Remastered CDs (1 Viewer)

[Mike Broadman]

This is topic that pops up every now and then, but I'd like to have a whole thread that deals exclusively about it. Much to the annoyance and/or delight of CD collectors, CDs get mastered, remastered, re-remastered, etc. I think I spend as much money re-purchasing older CDs as I do getting new music.

Some bands/artists whose albums I've re-baught:

The Allman Brothers

The Dixie Dregs

(Capricorn remasters)

Van Halen

Iron Maiden

King Crimson

Miles Davis

Mahavishnu Orchestra

Julian Cannonball Adderley

Sonny Rollins

Thelonius Monk

Jethro Tull

Megadeth

Black Sabbath

And I'm sure there are plenty more.

With the jazz stuff, I do hear a significat improvement. With the rock stuff, the mileage varies.

Has anyone has any negative experiences, like the remastered CDs being worse than the original releases?

 

[Frank_S]

Mike, have you heard the Led Zepellin greatest hits CD? Jimmy Page supposedly gave his approval. I bought it and after listening to it must say it sounds horrible. O.T.O.H., I recently purchased the vinyl re-issues on Classic Records of Led Zep II, and III and they simply rock.
I have never heard Zep sound so good. The vinyl re-issues kill the CD counterpart, not even close!

 

[Greg_Y]

I assume you're only referring to original albums being remastered for CD release...not the material itself for distribution as a boxed set, e.g. Little Feat. Nor MFSL releases that are OOP.

The Band

Bob Dylan (the 3 Greatest Hits albums + Street Legal)

AC/DC

Aerosmith

Joan Baez

Johnny Cash

Elvis Costello

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Derek & The Dominos

Dire Straits

The Doors

Dr. Dre

Grateful Dead

George Harrison

Jimi Hendrix

Janis Joplin (Big Brother & The Holding Company)

KISS

John Lennon (and Yoko Ono)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Meat Puppets

Metallica

Joni Mitchell

Willie Nelson

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Shuggie Otis

Pink Floyd

Iggy Pop (The Stooges)

Elvis Presley

Lou Reed

Simon & Garfunkel

Snoop Doggy Dogg

Frank Sinatra

Rod Stewart

Traffic

SRV (and Double Trouble)

VU

Loudon Wainwright III

Ween

The Who (for better or worse)

Zappa (I guess the Rykodiscs.)

 

[Jason_H]

David Bowie

The Clash

The Ramones

T-Rex

Love

Nick Drake

Scott Walker

Just a few...all of which are quite good, IMHO. I have had good experiences with remasters, though I usually do a bit of research first.

 

[Dan Stone]

On the negative side would be the new 'remasters' for Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman. Due to a dispute with two of the original musicians who played on the albums their parts were actually re-recorded by Ozzy's new band members as part of the 'remastering' process. Consequently the albums sound nothing like the original releases. Of particular annoyance is the fact that the CD's do not mention the re-recording anywhere on the outside of the packaging. Fortunately, as mentioned previously, I did some research and learned of this prior to purchasing these two discs unlike several other people who now rightly feel cheated.

Dan

 

[Steve Owen]

I've got a lot of CDs from the mid-late 80's that sound absolutely horrible. The mastering and A-to-D processes have gotten MUCH better over time.
I'm slowing re-picking up the re-releases of X albums, and I read that Sonic Youth will be re-issuing a bunch of re-mastered CDs. I'll be working on the Led Zeppelin catalog too (though I might just re-make my own catalog from the remastered box set which sound half decent).
As much as I hate buying CDs twice, I've got plenty that are almost unlistenable despite the great music. Good quality remasters are more than welcome here....
-Steve

 

[Greg_Y]

And don't forget the entire Deluxe Edition series. I think these are all Universal/MCA titles from different artists. Sort of like a Superbit Deluxe version of the original albums.

I'm still trying to find a complete list of all of those releases

 

[Joel Fontenot]

I know that all albums by Blondie have had their CD's remastered. I have all the originally released LP's and CD's, but none of the remastered stuff, so I have no idea of the quality.
I've noticed that a lot of Fleetwood Mac's CD's have slightly different back CD covers than the original CD's had. At least the way the information is written on the back covers. Have they been remastered too?
Should I get a new Rumours? My original issue CD is the same as the album release with the last track "Gold Dust Woman" fading out earlier than what I hear on the radio or from what used to be on an old 8-track that we used to have many years ago.
Joel

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

After all of their "Anthologies" and "Ultimate Collections", Motown is gradually rolling out remasters of some of their original albums. They quite rightly started with their "album" heyday of the 70s (primarily Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye), and are now progressing through some of the better albums from their "singles" heyday of the 60s. I just picked up the remastered issue of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Going to a Go-Go" and "Away We A-Go-Go" (both issued on the same disc). These were the first two albums released after they started highlighting Smokey Robinson's name before the group's name. "Going to a Go-Go" is probably their best non-hits collection album and compares favorably to just about any early to mid-sixties pop or soul album including the pre-Rubber Soul Beatles records.

The remaster sounds a bit too "bright" to my ears, but it still surpasses the original CD issue from 15 years ago or so.

If you are only going to go with one Motown remaster however,... cheat! Go with the first four-disc "Hitsville USA" box set. It includes (where appropriate) the mono single versions of a great cross section of hits from their various artists and labels from the 60s and early 70s.

Regards,

 

[Martin Rendall]

on the Blizzard of Ozz changes! I didn't know they'd done this. And it still doesn't sound that great! I was disappointed with the release before I read your comments. I guess this is one CD I'll never listen to again.
Martin.

 

[Paul D Young]

And don't forget the entire Deluxe Edition series. I'm still trying to find a complete list of all of those releases

When you find the list, please spread the word. I would like to see it as well. I loved the Marvin Gaye releases!

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

One other note on the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles remaster: It includes a stereo version of both albums. This is not necessarily the best thing for 60s Motown music since their stereo mixes were frequently an afterthought and mixed under some pretty strange conditions, but completists will want both anyway. The stereo mix of "Going to a Go-Go" includes all of the hallmarks of those questionable Motown stereo mixes including increased distortion versus the mono versions, but "Away We A-Go-Go" sounds much better than its predecessor in stereo, suggesting that Motown had either gotten better at stereo mixing by 1966, or that it was remixed. My guess is the former, but I do not know for sure.

Regards,

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Here's the list of MCA/UMG deluxe editions I am aware of:

Blind Faith

James Brown - Live at the Apollo, Volume II

Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On

Lynyrd Skynrd - One More from the Road

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Catch a Fire

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Legend

The Who - Live at Leeds

 

[Greg_Y]

Nice work Ken. The only one that I can find that isn't on your list is:

Rick James - Street Songs

Also, I thought that the Allman Brothers Band - The Road Goes on Forever was recently re-released as a Deluxe Edition... EDIT: It's not a Deluxe Edition. Regardless, it's probably not a great purchase, as I think it's more of a greatest hits type release.

 

[KeithH]

Joel,

I don't believe Fleetwood Mac Rumours has been remastered on CD. However, if you really want to hear this album in all of its glory, you must hear the DVD-Audio version. It is outstanding. I must qualify my statement by confessing that I don't have the LP. Nevertheless, the DVD-Audio version kills the CD.

All,

What was done with the Ozzy Osbourne remastered CDs is terribly disturbing. To think that I was considering the purchase of the remastered version of Blizzard of Ozz. Not anymore. I'll stick with the original CD.

 

[Ryan Spaight]

I believe Rumours was one of those titles that was "secretly" remastered many years ago, so there are (at least) two different versions out there, distiguishable only by the "RE-1" code on the inner ring. Mine is an RE-1, but I've never heard the "original" so I can't say if it's actually better or worse or whatever.

According to pauseandplay.com the following are at least tentatively planned as Universal Deluxe Editions:

Joe Jackson - Night and Day (June 25)

Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell II (2002)

Lionel Richie - Can't Slow Down (June 25)

Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground and Nico (June 25)

The Who - The Who Sings My Generation (delayed)

Ryan

 

[Greg_Y]

Thanks for the info (and the link) Ryan. Can't wait for the VU!

 

[KeithH]

Ryan, thanks for the info. regarding Rumours. I had never heard that one before. I'll have to check my copy to see which one I have. I bought the Rumours CD years ago, so I am guessing I have original version. It's odd for a record label not to indicate that an album has been remastered.

 

[Ryan Spaight]

Keith,
It was back in the mid-to-late 80s that this happened, if I remember correctly. I read about it in the old "Digital Audio" magazine, I think. I distinctly remember checking my copy when I bought it.
Back then, the idea of remaster as marketing opportunity hadn't really struck the labels yet -- I think some were nervous that they'd be pelted with loads of demands for replacements if they released a "fixed" version, so they kept it quiet.
It's quite different now, of course.
Ryan

 

[KeithH]

Ryan, thanks again for the info. I bought my copy of Rumours around '95 or so, so I must have the latest version.