Just got this. did a run through some digital edit software: HOLY MAXED-OUT CLIPNESS INCARNATE BATMAN!!! Ran "Every Picture Tells A Story". Just one block of blue!! UGH! Don't know how to upload this. Maybe that's a project for today. Stick with the first editions. Nice packaging - sorry about the sound!!!
Entirely the way I see it!! Question maestro - what do you think about the oop first editions? What about the master tapes themselves? Answers that I have been trying to figure out for a long time!!!
Well, the Rod master tapes sound amazing. You need the MFSL "Every Picture Tells A Story" CD and the Dennis Drake PolyGram "Never A Dull Moment" CD (or the DCC LP). The rest can be found on that Bill Levinson compiled set. Two CD's, can't remember the name. Came out with that groovy Savoy Brown collection and a bunch of others in the early 1990's.
Hi, Bradley! Right about that set...the original EVERY PICTURE was criticized at the time for the noise on the tape, which is VERY obvious during "Reason To Believe"....but you can tell it's the master, sounds too good to be anything else. After the 1st press, they cleaned it up, of course... ED
Thank you! The only one I am missing is the original Dennis Drake mastered version of Never A Dull Moment. Sad state of affairs with his catalogue. I mean, no proper liner notes. On Gasoline Alley, the way they did the printing, they claim that it is the Faces (minus Mac) on every track. This just ain't so!!
THE MERCURY ANTHOLOGY is also a perfectly chosen distillation of that era, and would make a better listen than REASON TO BELIEVE (or the two VERY BEST OF volumes) even if the remastering were the same.
How DOES one identify the Dennis Drake NEVER A DULL MOMENT CD? I guess I need to find it to replace my remaster! Thanks anybody!
....And the original First CD Pressing of "Sing It Again Rod" with the tracks separated...Right off the masters! Sounds fantastic! It was redone with all the tracks banded together...I've been saying this for months here on the forum...How about Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells A Story" the first pressing with the BIG DRUMS sound directly from the masters..Complaints came in that the drums were too big...To satisfy all, it was redone with the drums dried up! So the first pressing is the one that you need...It sounds great!
I can't agree with ya on this one..If you have an original pressing of either Sing It Again Rod or Every Picture Tells A Story..compare any of the tracks with The Mercury Anthology...especially "You Wear It Well"...Unbelievable difference. I believe the MA is the worst sounding Rod out there.
You may be right. I was only stating that the selection and sequencing of MERCURY ANTHOLOGY is impeccable. The only song not on MERCURY ANTHOLOGY that I want is "That's All Right." And the exclusion of "Pinball Wizard" and "Natural Man" more than make up for it. Sometimes less is more!
My copy of the Every Picture Tells A Story CD says "Made in W. Germany by Polygram" on it. It is from 1984. The front inlay card says "Mastering: Gilbert Kong" Does anyone know anything about this CD? I think it is the first issue available in the USA, when Mercury was importing everything.
The Drake "Never" sounds just like the DCC vinyl Steve did. The CD was the 1st CD I ever played on a Bottlehead "Foreplay" I built. The sound was more forward and honest, and still is. I bumped into the Draker "Never" about a year ago or so. $4.99 used.
That's it! FIRST ISSUE, The BIG DRUMS that I'm referring to. All later issues had the drums on dried up. I believe there was an interview reguarding this in a very early issue of Ice magazine. I'm trying to locate it.
Well, in the US, the reissues are made with a clear acrylic tray, so if you look at one that has a BLACK tray, umm...the artwork on the back looks re-designed, and a flat Grey color, and minimal....not like the reissue which actually does a good job of recreating the back cover TO the back of the CD. Yes, the older Mercury CD also incorporates the round logo, now revamped if memory serves correctly. These are usually Drake mastered CDs, as he did 70% of everything Polygram in reissues, that I am aware of. The artsy new reissues with the acrylic clear trays are NOT. I've also kept the Drake "Every Picture" too, and NEVER upgraded. I have a CDR of the MFSL. I use the Drake mastered CD as reference when comparing anything Rod of that era. For some reason I prefer it. I also have a black-label Mercury (with the fiery letters a-la Def Leppard era) of Every Picture on vinyl. This issue along with Gasoline Alley (same issue) has major sonic beauty, unlike any blue-label German or red-label or "Building" label Mercury. Trust me. Why? Me thinks Dennis mastered vinyl. Trust me also that I never upgraded my "Picture Tells" Drake/Mercury because I was on the SH forum, I've avoided the newer issues since before I knew Steve or heard his "Never" on DCC vinyl (brilliant issue). I'm not at home now, but if you're curious to what the Drake mastered PGD looks like, I can make a scan tomorrow, or someone here can try? They all look relatively the same. Front cover trueness, but the back cover is designed simple and plain.
Sckott, Drake did the redo of EPTAS to dry the drums up on MM. I think the original issue sounds better. The Redo has 8 tracks listed instead of 10 on the original CD issue.
Michael, how do you dry up drums exactly? Having neither disc I can't comment on the sound...Do the drums match the flat MoFi transfer on the first or second Mercury CD version?
I have the old version (says Drake on the liners) yet it is made for BMG Direct Marketing under license. What does that mean in terms of what it is exactly in the food chain of this issue? This is getting good! Now next we have to discuss the Warner Archives Faces sets - but not until we have exhausted this one!! Tee hee!!
Thanks Sckott! If his name's in there then an opened used version should be easily identifiable. Thanks again!
Steve, I believe you know Bill Levenson? In a very early issue of ICE MAG he stated the Drums on the first CD issue of "Every Picture Tells A Story" were BIG...Especially on Maggie May. I looked in my Ice Archives..I have the whole run from issue #1 till the present, I couldn't find the quote. The drums on MM were bigger than the present issues of MM back then. The Dennis Drake remaster corrected the drums and "dried" them up a term Levenson used. Maybe you can refresh his memory and ask him to clarify "Dried" I would guess...less bottom end? You would be a better judge of terms than I. Back then I did a comparison and the drums seemed more powerful overall on the original CD issue.
It turns out the sound of the "big drums" was actually digital reverb added during the remastering. Bill Levenson posted this over on the ICE forum: and So I guess in this case, "dried" = "GOOD"!
