The Who CD Availiability

[tenuous]

I recently got Steve's master of Who's Next, and am thrilled with the quality. I notice there are other Who CD's Mr. Hoffman has mastered, and I am wondering where to find them. I have found the following on HMV:

Meaty Big and Bouncy
Release Date: 1991-01-01
Catalogue Number: MCBBD37001

Who's Missing
Release Date: 1992-06-22
Catalogue Number: MCBBD31221

The Catalogue #'s seem to be different from those listed in Mr. Hoffman's discography. Do these use the same masters? Thanks.

Also, is:

Buddy Holly - From the Original Master Tapes
Release Date: 1991-01-01
Catalogue Number: MCABD5540

the correct version? It is also from HMV.com and they are selling it for a steal. Thanks again :P

[lukpac]

Those are all Steve's discs. Just keep in mind the Buddy CD is the "bad" version. Ie, the two channels aren't quite in phase, so if you sum the CD to mono the highs kind of drift in and out. Also (and I think this is unique to the Canadian CD), the count-off on It Doesn't Matter Anymore is missing.

Other than that it sounds great...

[Angel]

I have the Canadian Buddy Holly, without the countdown. It sounds amazing, even if the tape was misaligned when it was mastered to 1630.

Buy it, by all means! :)

[czeskleba]

Originally posted by lukpac
Also (and I think this is unique to the Canadian CD), the count-off on It Doesn't Matter Anymore is missing.


It's not unique to the Canadian CD, there are lots of US copies without it, too. I think it's probably the later US pressings that are missing it, since in my experience the "no count off" version seems much more commonplace in used CD stores than the version with the count off.

[tenuous]

Thanks guys! This is budget audiophile shopping at its best...all those cds are well under $10. Anyone know off hand any other el cheapo S.H. cd's at HMV I can throw in with my order?

Also could someone explain the Buddy Holly phase problem in a little more depth? Is it a big deal? Is it noticeable?

[Steve Hoffman]

It's just an analog head alignment problem that you can only hear when you combine channels. Since you wouldn't do that anyway, why worry? I'm sure you will be more than happy with it.

Probably about 50% of all CD's made from analog tapes have the SAME problem. Listen to "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. Oops. The list goes on. Most engineers don't check to see what will happen to the signal if the channels are combined. It's something that doesn't happen anymore, now that digital is in full sway....

[Angel]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
It's just an analog head alignment problem that you can only hear when you combine channels.

Probably about 50% of all CD's made from analog tapes have the SAME problem. Listen to "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. Oops. The list goes on. Most engineers don't check to see what will happen to the signal if the channels are combined. It's something that doesn't happen anymore, now that digital is in full sway....

Steve,

I bet more than 50% of analog transfers have some type of azm. problems. Whenever I hear FM radio in mono (Supermarket or elevator) WOW some bad phase problems are happening. In the old days radio stations had some sort of phase corrector on the cart machines, but in these days of digital, there is really nothing that can be done. Probably nobody notices but me anyway. :rolleyes:

[Steve Hoffman]

Of course you notice! You are an on the ball recording engineer. You are supposed to notice such things. Drives one batty hearing that swishy sound, doesn't it? :(

[czeskleba]

Originally posted by tenuous
Thanks guys! This is budget audiophile shopping at its best...all those cds are well under $10. Anyone know off hand any other el cheapo S.H. cd's at HMV I can throw in with my order?

A couple other old Hoffman MCAs that are out of print in the US but not up in Canada:

Chuck Berry: Rock & Roll Rarities
Mamas and the Papas: 16 of Their Greatest Hits (it's mis-titled "Their 16 Greatest Hits" on the HMV site)

[Dave]

czeskleba,

The Mamas & Pappas 16 Greatest Hits is available here in Canada.;)

[Dave B]

Ok, you guys got my interest. Although I already own the MoFi and MCA Ultimate Master copies of Who's Next I went out to HMV and picked up the Steve mastered version along with Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy and The Mamas and Papas disc. Hopefully by this weekend I can have a Who battle of the bands to compare them. Does anyone have any idea why there would be a completely separate remastering for the Canadian release of these LPs? Maybe everyone north of the border has golden ears eh?

[lukpac]

The Canadian issue of Who's Next is the same one that MCA released in the US in 1986. It's just that MCA in the US "upgraded" their master along the way and when MCA in Canada did their CD they happened to get Steve's master.

All the other CDs are the same as the US counterparts - it's just that they are out of print in the US now.

[Dave]

Have you all compared Steve'sversion to the "Remastered" version?

It sounds as though the remaster has had a big wool blanket thrown over it while it's being squeezed in a vice.:p