My pick is the old ZZ Top albums, the ones before "Eliminator" - you know the album that got them popular on MTV. For some insane reason, the band or someone else thought it would be a great idea to go back and re-master all their old albums before "Eliminator" by placing the "Eliminator" sound on them. Strangely, "Deguello" (one of their best) escaped this nutty idea. So, now if you want to hear "Tush" on "Fandango", you get that infernal, cheesy drum machine of the '80s. Same thing if you want to listen to "LaGrange" off "Tres Hombres" or "Francine" from "Rio Grande Mud". Poor Frank Beard - they might as well come with new liner notes that say Billy Gibbons - guitar, vocals, Dusty Hill - bass, vocals, and drum machine. I would love to buy the old ZZ Top albums on CD (we had them on tape at one time but curiously cannot find them now), but I refuse to get these "slick, MTV" crap versions! At least "The Best of ZZ Top" was like "Deguello" and escaped that re-mastering treatment. So, in ironic fashion, I want albums that have already been re-mastered to be re-mastered again! So, let's hear from the board - what are your picks for albums that need to be re-mastered?
Sort of like when Coke became New Coke which, then Original Coke came out and now we are back to just plain old Coke.
can you believe that NIN's The Downward Spiral is 10 freaking years old now? They've releasing a 5.1 re-mastered version in Decemeber. This will be on my shopping list http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...art_li_2/102-9476538-3906524?v=glance&s=music
Superfly by Curtis Mayfield - the version I have is muddy and lacks low end. Eddie Kramer could work wonders on this.
NiN being that old is weird. i remember being in highschool and hearing that song on the radio for the first time in my friends car. this ugly canadian chick was sitting next to me. almost ruined the song.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha... thank you for that! my day just got a WHOLE LOT BETTER!
You seem to have re-mixing and re-mastering confused. Re-mastering is basically adjusting the overall volumes so that each song is at a consistent level. Some times song on a record may come from various sources, so they have to be mastered i order to achieve a uniform sound. In most cases records are remastered to make them louder. In reference to those ZZ Top reissues, you're talking about re-remixing, which is adjusting the levels on the various source tracks to say get a louder drum sound, or maybe bring out the vocals.
I'm all over that! I went to that concert at the summit, and even was at his dissonance performance at Numbers. Now I feel old. damn you! -- droxford
Rush - Vapor Trails(their latest album) Even the band has acknowledge that they recorded the album to loud. In fact, it was recorded so loud that the EQ meters are always going into the red. You can hear crackling and distortion when you turn up the volume. For a band reknowned for their quality studio albums produced in the past, this was an overwhelming disappointment to us Rush fans. Some hardcore Rush fans have even taken this album and compared it to their previous albums publishing the results which undeniably prove home the point. I've heard of pushing the limits in sound but this was a bit ridiculous. I'm not sure who gets the blame but it definitely needs a re-master. I'm sure all of you have heard this album so you know what I'm talking about .
my vote goes to Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska. Obviously a quiet album to begin with, but the volume is mastered so low that I have to really crank my cd player to get a decent listening volume.
Download the Sony Sound Forge Demo, or actual program Normalize each track Raises the volume to a normal level
I actually own both SoundForge and Cool Edit Pro (I transfer all of my vinyl records to cd). I know I could do this and burn a copy, but I'd prefer an original release with artwork and all
Personally, I think this is just another way for record companies to rip off consumers. "Hey, buy this album that you already have (at full price) because it's RE-MASTERED" This is sort of like bands that put out 'greatest hits' albums with maybe 1 new song and then sell it at full price.
I think all of these recent anniverary editions of record are total scams, but stuff that was released when cd's first came out really do need to remastered. The original beatles, dylans, stones, etc catalogs sounded like complete crap on cd until they got remastered.
Amen. I'd love to see the 13th Floor Elevators catalog remastered and re-released. Mother Earth is another favorite of mine that could use the same thing. Here's a great interview of several of the Elevators, as well as Powell St. John, who wrote some of their songs, and was an important part of Mother Earth, Clementine Hall, the ex-wife of Elevator Tommy Hall, and Tary Owen, who's "taking care" of Roky Erickson. It's a great look at the origins of psychedelic music in Texas, in the '60's, where it all began. http://web.wt.net/~duane/13thfloo.html
Quite a few are forced by the label. Look at the successful bands who have left their major label within the last few years; all are forced to put out a final hits cd.
