Best Sounding Goblin on CD

Thanks for the info izgoblin! I, for one, appreciate any Goblin updates

 

Love Goblin but only have "Profundo Rosso" "Roller", "Suspiria", "Dawn Of The Dead" and "Contamination" ... all on vinyl.

"Roller" and "Contamination" are my two current favorites but would like to expand the collection, preferably on used or new vinyl but if only on CD then that is good also.

Anything crucial (other than all of 'em ... ) that I should fill in some Goblin holes first with?

 

The mini LP box set is fantastic.

 

Very interesting stuff! Off to amazon I go!

 

First, let me say that Contamination has become rare to find on vinyl, so that's a nice one to have. And it's one of my favorites too. Like almost every album they released after the Dawn of the Dead soundtrack, this album was only pressed once by Cinevox in Italy and never in any other country.

You have the key titles, so next I would recommend the concept album Il Fantastic Viaggio del 'Bagarozzo' Mark. The only trouble with that one is that Massimo Morante sings on it which some fans do not like. It's true that his vocals are weak on this album, but it's a perfectly performed and produced record in my opinion. The two tracks that were released as a single ("Un Ragazzo D'Argento" and "Opera Magnifica") have a commercial feel to them, but the remaining tracks are pure perfection. This LP shows up on Ebay often but usually around $40 - $50. If you can be patient, maybe you can find one cheaper.

There are of course other Goblin records I love, but soundtracks like Patrick and Notturno don't appeal to all fans, so I'd be afraid to recommend them, especially since both of those are very rare and expensive on vinyl.

If you can live with a CD, grab Amo Non Amo on the Cinevox label with the extra tracks which I've mentioned earlier in this thread or La Via Della Droga, also only available on CD. The latter is taken from mono tapes, but it sounds decent enough and it's from 1977 which falls into the era that you seem to enjoy.

 

Now that warms my heart.

Also, I'm currently in the process of doing a proper comparison of each and every pressing (oh my) of Goblin's earlier albums on LP to determine if any beat the best CDs. As I've mentioned here, early CDs of these albums were actually quite good, but perhaps others can be bettered.

So far I can sum up my findings on Zombi aka Dawn of the Dead as such - even the best CD is much worse than the US and Italian Ciak reissued vinyl. I need to do a shootout on both of those back-to-back, but the other day I listened to the red cover Ciak reissue of Zombi and I was blown away. For the longest time I thought something was wrong with the mixdown since it was either marred by extreme murkiness or excessive tape hiss, but this LP was nearly perfect all around.

 

I'm familiar with most of Goblin's more famous output: specifically the Dario Argento soundtracks and their two non-soundtrack albums (Roller and Il Fantastico). I've not heard some of the more obscure stuff. I notice that Goblin and/or Simonetti have done soundtracks for Italian crime films and westerns. What can I expect from those?

BTW I watched Argento's Mother of Tears a few days ago. I liked the film but I was a little disappointed in Simonetti's soundtrack. It had some OK gothic material and a bunch of forgettable stuff too. He even whispers "witch!" a couple of times, just like with Suspiria.

 

As for Simonetti's MOTHER OF TEARS score, I have not heard it yet. I too have been disappointed with Simonetti's most recent scores, so I haven't been rushing to buy any of the CDs... and I'm certainly not rushing to watch that film after his last couple.

As for Goblin's non-Argento soundtracks, I'll limit them to the ones that have been released on LP and/or CD and try to give a few mini-reviews here. If either Goblin or Simonetti have scored a western, I can't think of one at the moment.

First, Goblin:

Il Reale Impero Britannico - PERCHE SI UCCIDONO (1976) - A collaboration between Goblin and composer Fabio Frizzi, there are some excellent tracks here but also some real disappointments. A little funk, a little prog, and some typically Italian sounds. Ranks somewhere in the middle of the scores I'll mention here.

Libra - SHOCK (1976) - Not Goblin, but something Walter Martino put together after his group Libra decided to call it quits. Goblin members Maurizio Guarini and Carlo Pennisi appear in this score for Mario Bava's last film. Lots of percussion and odd synth sounds, but some really great themes as well. One of my favorite and least repetitious of the Cinevox albums.

LA VIA DELLA DROGA (1977) - Enjoyable crime film by Enzo Castellari released on DVD as THE HEROIN BUSTERS. This is really funky prog at its best. Massimo Morante gets to shine more than usual. Only problem is that the CD is taken from mono tapes used to create the film soundtrack, but sound quality is still decent. As usual with these soundtracks, there is some repetition in themes, but I wouldn't expect even a casual fan to be disappointed.

SOLAMENTE NERO (1978) - The film is released here as THE BLOODSTAINED SHADOW. Whether it's really Goblin performing on this is still up in the air. The director says it is, but Simonetti thinks that only a couple of the members may have played on it, and I don't think it sounds like a group effort. It certainly doesn't sound very well-rehearsed. Anyway, the CD again is taken from mono sources and is probably for the more dedicated fan since very few tracks run more than 60 seconds long.

AMO NON AMO (1979) - With the film essentially being a love story, we get several toned-down acoustic numbers plus a throwaway disco-funk tune akin to "Bikini Island" from their CONTAMINATION LP and BUIO OMEGA score. But there are some really standout tracks here. "Maniera" is guitar-driven hard rock, and "Both-Two" is a beautifully melodic acoustic piece. As mentioned in a previous post, the CD release contains bonus tracks that are even better than the four tracks originally released on the LP, including an instrumental mix of "Notte" from IL FANTASTICO VIAGGIO...

SQUADRA ANTIGANGSTERS (1979) - A comedic crime film, this is a really tough album to get into. The music works fine for the film (which really is entertaining in itself), but comedy scores just don't work outside of the context of the film. Avoid.

VOLO (1982) - Never released on CD, this is not a soundtrack but a pure pop album with lyrics. To be avoided by all but the most dedicated fans.

NOTTURNO (1983) - Some may describe this as elevator music, but I love it. A much more subdued sound with a bit of a new age feel. This is an album that grows on you after a few listens. I actually think this is an album that works as well on record as it does in the film. Too often their soundtrack LPs are repetitive and uneven, containing at least one awkward track that may fit a particular mood in the film but isn't so interesting to listen to on record. This is not such an album.

 

As for Simonetti, I'd say that his DEMONS score is certainly one of his best. Not too many others really work so well outside of the film.

Trouble with him is that he has spent a lot of the past 20 years rehashing the same old material, so there aren't even so many releases worthy of recommendation. If you really feel you must hear updated (as of 1992 anyway) versions of familiar pieces, his CD DAYS OF CONFUSION is the best of these. Much (or all? I can't recall) of the material on it was also released here in the US on the CD MUSIC FROM DARIO ARGENTO'S HORROR MOVIES. He also performs non-Goblin works here and adds several original pieces. It's certainly dated, don't get me wrong, but I still dig it.

Again, sticking with those released on LP or CD, the only other one worthy of mention here in THE VERSACE MURDER (1998) which has a great theme IMO. There are some other decent tracks as well, but I'd say it's more interesting than his recent works for Argento but still not earth-shattering.

Something else to note is that post-Goblin, Simonetti became a big Italian producer of disco/dance artists. It's almost strange to think of it, but there are records by names like Easy Going, Vivien Vee, FastFoodGirls (!) and School of Love (really, I'm not making this up) that are really mostly Simonetti creations. He is known in some crowds certainly more as a producer of such Italian pop and dance music than he was as a progressive rock artist. This disco/dance stuff does creep into many of his scores.

Back to Goblin, have you heard the recent BackToTheGoblin 2005 CD? Really if you want to hear a more updated version of the Goblin sound, go with that. If nothing else, it shows that Fabio Pignatelli was a large part of the Goblin sound even if Simonetti often gets/takes all of the credit for that. I'm pretty honest with this stuff and think I can say objectively that barring a few awkward moments (including one track that sounds far too much like the PHANTASM theme to me), it has to be one of the best "reunion" albums. It gets better with every listen.

If there are more titles you want to know about but didn't see me mention here, just ask.

Also - I assume you've heard CONTAMINATION. If you haven't, *that* is the next place to go after the Argento scores. It is by far their best post-Simonetti, non-Argento soundtrack.

 

So it isn't remastered?

I thought it was.

Those Arcangelo 24-bit remasters are usually some of the biggest pieces of junk out there, but sometimes when they don't remaster and use whatever they get without intervention, their stuff comes out okay.

Anybody know the story on this? I've avoided that set and assumed it would be brickwalled madness. Even if it isn't remastered but uses the Cinevox remasters, I've found those to be inferior to earlier issues. Well, certainly for Cherry Five. The 1986 release of Cherry Five on the Japanese King label (also the same mastering on the old Vinyl Magic release, btw) sounded much better than the Cinevox remaster to my ears.

 

I am 100% positive that the Arcangelo CDs in that box set are exactly the same digitally as their then-current Cinevox counterparts with only one of them appearing to have a slight modification to volume level (but no compression). I checked 'em all via EAC.

Absolutely these are not brickwalled, but in some cases as you say they're not superior to other CDs. My earlier posts in this thread reference my personal favorites for CD masterings of some of these, and while the discs that match the Arcangelo CDs aren't often the "best", they're not so bad. If you already have Goblin on CD, just like most other mini-LPs these days, the real reason to have the box is the artwork. Luckily these particular discs don't hurt to listen to - they can just be a step down from the best issues.

What you really won't like, Jeff, is the version of ZOMBI in here, which matches the Cinevox Gold Tracks remaster. They clearly hit it with a brighter EQ which is unpleasant and it makes the acoustic guitars sound unnatural. But that album has never had a proper mastering on CD unfortunately. While I haven't compared them all yet, so far I believe the Italian Ciak LP reissue of ZOMBI is the best with the US DAWN OF THE DEAD (again, LP only) on Varese Sarabande being a close second. CDs are either too dark and murky or too bright and hissy (I can't help but think there was a Dolby issue when transferring the master). The original Italian LP was dark and murky as well, but it seems that someone figured out the problem when they redid it for the Ciak LP reissue.

The disc of Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark though, going from memory, is digitally identical to or incredibly similar to the old Japanese CDs. In fact, I think there is only one mastering of this on CD. I thought I posted about this before but somehow I guess I didn't. In any case, this is one album that sounds great on any CD you'll find it on... so far.

 

Interesting. Well, I guess I missed that Arcangelo used the Cinevox remasters, but that's still not a big selling point from what I've heard of those. Cherry Five on Cinevox was way too bright for my taste, and really stomped by the King/Vinyl Magic CD. I can't recall comparisons of others just now, but that one stands out in memory.

 

Agreed - I know you're not one to buy a mini-LP set for packaging only, so I wouldn't recommend it to you. To others who don't care to own the original LPs but would like to get a nice looking set with acceptable sound quality, this isn't such a bad box at all.

 

IZGoblin,

Thanks for taking the time for those reviews! I never realized that the Goblin catalog was so prolific until relatively recently. I have not heard the Contamination soundtrack yet. That's where I'll go next. Funny, I own that movie on DVD but somehow it slipped by me that Goblin did the soundtrack.

And didn't Goblin also score Patrick Still Lives? I remember the music being cold, electronic Moog thips and blips than the Argento type soundtracks. Is that the case or is my memory failing me?

 

Sorry for the delay in response. Yes, CONTAMINATION is definitely the place to go next. As for PATRICK STILL LIVES, no, while Goblin did provide the soundtrack to the Italian version of the film PATRICK, they were not involved in the unofficial sequel PATRICK STILL LIVES, although my impression is that the producer wanted a score that sounded much like Goblin.

 

First of all, thanks so much for all the effort you have put into this thread. I've been planning to get some Goblin for quite some time now and this is exactly the kind of info I've been looking for.

I was originally planning to start with Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, Zombi and Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark on CD, but your comments above concerning the vinyl version of Zombi got me thinking that maybe I should get it all on vinyl instead. Any further info on the vinyl would indeed be highly appreciated. Once again, thanks a lot!

 

Btw, Phenomena and Tenebre has so far not been mentioned in this thread. Although I have not heard the albums myself, people tell me they're worthwhile. I assume these two have received multiple CD and vinyl pressings as well?

 

Sorry for the late response - I have finally subscribed to this thread which I meant to do ages ago.

As for Goblin on vinyl, whether the vinyl is better than CD really depends on the title. I would certainly recommend Zombi on the Ciak reissue vinyl or the US Varese Sarabande label over any CD of that title. But as for Il Fantastico Viaggio del Bagarozzo Mark, I can't stress enough that the CD will be great on that one, as long as you reference the comments I believe I've made earlier in this thread. I haven't listened to the Italian vinyl of this title recently, but the Japanese pressing didn't impress me as much as the CD strangely enough. And as it's the most expensive vinyl copy, there is no real reason to hunt it down.

I will, however, provide more opinions on the vinyl as I listen to them. Trouble is, I have WAY too many pressings of each title, so it could be years before I get through them all!

As for Tenebre and Phenomena, I really like the former, but it's early '80s electro music with much use of a drum machine since Agostino Marangolo was not involved in the project. Not the best place to start, IMO, but a fine place to end up. Phenomena only contains a few tracks by Simonetti and Pignatelli, and while a couple of those tracks are great, this and La Chiesa (also with only a few Pignatelli tracks) are some of the last albums you want to get if you even get that far. Good music surely, but just not nearly enough of it. The later expanded CD reissues of each contain more music but with a lot of repetition. Great for a completest like me, but a rotten listen for an average person.

From what I know so far, I think you're on the right track by starting with Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, and Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark on CD based on my earlier recommendations. If you can, get the Zombi vinyl I recommend with catalog number CIA 5035. The Ciak doesn't show up too often but it's also not highly collectible or expensive. Then see how you feel about grabbing other titles after that. Note: be sure to avoid the Korean pressing of the Ciak Zombi which looks similar and thus shares the same catalog number but is obviously a bootleg.

Granted, the original Italian Cinevox Suspiria LP was in a very nifty pop-up package, but that means $$ and the copy I listened to recently sounded muddy to my ears. The UK vinyl on the EMI label sounded better, but doesn't have the nifty packaging and it may even be beat by the Italian Ciak CD sonically. (At least it was on my system, but mine is also not the best.)

Is that a confusing enough start?

 

Great, I will go with CDs then except for Zombi then. However, I didn't find any specific comments concerning Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark on CD, which version would you recommend?

 

Strange, I am sure I did a comparison of CDs of Il Fantastico Viaggio Del 'Bagarozzo' Mark, but I must not have posted it here. I don't have my notes with me, so I will check if I really did type this out somewhere when I get home, but the short version is that every CD of this title that I have (which is a bunch!) is either digitally identical or darn close, so I don't believe you'll go wrong with any one.

That said, my recollection is that I prefer the Japanese version - ANY Japanese version as they're all digitally the same - to the Italian Cinevox release from the '90s. I know I felt that the Italian CD uses the same digital master because it is just SO close to the Japanese version, but they may have even lowered the peak levels on that version. But I will see if I have more detailed notes.

Do note that the Italian Cinevox version contains a brief clip of Goblin during the recording of their soundtrack to NON HO SONNO, which would be a great extra on the soundtrack to that film, but here I've always felt it was out of place. If you want that extra though, you won't be disappointed with that CD if you get it for under $20.

Whatever the case, this is definitely the Goblin album that has fared the best on CD. I hear no tape damage on any version, and it is EQ'd very nicely (with only one moment feeling just a bit bright to me). It is just a wonderfully produced and performed album.

 

Indeed, I checked all threads in the entire forum which contain the word "Viaggio" and none of them feature any comparisons. I understand that going through all of the CDs might take too much time, but I would be very happy if you could make a comparison between the Japanese and Cinevox releases, it's really great to have the catalog numbers available when going on a record hunt

 

Il Fantastico Viaggio del 'Bagarozzo' Mark

Ok, I just went over my CDs of Il Fantastico Viaggio del 'Bagarozzo' Mark again. Of the discs in my collection, there are only two different masterings. When I write here that one is the same as another, that means the peak levels and CRCs match precisely between discs in Exact Audio Copy, telling me that these are indeed digitally identical discs.

I believe that in the last year, Cinevox reissued the album in a digipack with a different catalog number. I do not have that disc and therefore cannot state whether it has been remastered, but I would hope they would have left well enough alone!

Crime KICP-2213 (European Rock Collection 5, Japan 1992) - I have always been happy with the sound of this CD. Hiss is present in quiet moments but never distracting or even noticeable in most sections. This disc has a nice warmth to it and a real fullness and clarity to the bass. Actually, every instrument comes across loud and clear as a result of a spot-on mix. If I had to nitpick, I would imagine that a few might consider this mastering a tad bright, but I personally wouldn't say so. Only in "La Cascate di Viridiana" when a phasing effect is used on the drums do the highs seem to be approaching extremes. Dynamics are intact, with only one track reaching a 100% peak. Overall, this is a wonderful sounding CD of a fantastically produced album, free of tape defects, digital noise reduction and poor mastering choices.

Nexus KICP-2836 (European Rock Collection w/ picture CD, Japan 1998) - same as above

Nexus KICP-2866 (Goblin Definitive Collection, Japan 2000) - same as KICP-2213 and KICP-2836

M2U M2U-1001 (mini-LP with translated lyrics, Korea 2000) - Judging from EAC, this is definitely a different mastering with no tracks reaching 100%, but it does not appear to me that the volume was simply dropped a little from the earlier mastering based on some slight shifts in peak levels between tracks. However, on two different systems I am unable to detect any considerable differences between this and the earlier Japanese mastering. This particular disc was limited to 2000 copies. I was really ticked off upon its release as its booklet included the original lyrics also translated into English, this translation taken directly from my web site without any credit to me (who paid for this translation) or to the guy who did the translation.

Cinevox CD MDF 323 (with bonus Non Ho Sonno video, Italy 2001) - same as M2U-1001, most likely this digital master was the original source for that disc even if Cinevox didn't release theirs until later.

Arcangelo ARC-7221 (mini-LP with bonus Non Ho Sonno video, Japan 2006) - same as MDF 323 and M2U-1001


Conclusion: Soundwise you can't go wrong with any of these discs, really, so go for price or packaging preference. Cinevox's MDF 323 will probably come cheapest, but if you like the mini-LP style, the Arcangelo recreates the original LP nicely.

 

I only have "THE GOBLIN COLLECTION 1975-1989" and "THE GOBLIN COLLECTION 1975-1980".

Haven't played either in quite awhile but this thread has me thinking I should throw one of 'em on right now!

 

That 1975-1989 collection was a godsend to huge fans like me when it came out as it contained quite a few unreleased tracks at the time. There were actually four Goblin discs that DRG produced in that series, and they can be hit or miss. Each has some fantastic tracks but other choices are difficult to explain, especially the tracks that appear on more than one disc!

I gave the 1975-1989 collection a listen recently and it seemed that the tracks were dulled with digital noise reduction which makes it hard to listen to for me now. But it was inconceivable at the time that I could go to nearly any record store and see a Goblin title on the shelves, which is what happened once that 1975-1989 disc was released.

Hope you enjoy revisiting the music.

 

Back to making this the all-purpose Goblin thread, I'd like to point out that Goblin is playing at the Supersonic Festival in the UK on July 24th - July 26th, 2009 (exact slot for Goblin is unknown right now).

http://www.capsule.org.uk/supersonic/

I will be there barring any disasters as word about their first reunion gig in Austria has been highly positive.