Remasters that are obviously not Remasters..

[Kandinski]

Hope this is alright to post here,in the last year some great remastered albums have been realeased.However a lot of times as mentioned on here they suck.

Bananarama albums remasters,just copied from the original lousy quality source.Complete with the same sound glitches.

Bucks fizz albums,the person who did them now admits they were not remastered after saying they were!

Toyahs albums on Edsel,see above.

Why is it ok to falsely advertise them as remastered?

[BigManRestless]

The one thing I always baffled by with this stuff, is how can people like Ace issue amazing stuff from the 50s & 60s from master tapes, yet all this stuff from the 80s is sourced from vinyl.

Are the tapes lost or is it all due to laziness / cost?

[bigwavedave]

Interesting tidbits, Rubellan.

My basic request is that reissues are honest about their sources. I kind of appreciate that Wounded Bird avoids touting "Remastered" on their reissues. They're nothing fancy, but you're also not getting false advertising.

[Kandinski]

Thanks for that,I wasnt sure just what the baking entailed previously.I also noticed Cherry red seem to be taking the easier option.On The hit factory Forum they state a recent cd was remastered from "the best possible sources" which I quess means not the original tapes.

I often wondered why remastered albums from the sixties and seventies sound so crystal clear in comparision.After some lousy reissues a group of Bucks Fizz fans got together and chipped in for a correct remaster including baking etc and got a 3cd box set out of it.If Bucks Fizz can get that interest Im sure a bunch of fans could do that for someone else.

[Kandinski]

[quote][i]Originally posted by bigwavedave[/i]
<br>Interesting tidbits, Rubellan.

My basic request is that reissues are honest about their sources. I kind of appreciate that Wounded Bird avoids touting "Remastered" on their reissues. They're nothing fancy, but you're also not getting false advertising.
[/quote]

I agree.And to be honest some of the wounded bird stuff actually sounds better than some of the supposedly remastered releases.

[obs]

It is also like the music industry wants to pretend that the internet doesn't exist, where people can find reviews of the "remasters" before dropping money on it. I really don't see the point of half-ass jobs these days, when information is so freely available.

[korova1]

Its nice to have somebody like Rubellan explain the process of remastering in such detail. I appreciate somebody who can easily explain the BS they pull. We need more people like him. Taking the easy road doesn't do anyone any good in the long run. I won't buy vinyl remasters unknowingly, I will just do it myself or eventually find it on a blog from somebody who lovingly put it out from their own "home remasters" and save the money.

I guess I can understand somebody wanting something so bad they will take it any way they can but I've always had patience with this crap. I will wait. If I drop a twenty on a CD and it turns out to be ripped from vinyl I end up not listening to the release at all, eventually I just give it away.

Going to Itunes to get This Mortal Coil's rare EP a few years back I was really excited to finally hear a nice clean version of the songs, but when I purchased it and found it was ripped from a shitty piece of vinyl I just started going on the internet and finding stuff that way. I am not paying for something I can easily do at home. No way, I'd prefer to steal it instead and save a buck. That is what these record companies have got to get into their thick skulls. The Thompson Twins aren't going to sell 30,000 copies of "A Product or Set" these days, so why not just do it right for the hardcore fans who still want to hear these albums in top notch quality. Instead we get vinyl rips of stuff we've been waiting over 25 years to hear on CD. Sorry, I'd rather listen to my free Thompson Twins mp3's somebody posted on a bit torrent a few years back. It's complete bullshit we get treated like that as 80's music fans. I could see if it was an old acetate from 1939 or something of Jelly Roll Morton but it was recorded in 1981! In fact I've heard releases from some pretty obscure jazz musicians who've had their stuff recorded in the 50's and early 60's whose CD's sound better than some the more current artists and weren't taken from vinyl sources.

I was really close to buying some of those Cherry Red releases, but I got burned in the past on some stuff from them. Now I almost go out of my way to avoid them, which is a shame because they have a ton of great stuff. For me, it is just not worth it to own some of this crap.

I'm just not going to be that kind of consumer, more people need to speak up and demand what they pay for these days. Not that Cherry Red is like a CitiBank or AIG but ALL companies need to start catering to us and not the almighty effin' dollar, catering to the almighty dollar is what got us in this recession in the first place. Perhaps they should think up a better gameplan.

As my dad used to say, "Don't take short cuts, the Donner Party took a short cut and look what happened to them".

[Kandinski]

[quote][i]Originally posted by korova1[/i]
<br>Its nice to have somebody like Rubellan explain the process of remastering in such detail. I appreciate somebody who can easily explain the BS they pull. We need more people like him. Taking the easy road doesn't do anyone any good in the long run. I won't buy vinyl remasters unknowingly, I will just do it myself or eventually find it on a blog from somebody who lovingly put it out from their own "home remasters" and save the money.

I guess I can understand somebody wanting something so bad they will take it any way they can but I've always had patience with this crap. I will wait. If I drop a twenty on a CD and it turns out to be ripped from vinyl I end up not listening to the release at all, eventually I just give it away.

Going to Itunes to get This Mortal Coil's rare EP a few years back I was really excited to finally hear a nice clean version of the songs, but when I purchased it and found it was ripped from a shitty piece of vinyl I just started going on the internet and finding stuff that way. I am not paying for something I can easily do at home. No way, I'd prefer to steal it instead and save a buck. That is what these record companies have got to get into their thick skulls. The Thompson Twins aren't going to sell 30,000 copies of "A Product or Set" these days, so why not just do it right for the hardcore fans who still want to hear these albums in top notch quality. Instead we get vinyl rips of stuff we've been waiting over 25 years to hear on CD. Sorry, I'd rather listen to my free Thompson Twins mp3's somebody posted on a bit torrent a few years back. It's complete bullshit we get treated like that as 80's music fans. I could see if it was an old acetate from 1939 or something of Jelly Roll Morton but it was recorded in 1981! In fact I've heard releases from some pretty obscure jazz musicians who've had their stuff recorded in the 50's and early 60's whose CD's sound better than some the more current artists and weren't taken from vinyl sources.

I was really close to buying some of those Cherry Red releases, but I got burned in the past on some stuff from them. Now I almost go out of my way to avoid them, which is a shame because they have a ton of great stuff. For me, it is just not worth it to own some of this crap.

I'm just not going to be that kind of consumer, more people need to speak up and demand what they pay for these days. Not that Cherry Red is like a CitiBank or AIG but ALL companies need to start catering to us and not the almighty effin' dollar, catering to the almighty dollar is what got us in this recession in the first place. Perhaps they should think up a better gameplan.

As my dad used to say, "Don't take short cuts, the Donner Party took a short cut and look what happened to them".
[/quote]

I agree completely,after no end of low price Thompson Twins cds I was really looking foward to the album reissues on edsel.I knew from the first few seconds of Love on your side what was coming.Thats it as far as the Thompson Twins go there will never be properly remastered versions available,I would be pretty pissed if I was in the group.
As for Cherry Red something weird has happened with them recently,they are reluctant to make much of an effort a lot of the time.Some high selling artists from back in he day get no remaster no nothing,yet obscure artists most would not remember get the full works.

In fact a Jimmy Somerville hits compilation last year got reduced on hmv after I complained about the hissy hollow sound on it.That was on Music club Deluxe/edsel who basically just copy an old recording and repackage it.

[roc51]

I am curious here...I am a big consumer of music and love reissues and remasters as I don't have the space to own everything on vinyl as I would like.

The labels that seem to be getting called out include:

Cherry Red (and associated imprints)
Edsel
Music Deluxe

They apparently just repackage and source inferior masters, am I correct here?

This obviously does not apply to the majors - Warners, EMI, etc - as they seem to be on the gravy train with all of these Deluxe Remasters, etc. And of course, Rhino seems to be doing a fantastic job as well. This stuff sounds great - I'm loving the REM, U2 and Saint Etienne reissues so far. And EMI and Polydor did a great job with their reissues of Killing Joke and The Jam for example.

I find it hard to comprehend the marketing strategy of Cherry Red and Edsel (for example) - clearly, a fantastic product will deliver a volume in return business and good word of mouth. Need an example of this, just check out the lovingly done, quality reissues of indie labels such as:

LTM, Beggars Banquet, Renascent, Blue Apple Music, Infrastition

They have done wonders for the back catalogues of The Chameleons, Comsat Angels, The Sound, Wild Swans, Asylum Party, The Fall, Bauhaus, The Wake, The Other Two, Durutti Column, House of Love, etc.

Have a listen and marvel at the packaging, liner notes and the level of detail - it's how music and artists deserve to be treated.

I am not sure what happened to Cherry Red in recent years - they did a fanastic job on the reissues of Felt and the Passions for example, but they dialed it in for others (The Mo-dettes, Shop Assistants, Girls At Our Best, even the Sad Lovers & Giants back catalogue). I am glad there are experts on this board to help unravel the issues.

Cheers!

[Spudboy]

Edsel did a good job on the John Foxx 2CD remasters over the last few years (a few glitches here and there - like the "Endlessly" mix that craps out every CD player I own). But it sounds like they worked with the artist to produce the definitive version of each album.

Still looking for my girl with auburn hair and tawny eyes...

[Kandinski]

[quote][i]Originally posted by roc51[/i]
<br>I am curious here...I am a big consumer of music and love reissues and remasters as I don't have the space to own everything on vinyl as I would like.

The labels that seem to be getting called out include:

Cherry Red (and associated imprints)
Edsel
Music Deluxe

They apparently just repackage and source inferior masters, am I correct here?

This obviously does not apply to the majors - Warners, EMI, etc - as they seem to be on the gravy train with all of these Deluxe Remasters, etc. And of course, Rhino seems to be doing a fantastic job as well. This stuff sounds great - I'm loving the REM, U2 and Saint Etienne reissues so far. And EMI and Polydor did a great job with their reissues of Killing Joke and The Jam for example.

I find it hard to comprehend the marketing strategy of Cherry Red and Edsel (for example) - clearly, a fantastic product will deliver a volume in return business and good word of mouth. Need an example of this, just check out the lovingly done, quality reissues of indie labels such as:

LTM, Beggars Banquet, Renascent, Blue Apple Music, Infrastition

They have done wonders for the back catalogues of The Chameleons, Comsat Angels, The Sound, Wild Swans, Asylum Party, The Fall, Bauhaus, The Wake, The Other Two, Durutti Column, House of Love, etc.

Have a listen and marvel at the packaging, liner notes and the level of detail - it's how music and artists deserve to be treated.

I am not sure what happened to Cherry Red in recent years - they did a fanastic job on the reissues of Felt and the Passions for example, but they dialed it in for others (The Mo-dettes, Shop Assistants, Girls At Our Best, even the Sad Lovers & Giants back catalogue). I am glad there are experts on this board to help unravel the issues.

Cheers!


[/quote]

When cherry red get it right they are great.The Kim Wilde remasters were amazing,also a lot of the pwl artists are great too.Just lately they are doing some of the masters from the "best possible sources" which I now take it to mean is not the original masters.If something is remastered by "Tim Turan" then it is guaranteed to be high quality.

You just never know what to expect,even sleeve notes about mastering etc can be misleading.Even some big labels mess up.Holly johnsons 2 solo albums from mca were recently realesed.They were just copied from the 2o year old original cds.

However as a music lover I sometimes spend all my cash on music and buy up to 25 cds s a month.Most are great.Usually the ones you have been waiting and looking foward to see out again are the duds.

The best mastering I have heard recently is on the Blondie singles/b sides collection from last year.And the Saint Etienne albums.

[BigManRestless]

[quote][i]Originally posted by roc51[/i]
And of course, Rhino seems to be doing a fantastic job as well
[/quote]

*cough* New Order *cough*

[DJ Phoenix]

[quote][i]Originally posted by BigManRestless[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by roc51[/i]
And of course, Rhino seems to be doing a fantastic job as well
[/quote]

*cough* New Order *cough*


[/quote]

LOL, you and me both *cough*...what a trainwreck that turned out to be? I recently got the corrected versions of those discs...finally.

Also, someone here mentioned the Thompson Twins remasters? Was there a horrible job done on them? if so, I cant seem to find it. I've listened to them a few times, and found them to be good. But, Im not audiophile like some here are.

"Keepin the '80s alive!"

[moni]

[quote][i]Originally posted by DJ Phoenix[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by BigManRestless[/i]
<br>[quote][i]Originally posted by roc51[/i]
And of course, Rhino seems to be doing a fantastic job as well
[/quote]

*cough* New Order *cough*


[/quote]

LOL, you and me both *cough*...what a trainwreck that turned out to be? I recently got the corrected versions of those discs...finally.

Also, someone here mentioned the Thompson Twins remasters? Was there a horrible job done on them? if so, I cant seem to find it. I've listened to them a few times, and found them to be good. But, Im not audiophile like some here are.

"Keepin the '80s alive!"
[/quote]

There was a problem with disc 2 of Into The Gap but fixed versions were sent out apart from that the first disc sounded fine. The remasters of Quick Step and Here's To Future Days were absolutely fine to my ears more than what could be said for Product/ Set which were just crappy vinyl transfers though I'm not too keen on either of those albums so it's no great loss.

[BigManRestless]

The worst thing about the A Product Of... vinyl rips was that weren't even done at the right speed. If the numpty doing the rips can't tell 33rpm from 45rpm or think "Hmm that sounds a bit weird" what hope is there?