Led Zeppelin / Pink Floyd / Jane's Addiction: remasters?

Norm Apter

A week or so ago, Steve asked whether there was some sort of updated database that lists which CDs have been remastered. Reading through the responses it seems that no one knows of one.

When it comes to the three bands listed above, as well as the Beatles, I'm pretty much completist and would be willing to repurchase remastered CDs if the sound was better. As for the Beatles, when Niles and George Martin produced Love (the compilation of mash-ups) in 2006, he went back to the original masters and the result is that the songs sound much better to me than versions on the original CDs released circa 1990. There was a little buzz (gossip, that is) about remastering the entire Beatles' catalog at the time, but I haven't heard anything since.

But I'm wondering if anyone knows of any remastered ones by the three bands listed in the subject line and, if so, if you've been able to compare the sound quality with the original CDs.

heiney9

Personally, I don't think the most recent Zeppelin remasters are all that great. Sort of a "pick your poison" type thing. Jimmy has said very recently that he should go back and properly "remix" them, whatever that means. Christ how many different versions does one need.

The original Zep cd's are a mixed bag as they were rushed to market without any input from the band and in a few cases the time wasn't allotted to find the original masters so the transfer was was done from 2nd or 3rd gen backups.

In many cases as poor as the originals are compared to some vinyl I've heard they still sound better to me than the remasters. They certainly have more hiss and background noise. The basic problem with the remasters is they are compressed a lot more to up the volume and it ruins the original charm the recordings had. It's not terrible but it can be quite annoying.

YMMV

H9

Norm Apter

OK, I guess I stick with what I have for LZ. I picked up a 10-disc set called
The Complete Studio Recordings about 5 years ago (previously, I had only II and Houses of the Holy on disc so I was really only sacrificing 2 discs). Also it was a pretty good deal because I had actually ordered a 4-disc set (1990) USED/LIKE NEW from an Amazon seller for $40 and the seller sent me this 10-disc set instead for that price, one of the better bargains I've come across.

When I just checked on Amazon, I found out that even though the complete recordings were released in 1993, it is listed as "remastered", so I guess this is the 2nd generation that you were referring too. (And to be honest I never really noticed a difference between the sq on this boxed set and those of the original II and Houses of the Holy single discs I had, though I never did a side by side comparsion). Anyway, I will stay with these until, as you say, they go back to the original masters and work from those.

nspindel

I have that 10-disc set as well. I had all the original cd's and then replaced them with the Complete Studio set, but at the time I didn't have gear worthy of really doing any decent comparisons. I don't have the originals any more, so I couldn't do it now. I find them to be decent, not great, but I enjoy them a bit more now that I've got some tubes in my system.

I've heard rumors that Mobile Fidelity did some test pressings of the Zep catalog at one point, but nothing was ever released. Now that would be something I'd love to get my hands on!

Ethancf

Yeah, Jane's Addiction "Nothing's Shocking" is in my top 5 all time favorite albums...wish it would get a remaster.

carpenter

Ethancf wrote: »

Yeah, Jane's Addiction "Nothing's Shocking" is in my top 5 all time favorite albums...wish it would get a remaster.

.. but I thought the quality is pretty good already, isn't it?

steveinaz

I have the early re-mastered Zepplin collection (4 discs) in a big book sorta thing. Those Cd's were done very well IMO.

Norm Apter

Ethancf wrote: »

Yeah, Jane's Addiction "Nothing's Shocking" is in my top 5 all time favorite albums...wish it would get a remaster.

carpenter wrote: »

.. but I thought the quality is pretty good already, isn't it?

This is my favorite of their 4 pre-1991 albums (I include Live & Rare, here) that I own, as well, but its my opinion that the the recording for Nothing's Shocking is not particularly good. Ritual de lo Habitual and Live and Rare seem to be moderately better recorded/mixed.

mhw58

Norm Apter wrote: »

A week or so ago, Steve asked whether there was some sort of updated

But I'm wondering if anyone knows of any remastered ones by the three bands listed in the subject line and, if so, if you've been able to compare the sound quality with the original CDs.

The Pink Floyd catalog sounds great on cd no matter which versions you get. I have the original releases and the remasters which were done by Doug Sax and they both sound great.
For Led Zeppelin I prefer the original cd releases mastered by Barry Diament. Zep 4 was mastered by someone else but it still sounds better than the remasters. The remasters are more compressed, Barry's original versions sound great. A lot of people have dumped the original Zep cd's for the remasters so the originals are easy and cheap to find in used cd stores.
Mike

BigMac

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab issued Led Zeppelin II on vinyl as MFSL 1-065 in November 1982. This was one of their "Original Master Recording" half-speed mastered issues.

Here is alink for Pink Floyd: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/PFArchives/DMFSL.htm

Here is a link for The Beatles: http://www.friktech.com/btls/mfsl/

I know there are lots of other quality recordings out there but just thought I would contribute a few. I like alot of MFSL stuff, no all though. A few things they did were just not up to par.

VSchneider

steveinaz wrote: »

I have the early re-mastered Zepplin collection (4 discs) in a big book sorta thing. Those Cd's were done very well IMO.

I should have that 4-disk set at my door later this week.