Frank Zappa - Entire Catalogue Remastered and Reissued

My best buy didn't even have a slot for Frank Zappa

 

It's certainly possible. The transfer of this track isn't quite perfect mono (a null test reveals some obvious blips). Any noises in particular you're noticing?

 

There are several stores in my area. One store, out of 5, had 6 different titles. Nothing in any of the other stores.

 

They're not pops or clicks as in a digital glitch...but 5 or 6 "thunks" or "thumps" that just have that vinyl irregularity sound. I doubt mine is unique, so hopefully someone will at least be able to affirm the sounds, if not the source of the sound.

Thanks for replying !

That's how it was at my local BB. 6 total titles, one each. Of the titles I checked they didn't have, NONE of the other valley stores had them in stock either. SAD.

 

Lumpy Gravy sounds identical to the '95 Ryko to me.

Hot Rats is the one I'm having problems with. The version I've always known is the '87 remix, so I was really looking forward to hearing 'the original'. Now that I've heard it, I guess I prefer the remix.

 

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=292563&highlight=zappa

 

Thanks! I hadn't seen that.

 

I hear those too. Otherwise the track sounds far too clean to me to be a needledrop from a 60's Verve single, so I'm going to go with the theory that those are flaws on the mono master.

 

Thanks for your chime in. It's been awhile since I've listened to my Ryko to see if those are present there too. Can't even remember if those Ryko's are stereo or mono like the new mastering.

 

Got AF and UM.

AF is winner-winner-chicken-dinner!

It's becoming evident that the new transfers will have been handled with care.

I'll go get Weasels soon. The others will have to wait for the used bin.

Got Uncle Meat just 'cuz I wanted it. Haven't compared to Ryko yet; probably never get around to it. I'm too busy worshipping this perfect album, and hoping I don't croak before the P/O version shows up. (I'm being serious. And I'm in good health. And I'm still waiting for Roxy.)

Arf, she said.

 

Just picked up Absolutely Free and Hot Rats at Best Buy. Nowhere on Hot Rats does it say 2012. The remastering was done in 2008. I bought the right one I hope...

 

You did

 

Can I assume (I don't believe it's been mentioned), that the new ones will be easy to tell from the Ryko's because they won't be in the Rydo green-tinged jewel cases? Or did Ryko switch to the clear ones somewhere down the line as well?

(Of course we can probably assume they'll be the new ones because nobody has anymore of the Ryko's in the first place...)





Now playing on Ariel Stream: A Fine Frenzy - Electric Twist

 

Yes, no green tinted jewel cases and they have Zappa Family Trust verbiage on the back cover (including info on which masters they used) which the Rykos did not.

 

But just to add to the confusion, Ryko did switch to clear cases on the older titles a while back.

 

Those 2 tracks on the Ryko sound like fake stereo to me.

 

Eagerly awaiting the first quality review of a Ludwig-mastered title.

He has become (in)famous for mastering to the client's requested style.

We know he CAN do good masters. Perhaps the fact that the Sax Absolutely Free is so good indicates that the Zappa camp asked for dynamics and crankability.

If even ONE of them gets reviewed to be great, I'll buy the lot.

I do miss the days when Ludwig's name equaled instant worry-free purchase.

ccm

 

My local Best Buy had just these six as well. I bought them all since they were only $9.99 each. I just wished they would have had all the new releases.

 

So in terms of the pre-Chunga stuff, here's a list of the mix variations and where to get them on CD:

Freak Out!

Original stereo mix - MOFO
1987 partial remix - Ryko / UMe 2012

Absolutely Free

Original stereo mix - UMe 2012
(All Ryko versions are the original mix with added digital reverb)

We're Only In It for the Money

Original stereo mix - 1995 Ryko / UMe 2012
Original mono mix - Lumpy Money
1984 remix (with new drums/bass) - 1986 Ryko / Lumpy Money

Lumpy Gravy

Capitol version - Lumpy Money
Original stereo mix (apart from 2 minutes in mono) - 1995 Ryko / UMe 2012
Slightly modified original stereo mix (reverb/fake stereo in parts) - 1986 Ryko (this one contains the 2 minutes from the '95 CD in proper stereo)
1984 remix (with new drums/bass/overdubs)- Lumpy Money

Cruising with Ruben & the Jets

Original stereo mix - Greasy Love Songs
1984 remix - Ryko / UMe 2012

Uncle Meat

All CDs have the 1987 partial remix (with added digital reverb) + penalty tracks

Hot Rats

Original mix - UMe 2012
1987 remix (with extended versions)- Rykos

Burnt Weeny Sandwich

Original mix - UMe 2012
(All Ryko versions are the original mix with added digital reverb)

Weasels Ripped My Flesh

Original mix - UMe 2012
Original mix with added digital reverb and extended versions - Rykos

 

My Best Buy got zilch.

 

Say what? Absolutely Free now includes the libretto.

Just got my batch of five discs today. After cursory, selective listens, I think:

1) Absolutely Free is glorious. Finally it sounds right. Like the original vinyl, only cleaner.
2) Same applies to Burnt Weeny Sandwich. And the piano glitch at the start of track 8 has been corrected, although to me it still sounds very slightly odd, but probably only because I was listening so closely for the damaged spot.
3) Hot Rats. My favorite FZ album. A beautiful remaster of the original mix, on CD. After a 25 year wait, one of my three holy grails is in my hands. It sounds even better than the 2009 vinyl. I've probably listened to HR a thousand times, but today I've already heard several little details for the first time. I have died and gone to heaven.
4) Just Another Band From L.A. One of my five favorites by FZ, and another one of my three grails. Finally on CD the way it was meant to sound, replacing the absurdly crappy Ryko mastering. As with HR, I've just heard details that I never noticed in hundreds of previous listens, especially in Anysley's drumming. Also, it sounds to me like the timing mistake between Howards vocal solo at the end of Magdalena, and the beginning of Dog Breath, has been corrected. I've always thought it was either a sloppy tape edit, or a late drum hit by Aynsley; whatever it was, the slightly jarring moment has been removed or minimized.
5) Chunga's Revenge takes the prize for most improved. To my ears it's far better than the original vinyl. Revelations galore.

Having heard these, I'm going to pick up Weasels and Fillmore '71, and Waka Jawaka. I'm already happy with the special editions of Freak Out, Lumpy Money, and Greasy Ruben, and I strongly suspect we'll see a proper treatment of Uncle Meat within a year or so.
And, not that anyone asked or cares, my only remaining holy grail is a CD remaster of Eric Leinsdorf conducting Ginastera's Variaciones Concertantes, long out of print on low-fi, uber-noisy RCA Red Seal vinyl.
.

 

Thought I'd post the wavform for "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque" on Weasels. I thought I heard the bass guitar distorting toward the end, but alas it's NOT brickwalled at all...if the peaks are clipped, they are...very little.

 

Thank you for the detailed review. Interesting that the tape glitch on Little House has been corrected. I wonder whether they found a better tape or repaired that section digitally using a dub tape or needledrop.

Some kind soul has uploaded dynamic range reports from a few titles to the DR database. I took the liberty of uploading reports from my needledrops of BWS and Hot Rats. Seems there's a tiny amount of limiting on the new CDs. Although EQ differences in the CD mastering and/or variations from my playback equipment) might also explain this.

 

Many thanks, Skip, for the review. Can't wait to get my mitts on (most) of these.

 

You don't have to. I've done it.

Although they are identical, something has surprised me. The fresh transfer with current technology has had a subtle benefit. The old Ryko disc has a some slight distortion that sounds like it comes from digital compression. It makes the disc sound harsh. The UMe version is smoother. The reverb is still there, but the overall sound is a bit more natural.

At first, I thought that I was imagining it, but A/Bing "The Dog Breath Variations" convinced me. The UMe disc sounds better.

Like I said, the difference is subtle, but if you can get past the fact that it is still the reverby digital version, it is a bit easier to listen to than the Ryko CD.