Old Albums, re-done?

Lately I've been listening to some old favourites and I've been thinking that I'm spoilt by the modern production techniques. I love the way that sound enginieering has advanced to the stage that (if done properly) the music has a richness that could never be reached in the '70s. Even remasters can't seem to reach that level.

Edited by npjnpj - June 27 2008 at 03:20

I've definitely thought about it. Would have been nice if those bands/albums had this technology.

I wish most modern albums could sound like the old ones.

Whenever this actually happens, bad things usually result. It doesn't help that I don't really like the extremely polished sound that's the definition of good production today, it's one of many reasons most new music sounds so totally lifeless. 

Interesting, recently I've been thinking about that, but from another point of view: yes, I would like to listen to new executions to old stuff, but with the old instruments and sound techniqs, simply because I came to the sad conclusion that digital keyborads and sound techniqs sound awful most of the times.... (OK, maybe I'm a bit exejurating). But, listen to the same execution again and again, the same guitar riffs, the same way of singing, is tiresome. Maybe its about time that the situation will be as in classical music: many executions, in a slightly different way each time, and one could choose the most preferable execution. This executions does not have to be done by the same original bands, (and I dont like to say it but, note that our 70's heros are close to age 60 now... which does not mean they could not execute it well... but... isnt it time for REFRESHING the 'lines' a little bit?). Maybe thats what cover bands do, but I didnt check it yet so I cannot tell.

It hasn't really worked so far, modern realisation of old albums lack *something*, I don't know whether that's due to modern production techniques, the artists desire to 'tinker' with the original or simply the lack of spontaneity that was present in the studio during the first recording. For alternative versions I'll stick with live albums.

darqDean wrote: It hasn't really worked so far, modern realisation of old albums lack *something*, I don't know whether that's due to modern production techniques, the artists desire to 'tinker' with the original or simply the lack of spontaneity that was present in the studio during the first recording. For alternative versions I'll stick with live albums.   The Enid's In The Region of the Summer Stars (side 2) is limp by comparison to the original and Eloy's recreation of some of their earlier tracks on Chronicles I & II is (as Jean implies) a little too sterile for my tastes. I haven't heard the Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso's original of Darwin, but it gets higher ratings here than the 1991 remake and Tangerine Dream's remake of Phaedra (2005) took such a panning from Rico in his review, I haven't dared buy it

I haven't heard the remake of "Phaedra", but I have heard the remake of Edgar Froese's "Epsilon in Malaysian Pale". if "Phaedra" was remade anything like that, beware! the remake of "Epsilon" is horrible; Froese totally ruined the atmosphere by adding lots of sequencers

WalterDigsTunes wrote: Besides, to re-record the music is to remove it from its original historical context and suddenly shove it somewhere it doesn't belong. To me, that's a pointless exercise that offends the craftsmanship, ingenuity and freshness of the initial project

Re-mastering on the other hand, if done sympathetically to the original album can work wonders without losing (for want of a better word) the "feel" of the source material.

Jimmy Page, for example has done a great job over the years remastering the original led Zeppelin albums & this process (to my ears anyway) reached a peak with last years issue of the remastered 'The Song Remains The Same'... to put that into (again, personal) context - when 'How The West Was Won' came out, its quality knocked the original 'TSRTS' into a cocked hat... when 'Song' was re-released last year, it soared head & shoulders over 'HTWWW' - the remaster really does show LZ at their absolute peak.

BNow if only JP would re-master the live album he released a few years ago with The Black Crowes...

Kotro wrote: I wish most modern albums could sound like the old ones.

I'm glad they don't. Think about it ... if modern albums sounded just like the old ones, wouldn't that be quite boring?

MikeEnRegalia wrote: Kotro wrote: I wish most modern albums could sound like the old ones. I'm glad they don't. Think about it ... if modern albums sounded just like the old ones, wouldn't that be quite boring?   There is an exception to this I will make... when a band plays an entire album as a live set and releases that as a live album. That's pretty cool.