The most improved remasterings

Great name - are you a fan? I saw them live once and they were excellent! Raphael Saadiq just released a solo album. I saw the video for the single and it was really good! I'll be picking up the album soon.

 

Mike,

Are you addressing me? If so, my moniker is based not so much on the group but on their inspiration, which, as I understand it, is the Tony Montana character in Scarface. I'm a big Brian DePalma fan (though not of his post-'80s movies).

Anyway, thanks (if indeed you were addressing me)!

 

Tony:

Yes I was addressing you. I'm a big DePalma fan too and I also think he went downhill. I've seen Scarface many times - where does Tonytonitone come from? I must have missed that. Please advise!

Mike

P.S. - The group is really good too. If you like classic soul from the 60's and 70's then definitely check them out.

 

Actually, I have the greatest hits from a few years ago and I like it a lot. But do you get the impression they purposely try to sound like other artists? The vocalist on "Anniversary" sounds like Stevie Wonder, and on another cut the singer does a dead-on Al Green imitation.

As for my moniker, as I understand it (an old acquaintance told me this), the group members were enamored of "Scarface." At one point in the film the name Tony is uttered three times in a row (Tony Tony Tony), though not necessarily by the same person. I believe it happens when Tony catches his sister in a compromising position with the Steven Bauer character, thought I'm not sure.

One caveat: The guy who told me the story was a bit of a b.s. artist. Actually, I tried looking up the story on the web with no luck, so I may in fact be relaying bad information. Oh well, I'm sure that wouldn't be the first time that's happened here!

 

Yeah I know what you're saying. I guess you mean "Thinking Of You" - total Al Green. It can be a thin line between homage and ripoff, I think TTT stay on the right side of the line due to their songwriting abilities. I'd say they are among the best of the "neo soul" bands, but I do prefer the classic soul of 60's-70's, of course. Thanks for the Scarface info.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

Mike and everyone else,

Thanks for a great first day! See you soon.

 

Marvin Gaye remaster (Gavin Lurssen)
The Doors (Bernie Grundman or Steve Hoffman remasters)
Jethro Tull's Aqualung (DCC)
S&G's Bookends (Shawn Britton for Mofi)
Rickie Lee Jones (Stan Ricker's vinyl cut for Mofi)
The Byrds backkatalog (Vic Anesini)
Love Forever Changes (Rhino)
John Hiatt (Hip-O compilation)
Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue (oops... that's a remix, but a wonderful improvement... you should take the SACD)

 

Thanks for posting this; I purchased this tonight and most (if not all) tracks are CONSIDERABLY better sounding than the original. And it is obviously a more complete collection than the older release.

Matt

 

Thanks for posting this; I purchased The Rolling Stones "Some Girls". It definately sounds better than the original CD I have! And the artwork is much more complete. To bad the record companies (no offense Steve!!) couldn't produce the releases a bit better the first time around.

Matt

 

Glad to be of help Matt

 

DCC versus Wingspan

To contribute to this thread, I thought I better do some listening. So I hauled out my McCartney and Ram on DCC (mastered by a Steve Hoffman) and compared them to the same songs on Wingspan.
Although Wingspan was mastered seven or eight years later and there is access to better technology, the DCC's are better. Is anyone surprised?
There is a warmth to the sound which makes Mr Hoffman's work more pleasant to listen to.
In addition there is superior spatial perspective, something particularly apparent on a song like Man We Was Lonely which begins with tremeloed guitars and some sort of panning (??). Through this mix, a centre-channel acoustic guitar comes through with a presence and clarity that I hadn't heard before. There's lots of juicy stuff like this for the obsessive (obsessed?) listener.
Cymbals provide other big differences. On Wingspan, cymbals are somewhat harsh and hashed. Them gold discs provide a much more natural cymbal sound.
Neither version has much hiss. Is this because there was not much hiss on the masters? Steve, what do you use for noise reduction? Or is that a bad question?? (I'm new here, please be gentle).

 

First of all, Steve NEVER uses noise reduction. There is no need to!

Second, take a look at this shot and read the caption below. I think it explains one of the reasons that Steve gets such a great cymbal sound on all of his remasterings:

http://www.symposiumusa.com/MonRoom5.html

 

I hope those are old Zilljians he's using! I'd hate to think of Steve as a Paistie man! I will play nothing but Zilljians.

 

I thought it was Paiste and Zildjian. Pasties are things you find (or used to) in strip bars or Tom Waits songs.

 

You are aware that Pastie is a brand of a compettitor's cymbals, like Sabian...

 

Grant,

Yes, those are Zilljians. Old ones from the 1950's. I think I read that Steve has had them since high school or something.

By the way, that's a Hal Blaine style drum kit that Steve is playing, signed by Hal. Cool!!!!

 

Thanks Angel,

Very interesting, it appears that cymbal reproduction is problematic in the cd medium, but Steve does a good job.

Also interesting is how the discussion starts with questions about mastering and noise reduction and ends up comparing Zilljians to Paisties. Great Fun!


Yours truly
One who prefers a bit of hiss to sonic degradation.

 

The first time I can recall being impressed by a remastering series was the Led Zeppelin set.
It seemed night and day to me the improvement with Zep III for instance.

Hey, the Zep series should be about ready for a new updating.

Anyone get the Japanese mini's of the Zep records. I had heard that those cds may be re-released eventually.

JohnG

 

Grant,

"Paiste" is the brand, although if you've got "pasties" on your drumset during your gig...you are having a good evening (in MY book!)!!!

 

Jethro Tull This Was remaster. Santana Abraxas SACD.

 

The sound on the 1999 Buddha 12 track "Downtown: The Greatest Hits of Petula Clark" is quite stunning and far far better than anything that went before it.

It's amazing how much acoustic guitar you can now here strumming away in the background on songs like Downtown.

Mastered by Elliott Federman. No mention of it having been remixed.

 

When I first compared them, I didn't think they sounded better just different. I think the same tapes were used and it sounds to me like Jimmy Page just goosed the midrange to make the guitars cut through more. A little too harsh in my opinion, but other than that I didn't hear much difference in the two versions.

 

I second the "This Was" remaster it is excellent! Haven't heard the Santana yet.

 

John, have you compared these to the two box sets that have been released?
I have the boxed sets and wondered if you (or anyone) can advise if I should get the latest remasters.