Badly recorded albums needing upgrading


My new music system is in place, fairly well burnt in, and speaker placement and other tweaks are coming along. In the process I’ve been learning how much variation there is in the quality of both CD and vinyl recordings. This range in quality was not apparent on my old equipment.

For example, as I go through my old records, I’ve noticed a couple of favorites that are terribly recorded. A well known sub-par recording, Eric Clapton’s (Derek and the Dominoes) "Layla and Other Love Songs" is virtually not listenable. The Stones "Let It Bleed" I’ve had to replace with a Japaneses SACD as Jagger’s vocals sounded like he recorded them with a garbage can over his head. That SACD does sound considerably better, although the vocals on "Gimme Shelter still sound muffled. After some research on site and elsewhere, I just ordered another Japanese SACD of Layla out of the myriad available, which the reviewers said made Layla at least listenable.

Here’ the obvious problem. Both replacements were expensive as CD’a and records go, and I only want to spend that kind or resources on absolute favorite records. I am filling in the rock and roll and R&B portion of my record and CD collection of artists ranging from the Beatles up through the Sex Pistols. Are there any other well known albums like "Let It Bleed" or "Layla" I should avoid, or might already have, that will need to be purchased or bought again in upgraded formats. I’m not asking about obscure groups, but instead more well known artists like the Dead, Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, anything Motown, Janis Joplin, Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bowie, Roxy Music, The Clash, Talking Heads, etc.

I’ve also been purchasing a lot of vintage jazz, from Ellington through the Weather Report and would like to avoid bad recordings there too. In the jazz realm I’ve been acquiring economical Redbook CD sets like Bill Evans’ 12 Classic Albums, and most recently Wayne Shorter’s entire Blue Note recordings made with RVG (Rudy Van Gelder ) remasters. What I’ve learned so far I to do when purchasing these sets it to avoid those that are made of re-recorded MP3 files. Those sets don’t advertise they are MP3 file based, so I dig around reviews by purchasers who after after getting bilked, expose these recordings labels on Amazon,com Music . If you’ve any of these classic jazz sets or albums or reissue labels I should be avoiding, please let me know.

For example, I’m currently looking to purchase economical multiple album sets of Billie Holiday’s Commodore, Verve, and Decca recordings and would like to know which sets to avoid or conversely which sets are well done.. I like among others Miles Davis, Coltrane, Lester Young, Mingus, Charlie Parker, John McLaughlin, Art Blakely, Chet Baker, Ella Fitgerald, Gerry Mulligan and the like. Again, not obscure recordings or artists. I’d really like to not get burned on substandard recordings too. Si Iif you could forewarn of any particular recordings, or any reissue labels to avoid, please do. Next year I might start to get more Classical Music recordings, but that’s another ball of wax for another day

Maybe this question is too broad or poorly defined but I’d appreciate any help you could provide to avoid disappointment or throw any more cash in the garbage. Thanks, and I’d be pleased to answer any questions to clarify this rambling post.

Mike
skyscraper

pjr801,

Now you caught me. I think mine are one CD case with two discs inside (DVD and CD), but am easily wrong about that. I have not pulled them out in many years. I will check it.

pjr801,

Both of us are correct.


Talking Heads box set called Brick was eight albums on DualDisc. DVD-Audio on one side and CD layer on the other one.

I have DVD-Audios of Fear Of Music and Remain In Light with two discs each. One DVD-Audio and one CD per jewel case. Those are NOT DualDiscs. It seems that such packaging was released in Europe and not in the U.S.A.

Thanks for reminding me of these differences. I converted those DVD-Audios to file format some years ago so they never see the light of the day anymore.

I've found that hi-resolution downloads eclipse many of the physical media, with a few exceptions: ECM recordings, some of the better classical labels. But even burning the hi-rez files to Redbook cd-r in foobar gives far better sound and more definition than the "plain" Redbook store bought cds. The 2016 SACD Layla was also available as a higher resolution download. I burned it to cd just the other night and was amazed at how good it was - especially the drums - no murkiness at all in the mix. Don't know if any of that fits your modus operandi, but that's how I've dealt with your question.
Glupson, 

https://www.stereophile.com/artdudleylistening/927/index.html

Thanks for the Art Dudley review link.

I love reading these kind of articles penned by the hand of those who were there then.

Hindsight can be a wonderful thing, but it can also introduce terrible distortions.