What's the best sounding Tom Jones disc?

[Larry Naramore]

Anybody have an opinion? Thanks.

[Steve Hoffman]

Always loved "It's Not Unusual". Never been able to find it on a CD that matches the sound of my old Tom Jones reel to reel version. All of the CD versions sound really smushed for some reason. Like it was compressed twice or something, totally unlike the old London stereo LP....:confused:

The CD's should sound better, since the old US LP and open reel tape versions were all made from lower generation tape copies..

[Larry Naramore]

Thanks Steve for the encouraging words....:(

[Steve Hoffman]

Sorry, Larry.

But, take heart. There are lots of Tom Jones CD's out there, and I've only heard a handful. Anybody else have a suggestion?

[BradOlson]

The only CD of Tom's classics I have is the 1997 remastered Best of on Polygram TV

[Cousin It]

The best overview of his career is called
VELVET+STEEL=GOLD 1964-1969
It's a 3CD set released by Polygram U.K. back in'93.
Cat No:844 096-2
It's a 83 track set,each disc 75min.

Good sound,mono/stereo.

[Elton]

Larry,

I have "The Complete Tom Jones" Deram 844 322-2 from '92.
There are 20 tracks, Delilah, She's A Lady, Green Green Grass..., Pussycat, and although I don't have any Tom Jones LP's, It's Not Unsusal come off very nicely. Open, good placement, very good sound. For a hits CD you may want to look for it. I'm very happy with it. Hope this helps.

[Grant]

I agree with Steve. All the Tom Jones CDs i've heard and owned sound squashed and dull.

Hey Steve, there's a job for you, a Tom Jones Greatest Hits.

[Dave B]

The original 45 of What's New Pussycat began with short intro followed by the sound of breaking glass before Tom's vocal begins. So far all of the remastered versons have lost this intro. Does anyone know of a version that includes the intro?

[Chip Stylus]

THAT VERSION - It's on the Burt Bacharach box on Rhino, "The Look Of Love".
This set also has "Promise Her Anything" which I do not have on any of my dozen Dot / Parrot lp's.

Steve, my mono uk pressing of "It's Not Unusual" sounds really cool. I grew up with the stereo pressing (worn out) but found this mono vinyl in a junk shop and was knocked out at how crisp and clear the top end is. Mebbe I sould pull a dub for you guys . . .

I only have that "Complete (sic) Tom Jones" set on cd myself. I saw "What's New Pussycat", the lp on cd, in cutouts bins about 11 years ago and was too broke at the time to even think about it. Been kicking myself for a decade now . . .

I always thought that the cd version of "Unusual" sounded like it was being played back with Dolby without pre-encoding.

I still play the vinyl on that stuff because of the bass and depth. No cd I ever heard even came close. And the originals are well pressed and common in any thrift store, Savation Army, Goodwill, and the like.

[BradOlson]

Rykodisc has remastered the What's New Pussycat soundtrack.

[Dave B]

Originally posted by thomoz
THAT VERSION - It's on the Burt Bacharach box on Rhino, "The Look Of Love".

Thanks Thomoz - I may have to pick up a copy of that box. I have It's Not Unusual in mono on a compilation LP called The Greatest Hits From England. It sounds great considering it was recorded in 1965.

[Steve Hoffman]

Originally posted by Dave B


It sounds great considering it was recorded in 1965.

Dave,

I have songs that were recorded in 1945 that sound better. It wasn't exactly the dark ages ya know! ;)

[BradOlson]

Yes, also the Carter Family recordings were well recorded.

[Steve Hoffman]

Sure, 1 or 2 RCA Ribbon microphones, plenty of room ambience, cut direct to disc through vacuum tube cutting gear on a wax biscuit revolving at a whopping 78 RPM. That should be an amazing audiophile sound revelation, and it IS.

It's just a shame that these all tube "direct to discs" were pressed on shellac instead of vinyl (which hadn't been invented yet). :(

Of course, by 1949, when tape recording became standard instead of "direct", the 78 rpm pressings got a lot better. But the pre 1949 stuff always gets short changed because of the noisy surfaces.

[BradOlson]

That is exactly how they recorded the Jimmie Rodgers and Carter Family Victor recordings which are timeless recordings.

[Pat]

The Complete Tom Jones CD (P2-44322) on Deram is a nice little collection (even better when you pick it up, sealed, for $5.00, as I did recently). I'm sure that mint vinyl Parrot originals may have better sonics, but when you consider that you get a nice "career retrospective"...from It's Not Unusual to Kiss, it ain't all that bad!

What I thought was neat, is that the production on songs spanning about 30 years sounds very consistent...nothing sounds too "out-of-place".

Until Steve "raids the vault"; this will do for now! ;)

[Highway Star]

Not many know this but there was a follow-up, answer song to Jone's What's New Pussy Cat by Ruth and Sherrie (the latter Link Wray's niece) called Nothin' Much Tom Cat on the Swan label. Never heard it, but I'm sure it's rather amusing.

[Dave B]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman


Dave,

I have songs that were recorded in 1945 that sound better. It wasn't exactly the dark ages ya know! ;)

I know that. I guess I'm just surprised when I hear a recording that is almost 40 years old that sounds more musical than something recorded last year. When you think of the equipment used and the fact that in most cases the recordings where made in a day or two, it's pretty amazing.

[Steve Hoffman]

Originally posted by Dave B


When you think of the equipment used and the fact that in most cases the recordings where made in a day or two, it's pretty amazing.

Well, that's why, Dave!

All tube gear, performances that are fresh, with no retakes or overdubbing, no signal processing, no digital anything.

[feinstein]

I have the LP "Tom Jones -- Live At Cesear's Palace" which is just fabulous in its awfulness. The guitar player is totally out of tune and the backup band sounds in general like a Junior High concert band. Also, the garish cover art (a "Sparticus" nightmare scenerio) nominates this record as one of the worst albums ever made. I often put it on to raise my blood pressure (although the audio isn't too bad).....