Is it worth it to get the remastered Robert Johnson 'The Complete Recordings?'

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by voicebug, Jul 12, 2004.

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  1. voicebug

    voicebug Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    now in Houston, TX
    I'm sitting here listening to disc 1 of Robert Johnson 'The Complete Recordings' that was released in 1990. I understand that this was remastered again around 1996? Is the remaster worth getting? Did they find significantly better sources?

    I haven't listened to this thing in years. It doesn't sound too bad to me. Is anyone out there happier with the remastered version?
     
  2. Guy from Ohio

    Guy from Ohio Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
  3. Tim Casey

    Tim Casey Active Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA USA
    If the improvement is similar to the difference between the Bessie Smith greatist hits CD from the late eighties and the same cuts on the complete Bessie Smith boxes, then definitely.
     
  4. Larry Geller

    Larry Geller Surround sound lunatic

    Location:
    Bayside, NY
    HUGE difference!
     
  5. Brian_Svoboda

    Brian_Svoboda Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia
    But not as big as that between the original 1990 box and the single-disc "King of the Delta Blues Singers" (the one with the alternate take of "Traveling Riverside Blues"). I agree that the upgraded "Complete Recordings" is worth buying if you have the original 1990 box; I did it myself. But the sad truth remains that the ultimate Robert Johnson box has yet to be released. Beyond the 17 tracks on the upgraded "King of the Delta Blues Singers" CD, there are still 25 tracks that have room for significant improvement.

    Moreover, the pedantically chronological sequencing of the current box makes for a less enjoyable listen. You could make a two CD set where the first disc is all of the original 78 releases followed by the unreleased masters, and where the second is all the alternate takes. Or, alternatively, you could make a similar set where the first CD presents the two Columbia "King of the Delta Blues Singers" albums, and where the second disc presents all the other takes. I've sequenced CD-Rs like this for my own use at home, and I find them far more enjoyable than the Columbia box.

    =B.
     
  6. voicebug

    voicebug Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    now in Houston, TX
    Thanks for all the great input! So who else thinks 'They're Red Hot' is the best of the bunch?
     
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  7. Peter D

    Peter D Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I agree with all of the above.

    I wouldn't say it's the best, but it's certainly one of my favorites -- a great change of pace.
     
  8. Peter D

    Peter D Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey
    I just saw on the Pause and Play web site that King of the Delta Blues Singers Vol. 2 is slated for release in mid-August. So anyone who wants to upgrade from the 1990 version of the complete box will now has the option of picking up both volumes of KOTDBS, which will give you at least one version of every RJ song (though you'll be missing 9 or 10 alternate takes) and with better sequencing than the box.
     
  9. Brian_Svoboda

    Brian_Svoboda Senior Member

    Location:
    Virginia
    It will be interesting, though, to see if KOTDBS2 gets the same fantastic remastering job that KOTDBS1 did. The single disc of KOTDBS1 sounds far better than the 1996 remaster of the box set. Alas, however, the single-disc Martin Scorsese title that came out last year drew straight from the 1996 remaster.

    In short:

    * 1990 box = Bad.

    * 1996 box = Better, but not as good as it could be.

    * Remastered "King of the Delta Blues Singers" with alternate "Traveling Riverside Blues" = Sounds like RL's sitting in your living room.

    =B.
     
  10. Dob

    Dob New Member

    Location:
    Detroit
    And the remaster is inexpensive as well...I only have the gold CD (which I'm told is worse than either box set or the remastser), so I'll have to pick this one up. It appears that I'm in for a treat!
     
  11. Evan L

    Evan L Beatologist

    Location:
    Vermont
    They used for the most part mint 78's for the mastering. "Cross Road Blues" is astonishing; sounds like he's right there. A must!

    Evan
     
  12. Dob

    Dob New Member

    Location:
    Detroit
    No kidding? I keep hearing about how great those 78s sound...even SH said so.
     
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