DCC Archive What if you could...

Here's the scenario. You get ONE trip in a time machine to go to any single year and any one studio and be handed the just finished, original, first generation two track mix-down master tape of an album. (which of course you would bring back and hand to Steve to master onto whatever modern format you chose) What would it be?
This is similar to the Steve mastering anything post, except now all of the tapes would be new-undamaged and un-lost.
Special for Steve H-- he gets to go back and MIX any master tape from the multi-tracks of an album and it becomes THE official mix.

Mine-- "Hotel California"- Eagles

 

Sgt. Pepper.....

Handed to me personally by all four Beatles, of course.

 

Has to be the Beatles...I'll go with the White Album. But wait. You said remix. Is that what you really meant?

Dough, don't you like the current DCC release of HC?

 

This isn't exactly what the original post asked, but... Two things:

- I'd go back and stop the Atlantic fire from ever happening.

- I'd go back and save those twin-track Beatles session tapes. She Loves You in stereo, Twist And Shout take 2, etc...

 

I'd take a trip back to the night Hendrix supposedly lost the original tapes to Axis: Bold As Love; I heard he left them in a taxi or something ? I'd be curious as hell to hear these ! - ED

 

Can't resist. I'd like to spend a night with Janis Joplin! A bottle of Southern Comfort and some Viagra!!


[ October 31, 2001: Message edited by: Larry Naramore ]

 

I'd be willing to spend some time with artists such as Conway Twitty, Webb Pierce, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Tex Ritter, Johnny Horton, Walter Brennan, etc.

 

What would you do with them?

Word to the wise: Don't drink anything Robert Johnson offers you!

 

I'd hijack the original quadraphonic tracks of Jefferson Airplane's : Surrealistic Pillow & ask someone of the caliber of Steve to do a DTS CD, or I'd at least ask whoever is in charge of MoFi/HDS's DTS CDs after the Brad Miller's demise in '98.

BTW, does anyone know what happened to that different MoFi company which was separate from the MFSL that went bankrupt? I know Brad must've liked the name MoFi as it titled most of his ventures.

 

My choice without a doubt: "Abbey Road"! Not only a fitting swan song for the Beatles, but one of their most glorious musical achievements. Steve's mastering touch on that set of songs and medleys would make not only my year but my decade, especially if he could do it on a high resolution digital format like SACD or DVD-Audio.

 

I'd grab the Tommy masters just before Kit Lambert put a match to them.

 

This is an easy one. The Guess Who with the first album.

 

Only Steve gets to do the mixing. Also, yes I love HC, but would rather not have to have had it baked in an oven like Steve had to do.

 

I'd say to Eddie Kramer hand over the Electric Ladyland masters. I remember reading an article in 1973 (Circus magazine) where Kramer was quoted saying that there was so much going on, on the original multitracks that you could create a new album just by mixing it differently. God! please let them issue a 5.1 mix of this album.

 

I'd be tempted to swipe the master tape to Katy Lied, moments before using the DBX noise reduction on it. Could the original mix be as good as Becker and Fagen say it is?

 

The Beach Boys - Smile.

But I'd have to get Brian to finish it first.

 

I would have to take out the noNoise development team. That way I could save a whole lotta music from the horror of having the life sucked out of it. If not that, then I would grab the Stereo master for Otis Blue. I have a Japanease pressing that is a little hissy but still sounds good. I can only imagine what Steve could with those tapes.

 

Conflict: saving the ABC/Dunhill single masters or the pre-1974 "Tonight Show" archive from the NBC dumpster.

 

Then again, if I had to swipe something, it wouldn't be music, but all the extra negatives for The Magnificent Ambersons, before they burned them in the 50's or 60's. Heck, they just wanted space in the archives, just pretend you're the one destroying them, take them, and run!

 

I agree. I would have loved to be there for some of those sessions!
On a different note, I had a dream the other night I was hanging out with Ray & Dave Davies. It was pretty cool.

[ November 01, 2001: Message edited by: jligon ]

 

Ha! I think I'd rather party with Rikki Lee Jones or the Wilson sisters.

P.S. It would be cool if Steve did Rikki Lee's S/T.

 

Bought up the legendary Paramount label metal parts before they were sold for scrap metal,imagine those Charley Patton,Son House,Ma Rainey etc..masters being sold for scrap and the RCA vault demolition in the 60's,all those pre-war country,jazz and blues masters blown to blazes(Oh the pain,the pain!!).

 

Can you imagine??:

Caruso recorded with modern technology - was he the best??

Stravinsky conducting "The Rite of Spring".

Robert Johnson - clear and clean - let's hear the results of that devilish pact at the "Crossroads".

Benny Goodman at Carnigie - how would it sound?

Elvis with the original trio - could we capture what shook the world?

The "Rat Pack" at their prime - Vegas cool and "modern swing". DCC gave us some of the best but....

Muddy at Chess - with Little Walter blowing harp. What did it really sound like?

The Beatles at Hamburg - about to take over the world - and only a crappy single mic to capture it??

Montery ('67) and Woodstock ('69) - loaded performances by future legends, all "under recorded". (Especially Woodstock - recent re-visits, ala Santana's first LP on Legacy CD show just how badly the ORIGINAL multi's have survived).

Led Zeppelin in their live prime (1969 - 1972) ANYWHERE except for that abysmal performance they made in front of those "studio stiffs" on the BBC disc.

Stones live '72 - not as much of an "event" '69, but the playing was their best.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions at the "El Mocambo" - my vinyl bootleg has more punch than the Ryko CD.

I think I need a break before I get into the 80's.....

 

I saw Elvis live in concert, right here in Volcania. I can't remember much about it except that he was already overweight with that white jumpsuit and they cut a live recording of it. I was just a long-haired hippie kid that didn't know much of nuthin'.