The great performance vs. horrific recording/mastering paradigm - samples included

Waddaya get when you take a great live performance; badly overload the original recording; then in mastering squoosh the hell out of the dynamics; bury one of rock's greatest voices in digital reverb; and for good measure bathe it in a little Cedar no-noising to top off the cake???...you get these:

http://home.att.net/~davetunes/kingofthenewyorkstreets.mp3

http://home.att.net/~davetunes/kingofhearts.mp3

http://home.att.net/~davetunes/daddywasajockey.mp3


God bless him, and those of you who know me know what a big Dion fan I've become, but his latest release is an absolutely killer performance that sounds like a bad Velvet Underground bootleg, sonically!

Engineers out there, convert these and slap 'em in a workstation. If the first sample has more tha 10db of dynamic range...I'll put ketchup on my CD and eat it. The original recording is so overloaded (sounds like digital clipping)...maybe Dion thought he could cook it at + 6 on the VU meters just like the "old days"...lol!


By the way, for anyone who isn't aware. These are Dion's Little Kings live recordings. 5 years ago, at age 57, Dion decided he wanted to form a balls-out rock band, and go play new songs in the clubs (though Dion fans will recognize the first tune!). So he put together a kick-ass 4-piece made up of him on guitar and Scott Kempner of the Del-Lords on electric also; Del-Lords drummer Frank Funaro, and Smithereens bassist Mike Mesaros.

Recorded - April 26, 1996 at the Mercury Lounge in NYC.

Like I said - great rock performance...horrible final product.

What's a fan to do!!!