Friday Music Remastered BOOH Vinyl

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Anybody have this?

http://www.elusivedisc.com/MEAT-LOAF...nfo/FRMLP3497/

Does it sound any better than the original? Is it worth $29.99?

I have three different pressings, including the CBS Mastersound Half-Speed mastered (I've read mixed reviews of that series). I've been doing some vinyl-to-digital transfers, and I used the half-speed because it was the cleanest copy I have. The results weren't too bad, but I got some clipping on the louder songs. I'm kind of underwhelmed with the sound of the CD version.

[TheDoode]

I haven't heard the FM remaster, but the original is fantastic played through a good set-up. The dynamic range and 'space' between the instruments/vocals are sublime. Kind of like this version of Modern Girl (note: laptop speakers won't cut it here):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWeT...3DuBNWyZ1FYZ16

[renegadeangel]

Originally Posted by TheDoode

I haven't heard the FM remaster, but the original is fantastic played through a good set-up. The dynamic range and 'space' between the instruments/vocals are sublime. Kind of like this version of Modern Girl (note: laptop speakers won't cut it here):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWeT...3DuBNWyZ1FYZ16

your correct with the MODERN GIRL version. However the freeway mix is definitely the best. Makes me wonder what would have happened if they cut one song from the album and expanded on the others...

[TheDoode]

I'll check it out. Funny, we've been talking about the Bat II LP this week and the fact that it was never released as a two disc set, which is completely annoying.

[renegadeangel]

Originally Posted by TheDoode

I'll check it out. Funny, we've been talking about the Bat II LP this week and the fact that it was never released as a two disc set, which is completely annoying.

Why would it be? I think Jim ran out of songs. Unless he was prepared to add IACBTMN which I doubt. I guess ORIGINAL SIN and LEFT IN THE DARK would have been interesting with Jim producing

[samurai7]

Originally Posted by renegadeangel

Why would it be? I think Jim ran out of songs. Unless he was prepared to add IACBTMN which I doubt. I guess ORIGINAL SIN and LEFT IN THE DARK would have been interesting with Jim producing

Because of the sheer length of the album (75 minutes) it is/was simply too long to fit onto a single vinyl disc without rather drastically diminishing the audio fidelity, hence why it sounds like crap on vinyl. Anything really over about three quarters of an hour is where degradation begins, getting worse the more you try to squeeze on. Bat Out Of Hell is 46 minutes long. Meat often recants how certain songs were 'sped up' in order to get the album's run time under the threshold where sound quality really starts to suffer.
Had Bat II been a double set, spread over two discs it would have undoubtably sounded excellent. I'm not sure if the decision to squeeze it all onto one disc was a result of a marketing/accounting concern, or even to create a more balanced symmetry with the original Bat Out Of Hell album, but it definitely wasn't the correct decision from a sonic standpoint. Apparently in one market it was released in the double disc format, but I haven't managed to get my hands on a copy yet. Interestingly WTTN was released as a double set despite being over a quarter of an hour shorter than Bat II, so I think someone had a word somewhere.
In my opinion all of Meat's albums up to CHSIB (apart from Bat II) sound better on vinyl. The reason I say until then is that a) I haven't got CHSIB on vinyl yet either and b) although I have Bat III and HCTB, what with weddings and homemaking and kids etc in the last few years, my record collection hasn't really been my main priority, although I keep threatening the missus that I'm gonna convert the lounge into a hi-fi room-slash-home cinema, an idea she seems to find rather outlandish for some reason lol

[Julie in the rv mirror]

Originally Posted by TheDoode

I haven't heard the FM remaster, but the original is fantastic played through a good set-up. The dynamic range and 'space' between the instruments/vocals are sublime.

Yeah, definitely more "air" in the songs- sounds better burned to CD than on the iPod. My original copy has been played to death, which is why I used the Mastersound copy. FCOL is my test, and it sounded great in the car today. I don't have my old stereo system hooked up anymore (speakers were too darn big ), not that it was exactly high-end, but definitely better than computer speakers. I guess I'm trying to get a sound closer to vinyl with the convenience of digital. I'm dreaming, I know.

I'd read some good things about the FM remaster, so I was curious if anyone had it.

[TheDoode]

Renegade - what Samurai said!

Julie - yeah, you can't really replicate or 'capture' vinyl that well digitally. However, the Modern Girl video above was a direct turntable rip. Turntable to USB. It's nowhere near the same quality, but it kicks the hell out of my FLAC file of the same song. The turntable's a Stanton T92. Cyberdyne system model 101. A learning computer ... sorry, that's something else. Yeah, it's a Stanton T92.

[eltmatt]

Does Bat Out Of Hell II really sound that bad on vinyl? I keep putting off buying it for that reason, hoping that maybe they'll re-release it as a anniversary edition with 2 discs

[Evil One]

There was a two disc version released in Zimbabwe of all places.

[evil nickname]

Originally Posted by eltmatt

Does Bat Out Of Hell II really sound that bad on vinyl? I keep putting off buying it for that reason, hoping that maybe they'll re-release it as a anniversary edition with 2 discs

It does. I've blogged about it years ago.