Back on Black: LED ZEP 1-3

"Mothership is compressed"

The CD.

Jimmy Page also remastered Mothership and there was a huge diff in SQ
between vinyl and the compressed CD. But with these new releases there is
also a hirez version available. (But costs more)

http://www.soundstagedirect.com/led-zeppelin-led-zeppelin-i-super-deluxe-edition-box-set-vinyl-records.shtml

For the ultimate Led Zep fan.

"Remastered from the Original Master Tapes by Jimmy Page and Pressed at Pallas In Germany."

Since the word "analogue" is never mentioned, I agree with Rockitman. But were the analogue tapes ever used for reissues/remasters?

I think I'll go for the new 180 Gram pressings to replace my worn-out 1970s Atlantic LPs. I hope these can reproduce the bass-slam of Bonzo's kick-drum better than the Mothership sessions did.

On a different note,
The consensus is that the Classic releases have the best SQ, but is anybody familiar with "The Complete Studio Recordings," remasters, Atlantic/1993 ? Are these CD only or was vinyl released?

I'm ok with digital remasters, but only if the original analogue tapes were used at some point to create a new master using modern equipment. Then they can keep remastering as digital technology evolves.

There is so much speculation going on even on the Analog Planet website.
In creating a new master from analogue tapes, the end result is still a HiRez digital file. Then that file is sent to the record cutter. Just because it's a digital file doesn't mean it will be compressed for CD, as long as the RIAA specs were followed, then I see no problem in cutting a record.

If the anonymous source is correct and the vinyl reissues were cut from digital sources, then we're talking about a less than stellar product.

Actusreus...Whenever I've voiced my complaints about Mothership, I appear to be in the minority of opinion.
When listening to this boxed set, I always have various copies of the Atlanic releases to use as a baseline; they are no high-quality sound achievement, but I can hear the cohesiveness of this great combo as I remember them.

The good...the Mothership remaster has almost none-existent tape hiss, air around the instruments, Plant's voice sounds very clean; IOW, they did a great job cleaning up these old recordings. But where is the deep soulful bassline, and where is the thunderous boom of Bonzo's 26" kick-drum ... it's gone. I don't mean to turn this into a review, but it lacks dynamics. I would rather hear some tape hiss in lieu of a lifeless recording.

That's why I was looking forward to these new releases in the hope that they reproduce that LZ monster sound.

It's amazing to see some people here saying it sounds good.

I'm not sure why there is such disagreement regarding the SQ of Mothership. Everyone on this forum has a good ear for high quality sound; could it be that the people who grew up with LZ and know their sound intimately know that Mothership's sound does not do them justice?

In my case, I was in a drummer in my teens in the 1970's playing Led Zep covers. I had a drum kit with a 24" kick drum, 2 floor toms and I learned every trademark lick that Bonham was known for.
I will also wait for the reviews to come in for these rereleases

Geoffkait...These 3 new remasters clearly do not sound like Mothership. To my ears, they are new mixes with excellent dynamics and separation of instruments. They have good detail in the bassline and a powerful sound from Bonham, something that Mothership lacked. IMHO.

Plant's voice was out in front and may have sounded better on Mothership; here it is mixed closer to how the original albums sounded.

It's possible that after Page saw the enthusiastic response to Mothership, he wanted to remix the entire collection.

Whart, you may be right regarding Page's reason. But the greatest hits "Early Days/Later Days" were released in 1999/2000 and were pretty good remasters for that time (released on CD and vinyl).

But they don't hold up today when compared to how digital technology has progressed.
I wonder if Mothership came from those digital files.

Whart...I'm getting errors trying to link to Steve Hoffman.

I forgot about the LZ "Remasters" Box set from 1992, so it's very possible you are correct that earlier remasters were used. There was a lot of excitement back then when LZ was finally remastered.