Just throwing this out there one last time to see what everyone thinks: Is anyone concerned that the "'unlimited' downloads that come with the deluxe boxes have the same mastering and DR values as the CDs? It seems to me that the "unlimited" downloads are not the correct files and actually have limiting like the CDs (but are hi-res). This would be quite different than what we received in previous sets where the "unlimited" files were definitely different than the CDs. One of the best examples is "Night Out" from Red Rose Speedway; the audio is limited, which can be seen visually in Audacity and heard with how 'hot' the track sounds. Additionally, compare the mastering of "Bip Bop" from Pure McCartney to the one on Wild Life; the track features compression or limiting on Wild Life that isn't present on Pure McCartney. Furthermore, there is a noticeable mastering difference between the standard Red Rose Speedway tracks and the bonus tracks on the recompiled double album. The regular album tracks sound flat compared to the interspersed bonus tracks, which sound louder in comparison. I know that @supermd agrees with me and we've tried for weeks to reach out to the mastering team, but have had no success. The current download files don't sound bad, but if I'm paying for 'unlimited' files, that's what I expect to receive, just like I have with the prior sets.
Yes, we both have attempted to reach out to those in charge of this to bring this to the attention of people who can make a change or look into it. I think, with the help and support of many here, we may be able to make a dent in it and get some real attention. As it stands, with just us two crazies, nothing will happen. We'd love some assistance.
More of a general conversation topic but does anyone actually care about the digital files . . . and why? I'm not sure I care. Do you consider the 'unlimited' files to be the crux of your purchase when you get these sets or are the CDs more important?
Perfectly said and I agree with all of this. Easily my favorite archive and the one that improves my thoughts on the underlaying album the most of any archive.
Nearly all of my music purchases and ownership are physical media. However, if the physival media comes with a higher quality digital version (DVD, Bluray, download), I prefer to listen to the higher quality version. All the McCartney Archive CDs are limited to some extent. The unlimited digital files are not, at least on the previous box sets.
It wasn't banned - it just didn't show up on top 40 radio. I never heard the song until 1974 or '75 when I bought it in the oldies bin at a dept store.
Red Rose Speedway demonstrates the standard the all of the albums should have had up to this point, though some sets — like McCartney II and Flowers In The Dirt have gotten close. Had McCartney II gone the Red Rose Speedway route and made it one disc of the album, one disc of the unreleased double LP, and one disc of bonus material — plus an optional download of The McCartney Interview from the same period — it would be perfect. Had Flowers In The Dirt not had digital download tracks, and included all of the singles (disc 6 could have easily put on the other 4 singles cuts we were missing), it would have been perfect too. Still, the Archives keep doing what they were intended to, and that's re-open eyes to what McCartney had done in that period. It doesn't help albums like Band On The Run and McCartney all that much, because they've had a lot written about them and the albums are very well known for having little else left. But when you have the 'lesser' albums where Paul was most experimental, the opportunity for learning more and appreciating the effort a lot more becomes larger. Ram, Wild Life, Red Rose Speedway, McCartney II, Flowers In The Dirt and then future albums like London Town, Back To The Egg, Press To Play and even Broadstreet will make it harder to avoid what a creative force McCartney is. As one person I work with conceded when I was talking to him, The Lost Lennon Tapes helped frame John Lennon into the tortured genius lost too early — an image that has not changed since. George defined himself early as the recluse who has quiet bursts of creativity. But McCartney has never framed himself other than "not the silly love songs" person, and not very well — until now, at which point he is becoming the ex-Beatle who has a very large catalogue of enjoyable music in different directions. …and poor Ringo has to get his LPs out to get realized as a valid musician and not just the nice guy everyone wants to work with (not that the latter is any problem at all for him because it's true!)
I agree with your overall premise and everything you've said except for one thing . . . Flowers is not a "lesser" or "experimental" album in any way, shape or form.
The live version of Eat At Home is stunning! What tracks on Wings Over Europe are arguably better than their studio counterparts?
Flowers In The Dirt may have gotten a lot of attention when it was first released, but it's been pretty much ignored for nearly 30 years now. Not a single track has been performed live since 1992, and the album was deliberately skipped over for Pure McCartney. Until the Archive was planned, it was rarely, if at all, mentioned by Paul. I've found that, when McCartney's catalogue is usually spoken of, it's usually McCartney, Ram, Band On The Run, possibly Speed Of Sound, and then Tug Of War — followed usually by what he's doing now. Not that that's a bad thing, but it misses out on the fact that albums that don't get as big a spotlight on the stage or in compilations have a lot to offer. So even if Flowers wasn't a 'lesser' album, it's still not considered to be the 'essential' or 'top tier' that has been exhausted up to this point in its examination. Flowers' Archive edition demonstrates that there's still a lot from those sessions we haven't heard, and even then what we have heard is quite a lot — meaning there was a lot of great work on this LP that wasn't always given the spotlight.
They are to me as well. Up until this current box, the unlimited hi-res downloads included with the deluxe sets sounded significantly better than the CDs. I considered them to be the definitive versions as a matter of fact. The hi-res versions of McCartney I, Ram, Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, and At the Speed of Sound were even competitive with the Hoffman-mastered CD releases on DCC to my ears, though the equalization choices differed a little.
Yes, I'm concerned. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks something got botched. Either that or we were misled. How can I help?
The hi-res downloads are the crux, for me. I'm not bothered about the higher resolution per se, I want the unlimited mastering.
We need someone with better contacts. I’ll send you a PM later of what you can do with what we have now. No real success so far.
The more the merrier, y'all! Simply put, we did not get what was promised in terms of unlimited audio. This is a huge reason for me to get these sets. I'll be honest, I would get them regardless, but these unlimited versions of the songs makes these the definitive mastering for me... until now.
I'd like to also voice my opinion about the HiRez downloads for these sets. Back when these came out I posted a quick observation that the levels and mastering was not very consistent on RRS. Mainly the CD (and download) of the original 2LP compilation. As has been said here more recently the tracks on the released album are mastered very different than the new tracks. "Night Out" is in your face and then I have to reach for the volume when "Get On The Right Thing" comes on.... It's this way for each and every track...original double album tracks compared to the released album tracks. Seems like a simple copy and paste job with tracks that had very different mastering. I was also not really impressed with the HiRez of Wild Life....at least not as impressed as I have been with past Archive downloads and the unlimited tracks.
