Discuss: Rainbow SHM-SACD

Hijacked from another thread:

Anybody else want to comment?

For first-time orders, wondering if it is safe to order this disc now? I'm talking about the fixed disc alluded to in the hijacked OP.

 

I ordered it as part of my 4+1 deal that should ship soon and am really looking forward to it.

 

Did it come in yet?

 

I think... the upcoming Rainbow remaster will sound better.

 

Bump!

Anyone else want to chime in?

 

I listened to the LLRNR SHM-SACD four times through today and last night. It sounds decent, but not great. This may be the best these songs have ever sounded. I have heard the original Polydor, the Polydor remaster and the songs that are on the Catch The Rainbow Anthology. I'll have to do a direct comparison of those tracks on Catch The Rainbow, as that was my previous favorite place to hear these songs. This certainly sounds like it came from a better source than the original Polydor, and that includes the 1st Japanese pressing.

I guess this just isn't a recording that will ever sound great. Has anyone here played the SACD back to back with Catch The Rainbow? I'd be interested in hearing their thoughts.

I'm pretty new to these SHM-SACD's. "Who's Next" was immediately impressive, but this one I'm not sure of yet.

 

I received my replacement version and have taken the time to listen to it more and I have come to appreciate this disc. When it is played with headphones on you start to hear the details more. The song Rainbow Eyes is certainly the best sounding song on the entire disc. I believe it is harder for "heavier" titles to gain attention as audiophile releases due to the nature of the music, but this one has improved with a few listens.

 

I compared the (corrected) SHM-SACD with the original UK vinyl and the vinyl has lots more bottom end and a bit less top end energy.

I think the SHM-SACD is the best version I have ever heard on CD, but I guess I might prefer the UK vinyl. Whether that extra bass was added during cutting to fatten up the sound on the UK Polydor LP, I can't know, but it sounds sweet. The SHM-SACD is also very nice, but maybe a tad bright.

Does this have the "mastered flat" assertion in the liner notes like some of the more recent SHM-SACDs?

Also, I wonder if in cases where they are pulling Japanese copy tapes if they are always pulling flat copies instead of LP production masters?

One thing is for sure, I have the old Polygram Best Of Rainbow 2CD in a fatboy (800 074-2), and that is just flat out weird sounding. The whole thing sounds like it was mastered for AM radio or something. I compared the LLR&R title track from Best Of Rainbow and the UK vinyl and SHM-SACD made it sound like a thin, midrangey, transistor radio broadcast. And yes, I am exaggerating, but not by too much.

 

What's the story on the corrected version? Was there a problem with the original release? I just ordered this yesterday.

 

The initial release of the Rainbow "Long Live Rock N' Roll" (UIGY-9040) SHM-SACD had a defect that Universal Japan has acknowledged. On the song "Gates of Babylon", about 1 minute in, and lasting for about 1 second, is a loud hashing noise that obviously is not part of the music.

The "fixed" pressings have a blue dot sticker on the spine.

 

Mine is on the lower portion of the rear of the OBI strip.

I think all faulty copies are surely out of the loop from places like CD Japan, HMV, etc.

 

I have RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW and have heard and owned various other Rainbow songs and albums through the years — Hell, I even knew Roger Glover for a while (name-dropper) and was his guest at one of Rainbow's last shows before Deep Purple reformed in 1984 — but I don't know this album at all. Is it a good one?

 

Thanks

 

Jeff, how do you like the LLRNR tracks on the "Catch the Rainbow - Anthology" mastered by Steve Fallone? I think these tracks sound quite good on that comp, much much better than the 1st Japanese CD pressing. I think the comp has a much fuller, more analogue sound and is less bright/sterile. I actually think that the tracks from LLRNR have the biggest improvement sonically over any other CD version I have heard. Especially "Gates of Babylon" sounds really good to me.

 

You are correct (my bad) and I agree.

 

No, not by much at all That's how the U.S. vinyl sounds, too. Every sound in the song is fixed in a very small area between the speakers almost like mono. Fortunately, the other tracks don't sound that bad, so I assume the sound of the title track is just a very strange and misguided mix choice.

 

Well, to me the Best Of Rainbow 2CD set has a very uniform sound. The whole thing is kind of bright and upper midrangey. I just wondered if they mastered the CD like that or the 2LP vinyl release (which was what ... 1981?) was like that?

Anyway ... the tracks on the individual albums sound nothing lile that on any vinyl copy I've heard.

 

I thought that set was very good and a nice find, Roland. But once I started getting some Rainbow LPs even that comp just sounded a little too bright to me. If you want to upload some samples I will compare. I dumped that comp once I got into Rainbow on vinyl.

Funny ... today I was listening to a vinyl rip of the UK LLR&R in the car, and it sounded very impressive from a production standpoint. But yesterday I was spinning that old Polygram comp called the Best Of Rainbow and the same tracks sounded like absolute dogschit. I guess it is just weird to think how many people probably have a totally different perception of this album's production depending on what version they have.

As for the album proper, I don't remember any CD version coming close to this SHM-SACD, but in comparison to the UK vinyl, it is still a tad thin.

 

I have a US LP copy mastered at Sterling and the sound has more of midrange and less low end than the UK LP.

 

I guess I misunderstood the scope of your comments, but my point is that the title track is clearly the worst sounding song on the LLRNR lp. It seems to be very deliberately lo-fi. Again, the rest of the lp sounds much better.

And then there is this observation. Thanks for the comparison, dachada. My copy is indeed a U.S. Sterling, so may be the title track sounds even worse to me than what Jeff is hearing on his U.K. vinyl. My only other reference is the remastered cd

 

Jeff, here you go:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/bFlFclVPdzhubHhFQlE9PQ

By the way, EAC shows that there is PE on the last track of disc 1 (Rainbow Eyes). Really weird. I haven't checked into it, but if the ckip for that song sounds too bright, it could be that. I did not de-emphasize the clip.

 

Okay ... well, I checked Gates and Kill The King. These have quite a bit more energy in the top end compared to the UK vinyl. I can burn a CDR and compare them to the SHM-SACD tomorrow, if I get a chance, but I think they will be a bit brighter.

Here is a sample of the original UK vinyl; title track:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/bFlITkF2cGtCSWMwTVE9PQ

 

Jeff, thanks a lot for the sample. That was easy.

I am not impressed by that vinyl clip. It sounds a little muddy and murky to me. I quite clearly prefer the Steve Fallone mastering for this song. To me, the Steve Fallone mastering sounds warmer, fuller, better defined and more precise. It also sounds more analog to me. It has a little more detail but the Fallone is not bright at all in my opinion. The vocals still sound very natural.

So far, I haven't heard a vinyl needledrop of either LLRNR or Rising that really impressed me.

So I am really interested how the SHM-SACD sounds compared to the Steve Fallone mastering. Claus already mentioned that he likes the Fallone mastering better, and judging by that vinyl clip, I think he did an outstanding job. Thank God that album is pretty well-covered on that compilation, it has (in my opinion) the most important tracks of the album on it. I think I'll stay away from that SHM-SACD, it's not one of my favorite Rainbow albums anyway.

 

I hear it quite differently, Roland.

The original vinyl sounds very nice, IMO. When played loud it is amazing how this album originally sounded compared to CD versions I have heard. Beefy, heavy bottom end and really powerful. The Fallone mastering sounds too boosted in the upper mids for me. Way too much "air."

Which one is closer to the master, I have no idea, but the Fallone mastering is inferior to the original vinyl, IMO.

I can already say that the SHM-SACD and Fallone mastering will be closer, but I will check them.

 

Jeff, maybe you are right, but LLRNR is just not a good song for sound comparisons, since - like someone else has mentioned - has a more lo-fi production (probably on purpose) and I think this song overalls sounds kind of dull, so maybe I appreciated the more trebly sound on that song on the Steve Fallone mastering. This might be different with some other songs which sound better production-wise (like Gates of Babylon).

Then, I am still sort of puzzled about that pre-emphasis which EAC detects for "Rainbow Eyes" but not for the other songs. That seems very weird, and maybe the other songs are also supposed to be de-emphasized (which would mean a treble cut). I have to investigate some further.

Another thing I noticed on the vinyl clip. For some reason, it didn't sound so clean, either as if the record already has some groove damage or there is some kind of tracking problem. I heard some kind of distortions which I didn't like.

I would like to know where the SHM-SACD falls EQ-wise.