Old Polydor CD "Strange Brew-The Very Best Of Cream" mastered by Dennis Drake. Best sound, cheap!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Dec 25, 2016.

  1. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    The SHM-SACDs have the same standard. One of the best of this series.
     
  2. It was not uncommon for these early Polydor/RSO/Mercury/etc. label CD's to have different masterings floating around. I mean different masterings before the term "remaster" for the CD format became widespread. For example, there are different masterings for the Rod Stewart, Allman Brothers, etc. albums available.

    In order to identify the mastering that Steve is referring to, it would be helpful to have peak level information and/or total timing (in EAC) available for the versions.
     
    MartinR, hvbias and George P like this.
  3. culabula

    culabula Unread author.

    Location:
    Belfast, Ireland

    I checked the West German copy by zooming in on the booklet on eBay and Dennis Drake's name does in fact appear, credited with the mastering.
     
    bibijeebies likes this.
  4. For example, here is a US CD pressing, but I think it is a record club version:

    Code:
    DR Peak RMS Filename -----------------------------------------------------
    DR12 -1.67 dB -15.88 dB 01 Badge.wav
    DR13 -0.41 dB -14.84 dB 02 Sunshine Of Your Love.wav
    DR12 -1.05 dB -14.03 dB 03 Crossroads.wav
    DR14 -0.01 dB -15.18 dB 04 White Room.wav
    DR13 -0.55 dB -15.64 dB 05 Born Under A Bad Sign.wav
    DR12 -0.81 dB -15.39 dB 06 Swlabr.wav
    DR14 -1.12 dB -16.11 dB 07 Strange Brew.wav
    DR12 -1.76 dB -16.81 dB 08 Anyone for Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme).wav
    DR10 -1.71 dB -14.68 dB 09 I Feel Free.wav
    DR13 -0.19 dB -14.55 dB 10 Politician.wav
    DR12 -1.18 dB -15.31 dB 11 Tales Of Brave Ulysses.wav
    DR11 -2.07 dB -16.31 dB 12 Spoonful.wav
    
    And here is another version (from Germany):

    Code:
    foobar2000 1.3.8 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
    log date: 2015-10-02 23:09:07
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR         Peak         RMS     Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR12      -0.21 dB   -15.85 dB      2:46 ?-01 Track01
    DR13       0.00 dB   -14.79 dB      4:12 ?-02 Track02
    DR12       0.00 dB   -13.98 dB      4:16 ?-03 Track03
    DR14       0.00 dB   -15.12 dB      5:00 ?-04 Track04
    DR13       0.00 dB   -15.64 dB      3:11 ?-05 Track05
    DR12       0.00 dB   -15.39 dB      2:34 ?-06 Track06
    DR14       0.00 dB   -16.02 dB      2:48 ?-07 Track07
    DR12      -0.29 dB   -16.72 dB      2:39 ?-08 Track08
    DR10      -0.65 dB   -14.47 dB      2:54 ?-09 Track09
    DR13       0.00 dB   -14.55 dB      4:14 ?-10 Track10
    DR12       0.00 dB   -15.31 dB      2:49 ?-11 Track11
    DR11      -1.10 dB   -16.08 dB      6:29 ?-12 Track12
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Number of tracks:  12
    Official DR value: DR12
    
    Samplerate:        44100 Hz
    Channels:          2
    Bits per sample:   16
    Bitrate:           1411 kbps
    Codec:             PCM
    ================================================================================
    
    And this a Canadian CD release:

    Code:
    foobar2000 1.3.9 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
    log date: 2016-04-08 00:46:20
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR         Peak         RMS     Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR12      -0.49 dB   -16.13 dB      2:46 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 01. Badge
    DR13      -0.28 dB   -15.07 dB      4:12 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 02. Sunshine Of Your Love
    DR12      -0.28 dB   -14.25 dB      4:16 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 03. Crossroads
    DR14      -0.28 dB   -15.40 dB      5:00 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 04. White Room
    DR13      -0.28 dB   -15.92 dB      3:11 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 05. Born Under A Bad Sign
    DR12      -0.28 dB   -15.66 dB      2:34 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 06. Swlabr
    DR14      -0.28 dB   -16.30 dB      2:48 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 07. Strange Brew
    DR12      -0.56 dB   -16.99 dB      2:39 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 08. Anyone For Tennis (The Savage Seven Theme)
    DR10      -0.93 dB   -14.74 dB      2:54 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 09. I Feel Free
    DR13      -0.28 dB   -14.83 dB      4:14 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 10. Politician
    DR12      -0.28 dB   -15.59 dB      2:49 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 11. Tales Of Brave Ulysees
    DR11      -1.37 dB   -16.35 dB      6:29 Strange Brew - The Very Best of Cream - 12. Spoonful
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Number of tracks:  12
    Official DR value: DR12
    
    Samplerate:        44100 Hz
    Channels:          2
    Bits per sample:   16
    Bitrate:           1411 kbps
    Codec:             PCM
    ================================================================================
    
     
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  5. MrSka57

    MrSka57 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Syracuse, New York
    Back in the day my two favorite bands were the B--tl-s and Cream. The TWTD box set was truly awful, one
    of the big disappointments in my collecting 'career.' I'd like to know whose bright idea it was to expand
    'Toad' by two minutes.
     
  6. CrazyCatz

    CrazyCatz Great shot kid. Don't get cocky!

    Thanks for this Thread/Post .. Brb just gonna dig me Charity Shop find Cream CD out..

    Merry Christmas all
     
  7. CrazyCatz

    CrazyCatz Great shot kid. Don't get cocky!

    After a bit of a delay.. Mine is a 1983(?) made in France with a Red Polydor Logo and 811 639-2 01 *

    Stereo AAD

    That's all folks

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2016
  8. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I forgot that my copy has some kind of distortion in Badge when the arpeggiated part starts. I don't know what happened with my copy.
     
  9. Michael Sutter

    Michael Sutter Forum Resident

    Location:
    Holbrook, NY
    Mine does as well. It's the Australian Polydor. Nothing overly distracting, and the rest of the CD sounds quite good, but it's a little bit of quiet static around 1:08 in Badge.
     
  10. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    That sounds like the same as mine. Weird.
     
  11. mgb70

    mgb70 Senior Member

    Location:
    Orlando, FL
    Threads like this are the reason I love and appreciate Steve and this forum. As a collector, amateur audiophile, and music fan I love when Steve or other forum recommend albums that are relatively common, cheap, and sound great. There's nothing better than the thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of a good listen once acquired.

    Steve's recommendation of the original Columbia stereo CD of Dylan's John Wesley Harding was another satisfying discovery.
     
    Chazzbo13, Plan9, MartinR and 6 others like this.
  12. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    Peaks for those who asked:

    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 97.5 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 96.7 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 92.7 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 100.0 %
    Strange Brew - The Very Best Of Cream.log: Peak level 88.1 %


    Start with looking for "Mastered for CD by Dennis M. Drake at PolyGram Studios" in small print on the back of the booklet. Not sure if having that is 100% definitive but if it does not have that it's not Drake's mastering. The copyright year on art and disc is 1983 [date of LP release?] but the CD release was not until 1985 or 1986. Catalog is 811 639-2 Y . Lastly no Polydor "Red Face" version is known to be extant the WG "Silver Face" with 01 matrix is first CD pressing, later matrix's and the original US version have exact same mastering. Be aware the WG for Europe and if it exists the Japan for Japan may not have the mastering SH has recommended. Best to avoid them given the known Drake mastering is plentiful and inexpensive.

    I seem to remember there was a thread similar some year back regarding CSNY's "So Far" not to mention the "Born to Run" thread from late Dec 2011. Great Stuff please keep topics like this coming!
     
    Plan9 and CrazyCatz like this.
  13. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    So I guess all CDs with matrices ending in 01 to 04 plus Dennis Drake being mentioned as the remastering engineer are the ones to get.
     
  14. ricks

    ricks Senior Member

    Location:
    127.0.0.1:443
    On the WG's yes the US' I do not think will follow that pattern.
     
  15. CrazyCatz

    CrazyCatz Great shot kid. Don't get cocky!

    Need glasses Me(or brighter lights) but thanks to above Posts.. I checked out tha small,small print on bottom of inlay and is indeed Mastered by Dennis M Drake..
     
  16. eelkiller

    eelkiller One of the great unwashed

    Location:
    Northern Ontario
    Is the distortion on Badge present on an earlier pressing and corrected on the disc discussed here? I do remember some of the other earlier Cream discs having some issues.
     
  17. CybrKhatru

    CybrKhatru Music is life.

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I used to have this CD and wish I still did. It is a GREAT comp and got me interested in Cream.
     
    Duke Fame likes this.
  18. Bruce Burgess

    Bruce Burgess Senior Member

    Location:
    Hamilton, Canada
    I used to have that CD back in the 1990s, long before I discovered this forum. Unfortunately, I traded that one in on a compilation CD from their Remaster Series, figuring that if it was remastered it had to be better. Fortunately, I do have the DCC CDs of "Fresh Cream" and "Wheels Of Fire" and Clapton's Crossroads set, which I believe was mastered by Dennis Drake. If I come across the Best Of Cream CD, I'll definitely pick it up.
     
    Duke Fame and CrazyCatz like this.
  19. Fred68

    Fred68 Loves Music

    Location:
    USA
    I would venture that the mention of Drake's name is not a guarantee that a specific disc is indeed mastered by him. Often there will be cutting and pasting of artwork without regard as to whether the wording on the packaging represents the product inside.
     
  20. George P

    George P Notable Member

    Location:
    NYC
    The Crossroads set was mastered by Greg Calbi.
     
    Dave likes this.
  21. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    This is beyond confusing. So many versions of the same album. All I can say is 1987 to 1992 are the magic years. Before 1987 the Atlantic stash hadn't been brought back yet.
     
    yasujiro and Fred68 like this.
  22. winopener

    winopener Forum Resident

    The only way to sort out the mess is if the kind fellows who posted EAC peaks can re-post it noticing the specific matrix of the disc, complete; meanwhile, if Steve can have a look at his matrix, then we can see with what it does match.
     
  23. 389 Tripower

    389 Tripower Just a little south of Moline

    Location:
    Moline, IL USA
    Yes - and I think it sounds fantastic in my opinion. To me, it's in a different league from the '69 US ATCO "Best Of".
    For example, the jingles in the background of "Sunshine" come out very clearly, and has good high end without over-brightness, and that's with using my AT carts. A little warmer with the Shure carts, Lots of bass too - either cart.

    Compilation - 1983.
    Polygram Records (RSO)
    Cat. # 811 639-1 Y1
    Remastering from original master tapes: Carlos Olms and Jim Cook.
     
  24. CrazyCatz

    CrazyCatz Great shot kid. Don't get cocky!

    Idk? Copying and Pasting of Production Credits etc, seems pushing it? Laziness wise.. I mean pictures maybe, but text and fonts don't tend to reproduce very well ..just my thinking..

    atb
     
  25. wavethatflag

    wavethatflag God is love, but get it in writing.

    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    I have the CD the OP raves about. I bought it in college. I will listen to it today. :)
     

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