Essential Barry Diament masterings

Barry, have you heard any of the Columbia House CDs of your mastering? If so, did you find any significant difference between them and the original CDs?

 

The early Stevie Nicks discs don't really sound like your work to me (even considering that they were from EQd and limited tapes, like some of the Zeppelin discs). I find both Belladonna and Wild Heart to have a cold edge to them... maybe a hair too much around 10k or 15k. Your work on AC/DC, Genesis, Led Zep and Marley sound more natural to me.

Is it possible you worked on them but they weren't issued? Or that there are multiple pressings of these discs? My sources are the early Target discs (WG or Japan).

 

Hi George,

On the ones I heard, I wouldn't say there were any "significant" differences.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Hi Keith,

The difference is that most of the Zeps (with the exception of "In Through The Out Door" and "Coda" were from flat copies and not EQ'd Limited copies. The Genesis (at least the ones I did when I was still at Atlantic, were mostly from EQ'd limited tapes but were to my ears, better done than the Nicks EQ'd limited tapes - and probably the mixes as well. (I hear the "cold edge" too - but would assign it a lower frequency than you did, perhaps around 5 - 8k.)

AC/DC's "Back In Black" and "For Those About To rock" were from untouched original mixes. And all of the Marleys were from originals - no one's EQ or limiting for me to contend with.

As always, I did my best given the sources I was given to work with. I kept asking for originals but it was a rare occasion in those days that I got them. (It wasn't until I left Atlantic that all I had to do was request a master in order to get one delivered.)

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

That has been my (albeit limited) experience as well.

 

Pete Townshend - Another Scoop (Zal? He did one of the "Scoop" albums)

Just found one of the old Atco CD pressing of Another Scoop...Barry is listed in the booklet as having done the mastering. Hope this helps!

 

Ok, cool. Thanks!

 

Let's add:
U2 - Boy
U2 - War

Barry reported he mastered those two along with October in this post

 

Kudos and thanks to Barry for his contributions here, and especially for his work.

I've especially been enjoying his Led Zeppelin II lately (it's one of a couple three of his Zep titles I never foolishly traded in...). It's absolutely incredible on my system, and has a wonderful, transparent, analogue sound.

I've got a question about Led Zeppelin I, please, for those in the know. To my understanding, unlike Led Zeppelin III, I is only available with reversed channels in the Diament version. Is this correct?

I've been looking for his Physical Graffitti, and would like to try his version of I as well. But I'd love the channels to be in proper arrangement, if that possibility exists...

 

I don't know the answer to your question, but you could always just hook up your CD player's interconnects "wrong" & re-reverse the channels yourself.

 

Right, but if there's a correct one out there, I'd love to avoid the trouble of your suggestion.

I've heard that Zep I is one of a couple titles where there's not a huge difference between the Diament version and the remaster. So this is another reason I've hesitated. (For those with experience, please feel free to disabuse me here, if I need to be....)

I've got Barry's versions in the following titles:

II (smokes the remaster, which is in storage, thus the only reason I still have it)
III (never bought the remaster)
Houses of the Holy (bought, then traded the remaster)
In Through the Out Door (I go back and forth btw the remaster)


I bought all of the Diament Zep cd's (except Presence, of which I've never been a great fan) while in high school and as an undergrad. Was stupid enough to trade in I and Physical Graffiti.

 

get the remaster if you want the correct channels. Or go vinyl, but beware as some of those have the "reverse" channels. Lots of threads on this subject.

4 more titles to add.




And this makes 5: Barry mentioned this one is a thread the other day (he's been holding out on us).

Onyan Art - Reagge Rock

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showpost.php?p=3558497&postcount=57

 

I certainly don't have much of a system but Barry's Zeppelin II (I have a Japan 20P2-2024) just pounds! Good lord, my sub just wants to explode! In a good way, of course.

 

The "sound effects" part of "Whole Lotta Lunch" is great. Stuff happening in front of me, beside me, and behind me. I also get it from the remaster, although, the feel is different. I don't have a whole lotta love for the rest of the album ("Moby Dick" sounds good)

 

Just found Barry's LZ II @ lunch. Can't wait to listen.

 

I'm sure it's pretty awesome on just about any system. I only made reference to my experience on *my* system because I've got all solid state (Linn) gear. Which I know is a no no to some here.

I just haven't had the time or space to deal with tube stuff yet. City living makes the compactness of Linn systems all the more enticing. And they're also the most musical and liquid (for lack of a better term) solid state systems I've yet heard.

Also, I know that some people have referred to Barry's masterings as "muddy." And sometimes I wonder whether they would hear things differently on a system with a higher quality front end, that resolves detail in a more sophisticated way, etc.

 

Wow, I wish I could open my refrigerator & find well-mastered CD's in there, hidden away.

Enjoy!

 

It's incredible. It may be heresy to some around here, but I prefer it even to his Houses of the Holy. The dynamic range, the transparency, etc. definitely live up to all the praise.

Barry's Houses is also great, but it's not as transparent or life-like, imo. Which probably has a great deal to do with differing recording methods and tapes. Personal preference, as well, of course.

 

Thanks. I think I've pretty much exhausted all the threads on the subject. And basically came up with the understanding that there is no "correct" Diament I.

Thought I'd give it a last stab here, in case I'd missed anything.

Are you of the opinion that the Diament version of I is substantially better than the remaster? If so, how so?

 

I don't remember the remaster.

Is it safe to say that Barry did "Another Scoop" and Zal did "Scoop"?


update coming.

 

A work in progress.


Newest mastering:

Work Of Art - Waves (just released)


AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
AC/DC - Highway To Hell
AC/DC - Back In Black
AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
AC/DC - Who Made Who

Bad Company – Bad Company
Bad Company – Straight Shooter
Bad Company – 10 out of 6
Bad Company - Run With The Pack/Burnin' Sky/Desolation Angels/Rough Diamonds (??)
Anita Baker - Rapture
Bellvue Cadillac - Black and White
The Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full Of Blues
Tommy Bolin - The Ultimate
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars

Jackson Browne - Lawyers In Love or Lives In The Balance (he did one of these)

John Cage & The Arditti Quartet - The Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1
The Call - Reconciled
Chic - C'est Chic (?)
The Coasters - The Ultimate Coasters
Phil Collins - Face Value (Has Barry's version been determined yet?)
Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going (Has Barry's version been determined yet?)
Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
Cowboy Mouth - Word of Mouth
Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - So Far

Danzig - Danzig
Dr. Fiorella Terenzi - Music From The Galaxies
Dokken - Under Lock And Key
Dokken - Breaking The Chains
Dokken - Under Lock & Key

The Eagles – The Eagles
The Eagles – Desperado
The Eagles - Hotel California
The Eagles – The Long Run
The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
The Eagles - Greatest Hits Volume 2
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
Enya - Watermark (original and reissue with added tracks)

The Firm - The Firm
The Firm - Mean Business
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly
Aretha Franklin - best of (?)

----------------------------------------------------

"I did create CD masters for all --or almost all-- of the Genesis albums not long after I left Atlantic in the late '80s. Since I never received copies of pressings, I do not know if any of the masters I sent were ever used for CD production." - BD.

See posts #222 - 228 in this thread. (I think he has confirmed a few - next update if possible)

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (unreleased? Three masterings are not Barry's work)
Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail
Genesis - Duke
Genesis - Abacab
Genesis - Three Sides Live

----------------------------------------------------

The Georgia Satellites - The Gerogia Satellites
Guns’N’Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Guns’N’Roses - G N' R Lies

Hex - Hex

INXS - Listen Like Thieves

Grace Jones - Island Life

Keeler - Autofocus
Tommy Keene - Based On Happy Times
Rusty Kershaw - Now and Then
Kitaro - The Light Of The Spirit
KMFDM - Glory

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (supplied with the "reverse channel" tape. This tape has been used for other vinyl masterings).
Led Zeppelin - II
Led Zeppelin - III
Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (2xCD)
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains The Same (2xCD)
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
Led Zeppelin - Coda

Bob Marley - Catch A Fire
Bob Marley - Burnin'
Bob Marley - Natty Dread
Bob Marley - Live!
Bob Marley - Rastaman Vibration
Bob Marley - Exodus
Bob Marley - Kaya
Bob Marley - Babylon By Bus
Bob Marley - Survival
Bob Marley - Uprising
Bob Marley - Confrontation
Bob Marley - Legend
Bob Marley - Rebel Music

Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics
Mötley Crüe - Too Fast For Love

Ivan Neville - Thanks (?? not 100% sure)
Gary Nicholson - The Sky's Not The Limit
Stevie Nicks - Belladonna
Stevie Nicks - The Wild Heart
Nico - The Marbel Index
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Nu Shooz - Poolside

Of Cabbages And Kings - Hunter's Moon
Of Cabbages And Kings - Never Too Late
Onyan Art - Reagge Rock
Benjamin Orr - The Lace

Robert Palmer - Pressure Drop
Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley
Robert Palmer - Pride
Robert Palmer – Riptide
Robert Plant - Pictures At Eleven
Rubber Plant - The Principle Of Moments

The Rascals - Ultimate CD
Ratt - Dancing Undercover
Otis Redding - Ultimate Otis Redding
Linda Ronstadt - Simple Dreams
Linda Ronstadt - What's New
Linda Ronstadt - Lush Life
Linda Ronstadt - For Sentimental Reasons

Simply Red - Men And Women
Slayer - South Of Heaven
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Stacey Q - Better Than Heaven
Subdudes - Lucky
The Sun And The Moon - Sun And The Moon

Pete Townshend - All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (mastered by Zal or Barry or done twice?)
Pete Townshend - Psychoderelict

- "'Psychoderelict' was most definitely from the 1/2" original mixes, placed in my hands by Pete himself. Now there's a memory that remains in the foreground light: me and Pete alone in the mastering room, listening to the final playback of the mastered version of the album, both of us tapping our feet to the beat. (Was I nervous? I must have lost a gallon of sweat, hoping he'd like what he heard. We listened to the whole thing without talking. Then, his comment: "Superb". One of my happiest mastering memories.)"

Pete Townshend - White City
Pete Townshend - Deep End Live
Pete Townshend - Scoop (Zal?)
Pete Townshend - Another Scoop (Barry?)

Underworld - Born Slippy

U2 - Boy
U2 - October
U2 - War
U2 - Under A Blood Red Sky

Various - Atlantic Soul Classics
Various - Stand By Me (soundtrack)
Various - Woodstock - Music From The Original Soundtrack And More (2xCD) Atlantic

Work Of Art - Waves (Sword in the Stone Records - SSR 56)
Work Of Art - Lift (Soundkeeper Recordings - SR4001)
Work Of Art - Simplicity (Sword in the Stone Records - SSR54)

Yes - The Yes Album
Yes - Fragile
Yes - Close To The Edge
Yes - Drama
Yes - 90125
Yes - Classics

Warren Zevon - A Quiet Normal Life: The Best Of Warren Zevon

 

Hi Darcy,

Maybe Zal remembers better than I do but I'm wondering if he did a re-master on either of these or perhaps if it was "Scoop 3" that he did.

I could be wrong but I seem to remember mastering both "Scoop" and "Another Scoop". Another memory cell issue but when I look at the song lists, both ring bells.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentuaudio.com

 

Wow, nice job.

 

Wow! Yeah, nice work! BTW, are all early pressings of CSN- "Couch" by Barry?

 

Nice!

The earliest from the 80s is Barry's, next one is the Gastwirt remaster from 1994 and then the HDCD.