Traffic remasters coming

New remaster sounds very similar & has a bonus track. The new US Barleycorn CD is by far the best version so far (but the UK has live tracks that have not appeared anywhere else, so I have both). I like it better than my UK vinyl (palm tree label). I also love the newly remastered Last Exit.

 

I agree that the remastered US CD of "John Barleycorn...." sounds fine; better to my ears than the original Island CD.




Ed Hurdle
HeavyDistortion

 

Is the jacket an ACTUAL burlap bag glued onto the front cover? Only the 1st UK pressings were packaged this way.

I just moved--all records still in boxes. I do recall the cover is quite rough though, a lot like burlap. Whether it's glued on I could not say.

 

Somebody better tell me how to quote portions of text so I can respond correctly!

 

First of all, don't be harsh on Canadian pressings. I should know--I'm Canadian and dumped a lot of them 20-30 years ago in Vancouver where I grew up because the UK ones were "better". True, in most cases they were, but there are some I am still trying to replace. And, sorry, no, I am not going to say what those are because I refuse to "empower" an ebay seller. One example only" the Cdn. of the first Kate Bush (lime green Harvest) label is phenomenal, as is a STERLING LH copy of the Eagles Long Run.

I guess I did lucky with my blue JB. Mine too is a non-gatefold.

 

I have an original UK Island Pink label Barleycorn and it goes not have a burlap cover. To my knowledge the original cover was rough like course paper but not cloth. The cover you are describing sounds like the first Atomic Rooster. Of course maybe the very first pressing had a burlap cover, can anyone throw some light on these. Humorem?

 

That's the 2nd pressing. The 1st was real burlap. I held one in my hands (but, like I said before, didn't buy it).

 

Peter,

I don't dump on all Canadian vinyl. I've espoused the virtues of many Canadian pressing here in the past - especially the '70s WEA associated labels. At that point in time (the ol' energy crisis) many Canadian pressings were better than their US counterparts because they seemed to use better vinyl. Many Asylum and WB LPs from the US were quite noisy and the Canadian issues were musch better. I grew up in Windsor and used to trek over to the Detroit area to buy LPs back then. In many cases, I would wait for the Canadian pressing (often delayed 1 - 3 weeks back then) because I wanted a quieter pressing. Other friends didn't want to wait so, I heard their noisy US copies first-hand.

Cheers,
Chris

 

CHRIS: Youa are correct. I too remember how quiet the Canadian records were, even in cases where the UK or US copies seemed to convey more information, the Canadian LP was an overall better listening experience due to the quiet vinyl. I'm just still sore in trying to replace records I bough new and were perfect---until I got rid of them. BIG BIG MISTAKE.

 

Got the Traffic remasters early and they are all great. Very nice job done on them. Your gonna love em!

 

I agree re the poor sound of the UK remaster of Barleycorn. The US is much better. Surprising, given that they came out about the same time. The main reason to have the UK version is the bonus live tracks, which are pretty interesting, and quite funky.

I also enjoy the remastered Last Exit and Welcome to the Canteen. These weren't released in remastered UK versions I believe - perhaps they realised they couldn't do it any better than the Americans.

 

Well, the Traffic remasters have been done to death on this forum...
The UK remasters are a disgrace... No surprise there! .
Nothing wrong with the US remasters. Barleycorn sounds great, though I wish Mofi had done this one.... Personally I prefer the Mofi 'Low Spark' to the remaster, and I doubt the upcoming 'Shoot Out' will beat the Mofi.
Has anyone compared the Self titled Traffic US remaster to the Mofi?

 

I have & they sound very similar, but I think the Mo-Fi wins by a hair. But I have both for the bonus tracks & packaging (I also have the inferior UK remaster, but then I AM a Traffic fanatic!).