Question RE: American Rolling Stones CDs

[Rob LoVerde]

Hey guys and gals!

Check this out. I was looking at my American CDs of "12 x 5", "Out Of Our Heads", and "Their Satanic Majesties Request" and I noticed that on the disc it says "Made In West Germany". The artwork is what we're used to: It says "Digitally Remastered From Original Master Recordings" in red capital letters along the bottom of the front page of the booklet. It says "Printed In U.S.A" on the inlay card...

I was wondering if it was possible that these CDs were prepared from the digital masters that MFSL did for West Germany. We all know that MFSL did these three albums for their box...and one thing that I noticed that I think supports this possibility is the fact that my copies of "Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass)" and "Between The Buttons" says "Made In U.S.A." on their discs. Makes sense because MFSL didn't master "Big Hits" and for "Between The Buttons", they used the UK sequence as opposed to the US sequence which is on the American CD...

Can't quite make heads or tails of my "Beggars Banquet" or "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!". Although the sequence is the same as what MFSL used, my discs say "Made In U.S.A."...

Any thoughts?

Thanks everybody!

[Holy Zoo]

I think the "right" MFSL version has Satisfaction in stereo. The "wrong" version has it in mono. What does yours have?

Of course, Luke or Sckott could answer this question outright in about a second flat. :D

[Rob LoVerde]

Hi Jeff,

Ah, my "Out Of Our Heads" has "Satisfaction" in mono. But didn't MFSL master the mono mixes on that album? At least that's what I thought...

Thanks!

[Steve Hoffman]

The correct German version of "Heads" also has "Satisfaction" in mono (thank goodness).

I doubt that your CD's are from the MFSL tapes. I have only heard bad things about them.

Hey Rob, what do you care anyway? Don't you have some good sounding Stones somewhere? ;)

[Holy Zoo]

Yikes! How in the world did I read "12x5" as "Hot Rocks"..


sigh...

You're right, of course.

Take a look at Luke's website, it might have the answer.

http://lukpac.org/stereostones/albums.html

[Vivaldinization]

Interesting thought. The London 12x5 and Heads sound very similar (but, not to me, exactly like) the ABKCO discs. Not much difference; they both sound *****ty.

Satanic Majesties has always sounded perceptibly different, though, especially to the first London issue. And it IS from a different master (the fade-up on See What Happens, for example).

-D

[Beagle]

I guess all the London/ABKCO "remastered" stuff sounds rotten compared to the original British Decca vinyl.

What is really odd is that on the vinyl "remastered" version of Hot Rocks, some tracks like "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which was originally recorded in stereo, is mono. They likely took their crappy copies, mastered it in mono, assuming that the listener would think the "original master" was recorded in mono and they were now getting the real deal :rolleyes:

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Holy Zoo
Take a look at Luke's website, it might have the answer.

http://lukpac.org/stereostones/albums.html

Actually, this might be slightly more helpful:

http://lukpac.org/stereostones/stereosongs.html

How 'bout we just say the Stones' catalog is a mess and leave it at that?

[mcow1]

Originally posted by lukpac


How 'bout we just say the Stones' catalog is a mess and leave it at that?
Amen

[Sckott]

Not like I didn't expect it, but I'm glad SH feels the same way about the Stereo "Satisfaction" as I do. I have that song on quite a few Cds, the Hot Rocks 1 CD and also the Westwood One "CD Rarities Vol. 16"(all stones). The stereo "Satisfaction" sounds wacky on the WW1 Cd, but not so bad on HR1, at least from memory.

There are other stereo versions that are less pongy, but the sound quality went into the toilet. The MONO version wins with me. :rolleyes:

[Steve Hoffman]

Well, Sckott, the stereo version of "Satisfaction" has the same problem that the stereo mix of (let's say) "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" does (also "Get Off My Cloud"). The all-important rhythm track is just not loud enough in the mix.

Weakens the entire song. Same problem with many stereo mixes of the day, Motown included.

Oh yeah, "Paperback Writer" and "Drive My Car" are two other examples I can think of (before breakfast) of stereo versions that need the rhythm track increased.....I'm sure there are many more, but after writing that monogram (graph) on Vox Amps, I need to recharge, so I've gotta go eat! :rolleyes:

[Paul L.]

Revolution sounds a lot better in mono too.

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Sckott
Not like I didn't expect it, but I'm glad SH feels the same way about the Stereo "Satisfaction" as I do. I have that song on quite a few Cds, the Hot Rocks 1 CD and also the Westwood One "CD Rarities Vol. 16"(all stones). The stereo "Satisfaction" sounds wacky on the WW1 Cd, but not so bad on HR1, at least from memory.

There are other stereo versions that are less pongy, but the sound quality went into the toilet. The MONO version wins with me. :rolleyes:

Well, as far as I know, all stereo "mixes" come from that version on Hot Rocks, just with some tweaking.

If you don't like how the stereo mix of Satisfaction sounds, try this: move in the left channel to about the 10 o'clock position and then lower the level of the right channel until the vocal re-centers itself. Voila! Rhythm track less "in the corner", louder, and the whole thing just sounds more like the mono mix.

Try it sometime!

[Beagle]

Originally posted by lukpac


Actually, this might be slightly more helpful:

http://lukpac.org/stereostones/stereosongs.html

How 'bout we just say the Stones' catalog is a mess and leave it at that? lukpac, I was just browsing the stereostones area and that's quite an impressive bit of info there. I wonder if, in Universals supposed "hundreds of hours" search, some of these rare stereo versions turned up?

[lukpac]

Originally posted by Beagle
lukpac, I was just browsing the stereostones area and that's quite an impressive bit of info there. I wonder if, in Universals supposed "hundreds of hours" search, some of these rare stereo versions turned up?

Well, they have the tapes... Like I've said before, it would be a shame if they didn't use the stereo mixes of the Chess material, as they sound wonderful. None of the problems associated with some of the RCA material (like Steve's above Satisfaction comments).