Tommy & Quadrophenia - thought experiment

[John Buchanan]

What if history had been rewound and the remixes of these 2 albums became the original mixes? I suspect we would be hearing the same hullaballoo about sound quality degradation when these were "improved" with the real original mixes - which to my ears sound terrible.
I too think NoNoise is the work of the devil and shoudn't be used for hiss reduction EVER, but a piece of work shouldn't be considered sacrosanct, as long as the performer is involved in the remastering. Sometimes there is only so much one can do with the 2 track tapes without returning to the multitracks for improvement - shouldn't the ultimate sound be pursued instead of saying that's as good as the 2 track gets?
Take Disraeli Gears - who wouldn't remaster this with Ginger Baker in the centre if the multis were available? ;)

[lukpac]

Originally posted by John Buchanan:
What if history had been rewound and the remixes of these 2 albums became the original mixes? I suspect we would be hearing the same hullaballoo about sound quality degradation when these were "improved" with the real original mixes - which to my ears sound terrible.

Well, what sources do you have for the original mixes? Keep mind some early CDs were just not good, period. Didn't matter about the master tapes. I'm not sure if the masters were even used for those albums.

Sometimes there is only so much one can do with the 2 track tapes without returning to the multitracks for improvement - shouldn't the ultimate sound be pursued instead of saying that's as good as the 2 track gets?
Remixes are fine as long as they stay true to the original. Neither of these remixes do. End of story.

Take Disraeli Gears - who wouldn't remaster this with Ginger Baker in the centre if the multis were available? ;)
I wouldn't. Why should we? What's wrong with him off to the side?

Of course, those tapes were lost one fateful night in 1976 (well, I *think* it was at night...).

[John Buchanan]

Yes I agree with your point - I meant the original CD mixes. I just haven't heard any good versions of these 2 albums until the remixes came out. The original Track UK Quad wasn't bad, the first MCA and the MoFi were terrible, and IMO the remix is great (I'm not turning into the Emperor of Rock here)
I listened to the last MCA single pre-remixed CD and didn't like it in comparison to the remix. The MoFi was not good.

[John Buchanan]

PS maybe you're right about GB - he could have been mixed all over the stereo image like Eddie Kramer did to Mitch Mitchell on "In the West" - Red House. I prefer the mix on Stages to this, although it has been NoNoised, unfortunately. If you are interested in some comparisons of some of the JH live tracks and my philosphy on mixing trios (I am really an ignorant pleb), email me and I will send them to you