Comments on: CD remasters – what’s been your most disappointing – and your best?

By: Dave Cochrane

Dave Cochrane — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:45:02 +0000

My biggest remastering delight ever has been The Beatles stereo remasters – the monos are good too, but for me the stereos are nicer. As I said in a comment elsewhere, I was relieved that all the dynamics of the original masters have been retained, so the music lives and breathes and moves freely without constraint. I would say the same of Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue 50th Anniversary remaster too. Delightfully warm and dynamic, a joy to hear coming from my B+W speakers!
My biggest disappointment: the Genesis stereo remixes, released in 2007. After all that waiting and anticipation, the sound was just horrible. LOUD in-your-face over-processed sound from start to finish – too heavy on the warm harmonics (obviously added to counter the coldness of digital media) to the point of sounding distorted – with a tiny dynamic range (even worse than Gabriel’s later output) that makes one come over all claustrophobic. I will say that the vinyl remasters sound very good, particularly Foxtrot, mainly due to the very tasteful compression applied. But as for the stereo CDs – forget it. Too flat and lifeless. Awful! Probably no worse than most masters these days though.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:57:02 +0000

I know several people who say the same about Born to Run but while there’s certainly plenty going on on that record maybe Bruce wasn’t interested in revealing ‘hitherto unheard complexities in recording’. I read an interview where he said he wanted his records to sound like Gary Bonds’ ‘Quarter to Three’ – like they were recorded in a bathroom on the moon and nearly drowned out by the house party going on outside the door. If an artist’s ideal sound quality is that of his youth – crappy car radios, cheap portables and muddy pa’s in local bars – then maybe remastering isnt really relevant.

By: David

David — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:26:08 +0000

Yes, the Fopp in Manchester is even bigger than the London one:) Lots of remastered CD offers there at the moment.

David

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:15:19 +0000

Live / Dead, Grateful Dead HDCD remaster. My vinyl transfer digitally spliced into one continuous concert IS WAY BETTER than this Warner Brothers official POS.

Doesn’t even sound like the same band and the sad part is I would have purchased the CD if it sounded better than what I did.

WB, you think they have the master tapes. I could have done a better CD mastering job than the nitwit at the board.

By: Steve Waller

Steve Waller — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:09:19 +0000

Thanks for this…turns out there is one in Manchester. I’ll check it out