I love the Rush remastered CDs! Anyone else? (1 Viewer)

[KeithH]

As part of my recent CD shopping spree (for more information, go here), I bought the remastered versions of Rush 2112, Permanent Waves, and Signals.* I already had the original CDs for comparison, and let me tell you, the remastered discs are incredible! If you like Rush and don't have the remastered CDs, get them. You won't be disappointed. By the way, I bought the remastered versions of Moving Pictures, All the World's a Stage, Exit...Stage Left, and the Retrospective discs awhile ago, and they too are great. Anyone else care to comment on the Rush remasters?
I should mention that I have the MFSL gold CDs of 2112, Moving Pictures, and Signals, but I haven't compared them to the remasters yet. Has anyone done the comparison?
* For those who live in and around New Jersey, I bought the remastered versions of 2112, Permanent Waves, and Signals at the Compact Disc World in Lawrenceville (Rt. 1) last weekend for only $7.98 each on sale. They also had Moving Pictures for $7.98. Quite a deal.
NP: Rush 2112 remastered CD

 

[Martin Rendall]

I'm interested in acquiring these remasters. Just so I get the right thing, can you point to a link showing the right cover art (I'm assuming it looks different somehow).

Thanks!

Martin.

 

[KeithH]

Martin, the Rush remasters have been out for quite awhile, so I doubt you will find sealed copies of the original versions if you are worried about buying the wrong discs. Still, the remastered discs are very easy to spot. In addition to a gold sticker on the wrapper on the front that states that the discs are remastered, the material that the CDs rest on is clear polystyrene. As you look at the front of the jewel case, you will see the words "THE RUSH REMASTERS" through this polystyrene piece running vertically along the left edge. The original CDs rested on old-fashioned black plastic.

 

[Martin Rendall]

Keith,

Thanks. I guess I wouldn't have missed them, then. Though I'd ask though... just in case.

Regards,

Martin.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Keith, a few months ago, I sold away my entire pre-Atlantic Rush CD collection and bought up all the remastered.

They damn well better be good!

I'm quite pleased with them myself, and find myself rocking away to By Tor & the Snowdog quite often.

NP: Connonball Adderly, Somethin' Else, DAD

 

[KeithH]

Martin,

No problem. Glad to help.

Mike,

I have yet to compare the remastered Rush CDs to my original copies. However, I just completed a comparison of the remastered version of 2112 to the MFSL version and the remastered version is far superior. However, there is one thing that I find odd on the remastered version. On the title track (track 1), I hear an odd "ch-ch-ch" sound starting at the 7:56 mark. It starts at 7:56 and stops quickly and then picks up again at 8:01 and persists for quite awhile. It's a sound that "hovers" over the music. The "ch-ch-ch" sound, which is a sort of fluttering sound, is not on the MFSL disc. If you have the remastered version of 2112, do you hear what I hear? Do I have a bad disc?

I would appreciate it if anyone could give their remastered version of 2112 a listen and tell me if they hear a fluttering sound at around the 8:00 mark of the title track. Thanks in advance.

 

[KeithH]

Perhaps I am not crazy with regards to the fluttering sound I am hearing at the 8:00 mark of "2112". I found a review of the Rush remastered CDs at the following web site:
http://www.soundstage.com/music/reviews/grev011.htm
The reviewer prefers the MFSL version of 2112 to the Mercury remastered version, but I disagree with him. However, I found the following statement he made about the Mercury remaster interesting:

The '97 remaster is overly sharp, with all kinds of weird stuff going on. There's some sort of weird whistle in the background during the opening that hurts to listen to, and even more noise than the MoFi.

While the reviewer doesn't specify what kind of "weird stuff" he heard, perhaps he heard the fluttering too. Hmmm....

 

[Jim_C]

Slightly OT:

Does anyone know if Rush is going to put out their catalog as DVD-A or SACD?

 

[Mike Broadman]

Keith, I just listened to that spot, and the only thing I hear is a "shushing" type sound, but it starts way before 7:56, and I always just attributed that to part of the nature and ambience noises.
I'm surprised to see you put the remastered over the MSFL. I've never heard anything from MSFL, but they're treated like Gods around here and other audiophile places, so it's a little surprising. But, for spite, I hope it's true, since I have the one and not the other.

 

[KeithH]

Mike,

Thanks for the info. There is a section of 2112 that has the sound of water flowing. Perhaps that is what you were referring to. The fluttering sound I am talking about at 8:00 in is very obvious. If no one else comments about it, I might go out and buy another copy to see if, by chance, I got a bad disc.

Jim,

I have heard nothing about Rush titles being released on DVD-Audio or SACD, though I would roll out the red carpet for releases on either format.

 

[Sam Hatch]

I just finished buying my last four missing remasters a few weeks ago and quickly gave all my old Mercury releases to my girlfriend.

It's so nice to have By-Tor properly kick my ass while I'm driving around. Even 'Grace Under Pressure' has some low levels I'd never heard before.

I remember a short while after these discs came out every store had them in the cheap bins for six or seven bucks a pop. Sadly I was poor at the time, and when I finally got around to picking them all up they had gone back to eleven bucks for the non-live ones.

The entire Rush catalog was one of the first things I grabbed when I got my first CD player, so it kind of sucked to have to rebuy them all. Of course it didn't suck anymore once I unwrapped the puppies in the parking lot and rocked out!

 

[TheLongshot]

You can find them on sale at Tower on occasion. It happens on a regular basis.

Jason

 

[Brian Perry]

I gave all my old Mercury releases to my girlfriend.

You've got a diamond in the rough there Sam!

 

[Zen Butler]

On the title track (track 1), I hear an odd "ch-ch-ch" sound starting at the 7:56 mark. It starts at 7:56 and stops quickly and then picks up again at 8:01 and persists for quite awhile.

I'll check it out also.
The remasters are real nice. I can really tell on albums like A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres, I can tell the biggest difference in those. There is a dropout during a solo on AFTK during Cinderella Man, I'm going to try to disect it on my home system, and I'll post specifics.
Cygnus X-1 book 1 sounds killer, all the tempo changes and quick stops, sound flawless. On my old disc during the stops there was obvious limitations, and quite a bit of noise. They really cleaned these up well, its worth the repurchase.
I noticed Amazon has a few remaster titles on sale for $8.99..can't beat that.
Bless

 

[KeithH]

Zen, if you do check out your remastered copy of 2112, do post your results. I could even hear the fluttering sound through my cheap Altec-Lansing computer speakers at work today. It wasn't as obvious as it was through my home systems, but it was noticeable nevertheless.

 

[Zen Butler]

Zen, if you do check out your remastered copy of 2112

with the help of my best pair of Sennheiser's

Results:

@ 6:47 (Discovery)-Alex Lifeson tuning his guitar, there is a "flowing water" effect, behind that is an intentional static (kind of a scratchy,ghost) it seems looped, so your ears aren't deceiving you and your disc is fine. further

@ 8:04 by the time Alex "discovers" his D chord, the static is less prominent (flowing water still there)

@10:15 "flowing water" completely stops for as

"Presentation" starts

Hope this helps,

Bless

 

[KeithH]

Zen, I too hear the flowing water. I noticed it on the MFSL gold CD version of 2112 too. Maybe the "intentional static" you heard is the same thing I am talking about. As I said, I would describe it as a fluttering-type sound that goes "ch-ch-ch-ch-ch". It is quite obvious to my ears, and what I find bothersome is that it is completely absent on the MFSL disc. By the 8:00 mark, the fluttering sound seems to be continuous for the next 1:30 or so of the song. It is odd. I might pick up another copy of the remastered CD in the event that I got a bad copy. I also have the original Mercury CD that I bought about 12 years ago, but I haven't listened to it yet. I'll have to give it a listen before I consider buying another copy of the remastered disc.

 

[Jason Bell]

Keith I hear the sound your describing it sounds like something just in the background of the water effects. For me it starts at the same time as the flowing water starts and is most obvious right around 7:00 minute mark. I think Zen described it best it sounds like a Scratchy sound. Not to distracting though. Hope this helps.

 

[Zen Butler]

sounds like something just in the background of the water effects

A buddy at work brought a standard 2112. I hear it even on his, but from what I can tell on my lousy Altec Lansing at work, its not as prominent as in the remasters. Maybe the remastering just makes it a bit more noticable? I'm going to take his copy home, and disect it on my home system or even my iRiver, to zero in on it a bit better.

As a person with a musician's ear, I can just tell it's intentional, it's scratchy, airy, but it's almost rhythmic, thus having me conclude the band induced this.

I have heard a similar effect on a David Sylvian/Holger Czukay release (about 1988). On that cd "Plight and Premonition", the noise is way out in front. Resembling a rusty swing caught in a heavy wind, or a beat up old merry-go-round, spinning on a frozen bearing.

 

[KeithH]

Jason, thanks. You have the original Mercury disc, correct? I'm remembering that from another thread. I haven't compared the remastered disc to the original yet. The sound is odd, whatever it is. As I said, I don't hear it on the MFSL disc. Oh well. I still like the sound of the remastered disc overall.