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Sound quality of Genesis remastered CDs?

Found one response to this from this time last year on the subject, but would like some more feedback from anyone that has any of them.

Reason why:  I never had Wind & The Wuthering or Trick of the Tail on CD.  Finally decided I wanted to get digital copies for the convenience, so picked them up new from Amazon.  W&TW on CD only, TotT CD, DVD-A and a brief DVD video.

W&TW was absolutely awful to my ears.  Compressed to a thin sheet of paper, indistinct vocals, zero punch and generally unlistenable.  Couldn't make it all the way through a single tune.  The only upside was that the dreadful static embedded in the vinyl versions in the guitar passage of Blood on the Rooftops was eliminated.

TotT CD was better, but not by much.  The DVD-A was almost SACD level, but still didn't have the fullness, range or punch of my MFSL or Japanese home-market pressings.

I would go so far as to say that the non-remastered CDs I got back in the day are all superior to these two new ones.

What have been your impressions?


effischer
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
I agree, the newer remastered CD's are not very good.  I purchased a few, hoping they would sound better the original CD's.  I ripped them to my Mac Mini music server and used the equalizer in iTunes make them sound a little better.
jafant
18,803 posts
 
We all had hopes when those SACD titles were released. I do not know how/why those were not upheld to the excellent standard of 99% other SACD titles?
brettmcee's avatar
brettmcee
218 posts
 
The SACD’s of 2007 (I believe) are pretty much unlistenable. They are REMIXES not remasters.

Let me sum sum up all the issues with these REMIXES:
-One occasionally can hear the wrong takes being used in the remixes
-performance issues that were once cleverly hidden by the original engineers and mix artists are now obvious and exposed
-original panning and other atmospheric mixing tricks were just tossed out
-it sounds like limiting was used all the way through the mixing process and not just over-applied in the mastering phase of the REMIXES
-overall cohesiveness and integration of any songs musical, effect and/or vocal elements is lacking...the elements that comprise any song don’t seem ‘together’ but feel like elements pasted together...songs no longer seem like a cooperative musical expression
-micro rhythms seem interrupted or broken in much of the REMIXES
-some of the Phil albums his vocals are mixed way way too forward!!
-you can plainly hear that Nick Davis wanted to make Phil and Tony happy by bringing up their contributions specifically in many of the REMIXES.
-dynamics are gone...sure they seem loud and detailed, but at the cost of cohesiveness, atmosphere, and dynamics

Find original CD or Vinyl pressings. Only Trespass is worth hearing of the REMIX cds. 

I personally cannot even listen to the REMIX changes to Invisible Touch (not my favorite) let alone the butchery done to the Peter Gabriel discs.
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