Sound quality of Badlands debut CD

I have loved the debut Badlands album ever since I first heard it, which was a year or two after it came out. It is packed full of such delicious and hard, grinding riffs and tunes. It really is groundbreaking, and incredibly underrated.

I have only heard the CD recording, and even though the songs themselves are superb, I actually find that the CD itself actually pretty crap. I guess this is a sound engineering/production issue. Has anyone else noticed this? If I'm lucky, it was just a poor quality CD pressing that I have. Does anyone out there know which particular CD production/version is the best quality?

 

I have the original vinyl and original CD and I think they both sound great. Can`t say I have any issues with mine. The CD is really crankable.

 

I have the original vinyl and its both sounding and musically amazing. Great late 80s band!

I was lucky enough to see jake e lee play a couple of songs off their albums. This is from their second album if i recall well


Shame there were some weird sound issues in this gig ( sound eqs were great but his guitar power would randomly go off... he was pretty pissed off here)...

 

Hmm, maybe I just happened to buy a cheaply produced version. Would you be able to post the details of the CD? I'll try and find a copy for sale somewhere.

 

I've not yet ventured down the vinyl route, because I know to do it properly it'll cost me loads :-o But good to know the original vinyl is good - I'll keep a lookout for a copy in preparation for my HiFi upgrade to vinyl :-D

 

Sure thing. I'll post the details tonight. If memory recalls it's the original Canadian pressing on Atlantic, my vinyl is a US pressing on Atlantic. I'll post the matrix number for you, or at least try to find the Discogs listing.

 

All i can say is you are all lucky people. Hard to get this album now. And it rocks!

 

Original US CD sounds good to me too. I haven't heard the vinyl in person, but I have heard a needledrop made by a very well-respected ripper and thought it didn't sound much better than the original CD. If anything, the vinyl had some inner groove distortion going on in the last track on at least one of the sides. I'd still buy the vinyl if I ever saw it in person though.

 

I have the 1st and 2nd albums on CD. Think I picked them up on ebay a few years ago. I really loved the 1st one, the 2nd was just ok.

I plan to listen to them again soon so if I remember I will post my thoughts here.

 

I have a Japanese disc AMCY-698 and I think it sounds fine, I would presume it's the same mastering as the standard US disc, but that's just a guess.
Seems there's been a few CD versions over the years, though how different the masterings are, who knows ?
Great record.

Badlands (2) - Badlands

 

I have been in a Badlands mood recently spurred by the Jake E. Lee thread (here in the forums) and Jake's recent Eddie Trunk interview.

From that we now learn that Badlands catalogue is likely out-of-print, maybe forever, due to Ray Gillen legal situation (read the other thread).

I guess I am one of the lucky few to have grabbed the in-print-for-short-time-only Rock Candy re-issues of the first two Badlands CDs (I think from 2011 or so). I recently acquired original CDs of both albums as well to compare.

The Rock Candy re-issues were remastered by Andy Pierce who also did some Black Sabbath and Dio remasters in the not too distant past. He usually does good work. With the Badlands remasters he applied some compression unfortunately, so we get DR8 whilst the originals are around DR10.

However, I am no longer a slave to DR numbers since good sound is more than just dynamic range (though that is very important).

My thoughts:

- Badlands self-titled original CD, nice dynamics, good tone, but a little flat and lifeless (emphasis on a little)
- Badlands self-title Rock Candy remaster, louder and bit pushed forward , but good tone, a little more organic and rounded, a bit more analogue sounding

- Voodoo Highway original CD, drums way low in the mix, sounds weak, but good dynamics
- Voodoo Highway Rock Candy remaster, louder and bit pushed forward, more low-end heft that restores balance to the sound

The original production has 80s negatives about it. Drum sound and production process has that late 80s digital harshness that simply does not exist with 70s analogue productions. If you are familiar with late 80s Whitesnake or Blue Murder, you know the sound I'm talking about; all hard rocks of that period have a digital screechiness that is baked into the master tapes. But I should emphasis it is not horrible or terrible here, just noting that these albums will always have that sound.

So which versions are best?

- If you have the original Badlands CD, there is no need to chase any other version
- If you have Voodoo Highway, then I do say that the Rock Candy version is better (though a tad compressed at DR8) because the balance is better, as in I can feel the drums

I am also keeping my Rock Candy Badlands CD, even with the compression I like it a shade more than the original CD because it has more life and space (a bit)

I did listen to a needle-drop of the self-titled album a few years ago, little different to the CD to be honest.

Lastly, I far prefer the self-title album to Voodoo Highway, better songs in-my-opinion. Still a great bad with an amazing singer, but now it is likely that this band will never have its catalogue available again. Like dust in the win.

 

I have all three releases of Badlands (and I think two of VH) but I checked yesterday and for some reason I only ripped the Rock Candy ones. When I have time to dig out the boxes the CD's are buried in I'll try and compare too.

But I'm guessing since I only ripped the RC versions I must have thought they sounded best at the time.

 

I finally bought a Canadian pressing of this on vinyl. It was actually cut to LP using Direct Metal Mastering so it sounds quite a bit different than I expected. Lots of high end detail but not harsh, with spacious imaging and maybe a little lacking in bass. Gonna make my own needledrop to compare with the original CD.

 

I bought the original US when it came out in 89. It sounds pretty good. Recently I scored the first Japan pressing and it blows the first US pressing away. For Voodoo Highway, the US doesn't sound a whole lot different than the first Japan, though. The Rock Candy remasters are the usual compressed garbage I've come to expect from them. One of the worst reissue labels out there.

 

I have the original CD's for both the eponymous and Voodoo Highway albums. As the OP states, I'd have to agree that the debut album sound is a bit weak, although the track 'Rumblin' Train' sounds fine. It's been a whule since I listened to the albums though. Dusk is another great release.

RIP Ray. One of the greatest Rock/Blues/Soul voices ever.

 

I have the originals for the S/T and VH, and the Pony Canyon Japanese for Dusk. They all sound great to me. I believe Dusk has reversed channels, though, but I'm not sure it can be found without them.

 

Like I said, it's been a while since I last listened to the albums, so I can't make a 100% good/bad/mediocre call on the sound quality. I think I just remeber listening to the debut and thinking that something was lacking. Maybe it's just my bad memory?

I never realised the reversed channels thing with Dusk. I too have the Pony Canyon release. I'll have to have a listen to all the CD's over the next week.

 

FYI - I finally pulled the discs out and the Koch version of the first Badlands disc is a direct transfer of the original pressing.

Comparing the Rock Candy versions they are defiantly hotter with some shaved peaks, but it's not unbearable. Voodoo Highway is really pushing it, but in that case the extra compression might be better? Tough call on that one as it's not a great sounding album to begin with.

 

I must get that Japanese S/T version. Sounds like it will be definitive.

Note, there are some Andy Pearce Rock Candy albums that are not compressed at all:

- Steve Walsh Schemer-Dreamer / DR12
- Morningstar ST / DR10
- Tangier Four Winds / DR11

One must pick and choose which Rock Candy albums to get, avoid all John Astley masterings.

P.S. I prefer the Rock Candy Badlands to the US originals (as noted above). But I haven't heard the Japan pressing.

 

I am frankly amazed to see the Steve Walsh album with a DR value that high. Unfortunately I've never been a big fan of it, although it's got an extremely cool cover. For me Kansas begins with the ST and ends with Monolith.

 

I’m sure most of you know/have this, but the 2cd version of Black Sabbath - The Eternal Idol with Ray’s vocals is worthy of a purchase. “The Shining” is just killer.

 

I like Steve Walsh, so I got the solo album and both Streets albums. Love them all.

He could sing the phone book and I'd still get an album of that.

 

Because i went through a box of old cds yesterday, i picked this one up and give it a spin for the first time in 20 years. Was surprised how harshed it sounded. It was not a pleasant experience, just rough edges and no warmth which is quite problematic for this kind of blues based hard rock. I'm quite tempted to compare it to my still sealed LP of the album. Is the vinyl as harsh sounding ?

 

I don't find the CD to be harsh, but I'd bet you won't find the vinyl any warmer. It was cut to vinyl using Direct Metal Master, so it's very crisp.

 

The original CD version, which sounds like the era it was recorded in, works for me. The debut is superior in every way to the follow up Voodoo Highway. I'm familiar with the "legal issues" but never knew if that was true or just an urban myth. Seems like if there was a worry about being sued due to Gillan's behavior that it would have kept the Black Sabbath material he was on on the shelf.