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Remasters: which are the good ones?

I have had mixed luck with CD remasters; could others post their experiences with various ones? Some are great, some overly compressed, others just terrible.

Opinions appreciated as I consider which albums to repurchase (some for the 3rd time, starting with vinyl...)

PS: I suggest this thread be (roughly) limited to rock/R&B/soul type stuff.

My experiences:

Good / Worth getting the remasters:
- Bob Marley remasters (excellent!)
- Steely Dan (Gaucho, CD layer off hybrid SACD; Aja CD remaster OK)
- Grateful Dead (HDCD, but I refer to the "regular" CD playback of these. All very nice but Terrapin Station, where I don't appreciate some of the mix changes, though sound quality is good)

OK:
- Fleetwood Mac (Fleetwood Mac)

Poor/bad:
- Baron von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun (terrible)
- Jefferson Airplane remasters
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shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,333 posts
 
Bob Marley remasters (excellent!)

This is off topic but if anyone is on the hunt for Bob Marley then get Rebelution "Courage to Grow" - great sound and great reggae with a modern energetic twist.

As for masters - check out Doug Sax at Artists direct - he generally does not overcompress albums although like everyone today he does use some mild compression in mastering.

For example the Aerosmith Collection - it has better sound than previous releases.
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
The problem is that many of these re-masters are not done for audiophiles. They are made to sound better in the car or on portable devices. In a high resolution system, they sound worse.
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
I agree with Shadorne on the Aerosmith. I was never a fan but I think the remaster on Toys in the Attic is sterling.

As you tastes are more classic rock, I can recommend the extended live set for The Who's "Live at Leeds", Jimi Hendrix's "First Rays of the New Rising Sun", and the Jamaican sessions of Bob Marley's "Catch a Fire". The 25th Aniversary Clash remaster of "London Calling" has better bass extension. Bob Dylan's "Slow Train" and "Street Legal" sound remarkably better--the originals are a pale comparison.
reubent
3,587 posts
 
I have enjoyed the remastered version of Frampton Comes Alive and Who's Next. Both sound much better than the original CD releases. But then, they should sound better, right? The originals were released in the first days of CD when everything sounded like crap.

I have the remasters of most of the Steely Dan stuff and some remastered Supertramp. They are also better than the originals.

The remaster of Bob Marley's "Live!" is also very good....

Enjoy,

TIC
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