If there is one thing I am a stickler for when it comes to music, it's the
quality. From the way the music is recorded and produced to the way it is finally
mastered for my listening pleasure. If the music is not listenable, it makes
it that much harder to enjoy and experience.
They way we listen to music and the channels through which we are able to do
this through have come a long way. In times long past, (like the Classical Age
for example), the only way to experience music was in a live setting, with no
other way to relive it other than one's memory. In more recent times, we've
seen the technology advance to where music could be captured and played back
on such formats as LP records, cassettes and 8-tracks. In this day and age,
the dominant media formats are CD's, which are slowly being over come by digital
formats like MP3's, WMA's, etc.
I listen to alot of music and next to watching TV, it is one of my biggest
hobbies. I've tried to open my mind up to all different types of music. My preferred
choices have always been Rock and Metal and the various labels each one has
underneath it. I'd say it's safe to say that my CD collection is well over 2000
discs and counting, not to mention a number of albums that I just have on MP3.
Over the years I have upgraded my music collection in some spots. I originally
started most of my collection with LP records. They were just cooler to have
because of things like the inclusion of lyrics, special items that could be
packaged with them like stickers or some kind of other promotional item, album
artwork that could be much more appreciated when it was bigger, etc. However,
if I couldn't get over the annoying cracks and pops of an LP, there was always
a cassette. But the advantage in having the LP was that you could buy a nice
Maxell or TDK cassette tape and make a good quality recording from it, where
as most prerecorded cassettes of the day were recorded with the normal quality
tape, which in alot of cases was inferior. Later on, most prerecorded tapes
started being manufactured with chrome, which was much better quality than the
normals. Unfortunately, one too many times, the prerecorded cassettes would
be the dinner for a car stereo tape deck! Then I'd have to go through the trouble
of sending it back to the record label in hopes of getting a new one. Then the
flip side of having LP's was that if they got scratched, they would skip.
Thankfully, CD's started to make their way to the market in the early 80's.
Finally! The quality of listening to an album with no cracks, pops, etc. The
convenience of portability and the ability to skip around and play back any
track without having to fast forward through a cassette or turning a record
over just to get to the song of your choice.
Within the last twenty years or so CD's have been both reissued and remastered.
Note that there is a difference between the two. Reissues are usually albums
that have not been available for some time and are now made more readily available
and distributed through an independent label. Sometimes the packaging is improved
or has not changed at all. In most cases the CD mastering is exactly the same as
the originals. They are releases that are properly licensed from the owner of
the original masters, many times by the original record label and sometimes
by the artists themselves. They strive to reproduce the original album cover
artwork, converted to accommodate the CD size format. Remasters are albums where
most of the times the original master tapes have used to improve the audio quality
in the final mastering. I have some CD's where they sound as if they were mastered
from an LP record! Todays technology has allowed musicians to do things with their music now that they may not have been able to do years ago. (I kind of have to compare this to the way George Lucas tinkered with his Star Wars movies). There are also some instances where remastered CD's have
been remixed. (The recent Doors albums through Rhino are a perfect example).
Many out of print albums have been made available once again. Alot of remastered
albums also include extras like bonus tracks or are re-packed with liner notes,
rare photos, CD-Rom capabilites, etc. The mastering and audio levels on alot
of the original CD's are crap. Some are very tinny and treble sounding. The
audio levels on some are just way too low. Some of the labels on the CD have
become sticky over time. There has even been talk that over time the digital
bits and information on a CD can be lost if they are not properly stored or
taken care of just do to the very air we breath!.
My music is an investment and within the last few years or so I've tried to
replace many of my older CD's with remastered ones. I'll cite some examples
of purchases I have made and my experiences with them so it will hopefully give
you an idea of what to look for before actually making this type of investment..
The Warrior Soul Remasters. The audio levels on these are much too loud
to the point that there is some distortion that can now be heard. They also
include live bonus tracks, most of a bootleg quality. Some of the originals
actually sound better. Probably best to avoid these.
The Who Remasters. I've upgraded all of their albums. I can hear big
differences in these when compared to the originals. Better separation of instruments,
fuller sound over all with a clarity that amazes me. The packaging and CD booklets
are also very well put together. However, I noticed that Pete Townshend
has re-mixed some of the songs as well. There are things missing that were there
once before, and things that are now there that I never noticed.
Exodus Pleasures of the Flesh Remastered. There is no difference
at all when compared to the original CD that came out years ago. It says it's
remastered but when I compare the audio levels in MP3 format between the two,
they are exactly the same.
The Rush Atlantic Remasters. Same as I mentioned above. Albums like
Presto, Roll The Bones, Counterparts and Test For Echo
sound no different than the original Atlantic releases. But all of the Polygram
releases (from Rush to Show of Hands) all sound much better than
their originals.
The Queensryche Remasters. Excellent! Alot more punch in the sound and
all include bonus tracks.
The Megadeth Remasters. Well worth the purchase. Also with some bonus
tracks on each. The biggest improved remaster of the bunch is Killing Is
My Business...and Business Is Good. What sucks is that the original version
of These Boots is not the same. The band was threatened by a lawsuit
from the original songwriter, so the band purposely screwed up the song and
bleeped out much of it in order to avoid the lawsuit, destroying the song. It
was also making a joke and a statement to the original songwriter. (Dave explains
all of this in the liner-notes in the CD cover).
The Metal Blade Remasters such as Hallow's Eve Tales of Terror
Box set, Lizzy Borden Master of Disguise, Armored Saint
Symbol of Salvation, Flotsam and Jetsam Doomsday for the Deceiver
and Fates Warning Awaken The Guardian. Most of these albums are
considered classics by Metal Blade and were the first picks of the litter as
far as a good place to start re-releasing albums from the Metal Blade catalog. The mastering on all of these
has been greatly improved from the originals. All have been expanded with extra
bonus tracks, detailed liner notes, rare photos, some with DVD content and music
videos. Alot of the bonus material on these, such as the ones from Fates
Warning, Flotsam and Jetsam and Hallow's Eve are of demo quality
or even bootleg quality. Preferably, I can do without some of bonus stuff.
The Triumph Remasters. These have been remastered using 24 bit technology
had have been greatly improved. However, there are a few glitches on some songs
where there is wow and flutter from the master tape, such as on an album like
Thunder Seven, my favorite one of the bunch!
Savatage Sirens Silver Anniversary edition. Again, vastly improved
from the original but there are also some minor flaws with this version. The
master tape has a few areas that sound like it's warped, maybe from degrading
over the years. There is also some wow and flutter effect on some songs, only
for a few seconds. There are some bonus tracks on here not on the original Metal
Blade release. I actually have the original 2 for1 CD version from Combat Records,
which has the The Dungeons Are Calling EP on it as well.
Epic/Legacy releases such as Accept's Balls To The Walls and
Quiet Riot's Metal Health. Almost anything and everything re-released
from Epic Legacy has been drastically and sonically improved and most of these
you can get under $10. All have been expanded with liner notes, photos and some
bonus tracks. Other recommended Epic/Legacy releases would be Boston
Boston, Boston Don't Look Back, the entire E.L.O.
Catalog and Heart Little Queen, Dog and Butterfly and Bebe
Le Strange.
The Judas Priest Remasters. From Stained Class to Painkiller.
A must have upgrade! Two bonus tracks per disc which are a mix of previously unreleased
studio tracks and live stuff, expanded liner notes, etc. Great sound overall.
The Sweet Remasters. Classic rock remastered right! Albums like Sweet
Fanny Adams, Desolation Boulevard and Off The Record have
be re-released as they were originally as far as the track orders, with plenty
of bonus tracks like rare B-sides. Just awesome!
The Roadrunner Remasters. Hard to find albums from bands like Heathen (Victims
of Deception), Last Crack (Burning Time and Sinister Funkhouse
#17), Crimson Glory (Strange and Beautiful) and Toxik
(World Circus and Think This) have recently been reissued and remastered
on gold discs in limited edition digipacks. Personally, I'm not a big fan of
digipacks, especially if the center piece that holds the disc in place cracks.
There is not way to replace that! However, these CD's sound great and are well
worth the purchase. Best to get them while you can!
The Candlemass Remasters. The first four albums were remastered and
released as double disc sets, with the second discs containing a mix of live
and demo material. These discs are much louder as far as audio levels
when compared to the originals.
Saxon Denim and Leather (EMI Japanese Import Remaster). This
one has me baffled. Tracks one through six do sound remastered. The audio levels
are much louder than the original version. But tracks seven through nine sound
exactly the same as the original EMI version I have. I might have to listen
to the LP to see if that was the way the album was originally mastered as far
as those last three songs. Not worth the $18-$20 I spent on this one!
AC/DC Ballbreaker Remastered. To be honest, I can hear no difference between
the original release and the digipack. Save your money on this one. Still a
great album!
Malice In The Beginning Reissue. There are actually two versions
of this. There is one version on Wounded Bird Records that sounds exactly the
same as the original Atlantic Release and all ten original songs. The other
version from Wounded Bird Records is now out of print but the audio levels are
much more dynamic and better and there are six bonus tracks which are of excellent
quality!
Celtic Frost Parched With Thirst Am I And Dying 1984-1992 Remastered.
Again, I don't hear any difference between this release and the one originally
released on Noise in the early 90's. The packaging is also the same. I wasted
my money on this one!
The Sabbat Remasters. These are a must have! The sound on these is incredible.
There are also some very rare live tracks, which sound pretty good! Also some
very informative liner notes.
I could give more you more examples but I feel I have provided plenty of information
as far as some of the things you can expect or look out for when it comes to
purchasing remastered CD's. For the most part they are well worth the purchase.
But everyone is different and I guess it will all come down to how serious you
are about your music and if you are passionate enough and willing enough to
spend the extra cash to get something you technically may already have. The
final judge in this process would most likely be your ears. However, your mind
and your wallet will also weigh in on these decisions. Then there will always
be the free loaders who will never spend a dime!