Rolling Stones Vinyl Box Sets Nov 2010

Amen. These naysayers need to part this forum and start their own Lonely Hearts Club site.

 

With respect your post, number 83, is quite vague as to details. We have no way of knowing what the engineer is talking about. You yourself ask the same question. It's speculation at the moment if he was referring to the new 60's set. To me the quote reads too much in the past tense to be about the new set.

 

It'll be interesting when someone ends up actually listening to these sets and posts his thoughts.
Or Mike Fremer has a listen and posts his thoughts on his website...
If the Stones would do an all-analogue box set with the same care and attention it seems Sterling has given to the upcoming vinyl Bob Dylan Mono box set, I would get them in an instant, no hesitation.
But suspect mastering, suspect pressing, uncertainty around sources, probability of low resolution digital files used, quality issues...
Who is in charge of this?!?!?!?

 

I agree with Paul on this one, don't you think before you badmouth the whole thing with speculation, you should wait to see what comes out of it? You mentioned Michael Fremer's web site. Fremer gave the 2003 Abkco vinyl reissues a rather glowing review and pointed out quite clearly that a 2.84MHz digital source for vinyl is not the same as 16/44.1. Since every vinyl reissue of the Abkco years Stones albums since has been sourced from those DSD masters (except for the corrected Ruby Tuesday on Rolled Gold), it's in fact IMprobable that the pre-1971 box at least will be sourced from low resolution digital files.

Moreover, even if they were sourced from 16/44.1 files, they can sound fine. I always like to quote our host when the subject of digitally sourced vinyl comes up. In a thread from a couple of years back when he discussed comparing $700 and $8000 turntables, he described his tests, including:

Yes, that's just one man's opinion, but many of us here tend to find his ears for to be rather good.

Plus as I mentioned above, GZ did a fine job doing the Black Crowes' Croweology and GoergeZ confirmed in the related thread that they were given 16/44.1 files from which they cut the LPs.

Finally, Paul K's quote, if it's indeed a description of the mastering work going into these Stones LPs sounds encouraging. So with all due respect, why not wait until we have some firsthand listening reports before talking about "suspect mastering" and "suspect pressing."

 

The catch 22 though Stefan is that these boxes are being labelled as very limited editions and people want to get their pre-orders in for them so they don't miss out, hence the speculation about what they are going to be like.

 

I wouldn't worry since just about everything these days is labelled as a limited edition. It's more marketing speak than reality. The Stones web store has all these post-Abkco LPs listed for individual release in March 2011 so those at least won't be very limited. As for Abkco, well who knows.

Obviously, it'd be nice to know more beforehand. Hopefully GeorgeZ will give us some details (if he can, sometimes such companies are subject to non-disclosure agreements). However, if all we're going to do is badmouth a release without even having heard it, then it's not much incentive for such folks to engage in any meaningful discussion.

 

Hi guys,
I will neither confirm nor deny the pressing now. It is up to the label to reveal more info about that.

If you want more information regarding sources or quality of records in Rolling Stones Vinyl Box Sets 2010 you should ask people at Universal and ABKCO, who approved the test pressings:
Teri Landi
Chief Engineer
ABKCO Music & Records, Inc.

 

We'll see. Or rather, at some point we'll get to hear...
Amazing that a bunch of records going back almost 50 years can generate so much interest.

By the way, the recent reissue of Get your Ya Yas out was sourced from a 96/24 remaster, not the DSD remaster. Interestingly enough, the 96/24 was done also by Mr. Ludwig who did the DSDs. Why did he not use the existing DSD master for the reissue??? I have no idea.
That resissue, also by the way, sounded great. Yes, it sounds a bit "smaller", less full and less 3 dimensional than the Decca original, the overall balance and dynamics however were better. Take your pick, both original and reissue eminently listenable

Given that the whole ABCKO era box set is coming from a different house - apparently Marcussen - with a different philosophy, there is no reason to think that given the chance he would not take a shot at remastering the lot.
I think anyway.
Since, at this point, nobody has a clue, it's wait and see.

 

What's your source for this info?

 

I'm with you. Release these titles separately.

 

Elusive disc blurb:

Features:
• Limited to 3000 copies!
• Strictly Limited Edition Collector's Box Set
• Individually Numbered
• 13LP Box Set
• 180g Vinyl
• 9 Original UK Albums, 2 UK Big Hits Collections, & Two Exclusive 12" EP's Remastered
• Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) Included with Original Octagonal cover and artwork
• Mastered at Marcussen
• Pressed at GZ in Europe



Assuming true, reasonable to say that it is indeed possible Mr. Marcussen would remaster and send the digital files over to GZ.

 

Ok, it's possible but vendor listings are not always reliable. Take for example the one quoted in the George Harrison thread that claimed the new 3-LP reissue coming up on the 26 is sourced from the 2001 digital remaster even though Harrison's official site claims it's a new remastering from the original analogue tapes.

 

I'd agree. In this economy very few "limited edition" reissues are selling out quickly. I'll wait for a review by Mikey or Ted (or other trusted sources here) before shelling out money.

 

Exactly. I've seen LPs announced as limited edition 5000 copies only releases that were available at retailers for at least a couple of years after release.

Just to put this in perspective, the 64-69 box is currently ranked #5635 on Amazon's music list with the '71-2005 box at #25955! Even on Amazon's vinyl-only top 100 list, the 64-69 box is #50 with the later box nowhere to be found.

 

According to this link
http://www.getmusic.com.au/artist/music/detail.aspx?pid=69326&aid=38295
There is a voucher to download mp3s at
www.backtoblackvinyl.com

 

The voucher will be in the box with the vinyls.

 

Correct. The question is, does this mean these Rolling Stones LPs are "Back To Black" pressings? An important question given the reputation of "Back To Black".

 

Any word on the packaging?

All the Universal Back to Black European LPs I've seen have had lackluster (ok, 'cheap') packaging that looks lousy. I'm hoping they'll do these right, with laminate covers that match the originals.

 

This is out in less than a couple of weeks. Someone somewhere must know something!

 

Yes, unfortunately. And thus will not find it's way into my xmas stocking.

 

How is it that nobody seems to have heard or seen pre-release copies this close to the release date. A fan doesn't know whether to pull the trigger on these until they have at least been REVIEWED by someone who understands vinyl. I may have to keep adding variations on this post until some information surfaces, so STOP ME SOMEBODY!

 

I'm feckin' serious about this folks. This forum spends a good deal of it's time on vintage reissues, especially this kind of thing. What gives? I can't be the only person who has dreamed of having box sets like these since I was ten years old.

 

Easy Matt. It's what, 2300 hrs on a thursday night in America right now? They are all pissed

 

Okay, Jake. I am breathing slowly again. By the way, how do you spell Bump?

 

BUMP!