Rolling Stones post Abkco CDs: 2009 Remasters, Virgin Remasters or Original CBS CDs?

I'm thinking plenty.

 

This thread is about choosing from the available digital versions.

 

When they are inaccurate to the original vinyl versions such as the heinous gap between Ain't Too Proud To Beg & IORR on the IORR Original CBS CD, the choice is simple.... IMO, of course. And then there's Sweet Virginia...

 

According to an 80's interview with the original remastering team for the CBS discs posted earlier (or was it in another thread?), they tried to find the master tapes and got them in most cases.
They specifically mention Exile as the album where the vinyl-EQ'd copy tape was sounding better than the original master.

 

CBS for me with these 3 exceptions:

Sticky Fingers (Virgin, the CBS one sounded awful to me)
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (Virgin, "Luxury" is longer in duration)
Tattoo You (Virgin, "Slave" is longer in duration)

 

I am partial to the CBS pressings, w/ the 1994 re-masters a close 2nd!

 

It's the 1994 Virgin remasters for me.

I'm not sure how much you can improve an album like "Bridges To Babylon" or "A Bigger Bang", when those two came out in a digital era ... But the older releases certainly got a tremendous kick. Listen to "Bitch" and everything is blaring ... which I'm sure some folks will like the boost and some will hate. Seems like the majority of you guys would take the CBS one over the UME ones any day.

I though, find some harmony in the Virgin ones. I see it as an improvement to the CBS releases and it's not overdone like the UME ones.

 

I got the 94 Virgin version of Tattoo You not too long ago and A/B'd it with the CBS one, the CBS one isn't bad, but on the Virgin one, wow, it's very powerful, a lot stronger overall. "It feels like there's a panther in the room" is what kept coming to mind when i was playing it, beautiful stuff.

 

Hi all,

I recently picked up the CBS CD of Sticky Fingers and have been comparing the sound of it to the Virgin CD, and thought I would upload some clips in case anyone is interested. (First time using sendspace; hope it works).

The clips are of Brown Sugar and Wild Horses. They are sourced from: CBS CD, Virgin CD, Hot Rocks LP (needledrop) and Made In the Shade LP (needledrop). The needledrops are flat transfers but have added gain to bring peak levels up to match the Virgin CD (-.2 dB). The CBS CD also needed gain added. The Virgin CD is still obviously louder.

Four different masterings.

After you click the link, click the blue button that says "Click here to start download from sendspace".

File 1:
File Name: Brown Sugar HR LP.mp3
File Size: 851.2 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/64h52b

File 2:
File Name: Brown Sugar MITS LP.mp3
File Size: 839.8 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/a2qwku

File 3:
File Name: Brown Sugar Virgin CD.mp3
File Size: 962.2 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/2zfdye

File 4:
File Name: Wild Horses CBS CD.mp3
File Size: 838.1 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/g1amwr

File 5:
File Name: Wild Horses HR LP.mp3
File Size: 808.9 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/x52b2r

File 6:
File Name: Wild Horses MITS LP.mp3
File Size: 804.6 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ozmvvf

File 7:
File Name: Wild Horses Virgin CD.mp3
File Size: 832.9 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/xv7dhi

File 8:
File Name: Brown Sugar CBS CD.mp3
File Size: 867.9 KB
Download Link: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ya74ev

To download the files, click on the download links, then click the blue button that says "Click here to start download from sendspace".

Mike

 

Funny things happen all the time.

I run dynamic range meter for a couple of CBS discs and found this stupid thing

Analyzed: The Rolling Stones / Made In The Shade (CBS 450201 2 Made in Austria)
DR13 -0.77 dB -15.54 dB 3:52 01-Brown Sugar
DR12 -1.37 dB -15.55 dB 3:48 02-Tumbling Dice
DR12 -1.44 dB -15.86 dB 3:06 03-Happy
DR15 0.00 dB -15.93 dB 3:40 07-Bitch
DR13 -1.26 dB -16.30 dB 5:09 08-It's Only Rock'n Roll

Analyzed: The Rolling Stones / Say Ahhh! (CSK 1827 Made In USA)
DR9 -0.13 dB -10.53 dB 3:52 04-Brown Sugar
DR10 -1.11 dB -12.66 dB 3:46 07-Tumbling Dice
DR9 -0.33 dB -11.77 dB 3:05 12-Happy
DR9 -0.13 dB -11.45 dB 3:39 05-Bitch
DR9 -0.13 dB -11.16 dB 5:10 02-It's Only Rock And Roll

It looks they were playing with those songs long before Virgin Remasters.

 

I don't know for sure whether the CBS or Virgin CDs sound better (I wasn't into A/B'ing back then), but I have the latter and that's how I voted. I've heard nothing but negatives about the 2009 reissues.

 

The 1994 Virgin discs sound pretty good to me. The only 2009 disc I own are the rarities disc for Exile and the deluxe Some Girls. I'm no audiophile, but the 2009 SG sounds pretty loud to me. Fortunately I have the 1994 remaster too, so I only listen to the bonus disc on the DE.

I had most of the CBS discs, but I sold them back when the Virgin remasters came out.

 

I remember wanting comment in 2010, but where I lived I couldn't stay connected long enough, no computer @ the time.. I am gladly a member now. I compared CBS and Virgin. I prefer Virgin on everything except It's Only Rock And Roll, Goat's Head Soup, Black And Blue, Some Girls. Thanks.

 

The 2009 UMe Goats Head Soup still has "John Wayne" blurred out with effects even though the P-word is uncensored now. I bought a copy of the 1994 Virgin remaster to get the song completely uncensored.

I don't think I can vote in this poll since I only have the GHS 1994 Virgin remaster, but I like it better than the 2009 UMe GHS. There are way more dynamics on the 1994 GHS, I can hear more instruments compared to the 2009 GHS. The 1994 GHS sounds like an album from the seventies whereas the 2009 GHS sounds too modern and clean.