Music that ABSOLUTELY needs to be remastered

Javier_Huerta · 06-05-2003, 02:42 PM

I can think of a couple of instances where music really, REALLY needs to be remastered before the master tapes fade into obscurity.

How about you?

I'd like to see re-released (in DVD-A, SACD, or plain ol' 44.1/16 CD):

1) The entire back catalogue of The Alan Parsons Project. "I Robot" on 96/24 and "Tales of Mistery and Imagination" from MoFi are spectacular. And he was nominated for a Grammy for "best engineered recording" a couple of times.

2) Al Stewart's back catalogue. "Year of the Cat" deserves to be heard in its original glory, not on the current hissy CD package.

Mike Broadman · 06-05-2003, 02:50 PM

Some Grant Green, like Matador, could use a remastering.

There's a lot of Dizzy Gillespie that has only been released as part of compilations, mastered poorly, or just never on any digital format at all.

06-05-2003, 03:11 PM

U2's early stuff

StevenW · 06-05-2003, 03:25 PM

Metallica's early albums.

Steve Owen · 06-05-2003, 03:28 PM

Quote:

U2's early stuff

Oh, you mean that wonderful Steve Lillywhite produced stuff that sounds like it was recorded in a closet with hideously bad drum mixing? Yea, I could deal with that being redone. The recording on "War" is horrendous.

The Cult's "Love" is one of my favorite albums... but the CD is so poorly mastered that it borders on unlistenable. The vinyl is tons better, but its still a horid recording.

Actually, there's a whole TON of CDs released in the late 80's that suffered from really, really poor analog to digital conversion... several early albums from The Cure, Rush, Peter Gabriel, etc. sound really bad. I'm glad to see the Peter Gabriel stuff is coming out now and it seems that The Cure is going to go back and remaster some early albums to be re-released in 2004.

-Steve

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Mike Broadman · 06-05-2003, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Metallica's early albums.

Especailly ...And Justice For All. This CD has the highest Good Music : Bad Sound ratio in metal.

Steve, all of Rush's albums up until Presto have been remastered and sound very good.

TheLongshot · 06-05-2003, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Especailly ...And Justice For All. This CD has the highest Good Music : Bad Sound ratio in metal.

Yep, that was the first thing that came to mind. What a horrible sounding CD.

Next is the Jethro Tull catalog, which is almost as bad. Luckily, they are working on that.

Jason

Rich Malloy · 06-05-2003, 04:19 PM

I dunno if this has been done, but from listening to my own collection, I'd sure like to hear some tasty remasters of the Elvis Costello and Aretha Franklin catalogs.

Quote:

Next is the Jethro Tull catalog, which is almost as bad.

Except, at least, for the DCC gold discs of "Aqualung" and "Original Masters". I just can't believe these albums could possibly sound any better (but I'd like to hear it!).

Javier_Huerta · 06-05-2003, 04:21 PM

I always thought "The Joshua Tree" was poorly recorded from the start.

But then, I got my hands on the MoFi UltraDisc of the album. And now I know for sure: the album was, indeed, very poorly recorded from the start

So I guess there are some times when remastering is not nearly enough.

Another example I can think of: Don McLean's "American Pie". Even if the MoFi reissue is incredibly clean (when compared to the standard CD), it sounds as if McLean recorded it using a compact cassette tape.

Colin Jacobson · 06-05-2003, 05:36 PM

Quote:

I dunno if this has been done, but from listening to my own collection, I'd sure like to hear some tasty remasters of the Elvis Costello and Aretha Franklin catalogs.

Are you serious? The EC catalog has already been remastered three times! You don't like any of those?

Jim Mullany · 06-05-2003, 05:59 PM

The Beatles Catalog really needs it.

Michael Hall · 06-05-2003, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Especailly ...And Justice For All. This CD has the highest Good Music : Bad Sound ratio in metal.

I think the thing that kills this disc is the fact that Jason Newsted's bass parts are nowhere to be heard. I'm sure the mastering is subpar as well, but this is one that needs to be remixed before it's remastered.