Peter Gabriel's shaking the tree

[Tullman]

I just aquired a newly remastered cd of this title. Talk about bright and analytical. It was cleaner than the old versions, but too much edge. I am truly disappointed. I thought they could do better in 2002.

[Paul Chang]

You may have fallen for the "newer is better" scheme. :(

[Matt]

Are there any mastering credits or information in the booklet?

[Dave]

Geeze Paul,

Falled! Don't you mean fallen or fell?;)

[Matt]

Nevermind. I pulled this from his site:

Mic Smith met with Peter to discuss the Remastering process. This is an extract of the interview.


When I met with Peter in September to discuss the project he began by explaining the purpose behind the reissue programme.

"For a number of years now people have been trying to get me to do this and recently there was an opportunity. So we've been in the cutting room quite a lot and they sound better with Tony Cousins' 'magic fairy dust' (at Metropolis Studios in London). We're bringing out some of the detail that wasn't there before.


"We have been working on the sound; the second album, which was the one that sounded the worst for me, we've opened up a bit and Tony's stretched the stereo. It doesn't transform the music obviously, but if you're listening there are some differences. So I think it's more for people who get into the detail of it or have got a good system at home that want to optimise the music."

As Richard Chappell (Peter's Music Engineer, who also worked on the re-masters) explained, due to the increased sampling range of the new digital formats there is an audibly noticeable increase in clarity and definition especially at the bass end of tracks. This is a quality that Richard and Peter agree the listener may be able to hear most noticeably on the re-mastered US and PG 2.


Gabriel broke the mould in many aspects of his career, not least by simply entitling each of his first four albums Peter Gabriel. In retrospect did Peter think that this helped or hindered their commercial success?

"Probably hindered, like a lot of my great ideas. There was an idea about the visual element of the cover. I still harp back to the days when I was first collecting albums. The excitement of getting a new album. It was something you held out and you looked at it. The package, the smell, the colours and obviously the image were imprinted on your brain as you first heard the music."


The first Peter Gabriel album contains two tracks, Solsbury Hill and Here Comes the Flood that have remained stalwarts of the Gabriel live show over the years. I wondered what made these tracks that special to him:

"On this last Seattle WOMAD we asked the people coming to vote for their preferred songs, and Solsbury Hill wasn't top, but it was very close. That's always seemed to be something that people have identified with. Flood is much more stark; there's space for it to become a little different. That's always seemed like an open song in a way."


His second album in particular had some of the directness to be found in the New Wave. Producer Robert Fripp was central to this approach.

"Fripp was a great believer in fast turn around and persuaded me that we could do the whole thing in six weeks. There are some people who can do their work quickly and some who can't; and I discovered I can't. In other words, some of the arrangements were not as thought through as they could have been. At the same time... some of the songs, for instance Indigo and D.I.Y. I still get quite a lot of pleasure from, I just think we could have done a better job recording them."


Sledgehammer provided much of the groundwork in readiness for the So album produced by Daniel Lanois and issued in May 1986. The track In Your Eyes was significant for introducing a legion of music fans to the voice of Youssou N'Dour. Peter recalled the writing and recording of this landmark track by admitting:

"Being in love is the main theme of it and because I'm so slow I don't think it was just focussed on one person. It was a time when I was beginning to go to Africa. There was an old dance studio in Dakar that had these wonderful dance floors and pianos. I sat down in this empty room and I played it there and it evolved. And falling in love with Youssou's voice... it was an exciting time, and when we managed to get him singing high, it felt like we'd struck some rich vein. We got the hairs going on the back of my neck and that's always one of my aims, to trap something that certainly makes me feel a lot and I hope the listener."


The opportunity to reassess some of this old material may have a more subtle effect on Peter's future as he cautiously admits to possibly revisiting long forgotten gems in the future:

"Having spent some time now in the cutting room, I was thinking of re-looking at a couple of songs, in particular Indigo and D.I.Y. from the second album."


Sonic improvements are just part of the re-mastering picture. The most immediately noticeable change with these reissues will be in their visual appearance. Peter elucidates on the approach taken with the enhanced artwork.

"The artwork is a combination of the original artwork on the outside with a collection of images on the inside, from that time, that we've been able to access. We've tried to give as much as we can."


The finished albums will be released in two versions: a limited edition miniature gatefold die-cut sleeve (for die-hard collectors) will appear first followed by the standard edition housed in a jewel case. Both versions will contain a booklet comprising an assembly of rare photographs, lyrics to all tracks and full musician credits.

The entire re-mastered catalogue is scheduled for worldwide release in April 2002


This is an edited version of an interview by Mic Smith which appeared in Real World Notes 13

[Paul Chang]

Dave,

Thanks for pointing out my error in inventing the past participle of "fall". To be grammatically correct, it has to be "have fallen", not "have fell", right? :p

[Drew]

Sounds to me like I should complete my Peter Gabriel collection before the new "improved" remasters are released.

[Gary]

Good point, Drew. Me too!

I love the part where the interview says "...I think it's more for people who get into the detail of it or have got a good system at home that want to optimise the music."

Looks like I went too far in upgrading my stereo system. (.......he said sourly :mad: ) Maybe it's time to downgrade?

[peterC]

Originally posted by Drew
Sounds to me like I should complete my Peter Gabriel collection before the new "improved" remasters are released.



That would be a good idea if the existing PG3 didn't sound so bad.

[Patrick M]

As Richard Chappell (Peter's Music Engineer, who also worked on the re-masters) explained, due to the increased sampling range of the new digital formats there is an audibly noticeable increase in clarity and definition especially at the bass end of tracks. This is a quality that Richard and Peter agree the listener may be able to hear most noticeably on the re-mastered US and PG 2.

I find this confusing. First, does "new digital formats" = SACD?

Also, Us came out in '92. Wouldn't it be all digital to begin with? If so, I wonder why that album in particular would come off better than the earlier stuff? I would think the existing Us should be pretty good as is.

[Carl Hoffmann]

Bummer........I guess all my finger crossing was wasted. They didn't mention SACD format but I know they are slated to be released that way as well.

[KLM]

I really hope the nad sound found on Shaking the Tree is not indictative of the rest of the catalog. I have gotten rid of my original cds in preparation for the new remastered ones.

In terms of formats, I believe at some point they will release the Peter Gabriel on SACD but initially it will be on cd AND VINYL. That's right, the entire catalog is being re-released on vinyl (check out Amazon.com.uk). Get out the check book fella'

Also, for those trying to buy the original cds, I would also stay away from Plays Live. The sound is bad digital with no depth, soft bass and sterile highs.

Lastly, in addition to US being recorded digitally, I believe you are correct. I believe SO was also a full digital recording. I think there is room for improvement as demonstrated in the remastered Dire Straits Brother In Arms which was also originally released as a full digital recording.

I plan on buying the full catalog on cd and vinyl and hope to hear an improvement though I've been burned many times on purchasing new remastered releases.

[Dan C]

This is NOT good news.
Along with So and Us being all dit, so is the fourth album (Security).
I'm still hoping for the best from the remasters.
No matter what, I'm keeping the vinyl that I have, and will still be looking for the missing pieces.
Dan C

[Tullman]

Maybe Gabriel will get the word that the first one was too bright and tone it down a bit.

I have Thiel 7.2's driven by Pass 1.2 amps and it sounded way too bright for me. Also the cd is really hot. I had to turn the volume down two knocks from where I normally have it set.

[christopher]

ICE MAGAZINE lists MAY 7th as release date for:

BIRDY soundtrack
PASSION-music for last temptation of christ
PG
PG II
PG III
PLAYS LIVE (2 CDs)
SECURITY
SHAKING THE TREE-16 golden greats
SO
US


later, chris

[Matt]

It's probably too late, but if you've heard the remasters and think they've done something wrong, go to www.petergabriel.com, click on remasters, and voice an opinion. It's the official website, so I'm guessing any word would get to somebody with a say in the remasters.

[GabeG]

With all due respect to Tullman, has anyone else heard the new Shaking the Tree?

I picked it up last week and while I wouldn't describe it as one of my better sounding discs, I would say it is an improvement over the original. I find the sound less bright than the original, which is the opposite of Tullman's experience. I am just wondering what others on the forum think. For the record, I agree the CD is much louder than most.

I also wasn't having tremendous expectations since most of Gabriel's recordings were early digital.

For the record, I am using a Muse Transport/DAC, Audible Illusions Pre-amp, Plinius Power amp and Spendor speakers.


- Gabe (no relation)

[Tullman]

Originally posted by GabeG
With all due respect to Tullman, has anyone else heard the new Shaking the Tree?

I picked it up last week and while I wouldn't describe it as one of my better sounding discs, I would say it is an improvement over the original. I find the sound less bright than the original, which is the opposite of Tullman's experience. I am just wondering what others on the forum think. For the record, I agree the CD is much louder than most.

I also wasn't having tremendous expectations since most of Gabriel's recordings were early digital.

For the record, I am using a Muse Transport/DAC, Audible Illusions Pre-amp, Plinius Power amp and Spendor speakers.


- Gabe (no relation)

Maybe bright isn't the right word. Maybe to analytical is better.

[Humorem]

The import vinyl version we sell is excellent, if you can stand the slightly noisy vinyl, and it's cheap, 8 bucks.

Can't imagine that any CD version would sound as good. That's just not very likely to be in the cards, and it will cost you $15 to find out. Who wants to play that game?

TP

[Tullman]

Humorem, Where is your website??????

[Gary]

Look on the main site of "stevehoffman.tv" under Better Records. That's Tom!

[KLM]

The import vinyl version we sell is excellent, if you can stand the slightly noisy vinyl, and it's cheap, 8 bucks.

Tom,
This isn't the newly released vinyl is it? Peter Gabriel's site mentions that the remasters will be released on lp and I am very anxious to check these out. Let us know.

[Paul Chang]

Originally posted by Gary
Look on the main site of "stevehoffman.tv" under Better Records. That's Tom! It will not do you any good if you want to search for things. Send Tom an email, or better, call him and buy something ($50 minimum :) ) to get on his mailing list (both email and snail mail).

Tom,

When are you going to update your web site?

[Carl Hoffmann]

I understand that what we might be getting with these new remasters is not going to be ideal in terms of the DCC therom for proper transfers of original master recordings. However, it's also not as if Gabriel is a completely inept morron when it comes to music and sound!! He did create the original music and is at least involved in this remastering process. I have yet to see any positive comments regarding this fact throughout this thread. Let's face it, Steve will never do every remaster. Gabriel has a head on his shoulders and is a genius in my book. Let him make it sound the way he wants it to sound. Huh guys?

[Tullman]

Originally posted by Carl Hoffmann
I understand that what we might be getting with these new remasters is not going to be ideal in terms of the DCC therom for proper transfers of original master recordings. However, it's also not as if Gabriel is a completely inept morron when it comes to music and sound!! He did create the original music and is at least involved in this remastering process. I have yet to see any positive comments regarding this fact throughout this thread. Let's face it, Steve will never do every remaster. Gabriel has a head on his shoulders and is a genius in my book. Let him make it sound the way he wants it to sound. Huh guys?

I love Peter Gabriel's music and singing. I am a paying customer and would like to hear a product that sounds musical. A tilt towards the bright side of the mids and highs so that one can hear background percussion better is not my cup of tea. I like to hear a smooth intergration between all frequencies and a nice natural balance. I just think Gabriel missed the mark on this one that is all.