[Slowhand] "Blues Breakers: Deluxe Edition"

[DeltaNick]

>> I know you were talking about the deluxe edition- what do you think of the "original master recording" that was released in 1994. I think that there are only the stereo tracks on that album? thanks, Steve H <<


Steve,

It's a good recording.

The very FIRST versions of CD reissue albums -- those taken from LP and remastered to CD -- weren't all that good. The major studios had not invested a whole bunch into the best CD mastering equipment, and they rush-mastered the first CDs, so the SECOND wave of "audiophile" recordings were not all from the major labels, but companies such as Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (the 1994 "Original Master Recording"), DCC, and some others. These were actually (the first) good versions.

A few years later, when it appeared that the CD format would be around for a while, the major record labels began remastering very good versions of these old LPs. By this time, they'd invested in the equipment, they owned the master tapes, and they had the time to do it right. In general, this THIRD wave of CDs was and is the best.

Keeping all the above in mind, I'd still say the the Deram (a subsidiary of Decca owned by Universal) 1998 European, 24-track (mono and stereo) release of "Beano" is still the best. In 2001, the Japanese JVC label (I'm not sure if they're part of Universal or just associated with them for releasing old albums) issued the same 24-track 1998 release, but with different packaging: a "mini-LP" sleeve, rather than a jewel box, with the Decca label; and the CD itself uses the Decca blue stereo LP label, since the original 1966 album was on Decca. Sonically, these two are identical, and the best version of "Blues Breakers" (aka "Beano") available.

FYI, the just-issued Audio Fidelity 24-karat Gold CD version of "Beano," on another "reissue" label, Audio Fidelity, is mono only. Some may prefer the mono version. I like having both mono and stereo versions and prefer the stereo. The mono and stereo versions are not identical: there are several differences beyond splitting soundtracks into discreet channels. The stereo version, I feel, has "more" information and sound, although some things on the mono version do not appear on the stereo. It's a matter of preference.

I don't think the Audio Fidelity reissue really improves on the Deram 1998/Decca 2001 mono version, but I haven't conducted a side-by-side comparison.

I'd rate the "Blues Breakers: Deluxe Edition" version above the 1994 MFSL release, but below the 1998 Deram/2001 Decca release.

I wrote an explanatory article in 2001, following the inferior U.S. 14-track release on the Deram label, which explains more. It is located at the below URL:

http://gpatt.customer.netspace.net.au/cream/Fresh/beanoreleases.html

                DeltaNick