Steve Hoffman Rules

Just got my hands on Steve's HW 61 Revisited remastered CD. I also have the new mono vinyl from Sundazed. I don't know how Steve did it but that CD is so good I just can't believe it. Sure the Sundazed release beats the Columbia CD by a mile, but Steve's CD has the magic. OK Steve, what do you think? Have you given the mono vinyl from Sundazed a listen? Is there any place where you have published details about this particular remastering job?

 

He does indeed rule, Richard.

If you want to read about Steve's adventures with "Highway 61 Revisited", go to his homepage:

www.stevehoffman.tv

Click on "Interview Archive. Scroll down and click on "Stories About Specific Projects".

There it is!

 

Gee, I hope GammaSpace doesn't see the title of this thread.

 

I have to agree that the new Sundazed LP is not nearly as good. I don't like the mono mix at all; collapses everything into the center, bad idea. The tonal balance is wrong too; too bright on the voice. Makes him sound edgy and even more nasal than he is.

Stick with the DCC CD I say.

TP

 

Angel, Touche! Heaven forbid!

 

LOL!

 

Just got home and popped in the CD. Sounds great on my Dahlquist DQ-10's and 500V Sony SACD/CD player through my Dennon 3802 and my Sony headphones. Then I popped in the Columbia issue silver CD. Hard to listen too. Then I popped in the Sundazed mono vinyl disk. I play that on a decent player with Shure's top of the line V15 cartridge. The mono sounds a lot cleaner than the Columbia CD but the SH CD is in a class by itself. Since Sundazed is said to have access to the earliest masters I can't account for what I hear.

 

As Steve has stated many times, it's all in the mastering.

 

Richard,

You may be responding to the bass response on the gold disc. That low end has never been on vinyl releases of this album. The low end is on the master tape, but vinyl would not have been able to handle it. "Highway 61 Revisited" is a long album--there'd have been more bass possible if the total running time were dropped in half.

Remember, Steve never mastered this for LP. But Bob Irwin was cutting a record for Sundazed. I think Irwin did a fine job.

As I said in a very long thread elsewhere, there's no way to know what sound is truer to the sound Dylan wanted us to hear.

I prefer Steve's version so that's what I listen to most of the time when I want to hear "Highway 61 Revisited."

 

Hwy. 61 RV

All,

In my opinion, Steve's work on this album, is best I have heard that includes label releases on CD, vinyl, etc. On the DCC version there is more low end, prescence, definition and intimacy to the sound.

Just for fun, I played my original DJ copy of the 45 of Like A Rolling Stone. Eventhough it sounds pretty good in 1965 mastered Mono, I like the DCC version the best.

Bob

 

Steve's version of "Highway 61 Revisited" is of course one of the greatest CD's ever released, period.

I have to remind you folks that is was easily available from 1993 to 1998 or so. That's a long time. They were just sitting there on the shelves, waiting to be taken home. SO WHY DIDN'T I BUY ONE? ARGGH!

 

Because so many of those Gold disks were an overpriced rip off. I picked up Columbia's Gold Blond on Blond and it was a minor improvement over the silver CD and not as good as the mono vinyl. Who knew about Steve Hoffman? It is just incomprehensible that Bob's managment and Sony's management have not taken Steve's master and replaced all those second rate CD's by now. The latest release from Europe, DiGi Pack and all, is the same old, same old. It is incomprehensible that Sony did the Gold Blond on Blond and learned nothing from Steve's work on HW61. At least the SACD of BOB is superior.

 

Highway 61 Revisited - A Landmark Album. In my opinion one of the great rock & roll records of all time. This DCC CD is the jewel of my music library. When I bought it a number of years ago I already had the original Album and the Columbia CD and debated the wisdom of acquiring yet another copy of this album. A single copy of this CD stayed at my local Sound Warehouse for three months before I finally broke down and bought it ($19.99). I was amazed at the sound of this CD. I thought I knew this album backwards and forwards but the DCC version was a revelation. Everything in the mix came to life like I had never experienced. From that opening snare drum beat on "Like a Rolling Stone" to the final harmonica chord of "Desolation Row" this is a masterpiece of an album by an artist at the peak of his career. No greater compliment could have been made to the artist and his album than to have it re-released with this wonderful sound. Thank you Steve and DCC for your treatment of this album.