[Kali]

Hi folks,

I currently only have the Sony print, "Definitive Simon & Garfunkel" from '91 and am slightly disappointed by the recording quality of it... are there quality remastered releases available (either albums or compilations) that I should be aware of or that anyone can reccomend?

Cheers,
Ken

 

[blessingx]

I have a feeling the Paul Simon 1964/1993 box set is decent (which contains a lot of the partnership material). I have a promo sampler from it and the mastering seems good, but nothing screams great or lousy recording (besides the music). Don't have the Definitive Simon & Garfunkel collection, or anything else related, except Rhythm of the Saints, to compare it, though. Wonder if "The Graduate" will be remastered at some point in the near future?

 

[markl]

Yes, there's a newer compilation, called "the best of" from '99. It has 20 songs, and remastering quality is good (EDIT: to these ears

). Cheers.

 

[Thump]

Its odd because S&G were always a huge selling act in the late 60s and 70s on one of the biggest labels (Columbia) but I read somewhere that their master tapes were not well preserved and are mostly lost.

Every S&G CD I've heard has been just OK as far as audio quality goes, which is a big disappointment.

 

[Davey]

Quote:

Originally posted by Thump Its odd because S&G were always a huge selling act in the late 60s and 70s on one of the biggest labels (Columbia) but I read somewhere that their master tapes were not well preserved and are mostly lost. Every S&G CD I've heard has been just OK as far as audio quality goes, which is a big disappointment.

Hey Thump, I think that is partially true since none of the releases since the first issue used the masters, LP or CD, but for the Old Friends 3-CD box set in 1997 they meticulously searched for all the original analog masters and session tapes and in some cases remixed the session tapes and masters through a vintage console to get as close as possible to those original wonderfully produced and great sounding LPs. Of course if you have a good vinyl setup there's no replacement for a clean original of Bookends or Bridge Over Troubled Water (although I believe Michael Fremer is partial to the MFSL vinyl for the latter), the master tapes will never be that good again. But after that box was released, I think MFSL put out a short-lived good sounding gold CD of Bookends before they folded and I believe it's pretty much the same as the 2001 Sony remaster which has a couple extra tracks. Same with BOTW. In any case Kali, markl is right about these remasters sounding good, definitely way better than anything from before the box set, and in some ways better than the box (from what I've read - I haven't compared myself). The box was reissued with different packaging in 2001 as well but I don't know what the status is now.

Why no Bookends SACD yet is my question? Seems like it should have been one of the first. What a classic. That's my favorite, and if all you have is a hits package, I'd definitely pick up Bookends too.

 

[Kali]

Cheers for the replies folks, I'll keep an eye out for any re-issues of albums after 1997 (heres hoping they have a date of the remaster on it like Columbia jazz issues) or that box-set.. thanks!

 

[chadbang]

Great info, Davey.

Thanks!

 

[Thump]

Thanks for the info Davey. I have not heard that box set. It sounds like something worth searching out. I always admired the production of S&G or Paul Simon solo LPs a lot.

 

[razerx]

The Concert in Central Park from 1985 is really good and so is the recording.