippet about it including the original tapes from PAC&J. It also has the alternate and complete version of Mommy and Daddy (with the controversial lyrics). A slightly edited version appeared on the Listen To The Band box set. The single version (and inferior one) was included on Monkees Music Box.

Pretty good selection (though Daily Nightly and Tapioca Tundra should have been on it).