Tom Waits first 4 albums to be re-issued on Vinyl

I saw these on Amazon but there is very little information about them, perhaps someone knows something more?

http://www.amazon.com/Closing-Time-...=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276465619&sr=1-8

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Saturday-Night-Vinyl-Waits/dp/B003AYBC64/ref=pd_bxgy_m_text_c

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Change-Vinyl-Tom-Waits/dp/B003AYBCDC/ref=pd_bxgy_m_text_b

http://www.amazon.com/Nighthawks-Di...r_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1276466278&sr=1-23

While we're talking about Tom Waits vinyl, is the Simply Vinyl of Swordfishtrombones any good? Anyone have the Island re-issue fom last year? Have there been any re-issues of his catalog that should be avoided? (for instance: the Back to Black series of Swordfish...?)

 

OK, I found some more information on Music Direct. This among other things:

An artist whose popularity spans generations and is equally prized by both older and younger audiences, Waits' records remain in constant demand, particularly on vinyl, where they fetch top dollar on the used market. Despite several import LP versions, no edition of Small Change has ever claimed audiophile-quality sound. Which is reason enough why Warner Bros.' reissues of the singer's first four albums on 180g vinyl are worth celebrating and immediately owning.

Mastered from the original master tapes, this is the first time that any of Waits' formative work has been upgraded and comes on with a presence, immediacy, and detail that have always been missing. Do not miss this incredible pressing!

I'm not familiar with Warners re-issues. What are the odds theyll do a good job?

 

Well, if it's Warners, you're talking Rhino. You might check various threads for comments on Rhino vinyl.

I have to admit, I have all of these, with the exception of "Closing Time" on the original Asylum vinyl and they all sound fine to me.

 

The odds are pretty good in terms of quality, even better in saleability.

Recent equivalent releases of Joy Division and The Smiths basically sold out in a couple of years.

Don't expect huge sales, but these are in steady demand.

 

Who will be mastering them?

 

Perhaps Grundman...maybe Bellman?

 

I thought I remember reading here a couple of years ago the master tapes for Nighthawks at the Diner weren't found. I would be sure these weren't sourced from digital before I bought them...

 

well, for what its worth, it does say from the original master tapes......

BTW. They seem a bit pricey don't they?

 

I stopped believing marketing drivel a long time ago.

 

Yeah, I hear you, but they claim its from the transfers are from master tapes. Can they really straight out lie? Is Warner/Rhino known for that kind of shady business?

 

At the moment, an over-used phrase. I think that's more the reason for AF to drop it. Since several labels used it to justify several generations from (but traceable to..) the master, it lost interest. You know it's from the master only because someone tells you. It might be Steve, it might be a label on the disk.

Nighthawks looks like an import price; $25 is not out of line with WB/Rhino reissues. It's not unusual for these to be sourced and pressed all over the place, much to everyone's annoyance.

 

All of these albums were available as decent original pressings in the '70s, including both stock copies, white label promos, and test pressings, mostly pressed by PRC and Columbia.

While this may make good quality pressings easily available to all, I question the assertion that this will provide this material with "presence, immediacy and detail that has ALWAYS been missing..."

 

I haven't been able to find a perfect copy of 'Small Change', and I've been looking for 10-years. Every one I've heard has been at least somewhat noisy. It's probably exacerbated by the length of the album, which means it has to be pressed at lower volumes to make it fit. I'm looking forward to the new reissues.

dan c

 

I still have my original Nighthawks and it was a double LP, so $25 from Rhino is very decent if good remastering.

 

I have originals of all of these as well and they sound amazing. They're from a time in Waits career that the typical noises that come with some older vinyl (pops, clicks) actually fits the music perfectly. I love tossing on Nighthawks for people who only know him from his Bone Machine time.

Early pressings of these also are pretty common in these parts.

 

I have a 180gram European pressing of Rain Dogs that sounds fantastic to these ears!

 

I have this and I think it sounds great. I just picked up an original Canadian pressing last week, I'll do a comparison later today to see how they match up.

 

OK, first off, I don't consider myself an audiophile but I'll share my opinion...

The back to black reissue of Swordfishtrombones is louder, but not much. Dynamics are still excellent and all the instruments (especially the various percussion) sound great.

However, to my ears the vocals seem more pronounced and sometimes cleaner. On Underground from the original lp, they seem muffled, on the reissue they sound clean, which I like. On Town With No Cheer though, the vocals seem too loud compared to the original.

The original is also more natural sounding, and both have near zero noise.

Overall, I prefer the original, though the reissue is very good as far as reissue's go. One thing to note is the artwork for the reissue is a little over-exposed and the vinyl comes in a white sleeve, the original comes with an inner sleeve with lyrics/credits.

 

I've got that one, too but was disappointed. Comparing it to the original pressing I swear that the 180g repress is CD sourced (but a very clean pressing). The original pressings of Rain Dogs are typically crackly - but are sonically magnificent by comparison.

 

Anyone have the Simply Vinyl of swordfishtrombones?

 

I have it. I would say is sounds fine, but nothing that will make you jump from the bed (although the music itself might will)

 

Does it sound better than the CD, or does it sound like its sourced from the CD?

 

That's disappointing to hear. I've never heard the original press so I can only imagine.

But I don't hate the sound of my Rain Dogs, so it'll do.

 

OK. I just heard back from the people over at Rhino. Basically, Gavin Larson (?, that could be slightly misspelled) is given the Master Tapes (which they do have) and they are transferred directly to high res digital files which are then send to Ron McMasters for the LP mastering. Tom Waits is involved with the process himself, though he didnt say in what capacity. He also said that they used the same process for the Doors boxset.
So, what does this new information tell us? How does the Doors Boxset sound?

 

Very nice of them to clarify that. Do you think there will be any option of just purchasing the high res files as a lossless download?