Best Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

I found a used Nautilus LP version a few years ago in very good condition and think it is better overall than the original WB "Trees" label version. I did a needle-drop of this Nautilus version and am quite pleased with the sound. It is certainly more dynamic than the remastered CDs after the original target one. The target CD does have dynamics, but still sounds a bit "lifeless" to me compared to the "Trees" label and Nautilus versions. I may look for a Columbia House version to compare.

The DVD-A sounds way too "processed" and compressed, but is listenable for the fact that these are different mixes.

It would be great to hear what Steve H. could do with "Rumours."

 

Hi all,

My WB USA Palm Tree label of "Rumours" was pressed by Capitol and mastered by Capitol. I apparently have a very early copy off of fresh stampers. I got lucky after 3 previous copies on the same label were noisy on the beginnings of Side 1.

 

Opps!

 

I have a JPN Target CD and it sounds pretty good to me. Not great, but pretty good.

 

Didn't the VH1 CLASSIC ALBUMS show on RUMOURS include current commentary from Lindsey Buckingham while he highlighted elements from the original tapes? I remember him bringing up the acoustic guitar in "Go Your Own Way."

I'm a bit confused when people say this album never sounded that great to begin with. Some of the tracks are fuzzy, perhaps from excessive overdubbing, but some are among the best-sounding pop-rock I've heard: "The Chain," "Dreams," etc. What are you guys talking about?

 

I'm surprised to hear this Steve. My early West German "target" pressing sounds as if both the bass and treble had been boosted. But a recently acquired US vinyl sounds better balanced and more in keeping with my expectations of 1970s balances.

 

I also have the JPN silver Target CD. 'Bout as good as it gets.

 

I have a Hi-Fi Answers magazine from 1984 where the author states...

'Legend has it that the original two track stereo tape was nicked, lost or damaged and the multi-tracks destroyed. All that exists now, the story goes, are second-rate copy masters.'

I don't think that anyone would argue that the original vinyl lp with 'mastered by capital' in the deadwax is the definitive version.

Always loved the sound of the original LP, most cds I have heard sound sterile.
JG

 

Do they make safety copies of the multi-tracks? I distinctly remember Lindsey Buckingham playing with the mixing board on the VH1 special to demonstrate how the album was created.

 

I am not well up on this aspect of it, I was just relating what I had read years ago.

As I have already surmised I think the original vinyl is the definitive version. I bought about 5 copies so that I wouldn't wear out the one LP.

I have heard many LPs and CDs of the album and the original walks all over every other version.
Still love this album to bits after all these years!
JG

PS The latest German vinyl issue is pretty abysmal.

 

RUMOURS is a great album. Due to their sheer ubiquity on the radio, I thought of Fleetwood Mac as pleasant if inconsequential pop-rock -- at least until TUSK slapped me upside the head -- but with the passage of time their music has proved far more enduring than any of their California contemporaries.

 

I have this, or a similar one that came out around the same time. It's got Alsdorf neatly etched in the deadwax. Unfortunately I wasn't impressed with it when I played it, as it sounded very lifeless and plodding. I also have a "normal" NZ pressing that's noisy but easily bests it.
Strangely enough I have a heavy vinyl reissue of Broken English that has a similarly lifeless sound, that once again is easily beaten by a standard pressing.

 

Haven't heard the Target CD, but I would probably think the original vinyl is the way to go (if the Target is hard to find). I'd say it only sounds muddy in comparison to the brighter CD issues.

This was also mentioned in The Absolute Sound in the early 80's, although I believe they said the tape was ruined during mixdown and this is why MoFi did not take a shot at issuing it. Nautilus apparently used a copy of the master tape that Ken Perry had.

 

Thanks for clarifying that, Steve! See how easily a 'rumour' can spread!
JG

PS: Still say the original vinyl is the way to go, listening wise!
JG

 

I love the dvd-a 5.1
Only thing bad about it was adding Silver SPring in the middle......especially during Buckingham's commentary how well Go Your own way flowed into Songbird.
And I personally like Never Going Back again in the new version.

 

Yep. In the US, there must be several tens of lacquer masters, all by Ken Perry. I've seen up to F126. He must have been sick of cutting it.

The UK pressing mastered by capitol is really nice. That's probably the one you have, James.

I haven't investigated my RL (yes, it exists!) copy yet. I think like most, I only have the one side of this with the other being generic late WB.

 

Yeah, I found that weird too!

 

The UK versions are
F12/F18
F37/F37

The us version is
F21/F39


I have never ever seen an RL version! Must investigate!
JG

 

Perhaps so. I'm just basing what I posted on TAS issues from March '81 and Sept 81 where (in a Nautilus/original pressing squareoff) the two-track master is described as "no good" and "stretched and worn" along with "the deterioration of the Warner's two-track second generation copy used for mastering" and "we are left to muse on the fate of the multi-track original".

 

I love the DVD-A version. I've dumped my original CD and I haven't heard the '04 remaster (although I might pick it up for the extra's disc).

What's different about "Never Goin' Back Again"? That's my favorite song on the DVD-A.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeyH
Yep. In the US, there must be several tens of lacquer masters, all by Ken Perry. I've seen up to F126. He must have been sick of cutting it.

The UK pressing mastered by capitol is really nice. That's probably the one you have, James.

I haven't investigated my RL (yes, it exists!) copy yet. I think like most, I only have the one side of this with the other being generic late WB.

I have a US "Mastered by Capitol" LP with F12 on Side A and either F11 or F41 (tough to read) on Side B.

Back in my "pre-SHF" days, I bought the German "Alsdorf" pressing thinking it had to be great: 180 gram, German care, etc, (note: just like in my "pre-SHF" days I almost-always unloaded my early-pressed CDs and replaced them with the "improved" re-masters ).

When I A/B'ed the German LP with my original US copy, I couldn't believe that the original was superior, and how great it sounded after many years and many plays. It didn't blow the WG completely out of the water, but it was clearly better: much more dynamic -- the WG sounded dull by comparison.

 

Jared-
On the dvd-a, play it from the stereo layer instead of surround. You'll hear they added a mandolin to the song for the 5.1.
I like the addition, but I could see how someone would not want it there.

 

I believe I stated this before, somewhere? - The Target CD was used to promote the CD medium when it started up.

After years of occasional listening to the good Target I passed it on to a friend, because I prefer the DVD-A multi-channel sound of Rumours, for the rare occasion that I play this title. It is a beauty. though, that Rumours.
that is all -truetull

 

I have the US/Capitol F11/F12 version and it sounds great.

I just (yesterday) bought the DVD-A and I like that a lot too. "Silver Springs" is cool.