MattJC 30.12.2003 22:45 |
Hi, I'm new to these boards. I want to eventually get all Queen studio albums, but I keep hearing about Hollywood Records here in the states editing songs on them. Anyone have any suggestions on if i should get imports and if there are any good websites that i can buy them from? Thanks |
Adam Baboolal 30.12.2003 23:04 |
Good timing, dude. The new japanese releases have nice new layouts and 2001 remasters. Good timing if you're a new fan. Peace, Adam. |
Brian_Mays_Wig 30.12.2003 23:11 |
Ebay |
Penis - Vagina 31.12.2003 01:50 |
The Hollywood versions with no reported problems (other than some very bad bonus tracks) are: Queen Queen II A Night At The Opera A Day At The Races Jazz Flash Gordon Hot Space The Works Innuendo Made In Heaven Sheer Heart Attack & News of the World had mastering errors which were corrected, so after 12 years if you buy a new copy, they should be fine. The Game has a mastering error which hasn't been reported to be fixed.. avoid it. A Kind Of Magic has the whole actual album, but replaces two original bonus tracks with one new one. The Miracle apparently still has the edited "I Want It All". I suggest link for imports. They've been good to me so far. Also, if you need the first 8 albums, you can get them all for roughly $40 brand new, 24 bit remasters in miniature album sleeves and a nice velvet covered box with booklet called "Crown Jewels". Disney (Hollywood's parent company) is selling them on closeout right now at Ebay for $35. They do not include any bonus tracks, but only a few of those were worthwhile anyway and it's a heck of a savings.. about $5 per album. |
Pim Derks 31.12.2003 06:59 |
As Adam said - wait 2 months and import the 2001 remasters in cardsleeves from Japan. |
Adam Baboolal 31.12.2003 09:15 |
Deacon Fan, there are mastering probs on albums like Queen2 with markers, i.e. where one track finishes and another begins. I suggest staying clear of the hollywood record versions. The best in the world are the japanese remasters. 2nd would be the UK versions and third goes to HR. Peace, Adam. |
RainMustFall 31.12.2003 11:07 |
I've built my collection out of Hollywood Records, and it's all fine (aside from a scratch I accidentally made on SHA the first time I listened). Also, The Miracle does not still have the single edit of I Want It All. |
Penis - Vagina 31.12.2003 16:55 |
Some of you guys assume everyone to be rich or something. I was just answering the question about Hollywood since it was mentioned. And I don't consider track markers to be a mastering error. On crossfades, it doesn't really matter as they were meant to be heard continously. The prize for worst track markings goes to the U.K. first editions, with things like the end of 'You Take My Breath Away' at the beginning of 'Long Away' and the same with Good Company & Bo Rhap, but those weren't crossfades so there's no excuse. ;) The 2001 Japanese remasters sell for $35 each on average when purchased in the states. That may not be an option for everyone. |
NoOneButYou1975 31.12.2003 17:45 |
i would be rich if i had won last nite's mega millions LOL |
Penis - Vagina 31.12.2003 21:20 |
"Also, The Miracle does not still have the single edit of I Want It All." Indeed it doesn't have the 'single edit'. Instead, Hollywood's version has a unique edit which removes part of the first chorus.. instead of hearing the chorus lines 2 times, with guitar coming in the 2nd time, we only hear it once (with the guitar, so they edited right to the 2nd time). This makes the song run approx 4:32 instead of the usual 4:40. There is also a rather cool edit on 'Rocks' which uses the a cappella intro edited onto the album version, and also runs about 4:31. This version is extra-cool since I was doing this edit myself for years before 'Rocks' came out. Great minds think alike :) Anyway, tonight I went and bought "The Miracle" along with the Wembley DVD, and the edit is still there. But at least I have my beloved 12" mix of Scandal on CD once again. |
Saint Jiub 31.12.2003 23:11 |
What was the mastering error on The Game? |
RainMustFall 31.12.2003 23:18 |
lol, Deacon Fan. I got Wembley with my Miracle CD too! |
Adam Baboolal 31.12.2003 23:46 |
Deacon Fan, whether you like it or not, the track markers are mastering errors. Those are added at the mastering stage. "The prize for worst track markings goes to the U.K. first editions" Those, which are no longer available. So, why bring them up? Search for Record Collector and check out the problems they list on all the Queen releases. HR versions feature prominently... "The 2001 Japanese remasters sell for $35 each on average when purchased in the states. That may not be an option for everyone." Yikes, where did you get that price?? Peace, Adam. |
Penis - Vagina 31.12.2003 23:47 |
hehe.. good prices on both too, 14.99 & 17.99. The error on The Game is the intro of 'Crazy Little Thing'.. it sounds like the tape starts at the wrong speed, kinda slurred. Not a *major* error, some probably wouldn't notice, but it's not right. There's also a guy who claims that 'Save Me' is missing a piece of the guitar solo, but I don't recall noticing that myself.. link "The second painful error is on ‘Save Me’, after the line ‘Each night I cry, I still believe the lie, I love you till I die’ comes Brian’s guitar break, in fact it falls directly in the word Die, but very noticeable a slice of that solo has been erased, and I found detracting, that kind of mistakes, may never happen during remastering." Adam, I was just noting that there have been problems with many editions of the discs, not just Hollywood. And I was going by what cduniverse.com charges for the 2001s.. and also I see that Amazon.com has 'The Game' at 39.99 for the upcoming release (it says Feb. 16, 2004) I'm assuming MattJC is in America or Canada since he mentioned Hollywood's releases. Perhaps you guys in the U.K. can get the Japanese versions a little cheaper? |
Whatinthewhatthe? 01.01.2004 11:34 |
Welcome to the list, Matt! I've been a Queen collector for the past thirty-odd years and have to say I still love the vinyl because it was the first thing I had (along with 8 tracks and cassettes) until CDs were manufactured. I've got them too, and the SACDs, HDCDs, 24 karat gold CDs and now DVD-A. I love the Japanese remastered versions that were released two years ago (and I'm still adding them to my collection one by one). You should check out Ebay and the boxed set called Crown Jewels that Deals At Disney is offering again. Now that the paper-sleeves Toshiba remasters are coming out (the second set to be released on my birthday, haha!) -- watch out, my house is getting a second mortgage! (LOL) |
MattJC 01.01.2004 16:24 |
Thanks for the welcome. yeah, I'm in the US. What i am looking for is Queen albums that are the way they were meant to be. No edits, no bonus tracks. Just how the albums were truly meant to be. Anyone know if Hollywood records altered the US versions of the Queen DVDs? |
Pim Derks 01.01.2004 17:00 |
If you want them the way they were meant to be, get the original vinyls :-) |
MattJC 01.01.2004 17:17 |
Ok I meant the CD's I want the perfect Queen CD's No bonus tracks or edits :) or as close to perfect as possible |
Penis - Vagina 01.01.2004 18:16 |
As for the DVDs, they seem to be exactly the same.. in fact, I've been told that a single disc can actually do both PAL and NTSC and it's only a matter of telling the disc what to do. So they may in fact be the exact same discs :) If you want the purest, best sounding Queen albums as originally intended, then the card sleeves are definitely for you.. I would still suggest the 'Crown Jewels' as a cheap way to get the first 8 studio albums then. They are 24 bit remasters and haven't been messed with by Hollywood in any way. The only difference is, these new Japanese ones coming soon have improved artwork. For the price of one of those, you can own the first 8.. and the artwork on Crown Jewels is not *that* bad for the price. |
MattJC 01.01.2004 18:39 |
Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by "card sleeves"? |
Penis - Vagina 01.01.2004 18:55 |
Card sleeves/paper sleeves, whatever they want to call them.. it means the discs come in minature cardboard reproductions of their original albums, as opposed to jewel cases with inserts. So you get these neat little miniature albums, with the CDs in a sleeve where the record would have been. For example, A Night At The Opera has a gatefold which has lyrics printed inside, and an embossed crest on the front. Now, some have complained that stuff becomes illegible when reduced to this size.. they can't read the lyrics for example, and that's one reason why they're redoing the sleeves. For The Crown Jewels, a booklet is included which collects all of the lyrics and sleeve notes. I believe the Japanese versions which sold individually, each came with an insert for the lyrics and notes. Another complaint was that a couple of the covers weren't exactly like the originals. "News of the World" has a border around the artwork which I guess wasn't there before (big deal!) and 'The Game' has a different band pic on the front which is a bit fuzzy.. and their excuse was a bit lame too.. something about the original photography being lost.. when they've been printing the original just fine on regular CDs of roughly the same size all these years.. but anyway, there you have it :) |
Pim Derks 01.01.2004 18:56 |
Vinyl-sleeves in cd format. Cardboard sleeves with the original vinyl artwork on it, resized to cd-size (13 cm width & 13 cm height approx). They look great and you get some cool extra's such as the Jazz Bicycle Race poster and stuff. The Crown Jewels is definitely a recommendation - especially at the price Disney is offering it at these days @ ebay. I paid around 120 euros for it 2 years ago and even thát was worth it IMO. Really classy looking boxset IMO. |
Saint Jiub 01.01.2004 23:29 |
Is this about music, or about miniturized "artwork"? I'll save my money for something more than recycled goods which have nothing more than an incremental increase in sound quality. |
Adam Baboolal 01.01.2004 23:45 |
Fair enough Bullwinkle. But you should seriously consider purchasing the remasters of The Works -to- Innuendo. When digital recording began with the works, it was still inferior and the resulting masters were not great. Right up to Inneundo. But the worst ones were AKOM and Miracle albums, as the digital technology was even more present. Therefore, if you only buy 1 remaster, at least make it The Miracle. That's the one that most find strange sounding and that's part of the reason. Peace, Adam. |
Saint Jiub 02.01.2004 00:06 |
Sorry Adam, I can't get excited about these. Besides I listen to music almost entirely in my car. I suppose I must be tonedeaf as I feel the Miracle (even in its present "inferior?" state although I see nothing really wrong with it) is my favorite Queen album released after 1976 (aDatR). |
MattJC 02.01.2004 00:21 |
Thanks for the info. Are the other Queen albums not included in the Crown jewels set in card sleeve format? |
Penis - Vagina 02.01.2004 00:56 |
Yes, unfortunately that's all we got here were the first 8 studio albums. For Flash Gordon through Made In Heaven, you'll have to go with the Japanese issues if you want them all in this format. Personally I hear nothing wrong with the newer album masters, and I do tend to be a bit picky. Adam must be even pickier. LOL |
Adam Baboolal 02.01.2004 15:46 |
Me? picky? No, no. It's a real error of the Miracle album. Bad digital errors exist through the recordings. Bad D/A converters used that also made the sound a bit brittle and cold. Some QZ'ers know about my passion on this one. I've been talking about it for ages. Anyway, since Justin has done these remasters, he will have put them through better equipment that will have set things back on their proper course. Of all the remasters, this is the ONLY album that suffered this badly. A major and annoying error. Compare the GVH2 mixes to the album cuts. Then try and audition the 2001 J master with the 1994 master. However, if it hasn't been fixed, I will be disappointed. But it should be. Peace, Adam. |
Penis - Vagina 02.01.2004 18:30 |
I'll try to listen carefully and compare 3 versions (Capitol, Hollywood & GVHII). You probably have much better listening equipment and I'm certainly not doubting what you say :) I'll tell you one album that sounds a little off to me.. Greatest Hits II. A very flat, compressed sound. I've had both the original Holland-made version and now the Gold Collection (Hollywood's copy) and they're both the same. In fact, I've been wondering if Hits 1 & 2 were remastered for The Platinum Collection, as that would be the only incentive for me to purchase it :) |
RainMustFall 02.01.2004 18:40 |
Perhaps... I have the Platinum Collection, and GHII seems to have the fullest sound out of all three... |
kevin79 02.01.2004 19:23 |
I was thinking of upgrading to the 2001 remasters. I currently have the 1991 Hollywood Records version of the albums. Does anyone know how the two compare? |
Adam Baboolal 02.01.2004 20:12 |
Compilation albums, such as GHits are always reprocessed to match up a more continuous sound with each track. But the only reason I would buy GHits is for the different edits. I like some, quite a bit. Replacing the old 1991 remasters with the 2001 remasters is a good idea, dude. If you want it, go for it. Trust me, NO comparison! Peace, Adam. |
Penis - Vagina 02.01.2004 20:25 |
Sometimes compilations can sound very good though.. Classic Queen & Greatest Hits (U.S. 1992) both sound great.. much clearer than GHII. I do enjoy different versions/edits too. Here is my careful, exact analysis of GHII in terms of what it actually contains: 01 A Kind Of Magic (Fade) 4:20 (original 4:24) 02 Under Pressure (Edit) 3:55 (original 4:04) 03 Radio Ga Ga (Fade) 5:42 (original 5:48) 04 I Want It All (Single Version) 4:00 (original 4:40) 05 I Want To Break Free (Single Version/Fade) 4:17 (original 3:17 album/4:21 single mix) (Single mix preferrable in this case) 06 Innuendo (Fade) 6:26 (original 6:31) 07 It's A Hard Life 4:07 08 Breakthru 4:07 09 Who Wants To Live Forever (Edit) 4:56 (original 5:14) 10 Headlong (Single Edit) 4:31 (original 4:37 Not edited for this CD.. the UK single has this version too) 11 The Miracle (Fade) 4:54 (original 5:01) 12 I'm Going Slightly Mad (Edit) 4:07 (original 4:22) 13 The Invisible Man 3:56 14 Hammer To Fall (Single Version) 3:38 (original 4:26) 15 Friends Will Be Friends 4:07 16 The Show Must Go On (Fade) 4:23 (original 4:32) 17 One Vision (Original Single/Iron EagleVersion) 4:01 (album version 5:08/this single mix is technically the original version, being released on the Iron Eagle soundtrack this way) |
Whatinthewhatthe? 09.01.2004 21:06 |
Give me the Japanese versions anytime, especially that 3" CD boxset. Sounds SO lovely!! |
goinback 11.01.2004 05:37 |
Deacon: Is the GHII version of "Under Pressure" also slightly remixed (as it is on Classic Queen)? |
Pim Derks 11.01.2004 07:52 |
"Is the GHII version of "Under Pressure" also slightly remixed (as it is on Classic Queen)?" No - the remix is only on Classic Queen. |