Roxy Music on CD

That is your opinion but I was strictly asking a question...

 

Has anyone confirmed that they did not use compression in the mastering of that box?

 

[plus you get all the b-sides. I'm very pleased with this one. Manifesto was a treat to hear, with the correct Angel Eyes... and Avalon, prime make out record. How do you think I snared the wife 30 years ago? Not by playing her live Dead tapes....

 

It’s considered to be a straight transfer, almost an anomaly in this era. There was a long thread about it, and the consensus was that it is the best possible way to hear this music in the cd format.

 

I've compared my red face German Manifesto (no puns please) to my friend's box set remaster and the remaster wins. Still love the that German pressing, though.

 

I got mine from Pop Market, for about $65 I think. Seemed like a good price. Well worth it. I've kept my original cds for now... or course I have all original vinyl and all the singles...

 

I've got the Black Triangle release of STREET LIFE: 20 GREAT HITS

Mastering 2: 91.9/100.0/100.0/100.0/93.8/100.0/100.0/81.9/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0/100.0
E'G 40VD-1102 / Barcode: T4988 006 61422 2 / Matrix: 40VD-1102 1A1 TO / Manufactured in Japan

The peaks suggest it's loud and undynamic, but that's not the case. This is the DR report:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR12 -0.76 dB -15.38 dB 01 Virginia Plain.m4a
DR13 over -14.82 dB 02 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.m4a
DR12 -0.05 dB -14.08 dB 03 Pyjamarama.m4a
DR12 over -13.42 dB 04 Do The Strand.m4a
DR13 -1.35 dB -17.12 dB 05 These Foolish Things.m4a
DR12 -0.01 dB -14.36 dB 06 Street Life.m4a
DR13 over -14.52 dB 07 Let's Stick Together.m4a
DR12 -2.03 dB -17.11 dB 08 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.m4a
DR13 over -15.51 dB 09 Love Is The Drug.m4a
DR13 -0.10 dB -14.05 dB 10 Sign Of The Times.m4a
DR13 over -15.25 dB 11 Dance Away.m4a
DR14 over -15.35 dB 12 Angel Eyes.m4a
DR13 over -16.90 dB 13 Oh Yeah.m4a
DR11 over -14.40 dB 14 Over You.m4a
DR13 over -14.77 dB 15 Same Old Scene.m4a
DR14 over -16.39 dB 16 In The Midnight Hour.m4a
DR14 -0.01 dB -15.44 dB 17 More Than This.m4a
DR15 over -16.59 dB 18 Avalon.m4a
DR13 over -15.09 dB 19 Slave To Love.m4a
DR14 over -16.09 dB 20 Jealous Guy.m4a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 20
Official DR value: DR13

==============================================================================================

 

Actually, no they don't. What those peaks mean is that there is at least one bit on each of those tracks that reaches 100%. No more, no less. It's easy to get carried away with charts, graphs and numbers sometimes.

 

Yes, I know. Just phrased it a bit awkward. Listening to it already revealed it wasn't compressed. It's just that someone in Japan really did his/her best to get the peaks to 0 db. :-O

 

Nothing wrong with that.

 

Good for you, there's nothing wrong with collecting paint. I just haven't had the urge to buy the new box.

 

Thanks for adding this one, interesting.

Here's the readily available latest (as of a couple fo years ago) NL pressing:
Mastering 1: 75.1/97.1/82.3/94.8/75.5/83.8/97.4/66.0/100.0/94.4/91.7/81.2/82.8/86.7/96.8/95.6/81.6/91.3/95.2/100.0
UK Virgin/E'G 0777 7 86356 2 8 EGCTV 1 / Matrix: 786356 2 @ 2 1-3-21 NL / Manufactured in Holland

Code:

DR         Peak           RMS         Filename
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR12     -2.48 dB    -17.26 dB    01 Virginia Plain.wav
DR14     -0.26 dB    -16.71 dB    02 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.wav
DR12     -1.69 dB    -15.98 dB    03 Pyjamarama.wav
DR13     -0.46 dB    -15.31 dB    04 Do The Strand.wav
DR13     -2.44 dB    -19.04 dB    05 These Foolish Things.wav
DR12     -1.53 dB    -16.18 dB    06 Street Life.wav
DR14     -0.22 dB    -16.41 dB    07 Let's Stick Together.wav
DR12     -3.60 dB    -19.01 dB    08 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.wav
DR15      over       -17.40 dB    09 Love Is The Drug.wav
DR13     -0.50 dB    -15.94 dB    10 Sign Of The Times.wav
DR14     -0.75 dB    -17.14 dB    11 Dance Away.wav
DR14     -1.81 dB    -17.25 dB    12 Angel Eyes.wav
DR13     -1.63 dB    -18.76 dB    13 Oh Yeah.wav
DR12     -1.24 dB    -16.30 dB    14 Over You.wav
DR14     -0.28 dB    -16.67 dB    15 Same Old Scene.wav
DR16     -0.38 dB    -18.30 dB    16 In The Midnight Hour.wav
DR14     -1.76 dB    -17.35 dB    17 More Than This.wav
DR15     -0.79 dB    -18.49 dB    18 Avalon.wav
DR15     -0.42 dB    -16.98 dB    19 Slave To Love.wav
DR15     -0.00 dB    -17.99 dB    20 Jealous Guy.wav
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files:    20
Official DR value:  DR14

edit: I suggest wrapping the DR log in code tags that's a pair of square brackets with "code" in at the beginning, and "/code" at the end, without speech marks.

 

I mostly agree but there is something up with the version of Virginia Plain, it sounds like a tape dub compared to the one on the Street Life compilation. It may just be that the one on Street Life was substantially remixed, but whatever, I prefer it.

Of course those wanting a complete Roxy during their original run need Viva! and Heart Still Beating that aren't in the box set.

 

"paint?"

 

I'm one of the forum members who enjoy collecting early CDs for their laid-back mastering and interesting paint, i.e. Targets, red and other color faces used by Polygram West Germany at the dawn of the compact disc.

 

The version on Street Life sounds more familiar to me. I agree that the dull lifeless version in the box sounds like a dub. In all other respects, the box is superb.

 

Regarding the box: some tracks on the 2-CD compilation were taken from vinyl sources ("More than This" single version), but they do sound good.

But anyway: do I hear some tape damage on "Trash 2" before the last verse? Sounds like sticky-shed syndrome, it's the only track that sounds better on "The Thrill of It All".

 

Bump. Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? No adventurous soul who would like to share some charts, graphs and numbers with the rest of us philistines?

 

I don't own the box but there's a whole thread (please use the search feature) on the box where everybody raves about its SQ. So even if it might be compressed, it's still the best version of the studio albums out.

 

Heart Still Beating isn't part of Roxy's original run, it was released 7 years after the band split, and 8 years after it was recorded.

 

I'm sorry, no, I won't accept that. But thanks for the heads-up on the other thread - I pretty much found what I was looking for. I'm going to stay with what I have.

 

Yeah, but it's an expanded version of The High Road (with contemporary live recordings added), which was.

 

No, some of the tracks are the same source as some of The High Road film, but not the 1983 The High Road mini album, which isn't the same as the film. So, same tour, but different recordings, different title, different artwork, a totally different (posthumous) release, not part of the original run Roxy catalogue, just like The Who at the Isle of Wight isn't, for example.

 

Can anyone comment on the Japanese CD pressings VJD and how they compare to 32VD or 40VD (Black Triangle) pressings? Do they use the same master? Streetlife for instance was released in Japan as 40VD-1102 in 1987, and then VJD-32089 a year later.

 

Rumor has it, there is a direct correlation to the release of Avalon and a population explosion that occurred worldwide... roughly 9 months later