CD versions of Allman Brothers' "Beginnings"

I just love these songs so much. My remastered copy seems to have some noise or artifact at 0:24 and a lesser one at 0:10-11 of Midnight Rider. I just picked up a copy of the older, Dennis Drake-mastered version on ebay. I've heard it sounds much better. Can anyone confirm this and does anybody know whether these noises are there, too? Thanks.

 

That one is the only one you should own. If you try going anywhere to get a better sound, you'll find the sonics go right in the toilet.

The remaster(s) of Fillmore don't sound bad, and in some cases, sound better. But not Beginnings (or The Allman Brothers/Idlewild South)

The Drake CD is the only one that sounds near perfect.

 

Thanks, Sckott! I'm looking forward to it. Anybody know what those noises are?

 

The mix on the latest reissue of ABB (first album) is very different from that on the old CD. The new one has the original 1969 mix, whereas the old CD had the remixed version that was first used on the Beginnings LP back in '73(?). So comparing the two is really apples and oranges. What I would like to know is which mix was used for the old Beginnings CD, and which is used on the '97 remaster? To be historically correct, the recent one should have the remix, so that both mixes are now available.

 

What is the Dennis Drake version? I have a beginings which combined two lp releases but I am not sure which I have. I also have the Fillmore Polydor release, although looking like the German discs I have it says made in USA?

 

They used the original mix of ABB for the remaster of Beginnings. It's the first time I ever heard the musical reprise at the end of "It's Not My Cross To Bear." The remix from the original CD version clipped it off.

 

Ack!, what's your opinion on the sound quality of the remix?

 

I think the new "brown" remaster of "Beginnings" blows the original "gray" one away. I wasn't aware of the different mixes, but when I lined them up on my computer and A-Bed them, the imaging on the remaster was very "spacious" and detailed and the guitars jumped out of the speakers, while the original sounded dull and lifeless.

 

Tone Ded,

I would agree with audiodrome. It sounds cleaner and Duane's lead guitar work has more edge and is more defined. Almost like someone took the noise reduction off.

 

Thanks, ACK! We'll see if I can hear a difference when I get the Drake version in the next few days. Those noises I'm hearing in Midnight Rider still bug me, though. If it turns out I like the overall sound of the remaster better, I guess I'll just make a new CD and swap the Midnight Riders, assuming those noises aren't on the tape.

 

The grey Beginnings was remastered by Dennis Drake.Was the brown Beginnings remastered by Dennis Drake? This is confusing.I always thought the original vinyl sounded better than Beginnings vinyl and now I know it was a remix.So the original CD's by Dennis Drake sound better even though they use the remix.I need to find them.

 

I don't know which is grey and which is brown. What do the colors refer to? I'm pretty sure I have the remaster. Dennis Drake's name is nowhere on it. It just says "mastered by Suha Gur." It shouldn't be too hard to find a Drake on half or ebay.

If I'm reading this thread right, it appears any consensus may have left the building, more recent posters indicating they preferred the remaster.

 

I have the grey booklet CD and on the inside page it states Mastered for Compact Disc by Dennis M. Drake at PolyGram Studios.

 

The original Beginnings CD has no artwork to speak of, just an ABB logo and the band members names against a grey background. The remaster has the original double LP cover artwork featuring a wide shot of the band on stage.

For the record, go with the remaster. The mix and overall sound is better.

 

It looks like I need the original CD's or the remastered Beginnings,the exact opposite of what I have.

 

Get "Beginnings." It's cheaper than buying the first two albums separately. And it's the original mix with the liner notes from the original double album, so it's a winning proposition all around.

 

still loking for a perfect Midnight Rider

At the expense of sounding obsessive, I have identified an anomaly in relation to the sound quality and re-mastering techniques used in a number of your Allman Brothers back catalogue.

I have purchased four CDs by The Allman Brothers: "Idlewild South", "Beginnings", "The Millennium Collection" and "The Universal Collection" (UK release). All the CDs claim to be digitally re-mastered from the original master tapes.

However, on the track "Midnight Rider", which appears on all of the CDs, "clicks" occur on all the albums and on two of the albums I have detected a slight jump. Both faults sound very similar to flaws usually associated with vinyl.

I have identified a total of four faults that occur on two of the albums yet only one fault occurs on all four albums. Please can you explain how this imperfection can occur on re-mastered material all claiming to be taken from the original master tapes.

Using a PC to play the CDs, I have been able identify when a fault occurs on the track "Midnight Rider". Utilising the timing indicator on Microsoft's Media Player, the results are as follows:

Album
Idlewild South 00.10/11 - click
Beginnings 00.10/11 - click 00.24 - click 1.09 - click 1.24 - jump
Millennium Collection 00.10/11 - click 00.24 - click 1.09 - click 1.24 - jump
The Universal Collection 00.10/11 - click

Anyone found a perfect version of Midnight Rider on CD?

 

Which again begs the question, are those Midnight Rider clicks present on the Dennis Drake mastered, i.e., non-remastered, original version of the CD? I should know in a day or three when mine comes in the mail. Too good a tune to be besmirched in this fashion!

 

Re: still loking for a perfect Midnight Rider

I just dug out my "Dennis Drake" Beginnings CD and I don't know if it's a different mix but the L-R elements are reversed from the new remaster and there are no clicks anywhere in Midnight Rider. I listened to the version on Decade Of Hits and there is one click at 00.10/11, but nowhere else, so I don't know what's up! The clicks on the Beginnings remaster sound to me like some sort of tape or digital anomalies, not vinyl artifacts.

 

It would seem that the clicks have been "added" somewhere during the remastering/manufacturing process.

Has anyone got the original (non-remastered) version of Idlewind South CD to check if Midnight Rider is clear of clicks. What about other CDs with the track eg Dreams box set or the Road Goes on Forever.

 

If the original "Beginnings" CD was a remix, maybe the "clicks" were on the original mix master tape and not on the multis.

 

This is an astounding coincidence, because I was listening to "Midnight Rider" last week on my MP3 jukebox, not having read this thread, and immediately noticed a click at 0:11, and even jotted myself a note, thinking it might have been an MP3 artifact that I needed to fix. When I went back to my source, which was an un-remastered 1991 Polydor "A Decade Of Hits", I noticed the click was on the original CD as well, just as mentioned earlier in the ythread...

 

Strange, even though I don't listen to mp3s anymore, I first noticed the anomalies in Midnight Rider when listening to it in mp3 format. What are clicks on the CD became more like squeaks on the mp3 and were quite annoying. Well, I just listened to my original CD version (Dennis Drake mastered) of Beginnings today. As Paul indicates, there are no clicks on this version of Midnight Rider. And I am a happy duck.

 

It is a different mix though...