The Police on CD

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by street legal, Oct 24, 2005.

  1. djdave

    djdave New Member

    police are thieves

    i have the the Police EVBYT superA cd and it is in Surround Sound and Red book. Basically Hybrid-----and in both stages it sounds GREAT.
     
  2. Wow, thanks for the extensive info. You must really like this album...

    Can you make out any sonic differences between them? I have the CRC issue which you have listed last.

    Roland
     
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  3. fjhuerta

    fjhuerta New Member

    Location:
    México City
    I own the AM+ A&M CD's, the original "Every Breath you take" collection, the new "Every Breath you take - The Singles" hybrid SACD, the Message in a Box, and the entire SACD collection.

    The AM+ sound too sterile, low in volume and hissy to me. They seem to sound like 3rd generation copies. I don't like them at all.

    The MiaB is lovely. I think it strikes the perfect balance between detail, warmth and volume. This is the one that's a keeper for me.

    The SACDs are better (or worse) in their own way. They are more detailed, but lose a bit of warmth... sometimes I prefer the MiaB, sometimes I go for the SACD. I prefer the earlier albums in the MiaB, but the later ones (Ghost and Synchronicity) I listen to in SACD. The earlier albums seem to be more balanced on the box, and the extra detail is fatiguing on the SACDs... :(

    That said...

    The bass on the SACDs is simply *perfect*. On each and every one of them.
     
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  4. jojopuppyfish

    jojopuppyfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    What do people here think of the quality of this one? I love it.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. fjhuerta

    fjhuerta New Member

    Location:
    México City
    It was my first Police CD. The early tracks sound *way* different than in their original albums - a lot less "raw" so to speak, a lot more polished. The latter ones sound pretty much identical. And it's the only place where you can get "Don't stand so close to me '86" (is that a good or a bad thing?).
     
  6. CardinalFang

    CardinalFang New Member

    Location:
    ....
    I bought all the hybrids from A&B Sound in Canada:
    http://www.absound.ca/

    On the advice of other forum members, I tracked down a copy of Synchronicity on MFSL. I don't regret it (it sounds really good), but I get bugged that my SACD collection has a "hole" in it. :)
     
  7. I thought I'd bring this thread back since the title is just perfect for searches.

    I did get the original A&M CD's of the first four albums in the AM+ series. These CD's have smooth-sided jewel cases, are Made in West Germany or Japan for US market and have no UPC code on the back (with the exception of one of them). All in all, nice early CD editions.

    I just compared them to "Message In A Box" and came to the following results:

    Outlandos D'Amour: I like the original non-remastered version much better than the box set, sounds way more natural and also has less tape drag on "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Roxanne".

    Reggatta De Blanc: Very similar to the first album, I also like the non-remastered version much better. The box set is compressed that it makes me want to turn the volume down all the time, and I want to turn the volume up on the non-remastered CD. Sounds much more analogue to my ears.

    Zenyatta Mondatta: I am not so sure about this album. The non-remastered version doesn't sound superb, a little cold and lifeless. The remastered box set actually sounds a little warmer to me, but unfortunately it is compressed which really bothers me. I guess I don't like both versions too well.

    Ghost In The Machine: Again, the non-remastered version sounds much better to me, a clear winner over the box set. Simply warmer and not compressed.

    I didn't bother to get the Synchronicity since I am quite happy with my MFSL UD1.

    So here it goes again, another catalog which I like a lot better in its non-remastered form, maybe with the exception of the one album.

    I know some people like the mastering on the box set. But for those who usually have similar mastering preferences as I do, I can heavily recommend the non-remastered versions.

    Roland
     
  8. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
    Stick with the first round of remasters. I'm talking about the ones originally done for Message in a Box and later issued individually. Look for the name Dave Collins. They're cheap and easy to find.
     
  9. 22dRow

    22dRow New Member

    Location:
    USA
    I've compared it to the remastered CD and prefer the A&M original CD (mine's made in Japan) which has more dynamics and sounds more natural. Haven't heard the SACD. In fact, I've preferred the original A&Ms on all the Police titles I've compared (I haven't heard the MFSL Synchronicity, which I understand is quite good)
     
  10. applecakes

    applecakes viva la vinyl

    Location:
    Toronto, ON
    I have the 2003 catalog that was re-remastered in the U.S. as standard Cd's in digipacks and they sound great to me .. they are reasonably priced too!
     
  11. street legal

    street legal Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    west milford, nj
    It's funny, I started this thread about 5 months ago & in the first post of this thread, I stated that I was not interested in the SACD versions (because I did not own an SACD player at that time). Boy, it's amazing what can happen in 5 months! I now own a Sony SACD player, along with just about every SACD ever produced that I am interested in, including all 5 of the Police's original studio albums! Damn this forum!
    Luckily, I have a VERY understanding wife. :D

    Anyway, I do like the SACD's of the Police catalog, as well as the "Message in a Box" set. The SACD's do bring out a bit more detail & a slightly better soundstage, & as noted by a previous poster, the bass sounds great on all of them. They are definitely not among my very favorite SACD's that I own, but I'm glad that I have them. It's real nice to have an artist's entire catalog on SACD. The only other one that I have is Steve's outstanding Creedence Clearwater Revival SACD's. Admittedly, I've never heard the original A&M CD's that rjstauber refers to above, so if I ever see any of them, I'll certainly pick them up, based on his glowing reviews. Maybe I'll try getting their entire catalog on original vinyl one day, too!

    Damn this forum! I'll most likely be a homeless pauper within the year! :D
     
  12. jamesc

    jamesc Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Make sure you pick up the singles SACD as well because it's got a nice multichannel mix that the studio albums lack.
     
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  13. street legal

    street legal Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    west milford, nj

    Thanks for that tip (I didn't know that), but I'm stereo-only, anyway.
     
  14. This refers to Zenyatta Mondatta:
    What is the total playing time of the Japanese Zenyatta Mondatta?

    I have a WG pressing with US printed inserts (made for US market) with smooth-sided jewel case. Would like to know if the mastering is the same as on the early Japanese version.

    I have to do a second listen since I couldn't come to a final conclusion based on my first comparison with the Message in a Box set. On the other titles it was plain clear to me that I like the original CD versions better, but on Zenyatta Mondatta it was not so clear for my based on a first listening.

    Roland
     
  15. Sorry, but I'd rather stick with the original CD's. When Message in a Box originally came out, I thought it was great and I really liked it. At first listen, it sounds like it has more detail. But I listen to CD's now differently and can hear lots of compression and some boosted trebles on the Message in a Box remasters.

    When I listen to "Bring On The Night" for example (I love the song), I always want to turn it up louder with the non-remasterd CD, and it sounds very natural. With the remaster, I continously want to turn the volume down because it stresses my ears and the remaster is very fatiguing.

    Roland
     
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  16. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
    Yeah, I got that from your earlier post.
     
  17. 22dRow

    22dRow New Member

    Location:
    USA
    38.22
     
  18. jpgr4ever

    jpgr4ever New Member

    Location:
    USA
    I bought the "Message In A Box" set and havent bought anything else since other than "Police Live"....The box set is complete and has everything I need...great package! :righton:
     
  19. jamesc

    jamesc Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    I'm still furious they didn't include the "Truth Hits Everybody (remix)" though. It's really a re-recording from the Synchronicity sessions and it's one of my favorite tracks. They totally changed the tempo on it so fans of the original might not like it. It's similar to what they did on Don't Stand So Close To Me 86 (which I also like a lot... I know, I'm in the minority).
     
  20. jpgr4ever

    jpgr4ever New Member

    Location:
    USA
    Actually I wasnt aware of that mix...was it a B-side or an outtake? I think the set is only the lp's, singles, and b-sides, but i could be wrong :)
     
  21. jamesc

    jamesc Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Yeah, it was a b-side on the hard to find UK double 7" for "Every Breath You Take". So rare, I still have never seen one! I found it on a Dutch 7" for "Synchronicity II". I wish it was available on a 12" but I've never seen one if it exists.

    There were a few other tracks they missed on the box but this was the most substantial one in my eyes. I think the rest were live tracks and the extended Don't Stand So Close 86.
     
  22. btomarra

    btomarra Classic Rock Audiophile

    Location:
    Little Rock, AR
    I have MIaB which has the click, but my import Police Greatest Hits has Don't Stand So Close to Me without it. Does that mean a bad tape source was used?

    BTW, very difficult doing a search typing in that song. You receive no results....
     
  23. btomarra

    btomarra Classic Rock Audiophile

    Location:
    Little Rock, AR
    Well,

    I checked the song out again. I do hear a faint pop at 11 seconds in to the song. Not as pronounced as Every Breath You Take the Classics or MIaB. Checked out the other songs. While the running times are the same for the songs that are on Every Breath You Take the Singles, they and the other songs unique to this sound warm and have a depth. They are not lifeless. Did the songs on this import get a remastering in 1992?
     
  24. -=Rudy=-

    -=Rudy=- ♪♫♪♫♫♪♪♫♪♪ Staff

    Location:
    US
    Only their engineers would know. The click could have been on the original 2-track (or even the multitrack) for all we konw, and someone may have digitally edited that click out depending on which CD you have. I'm so used to it being there, it never bothered me. Weird, though, that the dbx LP pressed by Nautilus did NOT have it, although you could clearly hear the tape edit there.
     
  25. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    I've heard from reliable sources that the box is inferior to the digipak versions. Buyer beware of the box...
     

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