Moody Blues Remasters Question

We all know about the 1980's West German London CDs, the MFSLs, the 1997 Remasters and the SACD Deluxe Editions. What mastering is on those early 1990s US Deram/Polygram CDs? I just saw a couple of these in a used store the other day and I guess I was never aware of them. Do they have the same mastering as the 1980s CDs or was there a remastering done between 1986 and 1997?

 

To the best of my knowledge, these are the same mastering as the early WG CDs. I compared Threshold WG to US and it was a clone. There was some talk that Search and Seventh were slightly different masterings (I think David Modny may have done comparisons), but I don't know the definitive answer.

I think they're a good bet.

 

Main difference is less elaborate booklets on the US versions. Otherwise, they're the ones. Go grab 'em tomorrow.

 

What do people dislike about the '97 remasters exactly?

 

Most, but not all, were digitally identical. Of the ones I compared...In Search Of The Lost Chord *wasn't*. Days Of Future Passed was. A Question Of Balance was. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour was. Long Distance Voyager was (including the indexing error at the beginning of 22,000 Days). Someone else mentioned that Octave *wasn't* as well. That's all I know about at this point.

Though, it should be noted that even the non-identical Lost Chords sounded fairly close. Possibly just a difference in overall mastering level while perhaps using the same tape. As I also seem to recall, the indexing may have been different between the side one and side two tracks (i.e. a crossfade vs. a hard edit). I'm actually drawing a blank there though.

In addition, I can't absolutely verify that different runs of these pressings may or may not yield different results. The above only applies to the originals I happened to have on hand - using standard null inversion methodology, offset correction, etc. (which in the case of AQOB, even included an additional record club pressing).

 

RE: My post above

That should actually read "transition" vs. indexing. Bad choice of terms on my part.

 

Thanks for that info, you just saved me a few bucks.

Going from memory, I think I determined that the WG To Our Children's Children's Children is different.

 

Is the best sounding compilation still, "This is The Moodie Blues"?

 

My Opinion Only.

Oh dear, no. It's an interesting compilation, consisting largely of remixes that Tony Clark did in the 1970s, and then re-sequenced via crossfades. I've no idea about other CD versions, but the West German-made copy I have is razor bright. The vinyl copy I had back in the Seventies didn't have this problem (or, I was a treble fiend then, I can't recall properly!)

I'd say buy it, but only if you have a treble knob on your amplificator.

Re: fortherecord's inquiry about the '97 remasters; they're not as bad as some here would indicate (IMHO). Two discs in the set are on the bright side though (In Search and A Question), with the latter being seriously bright. IIRC, some have said that they weren't remastered from original tapes. Interestingly, they still seem to be stocked in shops, right alongside the DeLuxe SACD/CD-hybrid reissues from 2006.

 

Moodies

which comp is considered best?

 

As far as selection, no other compilations even come close to This Is The Moody Blues, IMO.

 

For a good total overview of the band's repertoire, 2-CD The Singles+ (BR Music, Holland) has everything from "Go Now" and other Denny Laine-era tracks right through "I Know You're Out There Somewhere". Sound is on the warm side (I like that), although to me it seems the tapes used were far from first generation. The 2-CD Gold is a good selection, starting with "Tuesday Afternoon" and going through "December Snow". The mastering is iffy, though; level matching is haphazard, and I suspect older CDs were used as raw material. The 2-CD Anthology set is very similar to Gold, song selection-wise, and I prefer this one for sound.

I agree with those who've posted before stating that the 2-CD This Is The Moody Blues set is the best selection for those whose interest is mainly the "classic seven" albums; it also benefits from Tony Clark himself doing the mixing/editing/crossfades. Does anyone know if there are mastering differences between U.S., West German and other versions? I'd like to get a copy that's not so, ah, assertive in the treble region.

 

So - what is the opinion of the "Time Traveller" boxed set? I have the original release which had a 5th disc that was recorded live. The sound seems decent to me and contains many more tracks from not only the first seven albums, but the remainder of their releases as well.

 

I've got the basic This Is The Moody Blues on Threshold and it's pretty good.

 

Same here - and I prefer it over the "Time Traveller" boxed set. I think the sequencing and the mix of the tracks is much better than the box.

 

Just had a thread about "This Is..." here, if you're interested in more:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=138050

 

Both the US and W. German pressings are the same (I should have added that to my list as well). Again, at least for the two runs I compared.

A ditto from me, as well, on the goosed treble for that CD title. Essential if one wants to hear the various '74 remixes in the digital domain (and a broad track selection as well). But for mastering...stick with the vinyl unless you plan to re-EQ.

 

Time Traveller is pretty good, a sort of "instant Moodies record collection" for slightly-more-than-casual fans who perhaps had no Moodies records, and wanted to jump in with both feet. A pretty good selection of tracks and, although I quibbled about a few omitted personal faves ("A Simple Game", "Visions Of Paradise", "Had To Fall In Love"), the song selection and sequencing is really fairly spot-on. I thought it sounded good, but I haven't listened to it (with "Steve Hoffman Forum" ears) for a long while, so I don't know what to think of it now as regards mastering. I believe it was mastered by someone other than who did the '97 reissues.