Rush - Original CD release vs remasters

What is the general consensus of what the best Rush CDs are that are readily available, the original releases from the 80's or the newer remasters. I'd like to stick with the mast produced copies and not compare with any MFSL versions.

 

Initially I *thought* I preferred the remasters, but I wound up finding the earlier editions much warmer and more pleasing to the ear. YMMV and all that..


Not sure if there is a general consensus....

 

I have an unremastered 2112 which sounds excellent. The other albums I have are Bob Ludwig remasters. A bit bright, but not bad. I'd go for unremastered titles if you can find them as cheap as the remasters, which shouldn't be that difficult.

 

Thanks for the comments. Both versions are easy to find but I'm starting to find remasters can be a uneven affair and not all are better than the older versions.

 

I too wanted to know this so in June I did used the search engine and found many many threads. I had the remaster of Moving Pictures and thought it sucked especially at high volumes where for me it clipped. After find the "Atomic" of MP , 2112 and more recently Signals and Hemispheres, I was hooked. The originals sound amazing and get better with the volume cranked. Some like the MFSL but no one was willing to say they were worth an additional $50 or more dollars a pieces than the Atomics. Makes me feel better about not having enough cash for them
Bottom line for me is the originals were very cheap and sound great at high volume levels.

 

What do you mean by Atomic? I've never heard that phase before.

 

first post here has an example:
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=183659&highlight=

 

I have most of their early stuff from the "Rush Remasters" series. Caress Of Steel, All World's A Stage, Farewell To Kings, Hemispheres, and Permanent Waves. They all sound fine to me. I've got an original Moving pictures and 2112, and they also sound good to me. I haven't done many comparisons, but the Rush Remasters haven't made me go looking for other masterings.

 

Alright. I have a few of those but the phase is new to me.
Great and thanks for the help.

 

I'll add my vote behind the originals. The remasters are definitely a bit "squashed" sounding, but not horrible, however. They served me well for years, but have been replaced by the originals . . . which had been replaced by the remasters when they came out (same old story that everyone knows.)

 

As to whether or not the MOFIs are worth the additional expenditure: opinions will differ.

I bought MOFI CDs of 2112, Moving Pictures, and Signals when they were released. Moving Pictures is the only one still in my collection. I paid $25 back then, but I'm not sure I'd pay $50-75 now. For what it's worth...

 

I wouldn't buy the MOFI's now. I would save my money and find the originals. There isn't that big of a difference between them.

 

$50-75 worth of difference? No. Even as a huge Rush fan, I can't say that there's enough difference to warrant that, but then I'm one of the rare ones around here who can't fathom paying that much for ANY single CD. I got each of the three for $8-15 used back in the 90s and I think they all surpass the originals, despite Signals missing a line of lyric. I'm not that hung up on details like that to miss out on the sound quality of these three. But for that much money, I don't recommend ANYONE buy ANY CD for the sound differences noticed here. I think they're quite noticeably better, but they are not drastic enough to warrant $150-$225 worth of investment (and very few, if any, audiophile discs are worth it.)

 

I do have to say the Presto remastered version has better bottom end. I'm sure the same goes for Roll The Bones

 

The originals (at least from S/T to Signals) sound better, IMO. For All The World's A Stage and Exit...Stage Left, I have the remasters because the original versions were missing one song each (they switched from 74 to 80 minute CDs).

 

I like the remaster of the s/t over the original. It doesn't sound at all compressed to me. Actually, none of the remasters of the 70s albums sound compressed to me and there is much added detail due to the original master tapes being used.

I've EQ'd the remaster of Caress of Steel and it is very good. You can really crank it without fatigue. I bet you could do the same for the other 70s remasters.

The 80s+ remasters I really don't care much for though.

 

I have loved my MoFi of Moving Pictures from the day I first purchased it. I thought it blew the original issue CD out of the water by a mile. In fact, my feeling was it was the biggest improvement of an audiophile CD over the original that I ever heard. Gigantic improvement IMHO!

 

As always, my vote goes to the original pressing cds...

 

The original Rush CDs were very good recordings. I also have the MOFI Permanent Waves and it is very nice. Have a 20 bit remaster of A Farewell To Kings, and remasters of Signals, Hemispheres have not gotten to them yet.

 

I found the two Rupert Hine productions a bit 'thin' but that's his style, a la Quantum Jump, and therefore prefer those remasters, but the rest are fine as they were, IMO.

 

Having heard the remasters, the MFSL's and the originals it's only the originals that remain in my collection. Elevated bass and/or treble just doesn't cut it for me.

 

I had their first 4 albums on original CDs, then got the remasters in that era where "remastered must mean better". Later, I compared both to my vinyl. I couldn't dump the remasters fast enough. The originals had the same balance and tone that my Gilbert Kong cut first pressings did. Very nice.

 

I think Caress of Steel, and Signals both benefit from the remasters. I also like Moving Pictures. I have the Gold 2112 and P. Waves, and they sound great, too. Geddy's bass on Caress sounds just about perfect.

 

Looks as if, from the majority of comments, the originals are preferred.
I have early West German pressings of the S/T and Permanent Waves, and early Japanese of 2112 and Moving Pictures. Fly By Night, Caress of Steel, Farewell to Kings, etc I'll persue the originals domestic releases.
Starting with Fly By Night since I know where to lay my hands on that one.