Some more Elton stuff

OK...so I go on another used spree this early evening. Turns out there were indeed TWO identically packaged Polydor releases of "Greatest Hits" released - with the exception of one adding an additional "- 2" at the end of the catalog number, and also on the inner ring of the disc (with an exclamation point there to boot). Take it for what you may, but this would *seem* to imply that they did do a second mastering of the Polydors. I didn't buy the one without the "-2" tagged on, but as I noted earlier this week the other Polydor and the original MCA "Your Song" measured identical in every which-way possible. Did they simply revert back to the older MCA mastering for the latest Polydor run (with the "Candle In The Wind" addition of course)? I don't know...but Grant suggested last week that he owned a Polydor that sounded vastly different from the MCA. Could he have had the "non-2!" Polydor version?

Of course, this was all made a moot point tonight anyway, IMO, as I also secured a copy of the DCC version from my local library (the only DCC they seem to have!) - Go figure?


IMO, at the expense of sounding like a kiss-ass....the DCC is so far ahead of the others it's not even funny. This, tonally, is closer to what the vinyl sounded like with a decent cartridge. I *was* able to fairly emulate the DCC, EQ-wise, by rolling back the treble on my car stereo to almost NINE O' Clock and boosting the bass to about TWO O'Clock on the MCA/Polydor...and my car stereo's lucky if it sees much of anything above 14-15k on a good day!

If those originals are, indeed, flat transfers....pretty strident, IMO. I don't know how much EQ "massaging" Steve had to do to those tapes...but I can't believe that the masters sound anywhere as nasty as those MCA/Polydors CD's...glazed and bright in the top end and bass-shy...ain't the word!

Then again...maybe they do?

 

Way off topic, but if anyone wants a good laugh check out David's member profile and click on his "home page."



Ray

 

What can I say...I got confused when they asked for system "rack".

 

Well David,

It's nice to know that i'm not as carzy as some people think. I bought my Polydor the day it was released. I guess most people bought theirs later, like you did, and got the better one. Trust me, that CD I took back to the store was horrible!

I guess i'll give Steve's version another try if I ever find a copy.

 

BTW, David,

I will argue that Audio Magnetics' Tracs tapes are better!