The original and subsequent releases sound fine in the midrange but lack extension, detail, dynamics, definition and the blacker background of C Day. The new re-releases have a good tonal balance, focus and clarity and are a real hoot. But, yes, apples and oranges it is. |
Let's put things in prospective...Mothership is a comp...songs every Zephead already has...but it was a good primer for try those that had older CDs which IMHO never sounded up to snuff...Cday vs new remasters... Apples vs oranges...modern live recording vs original band/recordings...Cday is good for what it is...but no match for orig releases... |
Performances aside, how does the Mothership album compare to Celebration Day in sonics? I find Celebration Day sonically quite good, much better than the "new" LZ releases. Is Mothership really third place, being bested by the reworked albums as well? |
Your talking to someone that had listened to Zep on vinyl for decades...that being said... And to beat a dead horse...the 180g gram reissues sound very good...trust me I know the material...butvl u like what u like...and so do I...life goes on |
The vinyl by and large crushes Digital when it comes to dynamic range. Just check it out on the official dynamic range data base. Nuff said.
http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=Led+zeppelin&album= |
Or there are the first batch of CDs from the 80s...dull, flat, lifeless..but oh the dynamics! |
Not really...premium Zep lps always comes with a cost...not parting with mine! |
Apparently there's a premium on dynamics. |
That would be a mint condition UK vinyl first pressing...hard to find and pricey |
You can keep the "transition" releases. I want the full dynamic range. Music is mostly dynamics. |
For the record... The new releases fall into the "transition" rating according to the database...but again...some have fixated on these figures...without even giving the remasters a fair shake...bit that's audio... |
To each his own...DR is only one part of the equation... Unfortunately it has become something of a focal point for some...shame...the added clarity, transparency, resolution of the remasters is quite...as for dynamics...I compared them to my original vinyl...they sound fine |
From what I can tell after a cursory look at the Official Dynamic Range Data Base the new Led Zeppelin CDs and High Def files are quite compressed with the lowest level of most of them unfortunately being down in the RED and the average only in the orange. Oh, well, C'est la vie. Lol |
Mothership is as outdated as this thread... The new 2014/15 zep remasters have been unanimously praised |
Music is highly subjective...part of the fun |
The problem is it's not judicious. That's my whole point. The examples I gave are eviscerated dynamic range wise. It's like a color photo that's been made black and white. Think of it like this, you've got a Miss America contestant who has a beautiful face, gorgeous figure, except for one thing: she's bow legged. Kinda ruins the whole thing, no? The big selling point for digital was supposedly dynamic range. What they did was take away their big selling point. |
Fair enough...but if used judiciously... compression is not necessarily a bad thing...but this is highly subjective...and focused on Mothership...which is the orig post...a decent sounding best of. |
Phasecorrect, I'm not sure at least judging from your response that you understand the severity of the problem. Compression is logarithmic so there really is no such thing as "no compression" as you infer. What j referring to is very heavy handed dynamic range compression that has been used not only for remastering rock classics but also for new releases. One need look no further than Dylan's Modern World about six years ago or the Stones' A Bigger Bang about the same time to see how crazy the problem is. I'm not hot dogging you. |
Use your ears...who cares if a data base claims this or that...fwiw...rock is recorded with compression...so those who seek out early CD/pressings of classic rock hoping to get a compression free recording ate misled...its similar to running vocals through a PA...every heard "dry" vocals with no reverb,etc...sounds terrible |
that's weird. According to the Official Dynamic Range Data Base Mothership suffers from overly aggressive compression. Yet it sound sounds very good. What's up with that? Now, I could give a rat's behind if recording engineers wish to compress some pop music but for heaven's sake keep your twitchy fingers off my Zeppelin and Stones and Dylan which happen to be among the worst cases extant of severe dynamic range compression. |
Let's be clear...the original lps outside of PG were never that good....I and IV being extremely muddy...I think mothership and the even newer remasters are a quantum leap...I also own some of the classic reissues that outside of being a bit bass shy ate quite good |
Old thread I know....I had a copy of the Mothership vinyl box set in my hands yesterday at Barnes and Noble. It says the LPs were remastered at HALF SPEED by Stan Ricker--does anyone know if this is correct? I have the two CD set which to my ears sounds pretty lousy. I've got two Japanese pressings--Houses of the Holy and Zep II--which sound much better than the CD version of Mothership. I have not heard the Mothership vinyl box however and may be interested. |
If any are bothered by the quality of any Led Zep recordings, fear not, there will be probably many more available in the near future. |
just picked up the CD of mothership, and there's no comparison vs the last CD remaster of the original recordings. mothership is terrific.
first time i've had stage depth w/ a zep CD. |
Hey good for Jimmy....I mean he has to pay for that heroin somehow. |
Another money grab. Jimmy Page is a marketing genius. When will it end?
I'm waiting for the "Collector's Edition" which will be available in limited numbered quantities soon. Let's say about 3 million copies.
But you'll get a free poster.
LOL |
Jaybo,
Wow couldn't disagree with you more about the vinyl. I do agree with the cd though.
There are somethings about the vinyl that are better than the classic records like better detail. There are things on there that I never heard before but they just smoothed it out too much for my taste. The highs are rolled off. It reminds me of when I used to own all CJ gear. Sure CJ paints a beautiful sonic picture but it's just boring. |
well, i suppose - it´s the best cd version heard, but still not as good as vinyl version. just a compliment to cd. still waiting for mine to arrive, but have good feeling about it. |
the new mothership vinyl and cd releases are great. the classic records releases are not as good as the originals, but decent |
Sorry didn't mean to confuse you about the CD and the lp.
The cd sounds better than all of the previous zep cd's. So compared to them it sounds better. However the cd doesn't sound as good as the vinyl version.
Now the vinyl remixes don't sound as good as the classic record versions because the new releases are smoothed out.
Make sense. |
...he did a better job with the cd version...it doesn't sound as good as the lp version...
I don't get it- which is better? |
I had the chance to listen to the new improved version (Mother ship) and it seem to me that the sound is more analog like smoother presentation , more silent, extended detail whitout any harshness except for the sound Whole Lotta Love that was a bit dull sounding.
The atmosphere of the recording was a +++.
It is like if you were listening to a cd treated with an Accoustic Revive RD 2 or even a Bedini.
Highly recommended for nostalgic fans, could not comment compare to the vinyl vrsion...... |
I thought the CD version was terrible. I gave it away. |
