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Author Topic: Titles from the Mercury label and others  (Read 10947 times)

Offline JoeG

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Titles from the Mercury label and others
« on: March 24, 2008, 08:13:04 PM »
Stravinsky  - "Firebird" Dorati/LSO
Respighi - "Ancient Airs and Dances"
Shuller - "Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee"

From RCA
Rimsky-Korsakov "Scheherazade" Reiner/CSO
Mussorgsky "Pictures At A Exhibition" Reiner/CSO

Reference Recordings
Respighi "Church Windows"

Dead Can Dance "Into The Labyrinth"
Janis Ian "Breaking silence"
Roger Waters "Amused To Death"
Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here"
Pink Floyd "Ummagumma'
David Crosby "If Only I Could Remember My Name"
Allman Brothers "Eat A Peach"

Soundtrack from "Emerald Forest"




Joe Galbraith
Charter sub #61
J-corder/Bottlehead Technics 1500>King/Cello pre, Bottlehead Seduction, Walker Audio Proscenium Gold Signature TT>Bluelectric Magic Diamond or Allnic Puritas>Allnic H3000 phono/L3000 line>KR Enterprises Antares>Kharma CE 2.2
Silent Source cable, Walker Audio Velocitors

Offline Arnold_Layne

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2008, 08:08:30 AM »
I second Roger Waters "Amused To Death" as a suggestion. The LP release (which is according to the label on the shrink wrap: "mastered direct to lacquer from the original analog tapes" ) is the finest sounding LP I think I've heard of modern rock music. And since it was mastered on analog tapes it'd make a wonderful Tape Project release. It would certainly make me a subscriber. The only problem might be getting Sony to license this release. If anyone from the Tape Project wants to hear this I highly suggest getting the LP which is rare and very expensive to find on ebay. There is a 180gram reissue that is highly suspect of being a bootleg. The original release does NOT have the 180gram sticker. Original sealed copies still sell for $300+

Offline ironbut

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2008, 06:35:40 PM »
Man, I love Radio Kaos and Amused to Death. I was going to suggest it before but I thought it was recorded digitally. In fact, didn't they use some new technique to record it? I might be totally wrong but needless to say,..
"Me makes three!"
And it's been suggested before but, the Dorati Firebird would be "it"! If I had my hands on a Tape Project version of that, I don't think that I'd ever have to have sex again!
steve koto
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Offline Arnold_Layne

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2008, 06:38:37 AM »
Radio KAOS was digitally recorded I believe. However Amused To Death is an analog recording.
The process used on Amused to Death you speak of is called Q sound. Really remarkable how that technology makes the album suck you in. Some people might consider Q sound to be a gimmick, but Roger really put it to good use. Oh and how can we not just burst into tears on What God Wants Part II when Jeff Beck's guitar sounds like it's weeping on that solo.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE attempt to get the rights to release it :)


Other suggestions of albums I loved listening to when I was a teenager:

Alan Parsons Project Tales of Mystery and Imagination (20th Century Fox/Mercury)
Boston Third Stage (MCA)
Maynard Ferguson Live From San Francisco (I think Rhino Records did the latest release) I played trumpet in a jazz band in High School so I was fascinated by this album.





Steve

Offline Tubes n tapes

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2008, 05:54:00 PM »
Getting Amused to Death on 15ips tape would be absolutely incredible. I doubt that Sony would even consider to put in the effort to license a small outfit like the TP.
The best chance would probably be to get Roger Waters himself exited about it. Audio reproduction performance of his albums is obviously an important issue for him. On the Final Cut and the Pros and Cons he is expecting the listener to wear headphones to bring the holophonics out and on Amused to Death and In the Flesh he assumes the listener to have a good system and a fully symmetric setup in order to hear the placement of the sounds and reverb in QSound. You must have some audiofile traits to even want to make a mix like that.

My vinyl playback is not up to par with the rest of my system. Are there any interesting remasters on CD or SACD of Amused to Death?
Arian Jansen.

SonoruS Audio.
VP of technology of the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society (LAOCAS).
ESL/OTL builder and modest Studer/ReVox collector.

Offline ironbut

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2008, 06:09:10 PM »
I know there was a gold cd. I can't remember if it was DCC or Mobile Fidelity (maybe Paul had a hand in the mastering if it was MF) but I saw it used at Streetlight Records for a pretty high price and figured I'd buy a new one,.. I've never seen it again! The only thing I didn't check was DVD-A. I didn't have a way to play one then so maybe. It was about 3-4 years ago when I saw that one.
steve koto
 Sony scd 777es(R. Kern mods)> Vpi Aires>Dynavector XX-2mkll>Bent mu>CAT ultimate>CJ premeir 140>Magnepan 1.6qr(Jensen xover)Headphone Eddie Current Zana Deux>AT ad2000,HD800 ,Metric Halo ULN-2 (battery powered),
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Offline JoeG

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2008, 09:29:46 PM »
I don't know about other releases in digital format of "Amused to Death", but I own a black CD pressing on Redbook that sounds pretty satisfying, right down to the placement of barking dog and voices on the soundstage. It doesn't compete overall with the vinyl played back on my system (Walker Proscenium Gold/Magic Diamond), but it's good enough to really give you a taste of all the information Waters layered into that recording. The idea that Sony license the masters for the Tape Project is one that I would welcome.
Joe Galbraith
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J-corder/Bottlehead Technics 1500>King/Cello pre, Bottlehead Seduction, Walker Audio Proscenium Gold Signature TT>Bluelectric Magic Diamond or Allnic Puritas>Allnic H3000 phono/L3000 line>KR Enterprises Antares>Kharma CE 2.2
Silent Source cable, Walker Audio Velocitors

Offline ironbut

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2008, 10:15:42 PM »
Yeah, I have the black, redbook cd and it's about as impressive as cd's get for me. One added benefit of these Tape Project releases is that audio dealers and manufacturers will use these to demo their best gear. It sounds as if it's really starting to take off after CES this year. I usually don't go to the big shows. The source gear in the past has made all the big statement systems sound similar and I can't wait to get back to my well tweaked vinyl gear. But, if I knew that I would get a chance to hear a TP version of something like ATD on one or two, it might be worth the ticket.
steve koto
 Sony scd 777es(R. Kern mods)> Vpi Aires>Dynavector XX-2mkll>Bent mu>CAT ultimate>CJ premeir 140>Magnepan 1.6qr(Jensen xover)Headphone Eddie Current Zana Deux>AT ad2000,HD800 ,Metric Halo ULN-2 (battery powered),
 HE Audio Jades

Offline Arnold_Layne

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2008, 08:19:57 PM »
The Gold CD was relased by Sony. A 20-bit "Super Bitmap" issue. I can't really hear the sonic benefits of it, but it is rather collectable. I would welcome a DVD-A version of it, but not as much as a TP version :)

Steve

Offline JoeG

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2008, 09:13:53 PM »
I would like to suggest another possibility for down the road. A title I have been listening to the original vinyl of:

Berlioz "Symphonie Fantastique" Ataulfo Argenta/Paris Conservatiore Orchestra (Decca/London CS 6025)

This "Blueback" pressing from 1957 is a treat from both sonic and performance perspectives.
Joe Galbraith
Charter sub #61
J-corder/Bottlehead Technics 1500>King/Cello pre, Bottlehead Seduction, Walker Audio Proscenium Gold Signature TT>Bluelectric Magic Diamond or Allnic Puritas>Allnic H3000 phono/L3000 line>KR Enterprises Antares>Kharma CE 2.2
Silent Source cable, Walker Audio Velocitors

Offline Scott D. Smith

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Re: Titles from the Mercury label and others
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2008, 10:54:29 PM »
I would second Dead Can Dance. Interesting stuff. I don't think it was recorded in analog, though.

Scott D. Smith CAS
Chicago Audio Works, Inc.