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Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniv Album

I purchased two copies of the recently released Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" 30th Anniversary album. According to the sticker on the album it is pressed in Holland. Our initial listening impressions are that it is lacking in "spaciousness" in the high end details and sounds boomy. Thinking it might simply be my system we put on a MFSL recording of Eric Clapton's first solo album; it sounded fine....crisp, clean bass, good soundstage. The Dark Side went back on; dull, boomy. We then tried some jazz albums like Coltrane and Modern Jazz Quartet with the same results.

Anybody else have a listen to this album yet?

Carl
c123666

Showing 2 responses by pbowne

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pbowne
75 posts
 
Interesting information. I am quite sure that the stereo mix on the new LP is NOT the original stereo tape. It sounds too dramatically different.
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pbowne
75 posts
 
I've listened to the album with friends and immediately noticed major differences. While every single instrument seems to be clearer, resolved in space better, the overall effect is another matter. This recording has always had a "dreamy" quality (perhaps from my drug-induced days) and the guitar work was always in the forefront. The new version has a more laid-back presence on the guitars and seems more sterile and less musical. If I had never heard the old version, I would probably love it, but we compared it to the UK LP pressing and that was much more satisfying, more lively and had more "drive".

Talking to a rep who deals in vinyl a lot, he said that the original 2-track master for DSOTM is owned by Alan Parsons and he would not agree to the use of it for this release (?!) Thus they decided to completely remaster using the original studio tapes and Pink Floyd signed off on it. Perhaps since they opted to go for a surround sound mix, then based it on that first and the 2-track version resulting sounds significantly different. I've yet to hear from someone very familiar with the original that really likes the new version.
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