New Lightfoot remaster.

Picked up the Rhino re-master of Lightfoot's Greatest Hits and it has a warm, clean and full sound on my mediocre car player. Hope to play it tonight on my better sounding home system.

Has anyone any experience with the recent Rhino remasters of Bonnie Raitt?

 

I was just about to start a new thread 'til I hit search. I want to pass on my findings because I appreciate this type of feedback from all of you.
The new Complete Greatest Hits is a success on many levels - Gordon L was involved, good liner notes and the original versions were used.

BUT the sound is disappointing - the guitars are too bright, they sound more natural on Gord's Gold. If You Could Read My Mind is warmer and more engaging on GG and Rhino's boosting of the mid bass causes the bass guitar to excessively dominate. Good clarity but who wants it at the expense of the music?
Less hiss on the Rhino too, though I have no idea whether that's because they use NR or because they use the master where GG presumably uses a copy tape.
Does anyone know what Rhino uses for noise reduction?

 

I like the cd sound of the "If you could read my Mind" cd better than the same selections on the "Songbook" box set(great selections though!).
I see that on July 2nd "Old Dan's Records" is finally coming out on cd. Too bad that it will be mastered too brightly also.

 

Your reviews are allowing me to even more appreciate the old Lightfoot CD pressings and LP's as they do have natural sound. If Steve Hoffman were to remaster the albums, they would sound excellent and Steve is interested in remastering some Lightfoot albums.

 

I'm happy with the original Lightfoot CD releases. Granted, I love Steves work but don't always have the $30 to shell out for a gold disc. Steve, will any of your recent remasters be coming out on mid-priced silver discs such as your great Harry Nilsson titles?

 

Excuse my ignorance, please tell me about this. I want to buy some Nilsson - which ones did Steve Master???? I quite like sound of the first two albums on the Anthology but I'm sure it can be improved upon.

 

Harry Nilsson-Harry DZS-155
Nilsson-The Point DZS-158

 

Re: Re: New Lightfoot remaster.

Bill Inglot does NOT use any NR, nor does he believe in it.

 

Thanks Michael and Grant!

 

I don't have any other Lightfoot music so I can't compare. Maybe I've heard so much muffled Lightfoot on AM radio that I'm like, ahh that's what he sounds like.

The guitars are mostly acoustic so my thought was it was naturally bright. I've listened a few times in the car (great traveling music) and select cuts at home, all to my liking. Guess we have to get Steve to do some material, then I'll have something to compare against.

 

Anyone ever stop to think that maybe that's the way the tapes sound?

 

Yes. Pure guess that Gord's Gold is close to a flat transfer of the tapes. The balance of instruments is not always appropriate for the music IMO. The Rhino remaster adds too much harshness and accentuates some of the balance problems (eg over prominent bass and drums on some cuts). It's not terrible but I'd say keep your originals until a Hoffman remaster surfaces!

 

Anytime!

 

In 1971, months before"Old Dan's Records" was released I was a young bright eyed fan of Gordon, Myself and a few friends went to see Gordon in concert. After the show we met Gordon backstage and told him we were local musicians, and would he like to jam? He said sure! and told us to get our instruments and meet him at his hotel location. We were blown away! We met him in the lounge area and he bought us a few Cokes LOL! Being a youngster then it was an incredible experience! After we got comfortable in the hotel room, Gordon came over to me and placed his Martin D-28 (The Guitar on the Cover of Don Quixote!) over my shoulder. I remember the action on the "Martin D-28" was incredibly high. After we played a few tunes, He asked us what we would like to hear? We requested "If You Could Read My Mind". He said he needed his lead guitar player Terry Clements to play along and if he would he'd play, Needless to say Terry picked up his guitar and they played the song! The rest of the evening was spent jamming and discussing the music scene way into dawn! Months later "Old Dans Records" was released and the song "Highway Song" had a line in it (Picking with a friend till dawn, singing all those highway songs") that I always felt was a little memory of our time at the hotel. I will always treasure that night!

 

Nice story Michael.

Since I grew up in Toronto, Lightfoot's home town, he was always one of my main musical influences. For countless years I attended his annual Massey Hall concerts (usually ran for 5 or 6 nights). I was actually exposed to his first lp "Lightfoot!" in my grade 9 english class. Learned to play guitar to his songs.

Had the opportunity to bump in to him in the park once when he was playing with his child and we had a nice chat. Also personally knew his first singing partner/guitarist Terry Whelan.

Lightfoot has become one of Canada's national treasures. For those of you who only really are aware of him since "If You Could Read My Mind"
I recommend you check out his first 5 United Artists albums, arguably his best work.

 

Thanks,
I wonder what ever happened to Terry Clements? I Have everything he's ever recorded numerous times. LOL! Had all white label promo Lps etc. I was a fan way before I got to meet him. He is a treasure. A good soul.

 

I saw him once in NYC at Avery Fisher Hall back in 75'. That was a great sounding concert.

Caught a PBS concert of him earlier this year where he did a few songs and then PBS cut to whatever they cut to. I kept waiting for the concert to continue as I was enjoying his performance but it never did.

PBS has some nice stuff locked up in their vault... I wish they'd stop making like a clam.

 

Perhaps the new Rhino CD lets you hear more of what's on those tapes! It sounds like Inglot/Hersh are using some fine converters. Most of what has been coming from Rhino in the last few years has been very clean. Anain, maybe that's what's *really* on the tapes!

 

I found a mint copy of Sundown on LP yesterday. Sure sounds better than my Mo-Fi copy ever did.

 

I'll buy that Grant.

I'm encouraged to hear what you say about Rhino - fine converters plus no noise reduction. Rhino has so much great music that we would all want their work to be of the highest quality. I believe it was you Grant (on another thread) who reminded us that Rhino does a lot of good - liner notes, archive preservation, research and they keep a lot of great music alive.

Maybe the master tape problems could be fixed if I start a new thread - "Remix Gordon Lightfoot". What do you think Grant?? I couldn't resist!!!

 

I still don't trust Inglot and Rhino. Too hit and miss. And still a tendency towards brightness. This consistency with the treble boost is just to common to come to the belief that the brightness is on all those master tapes. On some of those Rhino compilations, every track has the same treble balance even though they are different recordings from different times. Rhino has improved but is still inconsistent.

But good mastering requires skill, taste and love of music. And you can't teach taste, you have to acquire it.

 

Why do you want to fix everything? Just let it be, just as it is!

A few days ago I bought a Rhino various artist comp CD, Smooth Grooves: Crusin' Classics". It was mastered by Inglot/Hersh this year. I have to say, i'm impressed! The tracks are very clean and clear, and NO NR was used. One or two tracks do have hiss on them. And, here's the best part, Inglot must have been reading my rants because the CORRECT single versions are there, to the point of even using an inferior sounding single master over the LP tape just to ensure that the RIGHT tapes were used! Yeeeeeeee! Now, I feel confident enough to buy more Rhino various artist comps!

 

That's what mastering is, Beagle, making the tracks sit together. On this latest comp that I took a chance on, I don't hear spiked treble, I hear better converters and meticulous remastering.

 

I am happy to leave it be.
I just couldn't resist the chance to take a good-natured dig at you Grant!!
Forgive me for I am weak!!
I often joke around with people I like so I emphasize the good-natured aspect.

 

Oh, don't worry! I got the joke! Good one!