The State of the Catalogue
David Goodwin, alt.fran.frank-zappa, September 13 2002
See also: JWB's reply
Well, with Oz finally out, and Mr. Joe "God" Travers promising us
that more goodies will be hitting our front steps impendingly, I thought it was
nigh-time for the State of the Catalogue to be examined. Bossk (R)'s vinyl-vs-CD
page provides an excellent service, but I think a quick summary of
Zappa-on-Ryko-CD issues album-by-album would be helpful to a lot of people.
Note that I don't necessarily have a "formula" I'm going by. I
determine "acceptability" by the number of people who seem to have a
problem with a release, and then color liberally with my own biases. You have
been warned.
A few notes right off the top, BTW:
- When more than one version of a "current release" exists, I'll
note it.
- It has been said, but it bears repeating; besides a possible EQ-tweak,
there is no goddamn difference between the Japanese mini-LP sleeve
reissues and the Ryko discs. The Japanese items are packaging fetish
collectables, nothing more, nothing less.
- They are pretty, though.
So without further ado:
The Zappa on Rykodisc Eval-uthon
Freak Out! (RCD 10501) - Very Good
The current ('95) CD is a remix. That said, there aren't any real sonic issues,
and most people tend to like the remix. While it would be nice to have the
original mix (or, heavens forbid, the mono) on CD, this is really a pleasant
upgrade on the old album.
Absolutely Free (RCD 10502) - Very Good
While this album won't win any awards for sound quality, this is pretty much the
best it's going to get.
Lumpy Gravy (RCD 10504) - Good (some issues)
This album's always been a hodge-podge quality-wise. The '95 issue sounds great
(some compression is evident, but not nearly enough to be consistently
noticeable), but unfortunate switches into mono right before the first "Oh
No" segment. It's a major error to some people, and could probably be fixed
rather easily (to be fair, though, if you have the older CD, it's pretty easy to
match levels and edit the correct section in. Your mileage may vary).
We're Only In It For the Money (RCD 10503) - Very Good
Barring major tape finds and/or a complete remix, this is the best we're gonna
get for now, and some of it even bests the vinyl. The segments taken from
"raw mix" parts are too small to really notice. The '95 remaster gets
some flack for reverting to the "censored' issue, but keep in mind that
(barring the Velvet Underground line, which did show up on some LP
pressings) the "Harry" and "Mother People" segments were always
censored ... on vinyl.
Cruisin' with Ruben and the Jets (RCD 10505) - Questionable
An odd evaluation, this. What's actually on the CD sounds really super, and is a
nice upgrade to the old Ryko disc. However, the massive remix/overdubbage really
spoils it for most people, so this disc has to be judged as largely
unsatisfactory. Note that both versions of the album don't quite fit into eighty
minutes, so a two-fer is impossible on one disc.
Uncle Meat (RCD 10506/7) - Adequate, but some issues
The current CD doesn't have major sound problems, but doesn't sound as good as
it could. The digital echo/reverb applied ranges from slight to massive ("Cruising
for Burgers"), and does degrade the sound somewhat. There's also the case
of the "why bother?" remix of "Mr. Green Genes". Again,
nothing's really offensively wrong with Uncle Meat, but an upgrade is
possible. Note that the entire album PLUS the "Green Genes" remix
would fit on one disc if the penalty tracks were removed.
Hot Rats (RCD 10508) - Good, but some issues
The current CD is a massive remix; as such, it sounds very different from the
original album. Unlike Freak Out!, though, this tends to come under fire
pretty frequently, as the remix includes lots of dynamic range compression, and
as such some feel the sound of the album is changed for the worse. That said, if
you aren't familiar with the LP mix, you won't notice anything amiss, and the CD
itself sounds fine.
Burnt Weeny Sandwich (RCD 10509) - Very good
The CD sounds great, minus a small glitch at the beginning of "Little House"
(that was on later vinyl pressings, anyway).
Weasels Ripped My Flesh (RCD 10510) - Questionable
This is, if I figure this correctly, from the same batch of remasters as Sheik
Yerbouti, You Are What You Is and lots of other fucked-up CDs. While
it doesn't sound nearly as bad as those discs, there're still a few odd reverb
and frequency issues; notably, "My Guitar" sounds much
different here than it does on the LP (the bass is artificially boomy here).
Definite room for improvement.
Chunga's Revenge (RCD 10511) - Questionable
See above. Would probably have the same audio glitches as the old You Are
What You Is, but this being an old recording, there probably weren't as many
high frequencies to screw up! That said, I find the CD to be very odd sounding,
and the many "stealth remixes" here are somewhat off-putting. Room for
improvement (people contest this, though, and many think the disc sounds fine.
It certainly isn't as bad as some later albums).
Fillmore East (RCD 10512) - Questionable
See above again ... not much to fuck up, but the stereo spectrum's
collapsed a bit on the CD, and of course we're missing an entire track.
Of course, this album will probably never sound amazing, but ...
200 Motels (RCD 10513/14) - Very good
Some sound quality issues regarding compression, but in general it's pretty
good. Like Fillmore, this album never really was sonic wonderment,
anyway.
Just Another Band from LA (RCD 10515) - Good
Despite apparently being another of the "bad batch" items, I think
this sounds fine.
Waka/Jawaka (RCD 10516) - Good
Some reverb issues, but generally good.
Grand Wazoo (RCD 10517) - Very good
"For Calvin" and "Grand Wazoo" have swapped places on the
'95 CD, but there are some easy home solutions to this.
Overnight Sensation (RCD 10518) - Very Good
Mastered louder than the old two-fer version. This doesn't sound quite as good
as the Au20s of Apostrophe (') and One Size Fits All, but is
noticeably better than the "regular" versions of both of those albums
(which is probably why they didn't bother Au20-izing this fast-seller!). Little
room from improvement.
Apostrophe (') (RCD 10519) - Very good
Not only is the '95 disc very good, you also have two (count 'em) mix
choices, with the Au20 CD representing the vinyl mix and most regular stock
copies having the collapsed-quad mix (although there was a mispressing at some
point down the line, those issues have apparently since been corrected).
Roxy (RCD 10520) - Very Good (slight questions)
Sounds great. Contains - like Uncle Meat - another "not
bad, but why the hell did you bother?" remix of exactly one song: "Cheepnis".
Said song is apparently availible in its original mix on earlier discs of
Roxy, but nobody's ever confirmed this. [I've heard one of those CDs
(European) - Ed.]
One Size Fits All (RCD 10521) - Very Good
The regular disc sounds fine, and the Au20 sounds even better. Score!
Bongo Fury (RCD 10522) - Adequate
I don't think this sounds very good, but I've never heard the LP, so this could
just be what the album sounds like. Nothing hideously offensive, but not all
that dynamic, either.
Zoot Allures (RCD 10523) - Poor
Nobody's ever adequately explained to me what happened to digital versions of
this album. It sounds completely different, almost like this is a
recording of the master tape played inside of a coffee maker and re-recorded, or
something. Very narrow frequency spectrum; the vinyl sounds much better. I'd
classify this under "offensive" audio problems.
Zappa in New York (RCD 10524/25) - Poor
This is gonna be the big controversial entry. Yes, it's remixed. Yes, we have
tons of extra tracks. But it sounds like shit, especially compared with Läther
and the vinyl. The remix has the same high frequency ick problem that the other
"butchered by the reverb" discs have. The cymbals, for example, are
just a big, brittle, swishy mess. As this is probably inherent in the new mix,
any improvement might be contingent on the album being re-done yet again.
Studio Tan (RCD 10526) - Very Good
Big improvement, although with Läther, this album becomes somewhat
unnecessary.
Sleep Dirt (RCD 10527) - Very Good (with issues, obviously)
I have to qualify this one. Yeah, there're drum overdubs, and, uh, some vocals
that I'm sure you could miss if you weren't listening closely (snort). That
said, if you're one of the many who never heard the actual record, the
vocals/overdubs might not bother you. And there's no denying that previous
versions of Sleep Dirt suck compared
with this one sound-wise. The vinyl was improperly EQed, while the previous Barking
Pumpkin/Zappa Records discs sounded very muddy. In my opinion, if you don't mind
the slight "Spider" edit, seek out the original Sleep Dirt
vinyl tracks on Läther, as they sound better there than they did on the
record.
Sheik Yerbouti (RCD 10528) - Poor
One of the classic ick-fest discs, although to be fair, if you've never heard
the original album/EMI CD, you might not realize what you're missing (and, thus,
you could be pretty satisfied with this disc, as the errors aren't nearly
as offensive as the old You Are What You Is/Tinseltown errors).
It's pretty heavily compressed, and suffers from major digititis; and, of
course, "I'm So Cute" is cruelly truncated. If you can, find the EMI
disc.
Orchestral Favorites (RCD 10529) - Very good
Sounds fine.
Joe's Garage (RCD 10530/31) - Very good
Sounds excellent.
Tinseltown Rebellion (RCD 10532) - Very Good (conditional)
The "early" '95 disc of this was not very good; it had audio
faults similar to the old, hated-beyond-belief You Are What You Is. If
you get a fresh copy, though, it's likely to contain Spencer Chrislu's 1998
upgrade. An easy way to tell: is there audience cheering in the beginning of
"Bamboozled By Love"? If there is, you have the better version.
Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar (RCD 10533/34/35) - Very Good
Sounds great.
You Are What You Is (RCD 10536) - Very Good
The old '95 version of this CD was the poster child for "What Not to
Do When Remastering." You know if you have the old version. Fresh CDs
should be the '98 Spencer master, which is heavenly (comparable to the Au20s).
Ship Arriving (RCD 10537) - Very Good
Man from Utopia (RCD 10538) - Good (conditional)
The '95 CD sounds nice and dynamic, but is a very drastic remix. Both versions would -
if I figure this correctly - fit on a single disc.
Baby Snakes (RCD 10539) - Good
Sounds fine, but c'mon ... this disc is begging to have itself
ridden with bonus tracks.
LSO Volumes 1&2 (RCD 10540/41) - Very Good
A drastic remix, but nobody seems to miss the old versions (most of which were
available and sounded fine on CD).
Boulez Conducts Zappa: The Perfect Stranger (RCD 10542) - Very Good
A bit hot. Sounds very different from the EMI/Angel CD, but most seem to
consider this a positive difference.
Them or Us (RCD 10543) - Questionable
Some people hate the sound quality here, but the EMI sounds very similar. There
are some "stealth variations" that haven't been completely figured out
yet.
Thing-Fish (RCD 10544/45) - Good
I happen to think that the '95 disc goes a long way towards making this album
sound less sterile and digital. That said, it still sounds sterile and
digital! Previous versions are needed for mix variations, and it would be nice
if someone went on record with what was actually done to this post-remix.
Post this point, most issues tend to become moot; you can essentially
assume the '95 discs are the best availible. |