Bowie's mix of Raw Power

So you mastered the original pressing in '73, true?

 

False.

 

rob, thanks for answering. i just listened to "your" reissue, and man, it sounds great. i have another reissue with just the red columbia label and white printing, and it sounds good too, but this really sounds hotter. for those looking, look for a kc prefix reissue. really very good.

 

I love Bowie's mix.

javi

 

Thanks, Sam.

 

you're welcome. what other titles have you done?

 

I'm all on it, could someone just recap how to get Rob's mastering ? What year was it done, and should we look on the sleeve for info, or only the grooves ? thanks

 

look for a reissue with the original catalog number, kc 32111. and in the runout grooves, look for "rml" .

 

Which ever mix you may prefer....

"Raw Power" remains one of a kind. So many Stooges' fans seem to rate "Fun House" as their fave. But the quality of the songs and the ferocity of Raw Power puts it in a class by itself. Few albums have had such a major effect on shaping my own musical tastes. I remember going to the whiskey-a-go-go that year to see the stooges, with a couple of friends. they didn't have a clue as to why i was rockin' out so wildly while they just sat in balcony and stared quietly. i immediatly latched on to "Head On" and "Cock in my Pocket" hearing them the first time. and a lot of credit must go to james williamson, a better guitarist then the capable ron asheton.


louie, louie

 

don't agree that james was "better", just different. like comparing mick taylor to keith richards, imo. both are valuable. i would've loved to seen that band though. you're a lucky man.

 

I'll have to keep an eye out for Rob's mastering...

I went back and listened to "Raw Power" again, just to put this in perspective. It's interesting to note that the worst mix - in terms of the balance of instruments and voice, is "Search and Destroy". That's Iggy's mix, not Bowie's. I get the impression that Bowie was largely trying to remain faithful to Iggy's wishes, judging from the way most of the other songs were mixed.

Obviously Iggy's approach to mixing had changed, just a tad, by the mid-nineties.

 

I'll put together a list in the near future and post it here. Thanks for your interest!

 

I just found a sealed "RML" pressing. It has a copy write 2006 on it near a seam. Almost looks like it was meant to be covered by the seam. Was this one just reissued in 2006. The label is the 70's/80's Columbia red with yellow font. The copy I had before this and still have was a columbia reissue from the late 90's probably. It is not stamped "RML" and is on 180 grams of vinyl IIRC. I'm going to try to compare the two tonight if I can.

 

Cool, let us know. This is the never ending quest to own the ultimate, best sounding Raw Power thread !

 

Fell asleep before comparing last night. Will try again today.

 

First impression is that the late 90's (160 gram?) reissue is louder than the RML. This however isn't so offensive to me as it seems to bring out some of the subtleties like the piano/keys in raw power. Going to do some more a/b'ing...

 

The late 90's/160 gram (?) loudness sounds grating though after 10 or 15 minutes of listening, where the "RML" sounds smooth and non fatiguing even at higher volumes. I'm leaning towards the RML, but thinking that it's nice to own both of these I'll have to try and track down an original and a late 70's pressing too. I think I'll try and give the Iggy mix master a spin too today. I usually can't make it through one song on that on though!

 

I picked up Rob's vinyl pressing today. I noticed that on the back, on the very bottom left where the front has been folded over, it reads (C) 2006 Sony BMG.

Of course, I don't have a functioning turntable -- so this is Bowie's mix, right?

 

Austrian CD is better

Folks, the Austrian CD of Raw Power (original mix) is waaayyyy better than the US Columbia CD. You can actually hear the bass (a bit), and it leaves on the belch that begins the title track.

 

Well, I have both, and found the US more bassy, despite the shortcomings (early fades on songs, belch missing). However, I realise there are several different versions with differents barcodes of the austrian CD. They might be different mastering also. Could you post samples ?

 

Mine is a PC prefix, and has "Barry" in the deadwax. Any thoughts?