Thanks for this thread guys. Listening to the clips (thanks again to Matt ) at first I liked the mono best. But ultimately even though Mr Sinatra's vocals sit more in the mix it sounds more congested to me than the stereo. I wanted to like the mono best, there is a wlp for sale in the classifieds . It came down to the 91 cd stereo version and the original stereo lp. Things are much more pinpoint accurately clear in the lp clip. The 91 isnt horrible and listenable but even more than the issues with the bass imo is the dynamics(?). Everything is simply pushed forward and more mushy sounding. The lp stereo isnt perfect. Has that Reprise era pinched sound. But just barely. Perhaps a few tubes would make it nearly perfect. Anyway that is this laymans take.
This layman would definitely go with a well-mastered original LP in good shape (and I'm not an "LP guy" per se, or a CD hater).
@mpayan -- a couple of insightful comments regarding the stereo version, from two sets of respected ears:
Matt, Im guessing that stereo was still such a new thing then that they were still experimenting. Maybe they were enticed by the full sound? Wide sounds great. Widest? Ooo listen to that! Make it even wider!
I'm not going to reread this thread again but I'm sure I mentioned remixing this album about 16 years ago. The "sound" of the record was mixed right on the three-track tape, couldn't alter much. The horns clipping, the weird orchestra separation (as noted above) and especially the lack of any musical center made it an awkward sounding stereo mix. After spending about three days on it I called for the old stereo mix to be sent over here and I thought it sounded better in many ways than my version; the extra slap and echo sort of filled in the middle, the horns were tamed by wild tube compression and the left channel (reeds, bass) sounded fuller, mainly because it was about 5 db higher on the mix and squashed, Bill Putnam style! I told them to just use the old stereo mix and take a pass on my efforts. No idea what happened after that but it was a frustrating experience. Was fun listening to the unissued Radio Recorders attempts though, four track, untouched by reverb or compression. But Frank was unhappy..
OK...have said this before but this very much a layman prefers his mid 80's Japanese pressing uber alles. However, I do agree with @MLutthans that my original pressing stereo copy sounds pretty darn good, too.
At one time I had Xeroxes of all the tape boxes but I did not keep them. Charlie over at the Sinatra Project has them or I dumped them, cannot remember which. Bill P. was not the engineer even though his mixing school style was evident in the old stereo mix. The Radio Recorders stuff, had his name but it's gone from my memory banks, sorry. He was crusty, grumbled a lot.
I've got one of those. STONE QUIET VINYL!! It leans a little darker/warmer/bass-ier than the multiple USA copies I have, and I prefer those overall (just a personal preference, nothing more), but I totally get the appeal of the Japanese LP, which is very well done in a "different flavor." Glad you found one!
My kinda guy! If your notes ever re-materialize, curious people here would love to know! (This literally came up in private conversation with some forum-ites just a few days ago, and nobody knew the answer.)
I REMEMBER TOMMY is one of my favorite Sinatra Reprise efforts. I feel it's a strong album. Thing is, there are existing three-track alternate takes for all the songs that are fantastic. Could make a great two disk set. Doubt that would ever happen though.. Always curious why he left Radio Recorders, never to return.
I'm always impressed that Sinatra recorded The One I Love in 1959 and 1961, one as a mournful, string-laden ballad with Gordon Jenkins, one as a total toe-tapper, and they both are great, but diametrically opposed in terms of styles. I love 'em both!
It must have been a source of great frustration for Frank to not be able to sing like he did with Dorsey anymore. He still plugged ahead with the project which was brave of him. As I've written about, the Radio Recorders tapes show Frank very frustrated that he couldn't do that soft, smooth style anymore. Didn't stop him from making a fine album. But it would be like Brian Wilson deciding to do a remake of Surfer Girl and then realizing that he couldn't sing in falsetto anymore.. But trying it anyway!
It's the infamous "wet bread" remix, yes. (That's not an insult; just a commentary.) Old posts that may explain what I mean:
Yet, not too many months later on All Alone, he did one HELLUVA job on "Remember" that showed he was as elastic as ever when the time was right.
