Rhino Remixes "Chicago Transit Authority" for 50th Anniversary

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by arob71, Jun 26, 2019.

  1. audiomixer

    audiomixer As Bald As The Beatles

    Here’s my question to you:
    Do you have the Mastersound Gold Cd?
    Do you have the Mofi SACD?
    Do you have the Qudio Blu-Ray?
    These are the high standards that compete with this “remix”.
     
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  2. jjjos

    jjjos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    Trust me, I’m usually on the same side you are with this kind of thing. This isn’t a “Hoffmanite” thing, this is an “I have functioning ears and this is ****e” thing.

    By all means, make your own judgement when you get the CD. I’m curious to know what the physical CD sounds like, but my hopes are not high.
     
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  3. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    If Chicago were smart, they'd pull this thing before it gets too far along and redo it.
     
  4. Hamhead

    Hamhead The Bear From Delaware

    WTF???? :cussing:

    Mixed though a flanger and out of phase, this is rank.
    From everything I heard so far, this makes the "In Search For The Lost Chord" remix sound like 'Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie'.

    From what I heard here, Steve Wilson is working on his own music and isn't doing any remixes at the moment.
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2019
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  5. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    Oh no, not at at all...nuances which aren't audible on the original mix are usually a good thing, IMO.
     
    Grant likes this.
  6. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    If Steven Wilson is busy doing other things, with all of the bad reviews this has maybe he'll now make some time to do his own CTA remix :D
     
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  7. bellbrass

    bellbrass Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kentucky, USA
    I think it's funny that we are arguing about why this thing is bad. That says a lot.
    Sure enough, someone will come along and say it sounds good.
    But this atrocity might have the highest rate of agreement about bad sound that I can remember on this forum.
     
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  8. Hamhead

    Hamhead The Bear From Delaware

    From YouTube: (Sounds like the one who did the remix)

    SoundDsgn17 hours ago
    Mochrie99 the distortion on the brass is actually on the original multitrack, recorded by Fred Catero at CBS. The overly bright EQ of the brass on the original mix helped to mask the distortion. Nothing is perfect, especially a 50 year old recording made under the restrictions and time pressures of Union Rules at the time. The distortion is actually exacerbated here by the streaming quality. The CD and the vinyl do not emphasize it, and actually sound quite clean, in spite of the level saturation of the original multitrack.


    Anyway, it still sounds like crap.
     
  9. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I agree. It doesn't sound too terrible on my boombox after a few rum and cokes, and that's the most positive thing anyone's said about this.
     
  10. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York


    Saw that quote on the tube. You could be right.
     
  11. jjjos

    jjjos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    My hypothesis is that, this being the first Chicago recording, the original multitracks are either compromised or poorly recorded, which the original mix sort of bears out. It sounds good, but not overly detailed and sort of boxy. The quad mix is a little clearer but being a quad mix from the 70s it is very "one instrument (group) to a channel" sort of affair. I still enjoy it.

    I think that trying to remix this album is something that should be tackled by Elliot Scheiner or Steven Wilson, and not someone who has the attitude of this dude who appears to think that what he's produced is the best this material has ever sounded. He's so wrong it's comical.
     
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  12. FVDnz

    FVDnz Forum Resident

    Somebody on his Facebook page asked him if he would be interested in remixing Chicago II. Here was Jessup's response... :laugh:

    "I’ve actually played with some of it Randy. I have the same files that Steven Wilson worked from. Unfortunately, the label has no reason to re-mix it again. But who knows, maybe they will be interested in some of my interpretations as bonus tracks someday."
     
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  13. audiomixer

    audiomixer As Bald As The Beatles

    :yikes:
     
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  14. Just think if everyone here wrote to Rhino about it. Would it even matter ?

    The original LP works fine for me.
     
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  15. DJ Moch

    DJ Moch Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I find it amusing that that was my own Youtube comment this person responded to. I dunno, I still think it sounds pretty bad, technical issues notwithstanding.

     
  16. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    No question there.

    Indeed.

    Sure seems to be:

    SoundDsgn

    And that doesn't make a lick of sense. Bright EQ *masked* the distortion? Not only is that a completely bonkers statement, no, there's no such distortion on the original mix.

    This forum tends to descend into hyperbole quickly, but this is *really* bad. I'm listening to Introduction from Group Portrait now, and even on my laptop speakers it sounds like a high fidelity breath of fresh air in comparison.

    I'd argue the only "issue" with the original recording is the group horns were usually recorded on one track, due to the space limitations of 8-track. Beyond that, I've always considered it a great sounding recording. Certainly better than Chicago, and in many ways better than some later recordings like VI.
     
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  17. Charlie Z.

    Charlie Z. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central NJ
    I got a chance to listen to this today. I kept hearing a "whirring" noise as I listened and realized it was my late brother spinning in his grave.

    Chicago was his favorite band. CTA was his favorite Chicago album.

    This remix stinks on ice.
     
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  18. jjjos

    jjjos Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    I can’t really disagree with you much. The boxiness I spoke of likely is due to the horns and how they sound in and affect the overall mix.
     
  19. Hamhead

    Hamhead The Bear From Delaware

    For those who are curious about the DR readings, here you are:

    foobar2000 1.4.3 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
    log date: 2019-09-14 23:12:01

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Analyzed: Chicago / Chicago Transit Authority 50th Anniversary Remix
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DR Peak RMS Duration Track
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    DR9 0.00 dB -10.65 dB 6:36 01-Introduction
    DR9 -0.09 dB -11.82 dB 4:41 02-Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
    DR10 -0.11 dB -12.74 dB 7:54 03-Beginnings
    DR9 -0.89 dB -11.99 dB 5:09 04-Questions 67 And 68
    DR8 0.00 dB -10.28 dB 3:24 05-Listen
    DR9 -0.24 dB -11.10 dB 8:40 06-Poem 58
    DR6 -2.35 dB -10.48 dB 6:56 07-Free Form Guitar
    DR8 -0.05 dB -9.18 dB 6:14 08-South California Purples
    DR9 -1.42 dB -12.91 dB 7:43 09-I'm A Man
    DR11 -9.91 dB -22.58 dB 0:57 10-Prologue, August 29, 1968
    DR9 -0.89 dB -12.64 dB 4:17 11-Someday (August 29, 1968)
    DR9 -1.66 dB -12.99 dB 14:41 12-Liberation
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Number of tracks: 12
    Official DR value: DR9

    Samplerate: 44100 Hz
    Channels: 2
    Bits per sample: 16
    Bitrate: 840 kbps
    Codec: FLAC
     
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  20. Steve Mc

    Steve Mc Bangles Encyclopedia

    Location:
    United States
    Unnecessary remix, muddled sound in the harmonies, no warmth to the horns, generally fuzzy.
    Moving on.
     
    Grant likes this.
  21. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Maybe has was grumbling about the remix.... :):)
     
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  22. AudiophilePhil

    AudiophilePhil Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    :hurl::hurlleft:
     
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  23. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    I have yet to receive my CD... anxious to hear it.

    Like many others here (most?), I'm not looking for an improvement as there are excellent options available already. An interesting alternative is the best case scenario.

    Given what I've been reading on this thread, I have a theory.

    Perhaps Jessup really liked the sound of the original Chicago (II) album and tried to replicate that... :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 14, 2019
    905 likes this.
  24. bellbrass

    bellbrass Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kentucky, USA
    I wonder if you are right.

    My theory is that Jessup simply tried to put his own sound into the mix. Jimmy Page, when he remastered the soundtrack album for The Song Remains The Same, put some effects on John's Bonham's drum solo, among other things, that weren't on the original release. Maybe some people liked the new effects. I did not. Maybe Jessup was actually trying to make CTA sound...umm, modern?
     
  25. JediJoker

    JediJoker Audio Engineer/Enthusiast

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    He clearly was. He essentially stated as much, and it's evident from the AutoTune on "Someday."
     

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