Classics, Vol. 1 question

[manifan]

Don't know if I just have a bad copy or what, but I was listening to Classics Vol. 1 today after a long respite from it, and was astonished to hear how "dirty" and tinny it sounds. And the hiss is unbelievable! I was listening in the car and could hear the hiss on "A Taste of Honey" above the road noise! So is it just my copy, or does everyone's sound like this?

Elena

 

[Rudy]

That's pretty much how it sounds. CDs had been out about five years by then (1987), and although some of these Classics claimed to be from original master tapes, when you listened to a volume like Supertramp's, you could hear a bunch of single versions with some nasty edits in them. If it's an edited single version, there's no way it could be an "original" master tape!

The TJB's CD never sounded all that good IMHO, but actually, some of the tracks on the individual album CDs never sounded very good either. Keep in mind, though, that a complex recording like "Taste of Honey" had a few track bounces going on, since multitrack recorders weren't all that popular back then.

 

[Harry]

I agree that some in the Classics series CDs aren't all that good, particularly the TjB's and Mr. Mendes'. Carpenters' Vol 2 was lifted straight from the previously released YESTERDAY ONCE MORE and sounded fine, as did Herb Alpert's solo disc an some of the others.

I've had occasion to compile my own CDs using the ones at hand and anytime I do an A/B comparison to find the best source, the TjB or Mendes CLASSICS discs always lose. They seem to be buried under a layer of hiss and muck, almost like they came from many-generations-down masters.

At one time they had a value in that they featured tracks unavailable elsewhere, but for me, they have been reduced now to mere curiosities as anything available on those two have been better handled elsewhere on individual album releases or Japanese compilations.

Harry
...wondering just what kind of masters were used for those two, online...

 

[Rudy]

I know from listening that the Mendes foursider was probably hastily assembled from existing LP masters, or even backups of the LP masters. There is enough tape hiss there to make me think it's at least one, if not two or three, generations removed from the original two-tracks. The Supertramp volume doesn't sound all that bad considering some sloppy 45RPM single edits were used, but the Styx is weak and has a lot of hiss also. The "Greatest Hits" discs that came out in the late 90's actually have a top and bottom end to them, and hiss is nearly silent.

Regrettably I never bought many of the Classics discs. Today I'm wishing I had the complete set. Even if there are a few stinkers in there.