Uriah Heep's Demons and Wizards on Castle

[Tullman]

I really liked the sound on this cd. Ok, the treble was turned up just a hair, but the bass was nice and punchy and the mids were clear and smooth. I am not sure if this is a remix. Maybe someone else on here can tell me. Castle/Santuary cd's are beginning to impress me. I don't know who is doing the mastering but they are hitting the mark more often than not.

[Gary]

I tend to like Castle remasters, too. They are conservatively digitized (is that a word???), usually not too bright, etc. For example, I happen to like the Black Sabbath remasters on Castle. The domestics were sooo muddy that I could not listen to them.

As for UH, I still like the old stock copies best. They are a hair better (midrange) than the remasters. Although I must admit that I only have D&W and Magician's Birthday. I used to have Look at Yourself but I don't know what happened to it :mad: . Someone must have borrowed it.....

[Tullman]

In my opinion there is no comparison to the old versions. The new versions of UH blow away the old ones.

Pick up the new look at yourself you will be very happy you did.

[joelee]

Gary, I agree!
I love those original Mercury CDS of Uriah Heep and Thin Lizzy.

[Tullman]

Those old Mercury's Have too many signs of old age, ie. technology has improved quite a bit since then.

[Claus]

Great to hear... we have Heep fans here! If I can remember they were very sucessfull in the UK, but not the U.S.
They were the competition to Deep Purple... at that time :rolleyes:

Look At Yourself, Demons And Wizards, Sweet Freedom belong to their best efforts!

[Tullman]

yeah sweet freedom when castle going to release that one

[John Oteri]

Anyone ever hear the Uriah Heep compilation on DCC? I think it was called "Power To The Rockers" or something like that, with a lightning bolt on the front cover.

Like a fool I traded mine in.

AMAZING sound!!!!!!!

[Tullman]

Originally posted by John Oteri
Anyone ever hear the Uriah Heep compilation on DCC? I think it was called "Power To The Rockers" or something like that, with a lightning bolt on the front cover.

Like a fool I traded mine in.

AMAZING sound!!!!!!!

Is this on the aluminum disc?

I saw UH back in the seventies. I think they were the loudest band I ever saw.

I like Deep Purple, but I think UH had better vocals and some more interesting arrangements.

[Mike V]

The original US vinyl of Demons & Wizards is rather nice, but a little sibilant in places. They can be found really cheap. Mine still has a wicked musty smell, as I acquired it at the Salvation Army, fresh from someone's basement. The surface was actually covered with mold, but I can usually clean the most heinously dirty records to near silence. If there aren't scratches, even badly stored records can come out looking (and sometimes playing) like new. They just smell bad!

I imagine the UK vinyl is even better. Probably worth seeking out, as I don't think they'd sell for a mint.

[SVL]

New Castle UH CDs certainly sound better than old Castle UH CDs;)

As for Demons and Wizards, I still think a good LP will blow them both away.

Of all albums from Very 'eavy, Very'umble to Sweet Freedom, Look At Yourself seems to have the worst recording quality. The remaster seems to have corrected that a little.

[allvinyl]

I don't find the Castle Black Sabbaths up to snuff compared to original UK Vertigo's. I think they're better than US originals, but certainly not as good as the UKs.

[Tullman]

Originally posted by SVL
New Castle UH CDs certainly sound better than old Castle UH CDs;)

As for Demons and Wizards, I still think a good LP will blow them both away.

Of all albums from Very 'eavy, Very'umble to Sweet Freedom, Look At Yourself seems to have the worst recording quality. The remaster seems to have corrected that a little.

Sure, if SH remasters it. Otherwise the new castle is the best out there.

[SVL]

Originally posted by Tullman


Sure, if SH remasters it. Otherwise the new castle is the best out there.

Let's make that a reissue request:). Look at Yourself would probably be in most need of Steve's remastering approach, and we would finally have a good-sounding version out there.

I don't seem to find a track list for the Power to the Rockers compilation anywhere. It must be long OOP.

[SVL]

Three more UH albums in miniature LP sleeves and (I assume) Digital K2 remastering are going to be reissued in Japan late this month - Very 'eavy, Very'umble, Salisbury and Magician's Birthday.

What I don't like so much is that it looks like they will use the Mercury (US), not Vertigo/Bronze (European) cover art for Very 'eavy and Salisbury.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/190/04/8/5/645.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000074PF.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Gary]

I'm sure I've seen Salisbury in a papersleeve already. I believe it's British (Tank cover). Well there was no obi strip so I thought it was British!

Would the Japanese mastering be any different or would they use the stock remastered tapes from England?

Dang, maybe I should have picked it up. :(

[SVL]

I would assume it is a different remaster because it has no bonus tracks (unlike the Castle Essential CD of Salisbury, if I am not mistaken), and it is expensive:). By the same token I am assuming it should use JVC's Digital K2 technology, because it is on JVC/Victor, and will cost the same Y2400 as their K2 releases.

We will have to see;).

Salisbury - new Japanese CD (http://www.hmv.co.jp/Product/Detail.asp?sku=485645)

[sjc]

If anyone is interested... This is the Power to the Rockers track listing...

1. THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT
(Box/Daisley/Goalby/Kerslake/Sinclair) 3.55
2. LONELY NIGHTS (Adams/Vallance) 4.07
3. SWEET TALK
(Box/Daisley/Goalby/J. & L. Sinclair/Kerslake) 3.51
4. RED LIGHTS (Box/Daisley/Goalby/Sinclair) 2.57
5. TOO SCARED TO RUN
(Box/Daisley/Goalby/Kerslake/Sinclair) 3.47
6. HOT NIGHT IN A COLD TOWN (Cushing-Murray/Littlefield)3.57
7. SELL YOUR SOUL (Box/Daisley/Goalby/Kerslake/Sinclair) 5.22
8. THINK IT OVER (Bolder/Sloman) 3.33
9. I´M ALIVE (Lawton) 4.18
10. THAT’S THE WAY THAT IT IS (Bliss) 4.04
11. SOMETHING OR NOTHING (Box/Hensley/Thain) 2.56
12. SUICIDAL MAN Box/Byron/Hensley/Kerslake/Thain) 3.38
13. SEVEN STARS (Hensley) 3.52
14. HOT PERSUASION
(Box/Daisley/Goalby/Kerslake/Sinclair) 3.45
15. FREE ´N´ EASY (Lawton/Box) 3.02

[Gary]

Thanks, SJC!

Another one to the loooong list of want's! I would never have imagined that DCC would have done UH!!!!

PS Is this on a DCC label? Remastered by Steve Hoffman? Please confirm..... it'll make the search a bit easier!

[sjc]

If memory serves me, this was on the Garland label and was done by Steve... I don't have a copy myself but saw one listed on GEMM a few months ago. I have had mixed results using GEMM so I passed.... I need things to look for in the used and cut-out bins anyway...

[Tullman]

Originally posted by SVL
Three more UH albums in miniature LP sleeves and (I assume) Digital K2 remastering are going to be reissued in Japan late this month - Very 'eavy, Very'umble, Salisbury and Magician's Birthday.

What I don't like so much is that it looks like they will use the Mercury (US), not Vertigo/Bronze (European) cover art for Very 'eavy and Salisbury.

http://www.hmv.co.jp/image/jacket/190/04/8/5/645.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000074PF.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

I have not been impressed with the K2 process. Who knows, maybe the Japanese are not using original masters. Of the three castle releases I have Look at Yourself and Demons and Wizards are very good. Magician's Birthday is ok.

[SVL]

Thanks for the tracklist; since most of the stuff is from albums after 1975, now I do not want it so much :D

Just kidding - would still love to have it:).

(This was in response to the message by sjc above).

[SVL]

Originally posted by Tullman


I have not been impressed with the K2 process. Who knows, maybe the Japanese are not using original masters.

I have enjoyed the K2 jazz reissues on JVC/Victor a lot; never had any of the rockers though.

We'll see how these turn out.