Second Genesis 2007 remasters (1983-1998 box): A Visible Touch

Wow... just listening to the new stereo (redbook) mix of We Can't Dance now.

How did Nick Davis manage to turn one of the best produced / recorded / mixed CDs in my entire collection into such shrill and distorted garbage?


This one is a big waste of time - although 'Genesis' and 'Invisible Touch' I liked on a first play.

Something about the electronic nature of these two CDs lends itself to a more modern sounding remix. I'm sure next time I play them I will hate them (liked all the 76-82 albums first time round too!)

James

 

And how did anyone else involved in the project not realize that he has now successfully ruined the second round of what could have been definitive Genesis releases?

I could answer the question with my own opinion, but that would easily get this post Gorted.

 

I agree. I am one of the minority that actually likes most of these new remixes/remasters, but the new We Can't Dance is even unlistenable to me.

 

We know how, I want to know WHY. Tell Me Why, Nick, Tell Me Why!

Well, since I completed my surround sound installation last month I'm still new to the surround scene, but I have had a chance to spin the self-titled album in SACD MC and it was absolutely horrible in terms of fidelity. The drums on Second Home By The Sea made me want to rip my ears off. I never found the constant drum pattern irritating until I popped in Davis' "unique" and "modernized" interpretation of the music. Wow.

Frankly, I wasn't particularly impressed with the album's surround mix either (where are Elliot (Scheiner) and Greg (Penny) when you need them), but perhaps my ears were suffering too much from the fidelity (or lack thereof) to give the mix a fair assessment. I do recall that, IMO, It's Gonna Get Better had the best mix and was the least irritating/painful (YES, painful!) to listen to. I'm spending my limited time listening to more-favorable SACDs and DVD-As at the moment; maybe if I feel like working myself into a bad mood I'll try another disc soon. In any case, I did post a review in the appropriate thread at QQ.com and plan on doing the same for the other albums. I would enjoy reading everyone else's interpretations/opinions and ratings as well. For those of you who don't like the complaints, just hold on tight, I'm just getting started! (ha ha) Seriously though, I hope my opinion of the mixes will improve over time so that I can enjoy these on low volumes.

JMO,
Josh

 

I would love to sit Nick down and get him to listen to blind samples of the original and the remix and see which he prefers... have his ears gone that bad in the last 16 years?

 

Don't forget he had Mr Banks there telling him what to do.

 

Oh dear, if it was just for the record company's sakes, the desaster might be understandable somehow, but THIS (involvement of Mr Banks) must be really the most disappointing thing of the whole remasters thing, esp. to the true fans. It's like your own heroes who used to make you happy with what they come up with, suddenly turn into betraying you.

It would really make me sad if MY heroes (Mr Halford, Tipton and Downing, and Mr Rossi and Parfitt) explained how much they like their most recent remasters / the sound quality of the most recent album (Fourth chord). But I think they did already and I just missed it.

 

Admittedly, I am largely trying to resurrect this thread. That being said, I decided to sit down and given the SACDs a second listen. I started with Genesis s/t followed by Invisible Touch. I gave up about half way through the Invisible Touch album. My fear was that I was damaging my speakers. Never before had I listened to SACDs where I could actually hear distortion! It was particularly pronounced on Invisible Touch. Genesis s/t just made me imagine a sledge hammer was slamming me in the head over and over. Honest to god, I don't know how anyone likes these. They aren't "aggressive" in that kind of but not really attractive way. They're flat out loud, compressed and distorted to the point of fatiguing. No news to those of you who listened to them thoroughly already. I can't wait to hear the word on the final box. Such a shame.

 

Just played the "We Can't Dance" UK import SACD for the first time yesterday. It sounds extremely good. Using a Denon 2900. Is anyone disappointed with this particular title?

 

Not me!

 

Are you talking about the SACD layer? Because the USA CD is unlistenable to me. And I don't hate these remixes as much as most here do.

 

They're both wretched.

 

Yes. I never play the redbook layer on the SACDs. Could be blank for all I know.

 

In fairness Jamie, I can walk out to any of my local used record shops and clap hands on any number of the original discs too.

Couldn't tell you how the new discs are selling, but at £23 a shot for 1983's "Genesis", I wouldn't be in any raging panic to find out how it sounded, good, bad or otherwise.

 

My error - what he said!

 

I must've missed the bus on this logic, I see this all the time - I just assume people don't like the album and move on! I think I'd trust my own listening over and above something I saw on the shelves of a secondhand music retailer's ultimately.

 

What I don't like is how the original cool reverb present on Phil's vocals on many of the tracks on Genesis--which was a very complex, electronically processed-sounding effect--was replaced with something that sounds like simple slapback.

 

What's the best deal on this SACD+DVD box online retail (besides eBay)? Considering this box has one less disc than the other two boxes and the work is not as good as the first two (save for the S/T album), I'm hoping to see a range between $95-$125.

 

I can recommend a record store in Israel that will deliver to you in the States via DHL in 3 days, and their prices are excellent.
They sell on Ebay too.

 

Website? And more importantly, PAL vs. NTSC...Looking for NTSC...

 

Again, one must adjust the volume, otherwise the curves doesn't show correct.

 

Website? And more importantly, PAL vs. NTSC?...Looking for NTSC...

Bump!

 

I think it should be PAL, but check with them

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/My-Freestyle-Store__W0QQ_armrsZ1