Tears For Fears 'Songs From The Big Chair' - Best Sounding CD/Digital release

Thanks - much appreciated. Pretty sure the DL was hi-res. Not at home to check. But if not it was at least a redbook file. I bought the Supertramp Breakfast in America Pure Audio BD and the DL for it was an mp3. I sent a note to Universal taking exception to the mp3. Hah! Maybe Steven Wilson was able to convince the record company to include a full res file for the TFF BD. Just speculating though.

 

Is there a standalone CD version of the Steve Wilson stereo remix available?

 

Hell, the 1985 Mercury cassette sounds good.

 

MoFi gold. My “go-to”.

 

My 'SFTBC' Blu-ray came with an incorrect download code that was for an Underworld album, and it was MP3, not hi-res. I sent an email to Universal but never got any response. I would like to have the Wilson remix in stereo on my Ipod, so I guess I'll have to extract it from the Blu-ray one of these days.

 

I used to have that! Until an unfortunate tape chewing deck incident in an ‘83 Civic....

 

universal really sucks

 

I've made my own version, fixing all the little errors here and there (crossfades, missing half-second at the beginning of EWTRTW) and added some stuff I ripped from the Scenes documentary

No, there is no official CD printing, and the limited vinyl edition is also sold out (and won't be reprinted).

 

I’m enjoying the 5.1 mix tonight.

 

The Blu-ray sounds terrific.

 

Mine too, though I burned a CD-R with the channels flipped and took their word that this was how it's supposed to be.

 

So, from the comments, I take it the '99 remaster is so bad that it's not even worth having for the bonus tracks?

 

There isn't anything on it that hasn't appeared on later issues, though I'm not sure anybody has ever compared the best masterings of the b-sides.

 

You would be better served getting the two disc set vs. the 1999.

 

My opinion is that the Blu-Ray is the best of both worlds. i second Steven Wilson opinion when he said that the new mix can't be considered better but different. A matter of tastes. The original mix, channels corrected, and the new remix are all i need. Im from old school so multichannel is not my way, but others comments are quite positive. The Wilson mix also has something special, sentimental for me, beyond sound. It reminds me a lot, with it's differences, with what i heard long long ago from my cassette edition. May be due to the tape limitation the reverb was reduced, but its only my speculation, and i can't call myself an expert. The most clearly coincidence between the sounds is on "The working Hour" song, were i can listen during all the intro the keys being pressed. In other editions i hear them but not during "all" the intro.The differences are obviously on the highs and in the clarity of the Wilson's.

If the Blu-ray is priced for many the original CD is a good option, but as someone else pointed it needs to (more that can) be cracked.

 

The blu-ray version of this, with also includes Steven Wilson's 5.1 mix, goes for big bucks these days.

However, if you're only looking for the Steven Wilson 2014 Stereo mix and the original 1985 mix, then you can get them together from HDTracks for $18, and that's 24-bit/96kHz:

HDtracks

Honestly, I find them very similar, but I appreciate the description that cali98 put in the above post. I'll give the "The Working Hour" intro a closer listen to see if I can hear the differences.

 

Do you are anyone else reading this thread know what mastering this version uses:

Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair

 

I kinda assume that it's the 2014 mastering by Andrew Walters, which would be the same one used on the 2014 deluxe edition and box set.

 

So louder on the left channel.

 

One last question: is the Andrew Walters mastering louder on the left on the 2014 vinyl pressing as well?

 

That's my assumption, too. But I can't say for sure without an audio sample to run though Har-Bal.

 

Resurrecting an old thread here...I have both the MFSL and the 1999 Jon Astley remaster. I have been thinking about getting the 1985 West German CD or maybe, just maybe, the Super Deluxe Box. So...I reviewed the various threads in the forum and found myself wondering, is the Astley remaster really that terrible? Dug it out and listened. I have to say while it's not in the same league as the MFSL, I think it's pretty decent! I have heard my share of poorly remastered CDs, lord knows, but I can't say this is one of them. At least to these ol' ears. I still want to hunt down a good copy of the 1985, though. As you might have guessed, I really like this album.

 

MFSL

 

Agree. Best version I've heard (so far).

 

It's organic and sounds just right. I have all of the other versions and it's always my "go-to".