mainstream releases... or true classics?

[Claus]

Steve... I have watched the DCC reissues in the last 2 years. They have moved from the true audiophile classics like Cream, Doors or Joni Mitchell... to better selling releases like Deep Purple, Metallica, Queensryche or Van Halen.

I think the new owner of DCC or S&P Records will not release only classics, but they also would like to see $$$ in their pockets! They can waste money with horrible expensive licenses... anyway that's my opinion.

I hope... DCC and S&P will do a good mix of both worlds! And it's a long way to get a good reputation for S&P. Mofi's reputation is there... although they have released a lot of **** in the past, but they were a long time in business... so the brand is still hot in the memories of the audiophiles all over the world.

Anyway I wish S&P a good start... :)

[Patrick M]

Originally posted by Claus
Steve... I have watched the DCC reissues in the last 2 years. They have moved from the true audiophile classics like Cream, Doors or Joni Mitchell... to better selling releases like Deep Purple, Metallica, Queensryche or Van Halen.

OK, I don't understand your post at all. You consider Cream, The Doors, and Joni Mitchell to be "audiophile classics," but the latter four are "mainstream"? Huh?

I'm not arguing the musical merits of Cream, but can hardly see how their releases qualify as "audiophile classics." Most Cream, in its best incarnation, is still very average soundwise and everything is drenched in hiss.

The Doors? Various unintentional distortion in spots, and too much reverb on the first album.

Van Halen -- the first Van Halen album is one of the two most important albums in rock guitar history (the other is AYE). Eddie changed everything, and that album started it all. He raised the bar for technical expertise several notches, brought in one of the baddest tones on the planet, and introduced (or popularized) several techniques. The album helped kill disco as well. Notice how practically every rock guitarist of the 80s copped what Eddie was doing? His homemade guitar even became the blueprint for what most people played in the 80s (the proliferation of Charvels, Kramers, etc). It's impossible to downplay the importance of that album, or his contributions to rock guitar.

Deep Purple -- another huge band, another great album, and clearly a classic. Plus with the Mew-sound of the remastered version(s), we really needed a DCC version. Ritchie Blackmore is another mega-important/influential guitarist.

Metallica -- the two DCC releases are very much classics. They're not recent ('84 and '86), and they're certainly not mainstream.

Queensryche -- a bit of an odd choice. I think most people would have preferred "Mindcrime" over "Empire." Plus it's a digital recording, and the original CD was purportedly very good as-is. Queensryche is not one of my favorite bands, personally, but they still have a large and loyal following. Outside of "Silent Lucidity," they're not exactly Top 40 fodder, either.

[Claus]

Hi Patrick... very funny to read your reply!

Well, I will defend my postings... first I'd like to say I have all Cream, Deep Purple, Led Zep, the most from Metallica, Sabbath and Van Halen (feat. David Lee Roth) in my collection, and I know the historical statement from these bands... yes, it's true Led Zep have introduced Heavy Metal (Blues) to a wider audience... Black Sabbath forced Doom Metal.. and Eddie VanHalen introduced a new guitar technique with its finger tapping.

What I would like to say with Mainstream... I mean mainstream selling (my own word for it!) in the music industry. If you will talk with a serious music lover... with the exception of Led Zep, none of them is in the same league like the Beatles, Doors, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who or Frank Zappa!

I hope you will not compare Van Halen's phenomenal debut with Stones' Exile On Main Street!?! Van Halen's first one is a classic for Heavy Metal, but a Exile... is a milestone in the music history!!!

[MikeD]

I've noticed that metal fans seem to be among the most rabid collectors out there. There are hundreds of little independent web sites all over the net. Rare releases sell for 100's of dollars. Maybe someone at DCC noticed this and decided to tap the market. Patrick - I agree Mindcrime is the one.

Mike

[guy incognito]

Originally posted by Claus
I hope you will not compare Van Halen's phenomenal debut with Stones' Exile On Main Street!?! Van Halen's first one is a classic for Heavy Metal, but a Exile... is a milestone in the music history!!!

Exile is an undisputed classic all right, and probably still in my all-time Top Ten list of rock albums. But on the other hand, it's not exactly an audiophile benchmark, is it? ;)

[Drew]

First of all, I think Van Halen I is one of best debut albums of any band.

Taste, as they say, is subjective

I personally would like to see Steve's remastering touch on more progressive rock from the early 70's (besides Tull which is always suggested in these forums) such as some Yes or ELP. But I accept that those probably wouldn't be great sellers and it would probably never happen.

I'd like to see some Rush, perhaps Permenant Waves, but I don't think it would be a great seller.


I suggested once that Live: Throwing Copper would make a good Gold Disc. Its a good enough album that I think it deserves the gold treatment and its commercially viable enough to sell well.

And Live isn't even one of my top 10 favorite bands.

This is why I rarely comment when I have the oppurtunity to suggest a title. People have to be objective about what we'd like to see and what we're going to get.

[Cousin It]

Agree with everyone(how easy am I)
I am surprised by the lack of (seems to me) interest in doing audiophile mastering of classic metal albums.Every time I've ever seen a review of the DCC Metallica's they were in raptures.Metalheads have always been loyal even when other musics overtook 'em.Someone suggested Iron Maiden's Number Of The Beast which would be a good idea.If this new label is going to have better international distribution they should maybe seriously consider releases that may not have mean't much in the States but were enormous thru' out the rest of the world ie ABBA.

[Holy Zoo]

.Originally posted by Drew

I'd like to see some Rush, perhaps Permenant Waves, but I don't think it would be a great seller.


Actually, I suspect that any of the Rush top sellers (2112 through Signals) would sell incredibly well in the SACD format.

There are tons of Rush fans in the high-tech field, which means lots of people who have a high income, love gadgets (witness the early adoption of both laserdisc and dvd by the hi-tech crowd).

Mix that with Rush, and I think you have a hit on your hands!

[Patrick M]

Originally posted by Holy Zoo
There are tons of Rush fans in the high-tech field, which means lots of people who have a high income

Or are unemployed...

[Holy Zoo]

Originally posted by Patrick M


Or are unemployed...

:p

;)

[Dave]

You tell 'im Zoo!;)