Steve Hoffman Mastering masterpieces!

I was wondering what essential listening (5 stereo/surround CD's) I need for Steve Hoffmans mastering work in comparison to Ludwig, Powers, Jensen, Marino, Weinberg and Fredrickson. I realize all have different and great talent and strengths. What would be my CD watermarks? Any suggestions from the objective crew here? I am doing some comparisons and need some help, thanks, EQ

 

Which ones can you get a hold of?

 

You certainly need Steve's definitive "Who's Next" currently available in Canada. This disc is spacious, subtle and beautiful and trounces the later versions handily.

 

Then there's the three Nat King Cole and two Elvis Presley DCC's. Absolute must haves.

 

I wouldn't like to compare Steve with Bob Ludwig, Ted Jensen or other good mastering engineers - he' just the best. Period!

 

OK, this is my personal selection to show off the "SH difference":

1) ELO - "Eldorado"
2) Wes Montgomery - "Goin' Out Of My Head"
3) CCR - "Bayou Country"
4) Beach Boys - "Endless Summer"
5) Paul McCartney - "Band On The Run"

Arne

 

...I'd like to add to those already mentioned:

Bob Dylan "Highway 61 Revisited"
Doors "The Doors"
Beach Boys "Pet Sounds"

and Buddy Holly "From the Original Master Tapes"

Great sound, great music!

 

Try and get hold of Jethro Tull - Aqualung. The Doors, Eagles titles....

 

EQ,

Certainly, three more that I would add to your "must have" list with "mastering" by Steve where there is a distinct difference from other releases or mastering interpretations:

Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits, Vol 2 (DCC)
Everly Bro's. Greatest Hits (DCC) (Can't wait to hear the Audio Fidelity release)
Zombie's Greatest Hits (Audio Fidelity)

There are many, many more!

Bob

 

I'll second the vote on Who's Next. I'm enjoying the copy I stumbled across last weekend in the used bins.

 

Colors of .... Judy Collins

 

elvis 24 k is the best

 

These DCCs are must haves in my view. Amazing quality recordings!

Elvis, 24 Karat Hits (man, this was tough to find!)

Nat King Cole, The Greatest Hits

Heart, Dreamboat Annie

Elton John, Greatest Hits

Regards,

Jet

 

As tempting as it is to throw accolades at the DCC Golds--all deserved, of course--I'll simply mention these handful of reference CDs because of the disparity between Steve's work and others that came before or after:

BUDDY HOLLY: FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES[MCA]
THE WHO: WHO'S NEXT [MCA]
VINTAGE MUSIC VOL. 1-10[MCA--pick any volume; even the worst sounding cuts are as good as they're going to get unless SH remasters any for a later SACD--simple as that)
CHRIS MONTEZ: ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS[DCC. Not only for the first-time stereo and great sound, but because SH somehow managed to make stereo mixes that don't diminish the original mono 45's--a tougher thing to pull off than you might expect; brilliantly done]
THE REVELS: INTOXICA!!![Sundazed. More first-time stereo, but everything a sonic revelation. The best of the forgotten surf groups, given 1st-rate mastering and packaging. A must!]
THE ZOMBIES GREATEST HITS[Audio Fidelity--a new reference source for the British Invasion--pray for more to come, everyone!]
CCR: Pick a disc--any disc--from the SACD series. Every one a gem.

I'll leave the other DCC gold and aluminums to the gang--I love the ones I have, too, but I thought the above should get special mention.

ED

 

Do you have a catalog # on this cd. Somehow I was not aware of this. I do have the MCA masterphile series-half/speed vinyl pressed in Canada. Anyone know who mastered that?- cat # MCA-5220.

Thanks

 

For the answer to this question, you can search for it using the search functions available.

 

Ah, good thread. Another chance to rave about my latest SH experience.

On the advice of the forum, I bought the Razor and Tie Beach Boys Greatest Hits. 2 CD set. 40 tracks. Delivered to my door from Collectors Choice music for about 18.00. (That's not a typo.)

These tracks are clones of some of Steve's work on Endless Summer, Spirit of America, Pet Sounds, and some new work as well ("Little Saint Nick," "I Can Hear Music," "Sail On Sailor," etc.). I had high hopes for them, given the talk here.

Hopes schmopes. I could not imagine the way these discs would sound, even though I've heard many, many BB records and CDs, and even though I've already heard a bunch of Steve's fine work. No, this was not just immense satisfaction. This was jaw-on-the-floor time.

First I listened to "Caroline, No." Depth, air, dimensionality, BASS, did someone say this was MONO?! Very, very, very beautiful. Extraordinarily moving. It was like hearing the song for the first time--and for me, that's saying a lot, since I've heard this song many hundreds of times.

Then I went to another favorite, "I Can Hear Music." An odd thing happened: an ear-to-ear smile simply appeared on my face before I knew what was happening. Big--h u g e--soundstage, a 180 degree wrap. Yet every bit of the mix utterly distinct, smooth, precisely placed. And Carl's lead vocal soaring through and above it all. Astonishing.

The whole set is like that. Revelation after revelation. "The Little Girl I Once Knew." "Wendy" ("Wendy"!). "Friends." I felt like Ray in Glimpses, magically transported back to the original sessions, hearing this music pour out of the studio monitors.

I'd call this set a "Remasterer's Symphony To God." It shook me, baby. What can I say? Thanks, Steve.

 

Steve Hoffman Masterpieces, Hmm. The list is so long where does one begin?


1. Art Pepper- Gettin' Together
2. Art Pepper- Intensity
3. Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders
4. Nat King Cole's Greatest Hits
5. John Coltrane- Lush Life
6. John Coltrane- Soultrane
7. Peggy Lee- Latin a la Lee
8. Nat King Cole- Love is the Thing
9. Nat King Cole -The Very Thought of You

and to round it off before I start running out of typing room

10. Frank Sinatra - '57 Concert

How's that for starters?

 

My three favorites:

The Who - Who's Next (on everybody's list and easily obtainable and cheap)

Jethro Tull - Aqualung (well worth the $50 I paid on the dreaded E-bay)

Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark

 

I'll squeak in with "Ringo". It sounds a lot better than the Capitol/EMI release. You don't need audiophile ears to hear the difference.

 

what would be the listening criterea as far as the overall eq, compression and level for Steves best work? thanks, DJ

 

Don't forget the "Big O" ... Roy Orbison has never sounded better on DCC Gold "All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison" ... my first DCC Gold CD ... and still my favorite.

 

I've always been partial to Steve's 1998 non-gold mastering of Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again." It is an excellent, neglected album and highly recommended.

 

And Gary, don't forget the Miles discs, they (the three i have) sound better than that collectable boxset from AP!!!!!!