Paul McCartney Flaming Pie Archive Collection - Sound Quality Discussion

I ordered the 2-disc, but I just cancelled now after reading about the glitch(es). I guess I’ll just be content with the 97.

 

Really? I wouldn't recommend that.

Aside from the one blip, I think the sound quality is excellent and exceeds the 1997 version.

But it's your choice...

 

My big bucks are spent on the 70's super deluxe sets but you just inspired me to go at least mid-way with FP and go for the 2-CD set. I think it's his first truly worthwhile and consistent album since Tug Of War.

 

The bonus stuff is really worth it...if you like the album you can’t go wrong.

 

Still hope the box set's price will go down a bit in the coming months.
I'd like to have the hi-res audio versions, too.

 

My initial reaction was the most positive it had been to a McCartney album in a very long time. In all honesty, I'm not in love with every single song on it (Ram holds that distinction to this day over any of his albums)but I definitely felt that as a whole, it was a pretty solid piece of work.

 

Monkberry Moon Delight ruins that possibly on Ram for me. Band on the Run is the album with every song being awesome!

 

I agree with you. There are days when this is my favorite McCartney album and even then there are tracks I skip...but I feel like the best of the tracks far outweighs the two or three clunkers.

 

What won me over with MMD was his incredibly controlled vocal work. The song contains both wackiness and melody..it's not Too Many People or Uncle Albert but it's the type of McCartney quirkiness I have a liking for (I'm also a fan of Bip Bop..just laying it all out on the table here....).

 

I just received delivery of a new system - the Wilson Chronosonic XVX - powered with 4 burmester 909s at 240 volts- along with Subsoncis and a bunch of other goodies. This system has over 200 hours - the cartridge (a goldfinger statement has only 40 hours). I will post a more detailed post once I get fully familiar with this album, however, the first impression is remarkable.

I am blown away by the separation, the clarity, all the components of the music are "up front" and fill the room. The vinyl is super quiet and listening to this brings me a lot of joy - which of course, you can't always say with any recorded music. The 1/2 speed mastering was also used at Abby Road with Sgt. Peppers, however, IMHO, this album is recorded and mixed so much better. I am looking forward to spending time with this, getting to know the tracks a bit better and sharing thoughts.

Folks have said the vocals may be a bit hot, may be so - a bit too in your face...that's about all I can say in terms of a critical assessment. This really is a treat to listen to.

 

You can buy the hi res files at Qobuz for £38, ask yourself how many times will you look at the box and what will the return on that investment be?

I'm happy with the files the extra content is not worth the price of admission in my opinion. After nearly 40 years of being a McCartney completist he has made the decision for me and eased me out of the picture. I'm equally disappointed and relieved. I'm most grateful that I will not have more boxes to find room for. I am already struggling to find the space for them.

 

That's the beauty of music - we all hear things and like things differently. Flaming Pie is my favorite McCartney album of them all, including Wings. I never skip over a single track, although I have no problem admitting that Used to Be Bad and Really Love You are arguably the weakest of the lot, considering they're really nothing more than extended blues jams.

Back to the sound quality discussion ... I normally don't waste time analyzing CD's, but these sound amazingly great. I can't get enough of the Home Recordings, particularly Young Boy. Not happy to say this at all, really, but I would say the CD sounds better than the vinyl for that one.

 

And again I forgot that alternative option. Probably because I'm not a Qobuz user (yet).^^

 

The remaster plays at a different speed. Personally, I'll go with the version that plays at the right speed!

 

But which is correct? The original or the remaster? Is what is “right” based on what you’re used to hearing vs what is actually correct?

 

I'm not sure that they're that much more peak limited and compressed than the originals. I've been A/B-ing them and I suspect that some of the apparent modest reduction in dynamic range might just be due to different EQ choices. Either way, there's not much in it but regardless, I'm very disappointed that having gone to the trouble of improving the main album, they didn't do likewise for the B-sides. An awful oversight that massively devalues the final product.

 

They're not massively different. There are several tracks where the remaster has a fraction more dead space at the start which gives the impression that they're more out of sync than they really are. And yes, given that we only have two masterings, how can you say which one is correct? The polarity is also inverted on one of them, but which is correct?

 

If I had to hazard a guess, I would think the one where they paid enough attention to ensure the polarity is correct would be the more correct one.

But what do I know... maybe they're just randomly flipping the "polarity" switch with each mastering of the FP tracks...

 

I keep coming back to Red Rose Speedway to try and re-EQ it myself using the duplicated tracks on Pure McCartney as guide (they feature different, superior EQ choices), but I got fed up and tend to go months before getting the courage to revisit it. I know there are those who are far more knowledgeable than I am about knowing what to tweak to get it to line up to the sound of the prior Archive releases, but they aren't helping me.

 

Ive heard this but can’t tell from listening - which is running slower/faster? Have we confirmed this or speculated as to why there are differences?

 

I have that, & the original CD; I'm good.

 

I agree here. B-sides and bonus tracks often don't get enough effort.
That's why I wonder what they gonna do with Off The Ground sessions, which have 10 or so extra tracks released on the the special edition of that album (2 CDs The Complete Works). I love the mastering of the original core album tracks, but it looks like they will remaster only them.
Well, hopefully I'm wrong.

 

Congrats on your new system. I'm sure it sounds great. Anything less than amazing with a system of that caliber would be extremely disappointing.

 

Has any one noticed a quality control difference between the 3-LP and 2-LP? I was thinking of picking up a copy of the 2-LP after the 2-LP in the 3-LP box of mine is having some sight issues with QC.